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I Saw a Man
Recently, I stumbled upon a wonderful show on Apple TV entitled “Little Voice.” I am a passionate encourager of voice. And with the upcoming release of my third book, Catching Fireflies, I’ve been soaking in the concept of voice. Needless to say, when I saw this title, I was intrigued. I dove into the first episode and fell in love immediately. It’s a beautiful story. With rich, vibrant, captivatingly complex characters. Hope is stitched in each line…it’s in the foreground and background of every shot and frame…it’s laced in between each song. Yes, song. The show adds a gorgeous musical element, as well. And that musical component is the inspiration…
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Secrets in the Selah
Hope Birthers, there are Secrets in the Selah. Again, there are Secrets in the Selah. Allow me to give a little backstory before I explain. After recording my conversation with LaVondilyn Watson San Kitts, host of FIA Good Morning podcast and author of the new release “Draw Near,” I was stirred. For episode 2 of The Birthing Hope podcast, she and I discussed “An Intimate Hope” and the importance of drawing near to God. That conversation poked and prodded at some truths God began revealing to me late in 2018. That was 2 years ago. Those truths were secrets…keys…privileged information about the mystery of the Selah. You may be wondering,…
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When the Broken Seem Whole
I recently had two separate encounters with two wounded individuals that sparked a thought…What happens when the wounds are not obvious and the broken seem whole? Let me explain. These encounters both occurred on the same day. The first was in the morning on my return drive home after dropping off one of my teenage son’s to his summer internship. This wasn’t just any encounter…it was shocking. Something I can’t say I’ve ever seen before. While navigating one of the many one-way streets in downtown Charleston, SC, I saw a man carrying an over-sized backpack, walking down the side walk. His gait appeared a bit disjointed. Thinking about it now,…
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Hope! It’s a Work of Heart!
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Literally. That line comes from a verse of scripture at Proverbs 13:12. But that scripture doesn’t end there. It goes on to say, “but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” We are currently experiencing a global bout of heartsickness. The disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought feelings of deep despair and hopelessness to millions. Normalcy has been interrupted. Jobs and livelihoods have been threatened. Chaos and widespread panic has ensued. And heartbreakingly, many lives have been lost. However, when this pandemic reached the US, I was already dealing with my own personal bout of heartsickness. I’m no special case. Many people…
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A Seed of Hope Births a Tree of Life
There have been so many times in my life when all I had to hold on to was one single seed of hope. Truth be told, that’s all it takes. You only need one single seed to remind you that possibility dwells in the midst of chaos. Sunrises like the one in the picture above illustrate this sentiment perfectly. Some look at sunrises like this one and casually think, “Oh, that’s beautiful.” And while it most certainly is both beautiful and magnificent, I see deeper meaning in its majestic hues. When I see sunrises like this, I see strong reds and powerful blues battling for center stage. I see colors…
