Dianne Barker

Today my husband and I celebrate our 49th anniversary. We married young without any teaching on how to make a marriage flourish or counseling on building relationships. Couples stayed together because they’d made a vow to God—only death would separate them. Extended family, the church, the community, and the culture supported that commitment. Although James…

I was born with a silver pen in my hand, so to speak. The Lord blessed my young life with huge success. I landed my dream job at eighteen, writing for the local newspaper while attending college, and wrote my first book at twenty-four. My 1986 book Twice Pardoned (life of Harold Morris) was #…

Lord, do you care that I’m still bleeding? A fresh wound left me groaning in pain…struggling to get past the hurt…wondering how on earth I’d get over this. Have you been there? Disappointed. Wounded. Bleeding emotionally. The injury inconceivable. Where did that come from? How could anyone be so cruel? It happened. It’s unchangeable. Now…what…

Overnight, Joseph went from prison to Pharaoh’s palace. Overnight? Not exactly. It was over 4,745 bleak nights—thirteen dreary years after his jealous brothers sidetracked his dream. I wonder how many midnights Joseph cried out, Lord God, I remember the dream! How much longer till I see the promise fulfilled? Joseph’s story spans several chapters in…

Have you ever been really thirsty? Years ago, a friend and I traveled to Japan to research the life of a missionary who served there during World War II. After three days of interviews, we were taking the bullet train to another city to continue our work. Waiting in the terminal and feeling exhausted from…

Lord, you do the most spectacular little things! I’m not surprised when you do great and mighty things. I expect that. But spectacular little things astonish me. To think you would give such attention to detail! Sometimes unbelief creeps in. It happens when I look at circumstances—situations impossible for human ability to resolve. It’s not…

Thank you, author and speaker Peggy Sue Wells (http://peggysuewells.com/2013/02/24/what-is-the-next-best-thing/) for inviting me to participate in “The Next Big Thing” blog hop. I’m excited about giving you the history of my new book!  What is your working title of your book (or story)? My latest (tenth) book is Cabbages and Kings—Reflections on Living Abundantly in Christ.  Where did…

Hello, friends! Thanks for visiting today. This is a new adventure–blogging! In the days ahead, we’ll talk about encouragement, emotions, marriage, parenting, relationships, and living abundantly in Christ. I’ll also share excerpts from my new book, Cabbages and Kings. After a cold, icy winter, we’re approaching spring–my favorite time of year! Many of us started the year with…

Reflections on Living Abundantly in Christ   Cabbages and Kings looks at life and lessons learned through God’s refining process. elates her discoveries as she searches for a joy-filled daily walk. Expect to be amused, inspired, encouraged, and motivated as you consider attitudes and habits essential for abundant living. Requirements: Confront fear, anger, discouragement, inferiority.…