NON-FICTION RISK: SAY IT Say the things– write the things– that you are afraid to say. I recently shared about my fear of, “Who would ever want to buy my book?” And earlier this week, I confessed not just a past sin that I’ve conquered (which would feel safer) but a current area where God is…
Author: Jess Connell
Mounting Pressure for “Mommy Makeovers”
My blood began boiling over this issue a few years ago, when the (supposedly) “safe for the whole family” Christian radio station in my area began advertising “Mommy Makeovers” throughout the day, every day. The ad went something like this: “Sick of your post-baby flabby midsection? Ready to treat yourself and your body to some…
Stress, Yelling, and SIN
Unfortunately, this last week in particular, I and my children have seen incontrovertible evidence that (at least for me), stress and yelling seem to have a direct relationship. When stress increases, the volume and frequency of my yelling increases as well. So this weekend, I asked a group of godly women to exhort me in regard…
What If No One Wants To Buy My Book?
I’ve heard it said that artists are inherently egotistical… that at the foundation of all art is the artist’s belief that what he’s putting forward is worth the time and attention of others. But I think it is at least as often the case that the writer/artist/songwriter has to overcome great personal doubt and self-accusation….
Who is the Captive: Your Thoughts Or You?
Last week, I noticed I was feeling anxious. I’d been running the budget numbers again, trying to do accurate projections for what would happen when. We’re trying to sort out what we should do with our house, and when/if we should list it. Normal things to think through in a time of transition. But I…
9 Reasons We LOVE Having Chickens
1. THEY ARE PRECIOUS AS BABIES. PRECIOUS!!! We built a pen out of the cardboard box from a deck box. We taped it to the floor in a trapezoidal shape so they wouldn’t have any 90-degree corners to run into (and get suffocated by the others, which apparently can sometimes be a problem with small…
It (Whatever It Is) Takes a Willingness to Fail
This week, a friend admired my DIY chicken coop and said, “Wow, you really ARE Supermom, aren’t you?” She meant it kindly and this post really isn’t about that. But that situation got me thinking: I’m not Supermom. I’m a semi-normal (is anyone really normal?) person with 24 hrs in a day. I get grumpy…
Content With Little, Content With Much
When we moved overseas in 2006, we sold or gave away virtually everything we owned. Personal items, baby books, and a few items we couldn’t sell and really liked went to my parents’ garage. Everything else? (Imagine me snapping.) Gone, just like that. We moved to a somewhat-grimy, moldy-bathroomed, garishly-embroidered-floral-couched apartment in the middle of nowhere…
Releasing Our Dreams; Finding God’s Adventure
Years ago, when I worked for Governor Huckabee, oh the dreams that I had! Having worked for the States of Arkansas and Texas, ladies, I was determined. I’d work my way up through the political ranks, and one day, be a Senator. And to tell the truth, when I get put out with political goings-on,…
The Sovereignty of God in the Waiting Room of Life
In life, we’ve been in limbo a number of times, and it’s where we currently sit. The waiting rooms of life happen to us all, and often without warning. Waiting for the tests to reveal, “What is this illness ravaging my body?” Waiting for the right employer to offer a position. Waiting for a proposal from…