Greetings,
I’m thrilled to announce the author lineup for the PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour! Throughout October, we’ll be journeying alongside writers from a variety of genres: Biblical Fiction, Christian Fantasy, Historical Romance/Fiction, and Devotional Content. Posts will be shared here on my ministry website, on my author blog, The Gathering Room, in our Facebook public events, and other platforms, offering glimpses into the hearts and stories of these authors.
I want to take a moment to say a big thank you to all of you who follow along with this ministry blog and read the content I release here. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me!
I am sharing a quick update about the posting schedule. My current series, The Heart Behind the Pen, is going to be placed on hold for the next month or so.
The reason for this short break is that I am currently hard at work behind the scenes finishing up my upcoming book release, A Broken Embrace. Writing a new book takes a lot of time and focus, but I am so excited to share this story with you soon!
Philemon 1:7 (NIV)
"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people."
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Labor Day is often celebrated with backyard barbecues, a day off from the daily routine, and a well-deserved rest from hard work. But behind the long weekend, many of us carry unseen burdens. We carry the weight of demanding jobs, personal struggles, and the quiet exhaustion that comes from navigating a broken world. When we are weary, our natural inclination is to pull inward, protect our energy, and focus solely on our own survival.
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Discovering Faith-Driven Purpose Through Brother Lawrence
If I could use the entire letter here, I probably would. The third letter in my copy of this timely little book is just that meaningful to me. Never in my life have words been so plainly stated that I dropped everything to digest them.
When I read this the first time, I wasn’t trying to build a lifelong career out of being a faith-based author or Christian storyteller. My focus wasn’t on creating stories that could possibly stand the test of time; I was trying to figure out who I really was as a person.
“Encourage him to put all his confidence in God, Who is always with him. He should communicate with God at all times, especially in the greatest dangers. Lifting our hearts up to God is sufficient. Remembering Him briefly or praising Him even in the midst of battle is very pleasing to God.”
~ 7th Letter, The Practice of the Presence of God (Whitaker House, 1982)
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On many occasions, as I write I find myself battling my ADHD on all sides. I get distracted very easily and my mind tends to pick up details that won’t ever matter to the story I am writing.
When I know something needs to be written and a deadline is swiftly coming upon me, the pressure almost always pulls me away from the story and into something else.
As I began to understand this more in my life, I thought back to the quote for today from the 7th Letter in The Practice of the Presence of God. It has never been something that just pops into my head either, although that does happen from time to time.
This time the quote stuck out to me on a recent read-through of this little book and I connected the dots as I pondered what to write this week.
Sometimes overcoming blank page syndrome when starting a story you feel called to write can be overwhelming. As a Christian fiction author, it was that way with A Broken Embrace, which is the novel I plan to release for the 2026 year. The idea of the man from Bethesda found its way into my imagination shortly before I published The Hope of Inheritance, my award-winning novel from 2025.
October 2026 • Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
Friends and fellow storytellers, the PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour is returning for its second year. This time, we’re expanding our reach while deepening our roots.
Last year’s tour gathered 12 Christian creatives and upwards of 150 entries into the King Sumo giveaway from across genres — Biblical Fiction, fantasy, sci‑fi, historical romance, devotionals, and more. All of us were united by one message:
The ideas come to us still in the infancy phase of their existence and even the thought of outlining something seems providential. It sparks something genuine and encouraging to our very essence, the idea… I could really be seen through this.
But then, reality sets in and you’re overwhelmed with everything all at once. How am I ever going to get this done? Why should I even be doing this? Who am I that I could even fathom writing something that others may, or may never, pay attention to.
It’s just you, a blank page, and the quiet weight of what you feel you were always meant to share.
Setting goals is easy; figuring out which goals actually matter and aligning them with your core values is where the real work happens. Whether you are mapping out a fantasy novel or looking for personal direction, finding true north requires a mix of clarity and heart.
Here at Lanterns of Light PenWorks, we focus on helping you find faith-focused goals that resonate with your deeper values, keeping your daily actions tied to your long-term vision. Because this section is in its earliest stages of development, the selection of articles available right now is limited.
We are slowly and intentionally cultivating content that helps you filter out the noise and zero in on what truly counts. As our content library expands over time, this space will fill out with deeper reflections and goal-setting frameworks. Take a look at the few foundational posts we have published so far, and check back regularly as we continue to build this resource out step by step.
Navigating a neurodivergent mind while trying to write, create, and manage daily life can often feel like driving a race car with bicycle brakes. Traditional productivity advice often falls flat, leaving you looking for ADHD support and strategies built specifically for how your brain actually works.
At Lanterns of Light PenWorks, we are dedicated to offering ADHD author support, focus techniques, and creative strategies tailored to fast-moving, unconventional minds. Because this is a newer focus area for us, our current collection of articles is still quite small.
We want to make sure every resource we share is genuinely useful, which means we are building this section deliberately and over time. While you won't find a massive library here just yet, the initial posts are designed to offer immediate relief, understanding, and focus hacks. Explore what is currently available, and stay tuned as our ADHD support resources grow and expand in the months ahead.
The creative journey and daily life are rarely linear—they are usually filled with messy middles, unexpected detours, and moments of mental fatigue. Chasing constant productivity can leave you burned out, which is why carving out room for mental clarity, calm, and peace of mind is so vital.
In this section, Lanterns of Light PenWorks explores how to find peace of mind amidst the chaos of writing and everyday life. Because we are actively building and expanding this website, our current selection of posts for this topic is just getting started.
There might not be a huge archive to scroll through today, but the reflections available right now are written to offer a brief deep breath in the middle of a busy day. Over time, as our content base grows, we will be adding more encouragement to help you embrace the process and find your rest. Take a look around at what we’ve published so far, and check back as we continue to grow this peaceful space for you.