Author Archives: Ann C. Averill

Catch a Falling Star

Because many of you readers are also writers, let me show you how to begin telling your own flash memoir. Just let memories float to the surface, one by one, not knowing how they’ll connect, but trusting that as they … Continue reading

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Hosanna to a God too Big to Fit on a Shelf

I went to church my entire childhood, but coming of age during the Woodstock Generation, I drifted farther and farther away from God. Looking back, no matter how far away I got, God was drawing me closer to his plan … Continue reading

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Straining at the Oars

Everyone I’ve talked to this week is stressed to their breaking point. Problems at work, problems at home, problems with health both mental and physical. With the war in Ukraine, a global pandemic, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, high gas prices—and a … Continue reading

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More than a Leprechaun

It’s March, the month of St. Patrick’s Day, but I’m sure St. Patrick would agree there’s more to the day that bears his name than leprechauns and a pot of gold. Here’s what I mean. *********************************************************************************** My first conscious memory … Continue reading

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Armageddon

The growing war in Ukraine has made me much more aware of the freedom, comfort, and family I enjoy. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s threatened or gone. Such was the case when I was in fourth … Continue reading

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Lessons from Ukraine

Like the whole world, I’m transfixed by the David and Goliath conflict in Ukraine and how it has illustrated truth I know, but need to trust as if my life depended on it, as if I were fighting my own … Continue reading

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Before and After Pix with Jesus

Don’t we all love before and after shots. My favorite version of before and after are home renovation shows on HGTV. It’s what I binge watch in bad weather while I use the treadmill. And, I confess, sometimes I fast … Continue reading

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Right Between the Eyes

PERFECTIONISM AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET REQUIRED TO FINISH A BOOK. During the Olympics, there’s always lots of talk about sports psychology. The Apostle Paul also talks about what it takes to finish the race. In Philippians 3:13-14 he advocates leaving … Continue reading

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Respect

Shame is a powerful tool of the enemy, able to morph into a million avatars, but no match for God’s sovereignty and grace. Here’s what I mean. ****************************************************************************    It’s 1967 at the tail end of the summer, and my … Continue reading

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My Ice Blue Secret

In any culture that prizes virginity before marriage, the loss of it can leave you frozen in shame. And sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself. *********************************************************************************** I wasn’t a virgin when I married. Supposedly, no big deal if, … Continue reading

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