I live on the Prairies in a little town in Ellendale, North Dakota, USA. Winter can be a brutal season with biting cold winds that slap you in the face at 50mph. But, whenever I see flocks of snow geese heading northward towards the Canadian tundra, I know that spring is on the heels of [...]
Many years ago, we took our three young children to see the famous Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. To show us what the cave must have looked like to the farmer who discovered them, the guide put out all the lights. That darkness was so thick I couldn’t see my hand in front of [...]
All occupations have certain disciplines that go with being good at what you do. For example, anyone involved in the medical profession develops the discipline of regularly washing their hands! (One should hope so!) There are personal disciplines too, which if not developed, can result in disastrous consequences; the discipline of brushing your teeth before [...]
I was first published at age 71 My first book was accepted for publication the year I reached 71. I had begun writing Prayers and Devotions more than 25 years before, through a weekly prayer letter for my church. I enjoyed writing, but never thought of publication. But after I retired God kept prompting me [...]
2 Timothy 3:16 (MSG) says, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.” Do you sometimes wonder if Timothy was reading the same Bible as you? A friend recently admitted to me, “I don't know how to read [...]
Have you ever wondered if you’re in God’s will? How does God lead? The answer is simple—one step at a time. Psalm 37:23 says that “the steps of a good man (woman) are ordered by the Lord.” If we know and love the Lord and truly put Him first in all we do, then He [...]
Do you read about the amazing things other women have done with a sinking heart? “Why can’t I do something like that?” “She’s obviously got more faith, talents or opportunities than me.” The truth is that each of us has a unique life and God opens different doors for us all. Remember Psalm 139 that [...]
Read the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, John the Baptist's parents (Luke 1) Elizabeth was a relative of Mary's, but was many years older than her. She had never had a child, the greatest desire of her heart, in an age when there was a social stigma attached to infertility. We know that she and [...]
Carol makes you feel as though you are on the journey with her I'd been keen to meet Carol Alexander for a while. She'd been writing some of the most popular posts on the Beauty for Ashes blog, in spite of the fact that she's a very busy woman. She's a preacher, she's a college [...]
After a particularly painful period in his life, which he shared with us at the Beauty for Ashes women's conference in May 2015, Sheridan Voysey decided to read Christ's Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 to 7) every day for a month. He had questions about faith and life and about the meaning [...]
