Category: Friday Favorites

Friday Faves

Posted on by Katie Ganshert
Chin-Grabbers for Everyone:
  • God is in the Right Now by Melissa Tagg

    Wise, wise words about the significance of today. God doesn’t time-travel. He works in the present. 

  • Mopping Haiti and My Heart is Hot by Jen Hatmaker

    Here’s what I want to know? Is it possible to read a Jen Hatmaker post and NOT get teary? Both of these made me want to go to Haiti. Adopt from Haiti. Do something with Haiti. The least we can do is sponsor a child. And in case you doubt sponsoring a child does all that much, check out the second link. 

  • Sandpaper People by Robin Dance on (in)Courage

    We all have difficult relationships in our lives. Can you imagine the difference it would make if we believed God was accomplishing a Kingdom work inside us through the difficulty? 

  • Redefining Success by Jessica R. Patch

    What is the meaning of success? Perhaps it’s not what we think it is. 

  • Wow by Olivia Ryan

    Olivia is a new friend from church and even though this post is a few weeks old, I have to share! Because oh my goodness, is it ever powerful! Especially if you are a woman who has ever or is struggling with infertility OR you believe you deserve something  you don’t already have.

    Here’s a snippet: “Oh how we long to be ‘happy’! We think we know what will make us happy too…but isn’t it so true that when you get what you want you soon become unsatisfied again?”

    Can I get an Amen? 

    This post goes hand-in-hand with Wednesday’s post, It’s All Extra. God gave us everything on that cross, everything. Yet so often, He chooses to give us beyond everything. Is that not cause for rejoicing? Should we not dance and shout and celebrate this glorious, joy-giving God?
     

Chin-Grabbers for Writers:
  • Does an Author Need to Have a Big Ego? by Chip MacGregor 

    According to Chip, failure does not test our character nearly as much as success does. So….should I start praying for God to test my character? 😉 Seriously, there’s a lot of great stuff in this post. 

  • Something’s Gotta Give on Seekerville

    How do you make time for what’s important? What do you do when you’re afraid to fail? Here is some very practical advice. 

 Let’s Talk: Any good posts you’d like to share from the week? Any cares, concerns, or celebrations?

Friday Faves

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Thanks to the wide world of blogging, I’ve mastered the art of skimming.

Every week I skim a lot of blogs. Inevitably, there are a few that grab my chin, demanding I read them in their entirety.

Every Friday, these are the blog posts I will share with you! 

Chin-Grabbers For Everyone:

A must-read for every woman who has ever felt less than beautiful. I’m pretty sure that’s all of us! Krista’s honest way of sharing an important truth is beautiful.
Of all the 9-11 posts out there, this one stuck with me the most. 
Are you letting yourself soak?
Beautiful thoughts about the pain and freedom we experience when we remove the “splinters” from our lives. 

Good gracious, how can Ann Voskamp pack so much poignancy into one simple blog post? This is a must-read for all the mamas out there with a camera compulsion. Here is a small taste of what you’ll find:

“Sometimes attentiveness may feel like letting go–more like being captured by the grace of the moment than trying to capture the grace of the moment.”

Chin-Grabbers For Writers:

It won’t be what you think! Lisa Cron is the author of a new craft book, Wired for Story. In this post, she explains that story isn’t external. It’s internal. 
This is a great post to bookmark and reference before creating a new cast of characters.
I found this advice especially pertinent, since I’ll have to start looking for endorsements soon. Plus a sneak peek of Gina’s newest novel, Wings of Glass. I can’t wait for this one! 
Therapeutic insights from an expert who knows!
Kristen says, “Be truthful. Are your ‘flowers’ part of a garden or covering a grave?” I love this question!
 
My line editor sent me an article recently called Ten Rules of Writing Fiction. We both love rule #3 by Diane Athill the best. 
 
“You don’t always have to go so far as to murder your darlings–those turns of phrase or images of which you felt extra proud when they appeared on the page–but go back and look at them with a very beady eye. Almost always it turns out they’d be better dead. Not every little twinge of satisfaction is suspect. It’s the ones which amount to a sort of smug glee you must watch out for.”
 
Oh, this has been such a lesson I’ve had to learn along my writing journey!

Let’s Talk: Have any blog posts grabbed your chin this week? Feel free to share in the comment section!

I’d love to send you a welcome packet if I haven’t already! You can find the sign-up button at the top and the bottom of this page.

If you’re looking for a book that will help strengthen your faith in a God who makes all things new, consider reading the first three chapters of Wildflowers from Winter.