The Privileged Life: Looking for the Cross
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14) A fellow blogger, Mama Lava, has encouraged her readers to look for heart-shaped images, in nature and elsewhere, as little reminders of God’s love for us.* I’ve found quite a few since then! While my husband and I were in Israel, I decided to keep my eyes open for hearts. Maybe…
ANNOUNCING–A NEW WHODUNNIT MYSTERY SERIES!
Hi, friends! I’m so excited to announce that I’ve joined a band of marvelous Christian authors writing the newest series of Ever After Mysteries—novels based on fairytale plots, set in the 1940s. I’m a new kid on this block, and I’m having a blast getting to know these fine ladies and their work. A Troll Falls by Marji Laine is ready to read, released this month! You can read about it at the end of this blog, and don’t forget to enter the…
The Privileged Life: The Essence of a Good Guide
“For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.” (Psalm 31:3) Are you an independent traveler? I am. My husband and I love exploring new places, looking for curiosities, digging into history, and learning about people in different cultures. We prefer to go off the beaten path, move at our own pace, and make our own arrangements. But…sometimes…we need a really good guide. Such was the case on our recent trip to Israel. We had Christian…
The Privileged Life: Why You Should Go on a Pilgrimage
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage….each one appears before God in Zion.” (Psalm 84:5,7b) Ever consider going on a pilgrimage? Dictionaries define it as a long journey to reach a sacred place or achieve a goal, usually to pay homage to someone or something. Actually, that could apply to our hikes around Appalachia where we look for rewards such as waterfalls, spectacular views, caves, etc. But a true pilgrimage is driven by a calling higher than just taking a…
The Privileged Life: When You’re Hankering for a Makeover
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) It’s still February. Even though it’s the shortest month of the year, the gloomy chill-to-the-bone days seem to go on forever. Spring can’t get here soon enough! I didn’t make any significant New Year’s resolutions, using…
The Privileged Life: Practical Tips for Marriage that Lasts (Part 4)
“He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” (Proverbs 17:27) It’s Valentine’s Day week! How will you tell your sweetheart, “I love you”? On our first Valentine’s Day together 34 years ago, I hinted at those words to my beloved—I gave him a mug with “I LOVE YOU” emblazoned on the side in a crossword puzzle. Exactly one month later, he pronounced the same words to me, for the first time, as he proposed.…
The Privileged Life: Practical Tips for Marriage that Lasts (Part 3)
“He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” (Proverbs 15:15b) Want a marriage that lasts…and also thrives? A simple tip: Have fun. The tricky stuff is in figuring out what’s “fun” for both of you…and making it happen. When my husband and I first met, we discovered several interests in common—going to symphony concerts, taking walks, shopping for antiques, and traveling to historic places. Then, kids happened. Most of our “fun stuff” together vanished as we launched into kid-centered activities—cheering at…
The Privileged Life: Practical Tips for Marriage that Lasts (Part 2)
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” (Matthew 25:23) My grandfather always said, “Money talks…it says good-bye.” So true! Dollar, pound, Euro, peso, rupee, yen, yuan, franc…whatever you call it, money is a big part of marriage. It can make or break a relationship, so handle it wisely. Conflicts arise when one partner is a “saver” and…
The Privileged Life: Practical Tips for Marriage that Lasts (Part 1)
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) Nearly 34 years ago, my sweetheart asked me to marry him…while we were all by ourselves in a beautiful church, surrounded by colorful light dancing through stained-glass windows. We married only four months later, and our whirlwind romance settled into a steady pace. Looking back, we can see we’ve had a “normal” marriage—chock full of ups…
The Privileged Life: Ladies Who Launder in the Mud…and Smile
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) If a picture is worth a thousand words, how about one worth a thousand prayers? As I was reading a back issue of Prayer Point published by Samaritan’s Purse, I noticed an unusual photograph…and found out its unusual story. A group of ladies are gathered at a pool of water, washing clothes and linens by hand in plastic tubs. The…
The Privileged Life: When It’s Christmas…in a War Zone
“…Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1b-2) Did you know there’s another Christmas Day? While most of the world celebrates Christmas on December 25, according to the calendar developed by Pope Gregory, there are still places in Europe where Jesus’ birthday is observed on January 7 (based on the older Julian calendar). Over the…
The Privileged Life: Back to the Basics with Jesus
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) Out with the new, in with the old! Um, wait…we’re in a new year. We’re supposed to take on new challenges to achieve new growth, new productivity, new health, and a new “you” in the bargain. The old ways are supposed to be left in the rearview mirror. But three weeks…
The Privileged Life: Shining a Light on the Post-Christmas Blahs
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) It’s the day after Christmas…Boxing Day, as the Brits, Canadians, and others call it. It used to be a day to show gratitude and generosity to those in public or private service, bestowing gifts in boxes to them. Nowadays, it’s a time to shop post-holiday…
The Privileged Life: Where to Find Christmas Joy
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19) Joy. Is it on your Christmas list this year? If you search the internet for “where to find Christmas joy,” you’ll turn up some interesting results—Walmart and Target, for instance, and online streaming services. It turns out that “Chrismas Joy” is the title of a Hallmark movie made in 2018. The search also pulls up Christmas stores, music,…
The Privileged Life: Last-Minute, Low-Cost Gift Ideas for Christmas!
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Are you stressing out over last-minute shopping this season? Do you have difficult-to-buy-for people on your list? Are you strapped financially right now? All three? With Christmas less than two weeks away, it’s easy to get caught up in the last-minute flurry of shopping and lose our financial peace in the process. We need quiet reflection right now to prepare for the Advent of Jesus Christ. We need hope, not…
The Privileged Life: A Funeral Fit for Christmas
“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11) My husband and I just came back from West Virginia where we attended the funeral for his late uncle…and where we experienced the light and peace of Christmas in a remarkable way. A funeral at Christmastime often…
The Privileged Life: A Deep Dive Into Jesus’ Love
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son….” (1 John 4:10a) When I was young and took swimming lessons, I was terrified of the 12-foot-deep end of the pool…especially the creepy drain at the bottom. Going down just to touch my feet to the bottom put a lot of pressure on my ears and my courage levels. Imagine, then, the bravery of explorers who have plumbed the depths of the Earth’s…
The Privileged Life: The Decision to Give Thanks
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2) A pall casts a shadow over the holiday lights this year for me. I lost one of my dear friends a couple of weeks ago, to the ravages of an aggressive brain tumor. Her untimely death has left a huge hole in our community and in my heart. Grief will be a different process for me than for her immediate family…I can’t imagine the depth of their pain. But the…
The Privileged Life: The Goodness of the Lord in Confusing Times
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Decades ago—before cellphones, the internet, and automatic timepieces—my great-aunt Lizzy invited me to join her on fall cruise along the Tennessee River, to view the beautiful colors of changing leaves. I hopped in my car and headed out in plenty of time to reach the riverboat. Except…I didn’t realize we’d board in a different time zone. Tennessee is split between Central and Eastern Time, and I was going to…
The Privileged Life: Listen to the “Good Voice”
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 You’ve heard those voices in your head, haven’t you? The sinister ones who whisper awful things? Things like…. “You’re an absolute failure.” “You’re so ugly.” “No one likes you.” “Nothing you do is good enough.” Yep, we’ve all heard these persuasive ambassadors of discouragement. If…
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Nancy c. williams 