The Word Worker

Category: Nonfiction

  • A Sneak Peek and a Sale

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    _United_, Book 2 of Magicborn, is officially in progress. Because you are my most loyal supporters, I am giving you a rare sneak peek into the first draft of my process. Very few people get to see anything this early, partly because it is mostly bare bones of story waiting to be fleshed out and…

  • Thankful

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    As we enter the holiday season this year I feel the mood around me to be different than past years. Politics, economic uncertainty, and a persistently negative media presence seem to be doing their best to destroy our spirit and leach the joy from the season. It is one of Satan’s most effective tactics to…

  • If You Know How to Look

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Today my husband and I spent the day outdoors. It’s the height of autumn here in the south, and this year has brought us a particularly fine one. The normally green beauty of the woods has flamed with color, and the lake bottom is rusty with orange and purple. I revel in the crisper air…

  • You Can Know Truth

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    “What is truth?” Pilate asked that question with apparent sarcasm when faced with the Source of all truth in His courtroom. It’s a question our society has taken up as a rallying cry, and one which many who claim the name of Christ have  joined in shouting. Some have even said to me about various…

  • Work and Purpose

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    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    When people talk about parenting challenges, they usually talk about toddlers or teenagers. No one really addresses the middle years, the years of learning, discovery, and character shaping. My ten year old son is right smack in the middle of those years. For several months now his behavior has been, well, challenging. We’ve been unable…

  • Tuned

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    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    An old hymn from 1758 begins with the words: “O thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy praise.” These days we have all sorts of electronic gadgets and apps for instrument tuning, which takes some of the meaning out of the phrase. When I began taking music lessons, a few decades…

  • The “Whatever It Is” Life

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Yesterday my kids held their annual pumpkin carving session. Because buying a pumpkin for every family member in a household of seven puts something of a strain on the already holiday stretched budget, they team up. Boys get one pumpkin, girls get the other. As you can imagine, this is not a situation that leads…

  • “We Need a King”

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
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    How many times have you heard people complain about something wrong or unpleasant then demand that someone do something to fix that problem? Throughout history this has been a common human reaction. If we are honest as individuals, we have probably all done it at some point. The prophet Samuel accomplished a great deal with…

  • Approval

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    My five year old and I butt heads. Frequently. As in, all day every day. She has extremely strong ideas of her own, and the determination to pursue them against all odds. If she doesn’t want to do something, it isn’t happening without some serious and repeated consequences. Yesterday it was her turn to run…

  • Seeing God

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Three teachers scheduled back to back have no contact before the date, but all deliver the same message from three unique perspectives. A child prays for another person for no apparent reason, and shortly afterward his parents find out the person was sick or injured. An unexpected medical bill empties the bank account, but the…