March 2010
My thoughts on the Vancouver Olympics
28 February 2010
Not that any of you have been sitting around thinking, “Huh. I wonder what Stephanie thinks about these Olympics?” But here they are regardless.
1. They went by really, really fast. I’m guessing this is because I watched less of them than I normally do. Pre-McKenna, Ben and I camped out in front of the TV during the two weeks of the Olympics. There were some days this time, however, that I didn’t watch a single event.
2. I’m a total mom. Those Proctor and Gamble commercials? Total tear jerkers. The first one I saw was this one, the “To their mom they’ll always be kids.” And then one that I can’t find a video for, where it’s clips of all the excited moms watching their kids at these Olympics. I especially love the mom who you can see is yelling, “That’s my baby!” Makes me want to run out and buy some Tide.
3. Speaking of me being a mom, I watched some of the US/Canada hockey game yesterday. When Canada won in overtime, every time they showed our goalie, he looked so heartbroken that I just wanted to cry. And then I wanted to be there to tell them all how great a silver medal is, what an honor it was just to be able to play on Team USA, etc. Somehow I don’t think they would have appreciated this pep talk. I know my disappointed husband sure didn’t.
4. These are the first Olympics that have ever taken place in a city I’ve been to. I’m pretty excited for the Sochi Olympics since I’d never heard of Sochi until about 2 days ago.
5. WOW the closing ceremonies are long. Ben keeps peeking in my office and saying stuff like, “Neil Diamond’s performing now,” or “Catherine O’Hare is about to talk.” I wonder if the athletes enjoy all this or if they’re ready to just head out to their after parties.
Those are my insights. And the reason why I’m no sports commentator.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Is it possible to get published as a teenager?
1 March 2010
This is a question I asked as a teenager, and a question I frequently get asked by teen writers. Here’s my thoughts.
The Loss of a Friend
2 March 2010
Yesterday, I received word that a friend of mine from Orlando, Christy Kirven, passed away.
Ben and I had lived in Orlando for a couple months when I saw a Beth Moore study advertised in the church bulletin. I thought it was my idea to join the group, but it was really God moving me into a situation that would forever change my life.
The study met at Christy’s house, which was in a beautiful and confusing neighborhood that didn’t believe in labeling all their streets. The foliage and feel of it was totally different than the rest of the city, and it became my sanctuary.
From my first meeting with those lovely ladies, I felt at home. Which is a little strange for an introvert like me. We met every Wednesday morning in Christy’s sunny family room to study and visit. I can still remember the special flavor of Christy’s coffee, some blend of her own that tasted slightly of vanilla. She told us how she made it, but I never tried. Somehow I think if I drank it outside of her kitchen, it wouldn’t taste quite the same.
My 22nd birthday happened to fall on a Wednesday, about 2 months into our Bible study. The ladies put together a lunch, ordered a cheesecake, and went in on a Barnes and Noble gift card for me. When I went home, I wept with gratitude. Leading up to my birthday, I’d feared it would be one of the hardest and instead it turned into one of the best.
Since my blog either won’t host pictures or I’m too stupid to figure it out, I can’t post them in the body, but these are two pictures of the group. The majority of these women had kids right around my age or older than me, but they never seemed to mind me joining them. Every once in a while, one of them would make a comment about why would some young girl like me want to hang out with “old ladies” like them? But rather I wondered why they would be so gracious to keep me around. As I grew closer to them, I grew closer to God, and closer to being who I was always meant to be.
About a year and a half after we’d started meeting, Christy was diagnosed with cancer. I still remember getting the phone call from her best friend one morning before church. Both of us were crying, and it seemed like my whole world rocked a bit.
During the last couple years, Christy battled Hodgkins disease, non-Hodgkins disease, breast cancer and finally, brain cancer. She went through a variety of treatments, from chemo to a bone marrow transplant. I had the privilege of being there for some of it, but we moved back to Kansas City about 2 ½ years ago and my involvement was “limited” to prayer.
Since receiving the e-mail with news of Christy’s death, I’ve been bombarded with memories.
How beautiful Christy was even when she lost her hair. She looked like the gracious, put-together Southern lady I’d always known.
Christy’s warmth when she met my mother for the first time, and how she requested that next time my mom was in town, they get coffee.
How Christy insisted that everybody come on Wednesdays, regardless of if they’d had time to complete all the homework that week.
The way Christy believed the best about everybody. Like if someone was running late, she always assumed they ran into traffic or received a last minute phone call.
How Christy could sympathize with anybody. She never seemed to mind if I griped about living in Orlando, even though she loved it there. I hope to be just as gracious to someone who might not love Kansas City like I do.
You’ll notice Christy’s name, along with several other women from that study, listed in my acknowledgements for Me, Just Different. Together, they were the living, breathing Amy Ross I wrote about in the Skylar books. I’m sad for Christy’s beautiful family, for her friends, for Discovery Church. I’m also grateful she’s no longer suffering, and that she’s in the presence of the Lord she loved and faithfully served all these years.
Book Friday – Beguiled, Abigail, and A Distant Melody
4 March 2010
I finished a book this week, but it sucked so much that I won’t waste everyone’s time with talking about here.
Here’s what’s shown up in my mailbox in the last few weeks, and what I’ll be reading in the near future.
Beguiled, by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark BertrandRylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.
Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything.
As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?
Why I’m excited about this book: I read and loved A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist back in December of 2007. (I remember it very clearly because it was the last week before my daughter was born, and I basically read on the couch and read the whole time. Unfortunately, that won’t be an option this time.) Gist is a fabulous romance writer, and seeing her teamed up with a suspense writer is pretty darn exciting for me. And Charleston is an awesome town.
Abigail, by Jill Eileen SmithHer days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. But when circumstances offer her a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. Still, her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?
Abigail follows the bestselling Michal and continues Jill Eileen Smith’s rich story of David’s wives.
Why I’m excited about this book: There are few genres I love more than Biblical fiction. And I think a series following the wives of King David is a fabulous concept.
A Distant Melody, by Sarah SundinNever pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval—even marry a man she doesn’t love. While Allie has nearly resigned herself to that fate, Lt. Walter Novak—fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women—takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas.
Walt and Allie meet and begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt’s muddy bomber base in England and Allie’s mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?
Why I’m excited about this book: One is that Sarah Sundin is an awesome lady. This is her debut novel, which is an incredibly difficult thing to get published, and it’s clear the publisher is 100% behind her. She had a 2 page spread in the Spring catalog, and is featured on the Revell web site. Go Sarah!
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope to log some reading time when I’m not working on the page proofs that just showed up for So Over It. The good news is, this means I’ll likely have the first chapter up on the web site pretty soon. The sad news is this is my last step on Skylar’s story, and it has me feeling a little blue.
Oscar buzz, or lack there of
7 March 2010
Well, apparently the Oscars were last night.
It’s strange. In high school , I always knew when the Oscars were. I knew what movies and actors were nominated. I had ill-informed opinions about who I thought should win. I even have a vague memory of owning a People post-Oscar issue.
But over the years I’ve become less and less interested. And then came this year, where I didn’t even know they were going on until last night when someone in our Bible study mentioned it. I can’t tell you a single movie or actor who’s nominated. (I’m guessing George Clooney is up for something. Maybe Up in the Air?)
Part of my lack of interest comes from how many of the movies nominated are often movies that I won’t watch. Simply put – I don’t do violence. I don’t have a moral issue with violence in movies, I just can’t stand watching it. Especially if it’s torture. We often see previews for movies where I say, “That looks like a great one. I won’t be watching it.” I’ve learned its not worth it.
Another reason I’ve lost interest is along that same vein – I haven’t seen many (or any) of the nominees.
I’ve found many of the things people say about parenting to be wrong, but one truth is that you don’t see many movies anymore. Particularly in the theater. Maybe you still watch a lot at home if movies are Your Thing, but since movies aren’t My Thing, they get shuffled to the back burner and sometimes shoved off the stove entirely.
In the last two years, I’ve seen four movies in the theater – Juno, The Proposal, New Moon, and Avatar. I’m fine with this. I’d like to see more, but it just isn’t in the budget – monetary or time – these days. I’d like to sign up for Netflix again, but we’ve been trying to find a time to watch The Time Traveller’s Wife since Valentine’s Day and that still hasn’t happened, so…
Hope whatever you wanted to win won. You’ll have to tell me what’s good, and I’ll get around to watching it in the next couple years.
From my fuzzy sick mind...
9 March 2010
Who knows how intelligent this post is going to sound. My head is all fuzzy from being congested, so I’m not exactly thinking my clearest. It should be against the laws of nature to be sick when you’re pregnant. And if this sounds familiar, it’s because it was my Facebook status a couple weeks ago when I was sick with the same stuff. Yeah.
Though I’m not as sick as I was last March, when I apparently got dehydrated and fainted in the shower. Fortunately, it was a Sunday morning and my husband was home. I think I scared him so bad that I took a couple years off his life. I kept telling him he didn’t need to call 911, but he decided fainting + eyes rolling back in my head = an ambulance ride to the hospital. But fortunately he did listen to me about getting me my robe, despite the 911 operator telling him not to move me. I was “with it” enough to know that I was about to have a crowd of firemen and EMTs in my bedroom.
You better believe this time around I’m drinking my liquids.
Off to crash…
Book Friday—A Distant Melody, by Sarah Sundin
11 March 2010
“One whole delicious week together. Allie Miller clung to her best friend’s promise and to the train ticket that would deliver it.”
I’m so happy to not be a “real” reviewer, because if I was, I’d probably feel really stupid about saying this next sentence: Oh my gosh, A Distant Melody is sooooo good.
I started this book last Friday evening around 10. I thought, “I’ll just read a chapter and then turn out the light.” Um, an hour and a half later, I finally did because my husband was like, “Would you please close your book?” And then I laid there for about thirty minutes and thought about Allie and Walt and the amazing adventure I was about to take with them.
A Distant Melody takes place during World War II. Allie Miller is 23-years-old, and blessed with wealth but not by beauty, much to her gorgeous mother’s disappointment. Allie is desperate for her parents’ approval. So desperate she’s even planning to marry a man she doesn’t love. (And who speaks about himself in third person, so you can hardly blame her.) It’s also clear to Allie that her boyfriend, Baxter, isn’t too enamored with her either. He’s been courting her for five years, if you can call it that. No kisses, no “you look beautiful tonight,” no nothing. It’s sadly obvious to her (and the reader) that Baxter is marrying Allie because it means inheriting her father’s company, which he works for, and securing a life of wealth and stability for himself.
Allie has resigned herself to a loveless marriage, comforting herself that she might one day win Baxter for Christ, when Allie meets Leutinant Walter Novak. The back cover copy states it well. He’s “fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women.” Walter is home for his last furlough before being shipped overseas. He falls for Allie and the two agree to correspond while he’s in England. (Which I know sounds potentially boring, but in the masterful hands of Sarah Sundin it so isn’t.)
Here’s a few things I loved and what made this the best book I’ve read recently:
1. Walter and Allie are awesome characters. Both feel they’ve fallen short in their parents’ eyes, and both feel like they’re no prize to the opposite sex. Their relationship provides a lot of healing for both that’s touching to see. I found myself particularly relating to Walter, which is unusual for me. I can’t remember the last time the hero resonated with me slightly more than the heroine.
2. How organic the spiritual messages are in this book. It never once seemed like Sarah was thinking, “Oh, okay, time for the spiritual storyline…” It wove in as naturally as real life. Particularly the things Sarah had to say about honesty.
3. Homosexuality. I nearly dropped the book with shock when I saw this issue being touched on in a historical Christian book. Excellent stuff. I’ll be curious to see if it’s developed more in the remainder of the series.
4. The balance of action and emotion. While I never actually cried while reading this book, but it was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Often painful, but in that really good way. (I know that sounds stupid. I’m sure you readers know what I mean.)
In short, READ A DISTANT MELODY. So, so good.
Sarah’s in the middle of a blog tour, but I was able to nab her to do a short interview and giveaway on here later this month, so stay tuned!
Redefining Failure
14 March 2010
So twice a month, I blog on a site called Girls, God, and the Good Life. My days are the 13th and 28th, which for the last month or two have always seemed to fall on weekends. So since I blogged on Saturday (and since I’m coming up on a major writing deadline tomorrow), today I’m basically linking you lovely readers to my Saturday posting. In which I talk about how I came to realize that God’s goal for me wasn’t for me to organize my life super well, but for me to have an abundance of Him.
Happy Monday everybody! I’ll be back on Wednesday.
Moving on to important things ... like New Moon
16 March 2010
Phew. Finally, finally, finally got my writing deadline behind me. I was working on page proofs for So Over It, which are the designed pages. I always loooove the day they arrive and I get my first peeks at how the book is actually going to look. And then two weeks later, when I’ve read through them twice and thought to myself about 100 times, “_Why_ did I write it this way?”, I’m ready to turn them back into my editor and put them away in a drawer. It doesn’t help that I battled a cold this time, plus had some seriously droopy pregnant days where I crashed for a nap as soon as my toddler did.
But they’re done and turned in, and I can now focus on other things. Like laundry. And cleaning bathrooms. And counting down until Friday, when New Moon comes out on DVD. How obsessive is it okay for me to be at age 26? Because if I was 16 and had friends who were into Twlight, I would totally be at Walmart at midnight. At my age, and in my pregnant state, that doesn’t sound quite as appealing. I need McKenna to hurry up and grow into a teen so I can “have” to chaperone events like this.
So I won’t own it at midnight on Friday … and I’m not even sure I’ll own it on Friday, although the best sales always happen the first week it’s out. Hmm. These are tough calls to make.
What was the last thing you absolutely had to have the day it released? Or have you always been one of those old soul types who thought all that was nonsense? (If so, Bella would totally approve.)
Mine was the last Muse CD, which has turned into my daughter’s favorite album. Actually, she’d be fine if the only thing we listened to was the first song, which she refers to as, “McKenna’s guitars.” As in, “Need McKenna’s guitars, please!”
Have a great St. Patrick’s Day everyone!
Filling out my bracket
18 March 2010
Yes, I’m talking about college basketball today. I’m probably just as shocked as you are.
Here’s the thing. Until we moved to Kansas City, I’d never watched a single college basketball game in my life. But my first teacher, who I adored, was a KU fan and it was basketball season (the sport KU excels at) and so I became a Jayhawk. I had a shirt and matching earrings. I don’t remember actually watching games, but I do remember knowing when they got knocked out of the tournament prematurely when I was in 8th grade.
And then I started dating Ben, who’s a K-State fan. I resisted for a while, but now that we’ve been together for almost 13 years, I own a couple K-State shirts and two K-State sweatshirts. No KU stuff. (I seriously think me pulling on a KU t-shirt would be a deal breaker.)
Ben’s family is really into sports, and while I tend to read or do something else during the games, I’ve made the effort to learn a few things so that I can converse intelligently with my husband. Same as Ben could tell you lots of details about Gilmore Girls, Sarah Dessen, Rachael Ray, the publishing industry, and a variety of other subjects that fascinate me.
The only thing I genuinely enjoy about college basketball season is filling out my bracket for the tournament. And this year it was extra fun because KU is a 1 seed and K-State a 2, so I have two teams to root for. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to fill out my bracket, and I’m amazed by how stressful those minutes often feel. Not so much in the first round, but as I inch closer to the Final Four, my pen definitely slows. (Or this year it was my mouse, since I did everything on-line.)
I’d really like the championship game to be between K-State and West Virginia (for those who don’t get that, in short, the coach at K-State left after a single season to go to WVU. It worked out for the best, in my opinion, but I can really hold a sports grudge. Don’t get me started on Johnny Damon. Boo…) Instead I chose KU and WVU to be in the championship game. How WVU snuck in there, I’m really not sure, but I anticipate KU crushing them if it comes down to it, so I’m not too worried.
Wow. I can’t believe I really had 400 words to say about college basketball. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Mine will be spent with the tournament on in the background, but hopefully with my brain preoccupied with Scott Westerfield’s The Uglies. (Yes, I’m just now getting around to reading that book – deal with it.)
Being Stephenie Meyer
21 March 2010
Has anyone else noticed how fully Twilight has seeped into our culture? I’m not just talking about going to Burger King and your drink coming with a shirtless Jacob stamped on it, I mean strange things.
Like the other day I caught the last part of a Popeye’s Chicken commercial. Maybe for some kind of garlic chicken or something? The woman was saying something about not having to worry about vampires, and then she held up a mint and said (basically), “But we throw in one of these just in case you’re dating a vampire.”
I cannot imagine how insanely cool it would be to be Stephenie Meyer, sitting around my living room watching basketball, and then to have a commercial pop up that’s blatantly about my books.
I’ve also been on BabyNames.com a lot recently. Partially because we’re in the process of naming a baby, but also for naming characters. They recently posted the top names of 2009, and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this:
Boys:
#42 Jasper – Up at least 10 spots from last year
#54 Emmett – first time on the charts
#65 Edward – Up at least 10 spots from last year (Jacob’s number 8 … just saying.)
Girls:
#18 Bella (Isabella is number 2, this is just plain Bella.)
#40 Alice – Up at least 10 spots from last year
#84 Esme – First time on the charts
#88 Rosalie – First time on the charts
I did a double take at Esme. I mean, seriously? Stephenie Meyer brough Esme into vogue? Amazing. I’m a little surprised Carlisle wasn’t on there. He’s one of my favorites. (I liked Emmett for Baby Morrill #2, but Ben vetoed.)
What tremendous influence Stephenie has at the moment. I hope she’s using it wisely.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Spiritual Insights from 24
23 March 2010
I know, pretty shocking, right? I’m always amazed by God’s creativity in reaching me. (Have I talked on here about how I started writing YA because of a Gossip Girl ad? And no, it wasn’t like, “I’m outraged! Girls need something cleaner to read!”)
So Monday night’s episode featured something not uncommon on 24—Jack has an idea to get them out of a pickle. It’s a fabulous idea, the audience knows without a doubt it’ll work, but some of the others he needs to cooperate aren’t so sure. On Monday night, the guy who doubted Jack and went his own way put the whole mission in jeopardy. With his doubt, he put the three others at risk, eventually died, and another guy died trying to save him.
At commercial, I said to Ben, “_Why_ do they doubt Jack? He’s twice their age, has way more experience than them, and he’s never wrong.”
And I had one of those kinda lightning bolt moments where I could hear the words being repeated to me, but from God’s perspective: “Stephanie, why do you doubt me? I’ve been around a lot longer than you, I’ve experienced it all, I know everything, and I’m never wrong.”
Because when you’re being shot at, that whole “Don’t panic,” thing is pretty tough to keep in mind. (I would guess. I’ve only been figuratively shot at.) Because the human instinct is to do whatever possible to rush through a tough situation, when often the smartest thing is to take our time, to wait.
I’m trying to wait. I’m trying to not screw up by being impulsive or listening to my instincts rather than God’s instructions. But yowzer, it’s hard when I’m getting fired on by the enemy.
On a totally different note—I’m way happy about how the episode ended. It had bugged me how inconsistent Dana’s character was, and the – er – new information we learned about her really made me feel better about that. (Although it brought up a few other, “So, why did she…?” kind of questions, but they aren’t nearly as critical as the, “So, why did she…?” questions I had before.)
Okay, that’s all I can squeeze out of Monday’s 24 episode. Happy Wednesday everyone!
Caught buying my own books
25 March 2010
Because why do my normal chatter about books today when I could instead relay my humbling experience at Family Christian? But be sure to come back next Friday because Sarah Sundin will be giving away a copy of A Distant Melody and you don’t want to miss that.
Recently, I’ve had a couple people buy copies of Me, Just Different off me. There’s a Family Christian store super close to me that I’ve never had much luck getting a response out of (to put it nicely), so I thought I’d buy my books there. And, wow, that makes me sound totally weird. Like, because they were rude to me, I felt the need to support their establishment? I meant because they usually only have one or two copies, and I wanted to motivate them to reorder. Anyway…
So they had Out with the In Crowd but not Me, Just Different. (Don’t even get me started on the weird philosophy behind stocking stores this way.) I carried my book up to the register and said in my oh-so-suave way, “Do you guys carry book one in this series? I want both, but you only had book two.”
“Is it by the same author?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Do you know the title?”
“Me, Just Different.”
Okay, so first she couldn’t find me in the computer. Then, after she finally found me, she said, “We don’t have it. Would you like me to order it for you?”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
“And what’s your name?”
Yeah … and how did I not see this coming?
“Um … Stephanie Morrill.”
She peeked at the cover of Out with the In Crowd and smiled. “Did you write this book?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You have to buy your own books?”
Trying to laugh it off. (Yes, there’s a line at this point…) “Pretty pathetic, right?”
Though if they would put me on one of the special shelves, maybe I wouldn’t have to buy my own books.
Positives in this situation: McKenna was there, and she was an absolute gem the whole time. Said thank you when the lady handed her a sticker, wasn’t touching everything in sight, etc.
Also, maybe this will help with the hand selling in the store. Like someone comes in and says, “I’m looking for a book for my granddaughter,” and this lady might say, “Why don’t you try Stephanie Morrill? She lives right around the corner.”
Of course, they would actually have to keep my books in stock to hand sell them…
An Early Easter Egg Hunt
28 March 2010
I don’t often blog about McKenna, because I’m guessing she fascinates me, my husband and maybe a handful of others. But we took McKenna to her first Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, and I just can’t resist talking about it.
It was at my husband’s work, and they had to move it into the parking garage because it was drizzly and windy outside. 300ish kids were there, and they had spread 8,000 eggs across the first floor of the garage. And somebody in charge obviously had taken their kids to other egg hunts in years past, because they were smart enough to stagger releases, so 2 and under got to go first, then 3 and 4 year olds, etc.
When the siren blew, with a little encouragement from us, McKenna headed out to pick up some eggs. I think she had about two in her basket when the 3 and 4 year olds came out, and maybe three in her basket by the time everyone else was released. Within a minute, all the kids except McKenna, and I mean all the kids except McKenna had moved deep into the garage, so far away they were just background noise.
And there was my daughter, picking up all the eggs the other kids had skipped over. She didn’t care at all that none of the other kids were around, or that it was cold and windy, she was totally absorbed with her task.
Ben and I have often observed that, if we have a large group of people over, McKenna usually wanders into the next room to play. Even when they’re all people she adores. She loves when people come to visit, but she won’t often stick around where everybody is. It’ll be interesting to see if this tendency she has to separate herself will stick around. I think this has to be one of the coolest parts of parenting, watching their personalities and interests develop as they age.
McKenna left with about 30 eggs in her basket, and so much candy that I’ve taken it upon myself to help her out a bit. She never whined or jostled or compared her loot to any of the other kids. I left feeling very proud of her, and quite happy to get into the warm car.
How do you develop faith?
30 March 2010
This is a question that’s plagued me for the last week or so. I’m in a group this spring that’s studying Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. Last week talked about how experiencing God will always lead to what he calls a “crisis of faith” (but which we as a group decided was overstating it and that “dilemma” of faith was a much better name. No offense, Henry.) Basically he says that when you experience God, when God calls you to do something, you reach a point of decision—do you believe God can do what he says he can do? Do you have faith?
For several days, I read lots of stories of faith in my Experiencing God workbook. I read Hebrews 11. I read about David believing God was big enough to deliver Goliath into his hands. I read about Joshua believing God’s weird battle strategies and marching around Jericho until the walls fell down. And when I’d finished reading all those stories, I found myself thinking, “Okay … so … now what?”
Faith is important. Faith is pleasing to God. I get that. What I’m wrestling with is how do I acquire faith?
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far, in no particular order:
1. Going through tough times and watching how God is faithful through them. (Or looking back on tough times of the past and seeing with new perspective how God used it for good.)
2. Spending time with God. Which is kinda like number one, but different enough to deserve its own number. Although, we can see from the disciples that spending time with God isn’t fail proof since Jesus comments on their lack of faith a variety of times.
3. Faith is something we have as a child. (This point was actually made at our group discussion when I asked this same question, so I take zero credit for this.) Jesus repeatedly refers to having childlike faith in Him. So faith appears to be something we have in childhood before we go through trials or study our Bible or pray for God to increase our faith.
At this moment I’m facing a situation that I’ve never faced before, one that’s really bringing out my natural tendencies to stress, worry, cry, obsess, and so on. All I want to do is fix it, yet it’s completely out of my control.
Yet I arrived at this place because I obeyed God, so I assume this is a “dilemma of faith” moment for me. I don’t want God saying, “Oh ye of little faith,” about me, but at the same time, I don’t really know how to – poof! – have more faith.
Any thoughts, oh wise readership?