Inspiring Joy

Devotionals
Reminders of His Goodness

Reminders of His Goodness

It wasn't twelve stones from a riverbed, but it was a reminder of God's miraculous work in my life. I stumbled across this memento while looking for a scripture to accompany a blog post. I reached for a small red Bible that was on the shelf above my computer. (I don't...

read more
Fear Not

Fear Not

At the clap of thunder my dog Pumpkin came running. He jumped into my lap and climbed onto my shoulders. He is terrified of loud noises—also leashes, any type of cord, and the vacuum cleaner. He shakes and pants until the noises stop. He doesn't trust me when I tell...

read more
Light in the Gap

Light in the Gap

"You're going to make wrinkles in your forehead," the voice of my mother played in my mind as I walked out of the bus station. As part of a ministry called Light in the Gap, I had just been with a group who meet, visit, and pray with women just released from prison....

read more
Whatever!

Whatever!

I couldn't believe my eyes. There it was. The popular expression that I was determined to eliminate from my children's vocabulary was printed in big bold letters across the front of my friend's t-shirt.  I couldn't ever imagine her using that exclamation, much...

read more
All Things?

All Things?

"I married him twice." The revelation of this shocking detail results in some interesting looks on the faces of those who hear it. Efforts to keep their jaws from dropping and their eyebrows from raising contort their countenances into some caricature-worthy...

read more
In the Beginning

In the Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1 NIV This was the first verse in a new scripture reading/writing plan I started on January 1. The first three words stuck in my head for several days.  New Year's Day gets all the attention,...

read more

Connect with Michelle Online

Favorite verses, funny stories, upcoming events, and other random thoughts. 

I won't fill up  your inbox, I promise. 
Michelle Ruddell | Author | Speaker