By now, most of you have noticed that my PrayerKeeper posts have multiple applications. Posting and praying these has been an interesting journey. The more I concentrate on praying one prayer well, the more I see how many people and situations it fits. I have told my husband that one day, as a very old woman, I may sit in my chair saying only, “Jesus loves you” and “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” That covers the essentials, don’t you think? Today’s prayer is another one which seems to fit many people I know. We’re all finding our way in one area or another. Let’s pray together: Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of Your glory. We praise You because You are an amazing God who reigns over all. Thank You for caring, for listening, for loving. And thank You for hearing our prayers. Today, I come to you on behalf of those who are finding their way. Perhaps they are lost sheep who don’t know how much they need You. Pull them out of the underbrush and move them, by Your Spirit and power, onto the path that leads to You. Some who are finding their way once followed You in great delight. But time, circumstances, hurts, and failures have caused them to stumble and even wander far from Your way. Draw them back as a loving Shepherd, lifting them out of danger and pushing or pulling them into paths of righteousness. For their sake, for Your sake, Lord Jesus, bring them back. For those who are finding their way through relationships filled with tension, God, I ask for Your power, Your mercy, Your grace. Cover them as You cover our sin, God. Let Your name be lifted as a light, dear Father, that they may turn to You. And in all these things, all this finding of ways and choosing of paths, God, grant us the desire and power to seek Your first, to acknowledge Your ways as higher than our ways, for You are above all. In Your holy name I pray, AMEN. If you don’t know the way, if you’ve lost your way, or if you’re making a way (or know someone who fits any of these categories), feel free to request prayer in the comments below or by emailing me through the link at the top of the page. I will continue praying for those who are finding their way and continue trusting that He will make their way His....

“No one is ever over-encouraged.” I’ve often heard my husband repeat that line. As an ordained minister for almost 25 years now, Tom knows. He sees people every day who are beaten down, drained, or disgusted. He hears stories of words that hurt rather than heal, of those who sow seeds of discord rather than unity, and of circumstances that, without extra care, threaten to suck away joy and peace. Tom understands because, of course, our lives are not exempt any of those things, either. But much better than our understanding is the truth that Jesus knows and cares as well. During the weeks leading up to Easter, I reviewed the Passion story through the various gospels and realized anew how often Jesus was misunderstood and mistreated. What happened in His last week was horrific, but even before that, He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). As I pray today, then, I’m praying for all of us. Will you join me? Father, today I lift up those who need a dose, maybe even a big dose, of encouragement. I thank You that You know each need, each hurt, each wound, and each cry. I thank You that for You, the little hurts are not little, because You care for us as a mother tenderly cares for her child. Lord, would You speak to those who need words of affirmation and hope? Would you let them know through people, through circumstances, through words and through Your Word that they matter to You? Please remind them that You love them as much as You love Your beloved Son. Lord, in order for them to hear the truth of encouragement, they will also need to stop listening to lies. Please, God, break any negative cycles or toxic patterns in their lives so they can truly hear from You. Remind them of their instant access to You by the shed blood of Your Son, and block the enemy when he tries to enter in. Give them Your grace. Give them Your power. And send them each that dose of encouragement that say, “You matter to me.” “You’re special.” “Your presence makes a difference.” “I’m so glad you’re here.” As we pray together and ask for encouragement, Lord, may we also surrender to be used as messengers of encouragement. Help us speak words of life and peace. May we be Your instruments of love and blessing. In Your holy name I pray, AMEN. Do you need encouragement? Does something or someone have you in the grip of doubt or despair? Feel free to share your prayer need in the comments below or email me through the link at the...

This week, I’m rereading the Passion accounts in all four of the gospels. And each day, I’m posting a prayer that relates to my reading in some way. Yesterday, I read of the woman who anointed Jesus for burial, so my prayer was for those who are pouring out their offerings. Today, I read of the betrayal of Jesus by one of His own. How must it have felt for Jesus to know his own trusted disciple was trading His life for thirty pieces of silver? How must it have felt to break bread with one who had such darkness in his heart? How must it feel today for Jesus to keep loving, serving, and giving to me when I turn away from Him at the slightest opportunity? When I pray for those who have betrayed Him, I’m praying for you. I’m praying for me. Will you join me? Father, the word “betrayal” carries such a dark burden. It implies a breaking of trust, a turning away from a relationship. And how often have I done that with You? Loving Lord, I know I have betrayed You with my words. Like Judas, I’ve allowed lines to leave my mouth that do not reflect Your heart. I’ve said what first popped into my head rather than waiting to measure it against Your standard. I’ve lied. I’ve cared more for my own reputation than for the truth. Forgive me. Forgive those who are like me. Walk with me into the future and teach me to lift up Your life and truth. Gracious God, I have also betrayed You with my actions. I’ve moved away from You and toward the enemy. I’ve acted as though You were not in charge. I’ve run with what I wanted rather than consulting or considering You. Forgive me. Forgive those who are like me. Teach us to deny not You but ourselves and our own heedless, helpless way. Grant us the grace to keep seeking after You. Sovereign Savior, help us who betray You without considering the depth of our actions, who deny You without counting the cost of our choices. Grant us Your grace that allows us to keep You at the forefront of our thoughts. Help us to put You first and ourselves last. Teach us know You in a deeper way, our Lord and our God, as we walk with You through this week where we remember your gift to us of living, dying, and rising from the dead. In Your holy name I pray—AMEN. I know you have betrayed Him, too—but even reading this prayer is evidence that your heart is turning toward Him. Feel free to share your prayer need or praise...

In the midst of an always-busy writing season, I thought I’d share some calendar excerpts for this spring and summer. It looks busy both professionally and personally, since we celebrate our youngest daughter’s high school graduation May  9 and 10 (party!). In June, we’ll welcome our daughter Karissa home from southeast Asia and send her to Panama to lead a mission trip a couple weeks later. Melanie will leave for training and her mission trip to Nicaragua a few days later! Both will serve with Awe Star Ministries. My speaking/travel calendar looks like this: May 14-17: Teach, serve, and represent Sisterhood Magazine at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Estes Park, Colorado. Here, I’ll teach a pre-conference workshop on Proposals, Queries, and One-Sheets, serve on two panels, and also teach one of my favorite workshops, Master the Memoir. You’ll also find me helping out at the appointment desk. Set in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, this conference is always a spiritual as well as a physical high. Registration is still open, and I encourage you to consider coming, too. May 20: Release of Escape the Lie: Journey to Freedom from the Orphan Heart, written with Dr. Walker Moore. I’ll share more about this effort soon! June 2-6: Teach a continuing class, How to Get Published, at one of the Midwest’s best-known writers conferences, Write to Publish. Over the years of conference teaching, I’ve come to love encouraging new writers, and this class will allow me that privilege. It should contain a good combination of practical advice and positive encouragement with some character clues as well. I had to miss teaching at Write to Publish during my father’s final illness and death two years ago, so I’m especially excited to have the opportunity to teach this summer. I’d love to see you there, so feel free to sign up and join me. July 6-20: Never the Same Missions Trip to Costa Rica: for the fifth summer in a row, I’ll travel  on the Never the Same missions trip with nearly 300 teens and adults as the writer for Sisterhood magazine. This year, my husband will come along and serve as one of the adult leaders. It’s not too late to join us, so feel free to check out the link for more information. Thanks for walking through my schedule with me! August will be devoted to catching up with family and launching our two youngest daughters in their respective college careers with a bit of planned family vacation time as well. I hope to see you somewhere along the way. And even if you can’t join me at one of these conferences or trips this year, consider attending another year. All three events happen annually and all three come highly recommended. Do you have...

Empty. That’s how my teenage daughter felt yesterday. As she worked in the library after her first dual-credit class at our local community college, her vision grew blurry, then dark. She began hyperventilating and heard a loud ringing in her ears. Signs of a TIA or stroke? Thankfully, no. That morning, she decided a large coffee with creamer would hold her until lunch. But she didn’t plan to eat lunch until late afternoon. And she forgot to take along her usual snacks. When Mom came to the rescue with orange juice, a snack, and a Subway lunch, a near-immediate healing occurred. My daughter had a simple need: fuel. Our bodies don’t run well on empty, and neither do our spirits. Have you been pushing yourself? Have life’s urgent demands taken the place of spiritual disciplines? Does it seem you never catch up, never take a day off? If so, watch out. You may be running on empty, too. Let’s pray together. Father, I ask You to fill and fuel those who are running on empty. You are the Giver of all good gifts, the Lord over time and space, the Healer and Restorer of our souls. We love to talk about how busy we are, even priding ourselves on all we accomplish. Forgive us, Lord, for our failure to stop and listen. Forgive us for attempting to feed ourselves on that which never satisfies. Our God, we ask You to make a way for us to see and to seek You amidst the clamor of our days. Help us find that quiet spot where we can see You, hear from You, learn of You, and be fed by You. Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender car. In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare. In Your name we pray this day, AMEN. If you or someone you know is running on empty, please leave a comment below or email to share your prayer need. No one enjoys the feeling of running on empty. And filling comes with nothing more than a simple...

I’m posting this blog quickly today because I have a dinner for 100 to cook. Yes, that’s right. One hundred. No, we didn’t invite a few of our closest friends over for dinner. Instead, I’m cooking the Wednesday night meal for Asbury United Methodist Church, where my husband serves as Minister of Music. The kind hospitality crew has graciously allowed us to present this meal as a fundraiser for his mission trip to Costa Rica with Never the Same Missions July 6-20, 2014. We’ve already served a takeout meal for 100 a few weeks ago, and Tom, a professional trumpet player, has a concert planned for this Sunday afternoon, also at our church. All these activities will help support his mission trip. So why do I want Tom—or any adult, for that matter—to come with me on what is primarily a student trip? I can think of several reason, the first being that we’ve been best friends for more than thirty years. We’ve both taken multiple mission trips but never had the opportunity to serve together. But there are other reasons I want him to go. On the Never the Same trip, he’ll have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of teens and nationals. He’ll serve as one of the adult leaders on a team of about thirty to forty and will have his own small group to disciple. They’ll spend time together and also join with their team for large-group devotions every day. He’ll travel on a bus with his team for daily ministry as they perform the “Spellbound” drama and have the experience of watching people transformed by the power of the gospel message. In addition, he’ll have multiple opportunities to share—or help share—Christ with nationals who come to watch the performance. Tom is a great encourager, so I know he’ll push, prod, and lead by example as he shows the teens how to engage the culture. Sometimes, they’ll perform the drama. But other times, they may wash hair, scrub clothes, deliver food, or perform other acts of service. Never the Same needs willing workers like Tom who will get their hands dirty—and more importantly, their hearts soft—for the sake of Jesus. Tom will also attend the FUAGNEM (Fired Up and Going Nuts Every Minute) worship services with me every evening. (I’m hoping he may get to use his trumpet.) Have you ever experienced worship with several hundred students? Let’s just say these are some of my favorite memories of previous trips. Never the Same offers powerful speakers (including trip sponsor Susie Shellenberger, founding editor of Brio and Sisterhood magazines) and testimonies in a celebratory setting that allows the students to interact with...