In my novel, The Healing Quilt, one of the characters was a workaholic and wanted to be on his boat all the time, which was how he made a living. All he thoughts about was his job and he didn’t spend much time to do things to relax and have fun with other people.

Do you or someone you know tend to work too much, neglecting your personal relationships in exchange for your job? What are some things we can do to curb the desire to work all the time? How can we find more time to spend with our family and friends and balance work with play?

If ever there was a time that the world needs hope, it’s now. Some people become seriously depressed when they feel that there is no hope. When depression takes over and a person feels hopeless, some even turn to drugs, alcohol and other addictions. The truth is, without Christ, there is no hope. However, as a Christian, you can feel hopeful, even during the most unsettling times. We have hope because we have faith in a trustworthy God. He wants us to live each day with spiritual and emotional anticipation that a favorable outcome is in our future.

In my newly released devotional, The Prayer Jar: Hope, I mention that one of the most important things we can do to keep hope alive is to pray. If we want to draw closer to God then we need to reach out to Him in prayers of praise, petitions, intercessions, and thanks. Aren’t you glad that whenever we face trials in this life, God is with us and renews our strength and faith? Psalm 31:24(KJV) is a good reminder for us: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”

Are you or someone you know in need of prayer today? Do you have a special prayer request you would like me and others to pray about? Please share it with us in the journal comment section.

In my novel, The Storekeeper’s Daughter, Naomi Fisher made a promise to her dying mother. At her mother’s request, Naomi agreed to take care of her younger siblings, if her mother did not survive.

After Naomi’s mother passed away, Naomi did her best to keep that promise. Then one tragic day, Naomi’s baby brother, Zach, was kidnapped. From that moment on, Naomi lived with the guilt she felt for not watching the baby close enough. In addition to feeling responsible for her little brother’s disappearance, Naomi became convinced that she had not kept the promise she’d made to her mother. As Naomi continued to help her father oversee the care of his other children, she persisted in berating herself for not living up to the promise she had made to her mother.

Have you ever made a promise to someone and been unable to keep it? Did you feel guilty about it? Was there a legitimate reason you were not able to keep the promise?

Is there ever a time when we should not make a promise to someone? If we are unable to keep a promise, what should we do about it? Why is it important to put our promises into perspective and not blame ourselves if we’re not able to keep the promise, due to extenuating circumstances?