Author: nanallen

Afterlives, Chapter 2 For Michelle I was blessed with two sons. Though they’re adults now with families of their own, I still remember many times their childlike behavior was endearing. As little boys, they each had their heroes. Mickey Mouse, MacGyver, Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles, Luke Skywalker, and other unreal figures. Once when we went […]

This past week our daughter-in-law passed away after fighting for almost five years with cancer. She asked me once if I could write something about Bible people who met Jesus and then were never the same. She and I decided to call it “Afterlives.” I’m just getting around to writing this, but I know that […]

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 This is only one place of many in scripture that mentions God’s right hand. I’ve often wondered why this characteristic […]

I have a feeling that if I hadn’t grown up in the Bible Belt, going to church every Sunday, learning Bible verses and influenced by the faith of my forefathers, I would be questioning God’s existence and work in the world constantly. I’ll admit I know so very little about faith; even though I embrace […]

How does God communicate with mere mortals? In the Old Testament, God’s voice was audible to some people. Samuel, for instance, heard God calling him in the middle of the night, and at first he didn’t recognize it. Finally, when it was clear that a human voice wasn’t calling him, he realized the direct communication […]

Have you ever felt like you’ve hit a brick wall? A dead end? Maybe it’s in a career path. Maybe in a relationship or a project. I find myself at this point in my writing journey. When I expressed that feeling to a friend, she asked me if I knew the difference between a dead […]

On November 22, 1963, a headline read: “President Kennedy Slain By Assassin.” It was a history-changing event. Those of us who were alive then remember where we were when we heard the news. I was in 5th grade and the principal came into our class and called my teacher outside. Then it was announced that […]

It happens every four years. Well, not always. Sometimes it skips a year, but there’s an equation for that I have not committed to memory. Our planet takes roughly 365.25 days to orbit the sun. But not exactly. It takes Earth approximately 365.242189 days=365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds, to go around […]

My husband is a planner—a list maker. And I’m glad about that because for 50 years he has kept us on track and on time. Calendarizing our lives has been one of his greatest contributions to the family. Items such as “put out the trash,” “change the air filters,” “make reservation for____,” “have tires rotated.” […]

Over the last few months, I’ve been writing for this app…Bible.com. You can subscribe to it and see my other devotional plans and hundreds of writers who have also contributed here. I have over 15,000 subscribers now and you’re invited to be one of them. https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/43655-everything-i-know-i-learned I’m still writing: devotionals, nonfiction pieces and novels. Stay […]