What Are Your Spiritual Ships Bringing Back?
Close your eyes for a moment and picture this: a grand harbor along the ancient Mediterranean coastline. The air smells of salt and cedar. Ropes are straining. Sails snap open like white flags of adventure. And there goes Solomon's navy, the ships of Tharshish, setting out on a voyage that will last three whole years.
Three years! I can barely commit to a three-week meal plan, and Solomon's men were heading out to sea for three years. And here's the best part: they weren't sailing all that way to bring back ordinary things. Oh, no. They returned with gold and silver, of course, but they also brought back ivory, and...wait for it...apes and peacocks.
Can you just imagine the scene when those ships finally returned to port?
Tasting God’s Word, Not Just Checking Boxes
Yup, I've been guilty of it. I sit down with my Bible and reading plan, determined to knock out my chapters for the day. I glance at the clock, calculate how much time I have, and speed-read through the passages like I'm cramming for a test. Check, check, check. Done. Box ticked. Gold star earned. But when I close my Bible, I can't remember a single thing I just read.
Sound familiar?
There's a surge of Bible reading happening right now. Millions of people are starting 2026 with the intention of reading Scripture more faithfully. Bible sales rose 11% in 2025, with more than 18 million Bibles sold. Weekly Bible reading is at its highest level in 15 years. This is wonderful news! But I'm concerned that maybe we've turned Bible reading into another item on our to-do list instead of what it truly is: an invitation to encounter the Living God.
When Half the Story Isn’t Enough
This week, I was reminded of an important lesson about television viewing etiquette. Never—and I mean never—start watching a show until you've verified that all seasons are available for your binge-watching pleasure.
I made this grave error recently when I stumbled upon what seemed like a charming drama series. The characters were compelling, the plot twists unexpected, and before I knew it, I was thoroughly invested. While it wasn't the greatest show in the world, I was definitely enjoying it.
Then came the Season 2 finale. In the closing minutes of the episode, one of the main characters goes into labor while another gets engaged. And then, there’s the discovery of a crashed fishing boat and the announcement that three people are now missing and possibly dead.
Hidden Treasures
My husband knows me well. When he suggested we take a short break before our busy spring schedule, he knew exactly where I wanted to go—Hay-on-Wye, the booktown of Wales. Just 45 minutes from our home, this quaint village houses over twenty bookshops, each one more enchanting than the last.
From the outside, these shops appear modest—simple storefronts with basic displays. But step inside, and you'll discover a bibliophile's paradise. What begins as a single room lined with books transforms into a labyrinth of literary wonder. Through doorways and up staircases, around corners and down narrow corridors, each shop reveals hidden chamber after hidden chamber, each filled with countless volumes waiting to be discovered.
Jason, Tess, and I spent three days exploring these magical spaces. Between browsing sessions, we sampled local treats (the donuts were divine!) and took long walks around the town and on local trails.
Beyond the Mirror
The other day, my husband Jason came into the bedroom where I was working on my latest book. I immediately noticed a long smear of grease on his face. When I pointed it out, he chuckled and told me he had been working on a project in the kitchen and had gotten a bit dirty.
A few hours later, while I was writing in my office, he left with Tess to take her for a walk and run a few errands in town. When they returned, he walked through the door to my office, and I couldn’t help but smile. He still had the long streak of grease running down his face, and he had walked all around town that way!
The situation reminded me of the passage in James about looking in a mirror, seeing our flaws, and then walking away without doing anything about them. The mirror in James represents the Word of God.