Archive - April 2016

Tried It Tuesday: Easy, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

April 12, 2016

I have a pretty great husband. I do. Not only is he a Godly man who loves me and the boys and works diligently to take care of us, he is my number one fan in everything I do. He helps cover my slack around the house when I’m working on projects, even cleaning the bathroom, and he stays up with me on those late nights when my blogging inspiration is a little delayed, so that he can proofread for me and just be with me. (It’s okay to say, “Awww.” He’s totally a sweetheart.)

So the other day when I was itching to bake something sweet, I thought of him and his recent comment about craving some good peanut butter cookies.

I don’t think I’ve made peanut butter cookies since we’ve been married, so I had to do some online searching to find a recipe that sounded like a winner.

After reading through a couple of recipes and their comments, I decided on this one, Thick and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies from Dessert Now Dinner Later, mainly because I know Brad likes chewy cookies, and she also mentioned that you can just scoop and bake these cookies rather than rolling them and pressing them with a fork.

Josiah was on-hand to be my assistant, which usually means it takes me way longer to make something than it would if I were doing it all myself, but I know that he gets such joy in being my “big helper boy,” that it’s worth the extra time, mess, and occasional frustrations that come with little ones helping in the kitchen.

These cookies are super easy. It’s just a matter of creaming your butter and sugars, mixing in your peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, and then adding your dry ingredients. From there, you scoop your cookie dough out onto the baking sheet, bake, and enjoy.

The first time I made these, I let them bake a little too long. The scooper I used was larger (#20) than the one the author used for hers (#30), so I adjusted the time…but a bit too much. On the plus side, the cookies were huge! 🙂

However, the cookies were still really good. Brad was pleasantly surprised to come home to homemade peanut butter cookies, and the boys loved them, too.

Since I knew the cookies could have been better, I had to do a second batch a few days later with the intent of getting the right cooking time. No one in my house complained about more cookies. This time I pulled them a couple minutes sooner, and they were even better than the first ones.

So now I have a tasty, easy go-to recipe for peanut butter cookies on the days that I want to do something a little special for my hard-working, giving hubby. (Awww – yes, I’m a sweetheart, too. Hahaha)

By the way, even though I haven’t tried it – yet – I’m pretty sure you could create a variation on this cookie by subbing out the peanut butter for hazelnut spread. Mmmm. I considered doing that, but Brad is not a fan of hazelnut spread. Or you could mix in some chocolate chips with the peanut butter cookies because chocolate + peanut butter = yumminess. I have also seen people put marshmallow creme and melted chocolate between two peanut butter cookies to make a fun cookie sandwich.

Okay, now that you’re hungry for delicious, chewy peanut butter cookies, here’s the recipe. Enjoy!!!

A simple, and simply delicious, chewy peanut butter cookie recipe.

Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid: #4 – True Ministry Isn’t Easy or Glamorous

April 11, 2016

1 Comment

Confessions of a Preacher's Kid: #4 - True ministry isn't easy or glamorous. Having grown up as a pastor's kid, I saw what it meant to really minister and pastor. It isn't an easy or glamorous path, but it's a rewarding one.

Recently I’ve been giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at what growing up as a preacher’s kid was like and how that has shaped me, my faith, and my parenting. If you’ve missed my first three confessions, you can catch up easily (Confession #1, Confession #2, Confession #3).

TODAY’S CONFESSION:

True Ministry ISN’T Easy or Glamorous

Growing up in a pastor’s family, I understood from an early age that ministry – true ministry – wasn’t an easy or glamorous path.

Sure, there were the infamous televangelists with glittering sets, personal planes, and hair that was way too big, who made it seem as though being a preacher was kind of like being a celebrity. But that idea is as false as Tammy Faye’s eyelashes. 😉

Watching my parents’ lives, I knew the truth.

Shepherding a flock, leading God’s people, and following His call isn’t easy. In fact, when my dad first felt called to ministry as a young man, an experienced man of God told him, “If you can do anything else, do that.”

Because he knew that ministry and pastoring aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re for those with a servant’s heart.

My parents have served wherever God has led them because they couldn’t “do anything else.”

When I was first born, that meant living in a small apartment in Alabama where the only furniture initially was my baby bed and a cot for my older brother. Later, God’s path took us to Florida, Ohio, West Virginia, and Georgia, and no matter what “position” of leadership my parents ministered from, it was never about them.

God, need me to lead junior high kids? Really?!? Okay.

Need me to play piano as the back-up? Here I am.

Need me to lead praise & worship? Alright.

Need us to reach out to this hurting couple and counsel them? Our home is open.

Need us to start a church over there? We’ll go.

Need us to minister to children and families in THAT part of town? We can love them!

Need us to forgive and keep giving when we’ve been hurt? It’s hard, but our focus is YOU. (Help us.)

Being in ministry, leading, especially pastoring, means putting yourself to the side, “not my will, but Yours be done.”

It means calls on the phone or knocks at your door at all hours of the day from a person or family in crisis or hours in the hospital with the sick or dying. It’s conducting funerals and visiting prisoners. It means being a part of the church but still being slightly set apart (similar to parenting – you can’t always aim for “best friend” when you need to be the leader). It’s being the “watchman on the tower,” speaking the hard truths that some never want to hear. It’s dealing with petty squabbles or huge divisions in a congregation. It means pouring, and pouring, and pouring into someone only to have them turn their back on God and you. It’s protecting your sheep from the wolves and doing spiritual warfare on their behalf. It’s loving people deeply, no matter what.

It’s hours on your knees, in His presence, seeking His face, praying for direction and leading because your responsibility is not just a big one, it’s an eternal one.

But it’s not a responsibility without joys and rewards. God is kind of good like that. 🙂

Allowing God to use you in ministry means seeing a person’s life changed and made new when they put their trust in Jesus. It’s baptizing new believers, counseling engaged couples, officiating weddings, and dedicating babies. It’s seeing God move through His people as they grow in Him. It’s feeling like a proud parent when the congregation begins to serve and minister, too, and as a body you reach your community with Jesus’s love. It’s being surrounded by the Holy Spirit’s comfort and guidance, knowing you can rely on God to never fail you, to give you the right words and actions just when you need them, and to supply every need you may have. It’s trusting His strength in your weakness.

It’s feeling humbled and amazed that God would choose to work through you.

And while some might think that these lists apply mostly to my dad since he was the “pastor,” there is no separating my parents in this (or other pastor and wife teams that I’ve known). They are one, and God has used them as such. (My dad learned early on not to discount how God could use my mother). I promise you, from personal experience, they minister most powerfully and effectively when they are side-by-side. It’s kind of a beautiful thing to witness.

I’m glad I’ve had that unique opportunity all of my life. You know, being the preacher’s kid and all. 🙂

My family when I was about 5. Don’t we look all 80s glamorous?

I’d like to challenge you, my readers, in two things based on not only my experiences as a PK but also my own experiences in ministry, both by myself and with my husband.

Number 1: PRAY for your pastor and leaders. LOVE them. They aren’t perfect, but trust me, they love you and pray for you.

Number 2: Don’t expect them to be the only “ministers” in your church. God has given you talents, abilities, experiences with Him, and a purpose in Him. You have a part in sharing Jesus with the world. You make contact with people every day that your pastor may never meet. Get to “going” per the Great Commission – speak with your neighbors, reach out in your community, volunteer in the nursery or children’s ministry, mentor and disciple a teen, encourage your fellow church members, go on a mission trip, give, pray, love.

Even though ministry (even in the smallest stages) has its potential sacrifices, problems, and hurts, the joys, rewards, and satisfaction of knowing you’ve been obedient to God’s call on YOUR life far, far outweigh them.

“And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”~ Mark 9:35

“He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’” ~ John 21:17

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” ~ Ephesians 4:11-16

The Reluctant Duchess – Interview with Roseanna White & GIVEAWAY

April 7, 2016

28 Comments

This post contains affiliate links, which means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through the link.

Last September I had the honor of interviewing one of my favorite Christian fiction writers, Roseanna M. White, when she released The Lost Heiress, the first book in her new Edwardian-era “Ladies of the Manor” series.

This week marks the launch of her second book in the series, The Reluctant Duchess, and Roseanna is here again to share a little bit about the intrigue, romance, and inspiration that await readers in the story of Highland heiress, Lady Rowena, and Brice Myerston, the flirtatious English Duke who comes to her rescue.

*Note: I received an advanced reader copy from Roseanna and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. My endorsement of the book is based solely on how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. 🙂

So, Roseanna, according to your “Author’s Note” in the book, the story for the The Reluctant Duchess, like The Lost Heiress, was imagined by a young Roseanna several years ago. How much of your eighth-grade idea survived the rewrites and edits?

Um . . . Brice’s name, LOL. I think that is seriously about it. And the fact that Rowena (who used to be named Augusta and went by Gusty—which no one but me liked, so alas!) was abused by her father. I knew nothing about what an abused young lady might feel when I started this story at age 13, so it’s no surprise I didn’t finish this one back then. It bears more of a resemblance to the version I actually finished when I was twenty-five, though a lot has changed since then too. And I’m so glad—Rowena needed to go through quite a few drafts to hit the right balance of broken-but-not-too-bitter.

In The Lost Heiress, we traveled from Monaco to England. This time, with The Reluctant Duchess, we’re off to the Highlands. What inspired you to bring your heroine from Scotland?

Well, I have some Scottish blood, so I’ve always been intrigued by things Scottish. But honestly, it’s because in that aforementioned draft, Brice had a subsidiary title of Inverness (the region where Loch Ness is), so I sent him up there, and that’s where she lived. Then I really liked the flavor that brought, so even though Brice now has ties to Scotland only through his mother’s family, it was something I wanted to explore.

After researching all these far-off destinations, which one is at the top of your list should you ever get to visit?

We’re actually planning a trip to England this fall. 🙂 Hoping to visit Cornwall (setting of the first book in my next series), perhaps drive into Wales—perhaps, perhaps up to Yorkshire, and also take the train to Paris for a night. (That sound you hear is my Paris-obsessed 10-year-old daughter squealing and jumping up and down at the thought of seeing the Eiffel Tower. And my son going, “A train! Cool!”) 😉

Being from the Highlands, Rowena and her family have such fun accents and phrases to read. How challenging was it to write in both English and Scottish accents for your characters?

The English accent hasn’t been too bad. I’ve always loved British TV, so I hear that a lot. But to get the Scottish in my ear, everyone recommended I read Outlander. So I did, and that certainly helped me figure out how to spell things, LOL. I also watched YouTube videos of people in the Highlands and took notes about the phrases they favored and the cadence and syntax they used. And of course, I had websites bookmarked with Scots phrases and their meanings.

Also, while you were in the thick of penning this story, did you find yourself using phrases around the house, such as telling your children, “Dinna fash yourself”? 🙂 (I TOTALLY would!)

Well DUH—of course I did! LOL. I still use “canna” a lot. And will occasionally tell one of my kids that they look “all peely-wally.” Just to see their response. Of course, they’ve lived with me all their lives, so they just roll their eyes and continue on their merry way. (My son, when he was about four, once responded to my typical speech by saying, “Only pirates say ‘blast,’ Mommy.” Pirates and historical writers…)

Rowena faces some pretty difficult challenges from the beginning, some not-so-light-hearted situations that few authors want to put their heroines through. Why did you feel compelled to start Rowena’s journey from there?

Because…that’s who Rowena is. I know this is hard to explain to those who don’t live in worlds of fiction inside their own heads, or perhaps even to writers of plot-driven stories. But mine are all about the characters to me. And Rowena…Rowena is lacework. She’s a collection of holes and knots that she doesn’t realize is beautiful until she can see her life all stretched out before and behind her by the end of the book. It was quite a challenge to write her, but I wanted to explore the internal healing she required—and how God uses all the empty places.

We have to talk about Brice Myerston, the charming Duke of Nottingham, the (nearly) perfect hero in the book. He’s kind of a big deal. 🙂 I’m pretty certain he got his own fan club after the release of The Lost Heiress, and he may be one of my favorite heroes that I’ve read in quite a while. What (or who) was your inspiration for his character, and what were your goals for his growth throughout the book?

I didn’t have a specific inspiration for him, actually. I just wanted him to be so charming that Rowena would be immediately wary, LOL, and yet an actual Godly man—because she needed someone gentle, peace-seeking, and yet strong. She needed someone who would listen to God’s leading in his relationship with her.

But yes, I confess that my other big goal was to make him so well-loved in The Lost Heiress that readers HAD to get his story in book 2, LOL. All too often second books in a series are all but forgotten, and I didn’t want that to be the case here. 😉

I think one of my favorite traits in Brice is his sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading, even when he might not want to obey. (Guys, take note. A man who follows God closely increases his “swoon factor” exponentially.) What do you want your readers to take away from this aspect of his character?

LOL on the swoon factor. 🙂 What I really want readers to take away is that that close relationship is something anyone can have, if they pursue God that fully. God may not speak to us audibly, but He will guide us through our days, and He’ll speak to us in whatever way we best hear Him.

For every book you write, there is a theme. What was your guiding theme for Brice and Rowena’s story?

It comes courtesy of George Muller, a missionary to England in the 1800s. That empty plates—empty places in our lives—are not a lack. They’re just an opportunity for God to provide for us in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

What is your favorite scene or quote in the book?

Oh gracious . . . probably the maze scene at Whitby Park. I love the glimpse we get of Ella, which sets the stage for her in book 3. And I love the confrontation between Rowena and Brice after he “rescues” them from the maze. 😉

You did a Periscope interview with Cara Grandle a few weeks ago where you discussed writing. You said that the reason you write was to minister to others (which I LOVE), so how do you hope God uses this book to minister to the readers?

I don’t generally know how God is going to use my books…just that if I’m faithful to write the story He gives me and seek to learn His truth as I’m writing it, He will. Maybe it’ll resonate with someone who has suffered abuse…or maybe with someone whose life feels empty…or maybe someone doesn’t think they can hear God that clearly but will seek to. I don’t know. Most of the time, it isn’t someone or something I imagine. Which makes it all the more beautiful when I get an email saying, “This…this was for me.” Makes me sniffle every time!

We know that there is a third book, A Lady Unrivaled, waiting in the wings. Can you give us a little hint about what to expect and when we can look forward to reading it?

Absolutely! A Lady Unrivaled releases in September and features the adventure-and-romance loving Ella as our heroine…and a hero you might not expect—Cayton, the Duke of Stafford’s misanthropic cousin who is a cad in book 1 and in the throes of grief in book 2. In book 3, he’s been redeemed but doesn’t quite know how to grasp that with both hands. And Ella, while still all sunshine and birdsong, has to learn when to trust her own instincts again after the shock that comes at the end of book 2. The mysteries of the Fire Eyes are finally fully understood and explained, with the help of a Russian ballerina sent by “the Russian buyer” to find out what’s become of them. Loved exploring a bit of Russian culture through her! At the moment, it’s my favorite of the series. But then, the most recent is always my favorite, LOL.

It is always so much fun being able to talk with Roseanna (Thank you, Roseanna!). Below is a little bit more about her with links to her website and blog. You can also follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.

ABOUT ROSEANNA WHITE:

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two small children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of 10 historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels…to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She makes her home in the breathtaking mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com and at Writing Roseanna.

⇒ GIVEAWAY ⇐

**And now that you’re all excited to read The Reluctant Duchess, here’s your chance to enter to WIN a copy of your own!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering! This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only and runs from Thursday, April 7 (12:00 a.m.) through Monday, April 11, 2016, at 11:59pm EST (I know, specific.). The winner will be notified by email within 48 hours of the contest ending. Winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected.

While only one happy reader will be able to win my giveaway, I’m not the only person celebrating the release of The Reluctant Duchess. Below is a list of several other giveaways going on right now for this enchanting, suspenseful book!

Roseanna herself has an awesome prize package available through her giveaway, including signed copies of both The Lost Heiress and The Reluctant Duchess, a necklace inspired by the story, chocolate, and more. You can enter through April 26. Click here to enter Roseanna’s giveaway.
Goodreads.com is giving away copies of The Reluctant Duchess to 15 readers!!! It ends TODAY, though, Thursday, April 7, so click over now to enter this one!
Visit author Heather Blanton’s site, Ladies In Defiance, to enter for another chance to win a copy of The Reluctant Duchess as part of Roseanna’s guest post there. (Heather’s “Romance in the Rockies” books are also really great reads.) Giveaway goes through April 15. Click here to enter this giveaway.
Noela from Overcoming with God has a review and giveaway, too. (Note: I’m not sure how long this giveaway is open). Click here to enter Noela’s giveaway.
Coming up April 22-25 is a chance for you to win not only The Reluctant Duchess, but one of over 150 books during the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. You can find out more by checking out Roseanna’s post, and stay tuned to her blog or Facebook page at the end of the month.

Don’t want to wait for a giveaway to end? You can read an excerpt from The Reluctant Duchess on the Bethany House site.

Of course, you can always purchase a copy from your favorite bookseller or download it on Kindle to start reading it right now. 🙂

Tried It Tuesday: My Kids’ New Favorite Board Game

April 5, 2016

2 Comments

Life in Lape Haven - Tried It Tuesday: My Kids' New Favorite Board Game. With all the gifts my son received for his birthday, I didn't expect this simple, but cute, board game to be his new favorite game to play. Our whole family enjoys this award-winning game.

This post contains an affiliate link, which means at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission when you make a purchase through the link.

With Josiah’s recent birthday, he has had an influx of new toys, clothes, and games to enjoy.

Of all the things he received for his birthday, there is one thing that both he and Elijah have been playing with more than any other: The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game.

I could claim all kinds of “awesome parent” points for this since it was from Mommy & Daddy, and I picked out the game… except that with Easter and birthday party prep, I kind of overlooked getting him a present until a couple days before his birthday. (Brad and I have been considering getting the boys a swing set or playset for our yard, but we hadn’t found one yet, so we kept putting off getting Josiah’s birthday gifts, just in case we came across a swing set before his birthday.)

Thankfully, my instincts were good on this one. I knew I had seen comments about how much families liked this award-winning game, so I figured it would be worth a try. Besides, we (read: Mommy) can only play so many games of Candyland.

The boys even played this game in their blanket fort.

From the minute we opened the box, the boys were intrigued (and fighting over the adorable “squirrel squeezer”). With their little tree trunks in front of them, they barely let me read over the very easy directions before they started trying to play.

It’s a really simple game with a spinner, acorns in five different colors, tree trunks for “stashing” your acorns, and the aforementioned cute little squirrel squeezer that you use to pick up the acorns. The object of the game is to collect all 5 colors of acorns before anyone else, but you have to watch out for obstacles on the spinner that slow you down: the Sad Squirrel that causes you to lose your turn and the wind storm that blows all your acorns back to the main tree.

Without a doubt, our boys’ favorite thing to land on is the Sneaky Squirrel because then they get to steal an acorn from someone else. They are positively delighted to get to be so mischievous. Of course, they don’t really enjoy it when someone else steals their acorn, so it’s been a great game for teaching them to be a good sport.

That first day we played several rounds of the game, and we’ve played it nearly every day since. They played it with their grandparents, and Josiah even took it over to his cousins’ house this past week to introduce them to the fun. Watching the four boys play it together was hilarious and precious. They all loved the sense of accomplishment when they managed to collect all their acorns and win a game.

As a parent, I appreciate the simplicity of the game, which makes it easy for my 3-year-old to play without help, while not being too young for my 5-year-old (or Brad and I) to have fun. The game is designed to help encourage color identification, as well as matching, sorting, strategic thinking, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and pre-handwriting skills, and I can already see improvement for Josiah in some of those areas.

So even if it was more of a last-minute gift, it has turned out to be a great one, one that our entire family enjoys playing, and one that has easily become our boys’ new favorite board game.

Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid: #3 – I Don’t Talk About God All the Time

April 4, 2016

1 Comment

Life in Lape Haven: Confessions of a Preacher's Kid: #3 - I don't talk about God all the time. Growing up in church, I've learned that some people do things because it fits the church culture, such as how some Christians talk. I believe God wants our words to be seasoned with the right amount of salt.

In continuing with my series on Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid, I’ve had several different ideas for topics to share. I’ve already confessed that being raised in church isn’t enough and that my parents never expected us to be “perfect preacher’s kids.” They also didn’t expect us to always talk about God and church.

Today’s Confession: I Don’t Talk About God All the Time

Growing up in church means growing up around church people, and something I’ve noticed over the years is that there are some things that Christians do that are more part of the “church culture” or to seem more “Christian-y” that are not really Biblical or beneficial to the kingdom of God or reaching a lost world.

One of those things is how some Christians talk.

No, I’m not talking about gossip or cussing, even though both of those are not good practices or Christ-like, as the Bible tells us to “let no unwholesome word come out of our mouths” (Ephesians 4:29). As we grow in our relationship with God, those things should fall by the wayside. To stubbornly hold on to them is really a heart issue.

Actually, the annoying talk that I’ve encountered among some Christians would be almost the exact opposite of that. It’s when people only ever talk in scripture, “Christianese” phrases, or sermon quotes.

Why is this frustrating? Shouldn’t the “words of our mouth…be acceptable to” God?

Yes, they should. (Psalm 19:14)

Shouldn’t we be talking about what the Bible says and what God has done?

Yes, we should.

However, I’ve known a number of people who have hidden behind their God-centered words to avoid being real or transparent with others.

For example, if you asked them how their day was going, the response might be something, like, “This is the day that the Lord has made, so I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Is their day going well, or are they choosing to rejoice despite a bad day? Not sure. Speaking in faith is good, but so is being honest. If I can’t understand or relate to you as a fellow believer, how are you going to reach others who really have no idea what you’re saying?

I remember one family I knew for a long time whose father rarely answered questions about himself or their family or life, really, without referencing God, church, or scripture. Even though I spent several years around them all, I never felt as though I really knew him, and he didn’t seem approachable or genuine.

Once when I was spending time with them, I began to feel as though something must be wrong with me or my relationship with God because, even though I had God’s Word hidden in my heart from reading it faithfully over the years, I had plenty of conversations where I didn’t mention God at all or quote a single verse.

That night when I was praying, I asked God, “Am I not speaking about You enough? Am I supposed to sound like these other people?”

God’s answer was simple, “Let your words be seasoned with salt.” (Colossians 4:6)

Anyone who’s watched a cooking show knows that seasoning can make or break a dish. Seasoning something with salt doesn’t just mean adding salt, but adding the right amount of salt for the dish you’re cooking. With that verse, God reminded me that not everything requires the same amount of salt. While potatoes are going to need a lot, fruit or ice cream don’t need much at all.

No matter what you’re making, not having enough salt leaves a dish lacking flavor, but too much salt can make it inedible. You have to know how and when to use it.

Never having God’s words in your mouth means you’re not whetting the appetite of the world to want to know God. However, forcing scriptures or God into every conversation can make talking to you completely unpalatable.

I avoided talking to my friend’s dad because he only gave cliché or pat responses, and he only asked you questions about what you’d read in the Bible or what your church was doing. It always felt as if I were being measured by how holy my answers were.

However, once I had that confirmation from God, I knew that God was fine if I didn’t mention Him in every sentence.

His Word says that it’s “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). My love for God is already in my heart, and it will come out naturally in my life and in my words, seasoning my conversations genuinely, in a way that will draw others to Him, giving them a hunger for more of Him.