“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” James 1:17. Last week, I wrote about the joy you will find by keeping a gratitude journal. My friend challenged me to find 1000 different things to …[ read more ]

@carol_mcclain You can renew your life: leave the mistakes behind and live in joy. I have a friend who is a genuinely good person. Unfortunately, long ago, she gave up on God. She’s now an atheist. Why? When she was younger, a minister hammered into her, non-stop, that she was a sinner. We know plenty of …[ read more ]

Carol McClain We pray. Maybe fast. We ask according to God’s will, and God refuses our request. Why? We know the pat answers. God always answers: Yes. No. Not Now. Those pat answers don’t always salve our aching heart or our need. An illustration of God’s wisdom in denying our request. Pastor B officiated at my mother’s …[ read more ]

@carol_mcclain I conquered fear. Well–one fear–but the technique works. Tale of Two (four?) Dogs I jogged along our road. About a half mile from our home, a doodle with his companion pit bull darted into the road, barking, snarling and leaping up on me. Ironically, the pit bull stayed back, but the doodle wanted to take …[ read more ]

Carol McClain The fun thing about novels is conflicts and problems pile up–each making life worse. The miserable thing about life is conflicts and problems pile up–each making life worse.   We’ve all heard the three answers to prayer God gives: yes, wait, or no.   What do we do when God answers no? We …[ read more ]