Michelle Bolanger's Blog, page 2

Guest Post - Hearts and Feelings

I am incredibly honored to introduce you to one of my mentors in the faith. He is a dear friend, a Brother-in Christ, and is leading the way toward changing how the Church engages our culture. Safe Cages is dedicated to him, and I am forever grateful for the example of consistency, honor, and integrity he has been in my life. - MLB"Hate the sin...love the sinner," they say. And of course there are hundreds of other sayings that drip with piety I could insert here that I've literally heard my...

Morning Set List

Maybe you’ve had a week like mine. It’s been a week of ups and downs, and the latest down drove me to my knees this morning. There are things I can’t change right now, and me having a bad attitude, or stewing about it is only going to make it worse. But, dang it, I’m angry, hurt, and frustrated.I’ve mentioned before that music and song often become a powerful means of prayer and hearing from God for me. This morning I flipped between radio stations because I was too lazy to plug in my phone a...

Bible Study - Luke 23

Today, my devotional took me to Luke 23:13-25 and I was struck by how little things have changed in our culture when it comes to 'popular' opinion.(I want to preface what I'm about to say with, yes, I know Jesus went to the cross because God allowed it.)This passage is very interesting to me, because the chapter makes it very clear that both Pilate and Herod believed Jesus was innocent. Both of them wanted to let Him go, yet they didn't.Herod didn't get the entertainment he hoped for when he...

Church, What Are We Doing?

Angie is a fellow author I began chatting with through Facebook, and we recently met in person at a Dayton Christian Scribes writer's group meeting. I envy her style of writing, and she frequently posts great nuggets of wisdom on her page. She originally posted this on her Facebook page in 2016. I saw it a few days ago when she shared it as a memory, and I immediately asked if she would be willing to share it here as a guest post. Thankfully, she agreed so I didn't have to steal it instead! -...

Bible Study - John 9

I wish I’d started this sooner, but I’ve decided to share what I’m seeing and learning as I read the Bible. If something jumps out at me, or impacts me, I’ll try to write at least a short post.Up first… John 9:46-56 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My Name, receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives Hi...

The Unstoppable Love Of God

Songs have always been a deeply personal form of prayer for me. There is something about singing to God or about God that opens a part of me that written or spoken words don’t do. Many times I get completely lost in a song when it suddenly becomes a two way path of communication.Music has always been a direct line into the deepest parts of me. When a song or a lyric connect with me, there are moments when God’s voice inside me is louder and clearer than at any other time of prayer or study.Re...

Off Topic Question

I was reading a Facebook post that shared a Tumblr thread about how women react when men raise their voices. I never really thought about it much, and just figured my personal discomfort was tied to my desire to avoid conflict at all costs. However, this article was FULL of stories from other women who all had a very similar GUT LEVEL fear reactions when men raise their voices. Not when they actually ARE in danger, but simply in response to a man speaking harshly or loudly. The stories were f...

It's My Birthday!

July 4th is my birthday. I’ll be forty-mumble years old, and I finally feel like I know who I am.But as I not only celebrate being forty-mumble years old, I am also celebrating my 20thyear of calling Jesus the Lord of my life.Looking back to the day I said yes to Jesus and seeing how much I’ve changed is almost unexplainable. I am not the same person I was in 1998. I fear less, I love more, and I no longer draw my sense of self-worth from what I do or what people think of me.My value is deter...

A Change of Heart

Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”One of the earliest prayers I remember praying was to ask God to give me a teachable spirit. How I knew to ask for that is a mystery to me, but He has faithfully answered it over and over. He has changed m...

Judging Books By Their Covers

Some of you may have already seen the pictures of the proof copy of Safe Cages. (If you missed it, you can see itHERE.) There is absolutely nothing better than getting the first copy in your hands! We've talked about the stages the interior of the book goes through, but the without a cover, it would be almost impossible to sell books. People want a visual idea of what the book is about, who the main players are, and a decent clue about the genre and mood. I can set all that in a few sentences...