I struggled with motivation at the onset of the New Year. My attempts to launch the year by setting goals or resolutions sputtered. No word for the year came to me, despite regular prayer and meditation. Instead, the questions of "Why?" and "Will my efforts even matter?" needled my thoughts. I…
Guest Post by Best-Selling Author Michelle Medlock Adams “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss Reading is such a wonderful escape, isn’t it? I remember when I was a little girl, I would curl up…
Did you know pregnancy actually alters a woman’s brain, changing the size and structure of areas involved in emotional attachment to their young? A recent Nature Neuroscience study found that motherly nurturing skills – like perceiving the feelings and perspectives of others – are enhanced in pregnancy and continue for at least two…
Got books? If you're an avid reader, your brain and heart will thank you. Studies indicate we bolster the emotions and mind almost any time we read. Certain books target our emotional and cognitive well-being, to pack on extra benefits. As if we needed another reason to crack open a book.…
I'm a book-hoarder, often found walled inside mountains of literature while pecking away at new manuscripts. The stuff of writing may seem like an isolating factor. Yet, reading can connect us to others. Some works serve to improve our relationships. Today's video highlights the following ways we can read to…
Libraries and bookstores list quite a different set of books in the inspirational category. On a stroll through the aisles of any such purveyor of literature, one may find theology textbooks, Bibles, studies, and devotionals. I treasure the spiritual value these publications provide. For me, such books exceed the term inspirational.…
Born Hungry for Stories Before she can speak, an infant's cry expresses her yearning. A loving voice swaddles the new soul. The words may come with music or the mere sound of turning pages, but they capture her heart and mind either way. The child quiets, listens, grows calm. As if…
One of the top human goals is well-being. We all want to feel and live our best. Each of us dreams of achieving a life of peace and joy. Yet the term "well-being" itself proves nebulous and the means to get to the goal even more difficult to discern. What if…
Allow me to welcome distinguished author, Kat Heckenbach as today's guest post contributor. I recommend her writing to avid readers of speculative fiction, and look forward to each new release. When I started writing Relent, I used the working title Guilty. My goal was to show that anyone, no matter how…
In my master's program, we analyzed a slew of personality profiles. Some became corporate favorites, like the Myers-Briggs or the Holland. Other instruments, like the MMPI, garnered less appeal since they categorized participants according to negative labels. Of all the tests I reviewed as a student and since my licensure, the…