I live in the state of Oklahoma … where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.    In Oklahoma… the spring is a stormy season. We have windstorms … hailstorms … thunderstorms … and tornados.    Storms are a certainty if you live in Oklahoma. The truth is … storms are a certainty if you live on planet earth!    Storms.      Nobody likes them … no one would choose them … and yet still storms happen, don’t they?    Storms can be ferocious and lengthy … or they can be short and sweet.      I can appreciate the predict ..read more

I’m still thinking about Easter.    Although the recognized holiday has now come and gone … I am still pondering the power of Easter.    You see … Easter was never meant to be acknowledged on only one day of the church calendar every year.    Easter is a way of life … it is an eternal promise … it is the answer to every question.    Easter is more than brightly colored eggs … a new outfit … and a family dinner.    Easter is power … it is joy … it is hope.    “The resurrection of Christ is the most important article of our faith, and w ..read more

Jesus was scourged.      “Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him.” – John 19:1    Do you have any idea what that means?      The upper half of Jesus’ body was naked … and then his hands were tied to a pillar.      Jesus was forced to bend over …. and his spinal column was exposed.      Jesus was then whipped with a 3-pronged whip that was comprised of three leather thongs connected by pieces of bone and metal on a chain.    Scourging or flogging always preceded capital punishment so that the pr ..read more

Do you remember when you were just a child … and one of your friends told you an incredible secret?    Maybe they whispered to you who they had a sweet crush on … or what they were getting for their birthday … or that their dad got a new job, and no one was supposed to know yet.    Didn’t it make you feel excited … singled out … even trustworthy?    And then … as the years rolled by … and friends confided their deepest hopes and most impossible dreams to you … you took it seriously and knew they viewed you as a friend worthy of their confidence.    When ..read more

Do you know anyone who is bitter?    Many bitter people choose this sordid emotion because of their childhood … or due to a failed marriage.    Some people are bitter because of the economy … or due to the way their adult children treat them … or because someone that they loved dearly died too soon.    Some people mistakenly believe that they have a right to be bitter just because life has thrown them a curve ball or two.    H-m-m-m … “ a right to be bitter” …     Wow!  That’s a futile way to live, isn’t it?    I know … I kn ..read more

These are busy, busy days behind the scenes at Carol McLeod Ministries.    We are preparing for our 20th Annual Women’s Conference in Buffalo, NY, which is aptly named, “Overflowing!”    We are certainly overflowing with deep gratitude for all that the Lord has done over the past 20 years, and we are simply undone by His goodness and strength.    Everyone is working long hours … praying extra prayers … and leaning into the Lord for strength and for creativity.    How we love what we do!    There is absolutely nothing as fulfilling … as challeng ..read more

This is LEAP week!   This is the week … every four years … when we are gifted with an extra and undeserved day.   A bonus 24 hours!   A benefit of 1,440 minutes!   86,400 seconds that are all yours to spend … all yours.   Let me tell you about it …   Nearly every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar in the form of February 29, also known as Leap Day.    Put simply, these additional 24 hours are built into the calendar to ensure that it stays in line with the Earth’s movement around the sun.   Is this too much science for you? You got this ..read more

I live to tell the story of Jesus … it is my passion … my hope … my calling … and my daily focus.   Nothing … absolutely nothing … will mute my voice or distract my vision.   I live to tell the story of Jesus.   One of the ways I tell the old, old story that never grows old … is through the publishing industry.   I have felt called … since I was just a little girl … to write books.   Most days I just have to pinch myself as I realize that dreams really do come true.   This spring … my 17th book will be published!   What?! Isn’t that simply amazing?! &nbs ..read more

Happy Valentine’s Day!    I have observed that this particular holiday … held on the 14th day of the second month of the calendar year …. is often accompanied with mixed emotions.    Some folks adore it ... anticipate it … plan for it!    Other folks tolerate it with a shrug of their shoulders as they walk by the Valentine’s displays in stores.    And then there are some people who absolutely dread this day that was created to celebrate relationships and to honor the value of love.    Which category do you fall into?   “By this all m ..read more

Insurmountable mountains.      Unwinnable battles.     Unbeatable odds.      What do you do when life is stacked up against you?      What do you do when there seems to be no way out of the wilderness … no favorable outcome in the making … no hope of survival?    What do you do?    I think you do what David did … you declare the victorious power of God!    You walk toward your giant with no fear but with the grandest faith in the greatest of Gods!    Are you facing a giant today ..read more