The Unreasonable Person

The unreasonable person is a part of a quote I read in How to Solve Your People Problems, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 38 of Lent 2025 – April 11

I first read How to Solve Your People Problems when I was still in relationships with several difficult people. It gave me the validation, insight, and strength I needed to stand firm on my boundaries.

Today’s quote helped me see the “why” behind their behaviors. I knew their childhood stories of pain, and I knew none of them had fully healed and grown from the traumas they had faced. They hadn’t taken steps to grieve, own their part, and learn better skills. Seeing them as emotional infants helped me show compassion while also reinforcing my boundaries.

If you have an unreasonable person in your life, this quote can give you perspective. It can help you view them with empathy but also remind you to stand firm in your right to be treated as an adult. However, you may need more help to learn how to deal with them. The book is packed with practical advice from a Christian perspective, and I recommend it to you for the difficult relationship you’re facing today.

More quotes from How to Solve Your People Problems:

  • In the Bible, they are called “fools” or “the wicked.”
  • Unreasonable people have an aversion to personal wrongness that extends far beyond anything experienced by reasonable people. To them, being wrong presents a threat to survival that equals most physical threats. Unreasonable people put all of their energy into safeguarding rightness – to staying safe – and none into solving conflict problems.
  • Most unreasonable people missed attending Good Conflict Camp, but they all attended Drama School, where they developed into thespians of the highest order
  • The unreasonable person performs his drama for self-serving reasons – to maintain rightness and avoid wrongness.
  • The best alternative to a flight reaction is also honest civil conversation. Tigers need to be more civil, while turtles need to converse more. We can be tigers, turtles, or talkers.
  • Rehearsing our responses, anticipating button pushes, and knowing how we will respond ahead of time alters our behavior.
  • The Cold War ended not because the U.S. was nice but because the U.S. was strong…We didn’t change their minds; we changed the conditions. And when the conditions changed, they changed their minds.

You’ll find much help and encouragement in How to Solve Your People Problems, which I encourage you to order HERE.

Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

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Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.

Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?

If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.

If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!

Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday.  I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.

To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!

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Decrease So God Can Increase

Decrease so God can increase is a part of a quote I read in Sacred Rest, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 37 of Lent 2025 – April 10

I first read Sacred Rest when I was on a winter beach vacation a few years ago, and the book has changed my life since that time. I blogged about that experience in THIS POST, which I encourage you to read HERE.

What I learned from this book that revolutionized my life was that there are different types of rest we need, not only sleep. Once I started putting Dr. Saundra’s advice into practice, I experienced great changes that I keep to this day.

The most important advice is to observe a weekly Sabbath rest. I’ve intentionally cultivated this habit for the past 20+ years. Since I work from home full-time, it can be difficult to stop working. Surprisingly, I became more productive throughout the week as I chose to take a dedicated break each Sunday.

When we decrease the noise and busyness in our lives, we can hear God’s still, small voice more easily. As I spend time in Bible study, prayer, and corporate worship every Sunday, I remember that God comes first on my priority list. When I practice the spiritual discipline of silence on the Sabbath, his peace and guidance increase in my spiritual life.

This book has changed the way I observe the Sabbath. It’s no longer regimented but delightful. You’ll find much practical encouragement in Sacred Rest, which I encourage you to order HERE.

Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

'Decrease so God can increase...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #lent #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.

Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?

If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.

If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!

Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday.  I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.

To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!

Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read my story here and learn more about my books here. By signing up, you are agreeing to the terms of my privacy policy.

Interested in Spiritual Matters

Interested in Spiritual Matters is a part of a quote I read in Contagious Faith, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 36 of Lent 2025 – April 9

I read this book when I was leading a Twitter chat for it. (You can join the #HealthyFaith chat on X – just search for the hashtag there, and the times for the chats will pop up).

Contagious Faith is so encouraging about a topic that scares most of us: evangelism. We know we should share our faith, but many of us are too intimidated to try. This excellent book demystifies this for us and gives practical, everyday tips for sharing your faith in natural ways.

An encouraging fact to consider: Gen Z, people under the age of 25, is the most open generation in American history to hearing about the gospel. Older Christians must be intentional in passing our faith to the next generation. The great news is that they are truly open to hearing about it!

Sharing Your Testimony

I’ve written other posts about how to share your testimony – you can read them here:

I’ll share my favorite tip from those posts here from my late pastor Mark Martin – tell your own story. Telling your own story of how God worked in your life is far better than preaching or even sharing relevant Bible verses. He said this is because no one can argue with you about your own story. That’s why it pays to consider your life experiences and how God has used them to shape your faith.

What I’ve learned in sharing my testimony is that people respond most strongly to these types of stories:

  1. Times that I failed (more than times I succeeded) and how God used that experience to shape my character
  2. Times God spoke to me and how that message became true years later (you can read the story of how God spoke to me at a James Taylor concert HERE)
  3. Times of deep trauma that were impossible to survive without God’s help – this seems to speak most loudly to unbelievers

Another key tip is the more you meditate on Bible verses, the more naturally they will come up in your conversations. Your conversations will be sprinkled with salt and light as you weave those Bible truths wisely and intentionally into your words.

You’ll find great encouragement and more practical guidance for sharing your testimony in Contagious Faith, which I encourage you to order HERE.

Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

'Interested in spiritual matters...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #lent #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.

Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?

If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.

If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!

Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday.  I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.

To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!

Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read my story here and learn more about my books here. By signing up, you are agreeing to the terms of my privacy policy.

How You Wait Is an Act of Faith

How You Wait Is an Act of Faith is a part of a quote I read in The 10 Best Decisions a Single Mom Can Make, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 35 of Lent 2025 – April 8

I bought this book because my good friend Pam Farrel is one of the writers. I appreciated its wisdom in the past three years of being a single mom.

Here’s the quote in context:

Then the Lord spoke: How you wait is an act of faith. Do you want to wait in unbelief and doubt? Or do you want to continue to sing praises as strongly to my name today as you will when the blessings find you?

It’s difficult to wait this way. Since my whole life has been marked by abuse and trauma, I am not accustomed to looking forward with any hope. I was in survival mode for decades, and in that mode hope is too expensive. But I’m learning to apply this quote because I don’t want to stay stuck.

My counselor told me that when good things happen while I’m waiting in faith, I need to jump up and down with joy. He said I should praise God while I do that. The muscle memory will help me in my trauma recovery process.

So, I use my mini trampoline to do just that. Last week a client gave me an idea for a solution that will save me loads of time. I went straight to my trampoline and jumped while praising God. When I reflect on that moment, I pull up the muscle memory, and let it sink further into my psyche for greater healing.

Singing praise songs also helps heal me. They help me remember God’s unchanging character. They sometimes express my prayers in words I can’t form myself. Sometimes I combine the singing with the jumping for joy, and that supercharges my healing.

I want to wait well, and this book reminds me to do so. It also offers many practical ideas for single moms that are too numerous to mention. Get your copy of the book or gift it to a single mom you know HERE.

Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

'How you wait is an act of faith...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #lent #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.

Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?

If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.

If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!

Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday.  I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.

To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!

Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read my story here and learn more about my books here. By signing up, you are agreeing to the terms of my privacy policy.

God Can Allow Evil

God Can Allow Evil is a part of a quote I read in Dr. Michael Messina’s book Death, Disease, Disaster, and Despicable Evil, and I’m pondering it with you today.

For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.

Day 34 of Lent 2025 – April 7

I read this book because Dr. Messina reached out directly to me and asked me to read and review it. I have to admit, it’s not an easy read at all. It directly takes on the problem of good vs. evil which has caused many debates for centuries. Yet I found it to be brutally refreshing in that it doesn’t sugarcoat the hard truths of faith.

Dr. Messina is no stranger to death, disease, disaster, and despicable evil. His father died a tragic death from suicide. In his training to become a Christian psychologist and counselor, he has been exposed to the worst sides of humanity. Also, even though he’s in his 40s like I am, he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which is a slowly debilitating disease that has no cure. With all that suffering in his life, I was more than willing to listen to his stories.

Though Dr. Messina is a former pastor with a compassionate heart, he does not share any Christian platitudes in this book. That’s why I find it refreshing because I’ve heard overly simplified words of “comfort” from well-meaning Christians my whole life. Those words never cut it for me. As I was exposed to the hard truths in this book, I had to come to terms with them in my own life.

I wish I could be transparently honest and list the excruciating traumas in my life. But because evil people still try to stir up dissent against me, I’ll spare you the detailed play-by-play. Suffice it to say I’ve been through a harrowing divorce, endured intense betrayal in multiple relationships, faced high-level spiritual warfare right in my face, and dealt with a stalker in the past three years. That’s why this book was hard for me to read because I’m still processing the trauma. Yet it was what I needed to read, like a bad-tasting medicine to help me heal.

God Can Allow Evil

Dr. Messina spends much time describing this nuanced truth in his book. I’ll do my best to pull some quotes for more context. Yet I encourage you to get a copy of the book to dig in deep. Here are some other quotes to ponder, along with today’s quote.

  • Letting this truth sink in, that God has the ultimate, decisive control of all evil tragedies, will help us in our emotional healing when we consider that this sovereign God loves us (Romans 8:39), is for us (Romans 8:31), and works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
  • God is constantly at work in our lives, shaping us into who he wants us to be. And that shaping is often painful.
  • Sometimes God allows suffering in our life so we will change our price tags. The world holds great value when things are going well, and heaven is kind of meh. When things aren’t going great here, the value of here goes down and we see heaven as the greater reward.
  • The Western diet of comfortability simply does not have the capacity to bring repentance, sanctification, and glorification in the Christian life.
  • Experiencing God in tragedy is perhaps the best way to grow deeper in your relationship to him.
  • Taking God off the causal hook in tragedy does not help us; rather, it produces more emotional distress, especially anxiety. If God is not the ultimate cause of tragedy, then who is…I would rather take my chances with God, who loves me and has my best interests in mind…We can rest in the knowledge that neither disease nor disaster happens outside God’s will, which is always good and perfect, even when it doesn’t seem that way.

I first read this book months ago, and quite frankly, I felt angry because the trauma was so fresh at the time. Now that I’ve had some time to heal, I can assent to these truths with both my head and my heart. They are hard truths to accept but necessary ones. That’s why I can be thankful for this book because when the next severe storms in my life occur, I now have a healthier cognitive pathway to process them.

Get your copy of Dr. Messina’s book HERE.

Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote.

'God can allow evil...' - ponder this quote with me. #quote #quoteoftheday #lent #spiritualgrowth Click To Tweet

Find all my additional resources for Lent on this page.

Are You Looking for a Book Launch Manager or Virtual Assistant?

If you’re launching a book in 2025 or beyond, be sure to book a call with me HERE to discuss your book launch. I’ve had over 50 clients since 2022, and I’d love to speak with you soon. I’m also taking on new VA clients. You can learn more and book a call with me on THIS PAGE.

If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!

Also, if you make a purchase from any of the links on this post, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!


I send my weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday.  I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.

To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!

Want to know more about me before you sign up? You can read my story here and learn more about my books here. By signing up, you are agreeing to the terms of my privacy policy.