I can pretend I was cultivating curiosity…but to be honest, the post I just released was accidental. While updating the pages on this website (by the way, check out the new pages), I  inadvertently sent out a new post.

However, I really do have a new release.  The Chicken truly has hit the fan. This is the third in my morning cup devotional series (new logo, yay!)and I’m excited to let it fly. Below is a sneak peek at excerpts from the introduction.

Let me know if you wish to reserve a copy!  I’ll be happy to sign and send.  The first 15 orders will receive a free copy of “My Morning Cup.”

No, I didn’t pull the title for this book out of a hat. I actually have a real-life story about a chicken hitting a fan. It happened like this . . .

One day I came across a young man whom I know well, and he had a black eye. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: How did you get the black eye?

Him: Because of the chicken.

Me: Because of the chicken?

Him: Yes, I had a friend over, and he brought his pet chicken.

Me, squinting in confusion: A pet chicken? So what does that have to do with your black eye?

Him: I didn’t appreciate him bringing a chicken into my apartment, so I asked him to leave, but he didn’t.

Me: And?

Him: So I took the chicken and threw it in the air . . . but it hit the fan.

Me, roaring: WHAT?! Was it okay?

Him: It lost some feathers, but it was okay . . . but the guy was mad that his chicken hit the fan.

Me: And so he punched you?

Him: Yes, he punched me. He’s not coming back.

Me: I guess not. Well, here’s a package of frozen peas. Put that on your eye and it will help the swelling to go down.

Which just goes to show that you just never know with life, and with people. Friends get in fights. Chickens show up for surprise visits. People sometimes throw chickens, and innocent birds collide with ceiling fans. pix

Do you ever feel like life plays tricks on you? There you are, minding your own business, when things around you spin out of control, quick as a blink. Your day starts out one way, and then—bam—the unexpected happens, and your entire day, maybe even your entire life, gets turned on its head. One moment, your path and plan feel solid and secure; the next moment, things “hit the fan.” Feathers fly.

Life changes like that: quickly, unexpectedly, unpredictably. I am so thankful that the word of God never changes, and that it applies to every situation we face, no matter how bizarre. The Bible always applies because it deals with the attitudes of our heart, not just our circumstances.

The Bible teaches us that we have a choice in how to respond when the chicken hits the fan. Our response to those difficult times depends upon how closely we walk with God, and upon our use of his word.

God has much to say about how he wants us to apply his word:…

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

The chapters in this book were written in real time, as I experienced them. You’ll read stories of unexpected, humorous, and even chaotic moments in my own life, and how I used the Bible to help me grow through those times. My hope is that this collection of devotional thoughts will help you shed more of God’s light onto the ordinary (and not so ordinary!) happenings of life, and help you make sense of the mess when things “hit the fan.” I pray this book helps you find God, trust God, and glorify God in all situations—even the ones where feathers are flying.