Author: Jo Ann Fore
The Power of Encouragement
I’m an encourager. I say that without pomp or pretense and with no need for recognition. I simply like finding the potential good and reminding folks of it on the hard days. It’s part of my wiring. I used to think I had to be qualified somehow before I offered up encouraging words. That I […]
Teaching Our Kids to Be Brave {In a World Gone Wild}
“What was I supposed to do, Nana?” My grand-daughter brushed back a wisp of wet, blonde curls from her crying eyes. “I was only trying to help.” A friend had needed help so Lacey sought an adult. Then her other friends accused her of tattling, and it cut deep. So we had a […]
Because I’ve Been There {Depressed}
. There are some folks you simply want to un-busy your life long enough to sit with, to make memories with, and my dear friend, Dr. Michelle Bengtson has long been one of those people for me. I love her enthusiasm for life and her desire to make a difference in the lives of hurting […]
When Your Soul Cries out for Rest
The smell of the buttered-rum candle floats through the air. On my couch, the oversized pillows prop me sideways while the light tan throw and a plethora of books cover me. Gnarled leaves hold tight to the proud branches of the heroic oak tree standing outside my living room window. The stark winter landscape had […]
Theology for Kids {Big Truths for Little Hearts}
“Nana, can we do that The Ology book again tonight?” Lacey scrambles up on my super-sized bed, her freshly showered hair dripping slow right down her pajamas onto the edge of my comforter. “Here, I’ll get it,” she says, reaching across me to the night stand. “What happens next?” she asks. A couple months back […]
Worthy of a Miracle Book Giveaway
When I met Linda Kuhar a couple years back, I knew she was the type of person I could and would call friend. Today I’m honored to celebrate with this beautiful girl the release of her powerful story, Worthy of a Miracle. Although doctors predicted Linda would never walk or breathe again on her own, she […]
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
Guest post By Jill Lynn Buteyn Everyone knows someone with cancer. Or depression. Or a debilitating illness. Often we’re not sure what to do or say around people who are sick or suffering. When my friend Kara Tippetts was diagnosed with breast cancer in her mid-thirties, we hadn’t known each other for very long. I […]
An Opportunity to Write a Note That Matters {And a stellar DaySpring giveaway!}
Her hair pulled back into mermaid style waves and her green eyes pooling with tears, this girl of mine stands uncertain and anxious, reaching deep for courage. She trusts when I say she’s going to be okay, but those first steps still feel so hard. I imagine it’s that way for most of us–hard to let go of […]
How to be a Servant in a World Full of Self
Guest post by Emily T. Wierenga “Are you scared, Mom?” Auntie Susan is gone now, the hair all swept up and Trent’s sisters laying their boys down for a nap. I am in the kitchen with Marge, and we’ve been visiting a lot these days because her chemo will start soon, and she’ll be living in […]