And God Relented
It’s an honor to pray for God’s enemies—and for ours. As a follow-up to last week’s blog post, I wanted to share another excerpt from my forthcoming book that relates to the topic of praying for our enemies. We’ll again revisit the Old Testament, but this time we’re delving into the story of Jonah, arguably one of the most famous prophets. May Jonah’s story challenge and inspire us to better see others as the Lord sees them. With love in Christ, Amanda xoxo So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and [...]
Never Too Far Gone for God
Do you ever feel like someone is a “lost cause”? Do you think you are a lost cause? In 2025 I’ve been using A Year in the Old Testament for my morning Bible time. The book follows the lectionary readings for the church year, which includes a psalm, passages from the Old and New Testaments, a brief meditation on the readings, and a short prayer. I’ve loved many things about this approach, including learning more about the church seasons, festivals, and commemorations, as well as seeing the way Scripture so beautifully weaves together. Last week’s reading included passages [...]
Guarding Our Hearts and Minds
What do we allow to steal our peace? I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life, and I know I’m not alone in this struggle. I hear from many people who are anxious about lots of different things, including the state of our country. This compelled me to write about this topic in my forthcoming book. Over the past couple of weeks, horrific acts of violence have stunned our nation. Families have had loved ones tragically taken away from them, and our hearts break alongside theirs. It’s understandable that these kinds of situations can cause people to [...]
Learning to Love the Wait
Be still, and know that I am God. —Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) Stories of my childhood are rare, and I have few memories of my life before age five. Recently, my mother shared an early-life anecdote with me: You sat on the floor, on your baby blanket Ma crocheted for you. You were chatting on your little phone and working on a wooden puzzle. The dog kept rolling her ball to you. You’d continue chatting and roll the ball, then get back to your puzzle. I watched you doing all of this for a few minutes and shook my [...]
Doing What Is Good, Right, and True
True greatness comes from a heart aligned with God’s will. A major focus of my forthcoming book is biblical leadership, especially for civil authorities. What are the characteristics of a biblical leader? And who serves as an example of such a leader? Sadly, when we read through the Old Testament, particularly the books that cover the monarchy, every single human ruler placed over the nation of Israel—and later the divided kingdom—fell short. Even King David, called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22), succumbed to his sinful nature, leading to both personal and national [...]
My Cup Overflows
My cup runs over. —Psalm 23:5 (NKJV) This week’s post will be short and sweet because I’m attending the Henkel Conference, an annual event held at my church. My husband always does an amazing job curating speakers who dive deep into what’s going on in our culture. Their presentations both challenge and encourage Christians to keep fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). After the conference ends, my cup overflows. There’s something so life-giving about spending time with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ, having meaningful conversations and enjoying one another’s company in between sessions and over a [...]
Finding Hope Amid Disasters
Where is God when disaster strikes? When I was writing my book at the beginning of 2025, wildfires broke out in California. I watched news reports in horror as homes were devastated and lives were lost. Through their tears, people spoke of their immense grief, and my heart ached for all who were suffering. During my church’s weekly worship service, we prayed for all the victims, asking God to bring them comfort and hope. In my private prayers, I also lifted up the firefighters and other first responders, asking God to protect them as they served their neighbors [...]
Welcome to The Word Steward Blog!
I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. Until the day she died, my grandmother carried a poem I wrote when I was five years old, tucked in her wallet. Although I’d never dare call myself a poet, I’ve always been enamored with the written word—the way that lines formed letters, letters formed words, and words formed sentences. And when those sentences were strung together, they had tremendous power. They could explain complex ideas and make them understandable. They could create worlds that only existed in the author’s and readers’ imaginations. They could make you feel [...]