Bonus Blog: A Blessed Veterans Day!
Thank you to all our veterans! I’ll have more to say about launch day in this week’s regular blog post on Friday. But before today gets away from me, I want to wish a blessed Veterans Day to all who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces, and for the families who support them. Both my husband and I have veterans in our families, and we’re grateful for all our relatives who heeded the call. The featured photo for today’s blog includes items from my mother-in-law’s father’s military service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the [...]
What Is a “Patriotic Woman” Anyway?
What does being a patriot mean to you? ***This is post 2 of 2 exploring the title and subtitle of my forthcoming book. Click here to read part 1, “What Does It Mean to Be ‘One Nation Under God’?” As I mention in the introduction to my forthcoming book, I was raised in a patriotic military family. However, politics were never discussed in my household. In fact, I don’t even know if anyone in my family ever voted. So I certainly don’t know who they voted for, if they voted at all. At least in my home, patriotism [...]
What Does It Mean to Be “One Nation Under God”?
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. —Psalm 93:1–2 ***This is post 1 of 2 exploring the title and subtitle of my forthcoming book. Part 2, “What Is a ‘Patriotic Woman’ Anyway?” is now available for your viewing pleasure. People tend to have strong opinions about book titles. When I work with authors, I caution them that their publisher will likely want to change their [...]
May God Heal Our Land
Genuine repentance always opens the way to restoration. I feel that one of the saddest realities of life this side of heaven is the way we can drift away from the Lord when all is well in our lives. When we have full bank accounts, good health, and other temporal blessings, we can become like the rich fool in Luke 12:16–20, self-satisfied and self-absorbed. As the parable shows us, that kind of heart orientation can have eternal consequences. We see this reality play out in nations too. For instance, when the economy is booming and we live in [...]
A Dream Come True!
The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. —Psalm 126:3 Something very exciting happened. I received the author copies* of my book! I’ve been anticipating their delivery for about a week, since my publisher, Post Hill Press, emailed me to ask for a good mailing address. Over the past few days, every time a package landed on my porch, I snatched it up and eagerly looked at the recipient’s name. Thus far, all of them had my husband’s name, not mine. So, when a tidy little box with my name on it arrived the [...]
The Rejection of Knowledge
Are we seeking true knowledge or mere information? Last week, I blogged about my daily Bible reading and journaling habit. However, I have a confession: I don’t spend as much time reading my Bible as I can or should. Do I read it every day? Yes. But am I investing as much time in it as I do other activities, like watching YouTube, playing games on my phone, or falling down research rabbit holes? No. What if, instead of queueing up the next video the algorithm recommended to me, I listened to beautiful hymns? What if, instead of [...]
A Daily Habit
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. —Psalm 119:11 I started my first diary in December 1989. I’d received one for Christmas that year—the kind with a small lock and tiny key. It was one of my favorite gifts and initiated a lifelong love of journaling, although I’ve never been consistent with keeping a daily journal. Like many people, I can keep a bad habit going strong forever. But establish a good habit? Not so much! About a decade ago, I asked God to help me establish a daily Bible [...]
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 [...]