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2026-07-13T20:54:08-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I Thought I’d Be Holier by Now

Last updated on: July 13, 2026 at 8:54 pm By Ellen Fannon

I Expected a Spiritual Software Upgrade When I became a Christian, I assumed sanctification would work a little like a software update. You agree to the terms and conditions, restart once, and voilà—improved performance, fewer bugs, and definitely no recurring issues. (Well, to be honest, I didn’t know what software was until many years later, but you get the idea. Back then, I would have guessed software meant comfortable clothing.) But that is not how this process has gone. The... Read more

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2026-05-08T16:53:48-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why Foster Parenting Is Hard—and Still Worth It

Last updated on: May 8, 2026 at 4:53 pm By Ellen Fannon

May is National Foster Care Month In honor of National Foster Care Month, I’d like to share some honest realities about foster care. But first, to lighten the mood, here’s an excerpt from my book, “Other People’s Children,” which reflects on some of my humorous experiences as a foster mom. I tried to have quiet time with the Lord every day. I really did. But the devil just knew when those times were, and if he couldn’t manage to make... Read more

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2025-06-16T13:04:42-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Spying Is a Spiritual Gift—and My Husband Has It

Last updated on: June 16, 2025 at 1:04 pm By Ellen Fannon

Divine Reconnaissance The Bible is surprisingly full of spies—and not the James Bond kind. Sometimes, espionage was actually part of God’s game plan. Takes Numbers 13, for instance, where God told Moses to send men to spy out the land of Canaan. This wasn’t a covert op gone rogue. It was a divine reconnaissance mission. And in Joshua 2:1, Joshua sent two men as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” In other words, “Sneak around and try not... Read more

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Scripture with a Smile

2025-04-04T11:58:43-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Proverbs 31 Wife vs. My Wrinkled Reality

Last updated on: April 4, 2025 at 11:58 am By Ellen Fannon

Wanted- A Good Wife The Bible presents a noble vision of a wife—a woman of virtue, strength, and wisdom. Proverbs 31 describes her as industrious, compassionate, and capable, a cornerstone of her household. She wakes early to provide for her family, brings honor to her husband, and extends kindness to the needy. While this portrait is inspiring, it can also feel like an impossible standard. What about those of us who aren’t morning people, who burn dinner, or who consider... Read more

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domestically challenged

2024-12-16T17:45:11-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Fruitcake: From Biblical Delicacy to Christmas Doorstop

Last updated on: December 16, 2024 at 5:45 pm By Ellen Fannon

Biblical Fruitcakes As we deck the halls with boughs of holly and turn our hearts to the festiveness of the Christmas season, one inescapable fact remains. This time of year always brings out the fruitcake fanatics. Did you know that fruitcakes actually date back to Biblical times? In fact, we may still be eating fruitcakes from Biblical times, as far as I know. The Bible mentions raisin cakes as food for travelers and soldiers. (2 Sam 6:19) and other places.... Read more

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2024-11-04T12:41:21-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Confessions of a Thanksgiving Shortcut Taker

Last updated on: November 4, 2024 at 12:41 pm By Ellen Fannon

Biblical Basis For Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is Biblical, although the references to thanksgiving that are mentioned in the Bible don’t necessarily correlate with the American tradition of turkey and dressing. Numerous verses specifically mention thanksgiving: I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30); Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6); Enter his gates with thanksgiving... Read more

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Thanksgiving Like Mom Used to Make; My Thanksgiving Shortcuts;

2024-11-05T18:27:58-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why I Quit Tithing

Last updated on: November 5, 2024 at 6:27 pm By Ellen Fannon

Today, I want to take a break from humor to answer the question, “How much do you tithe to your place of worship?” The best answer I’ve ever heard came from a sermon my husband, Pastor Doug Fannon, preached several years ago. Here is the gist of that message: How Much Should I Tithe? Most people simply don’t understand tithing. To many Christians, it seems like some sort of country club dues. Another bill in the long list of monthly... Read more

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Why I Quit Tithing

2024-10-07T13:37:39-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Writing vs. The World: A Battle I’m Clearly Losing

Last updated on: October 7, 2024 at 1:37 pm By Ellen Fannon

Ancient Writers’ Obstacles to Writing I often marvel at how the Bible was written. In an earlier blog, I mentioned how the ancient writers not only had to capture divine revelations before they slipped away, but they also had to procure their own writing materials, such as animal skins and fish bones. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, they often wrote under adverse circumstances. John wrote from exile on a treeless barren island with nothing but rocks and volcanoes. Paul... Read more

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2024-08-26T12:50:02-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Battle of the Bulge: When the Scale Has a Mind of Its Own

Last updated on: August 26, 2024 at 12:50 pm By Ellen Fannon

The Bible does not explicitly mention weight loss or obesity. However, several places in Scripture discuss the importance of our health (3 John 1:2) and taking care of our bodies. Since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6: 19-20), we should keep our bodies as healthy as possible. Many people fight the “battle of the bulge,” hence the obsession in our culture to lose weight. Over thirty years ago, when I cleaned out my parents’... Read more

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2024-07-26T12:02:22-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My “Undevoted” Husband Derails My Spiritual Train of Thought

Last updated on: July 26, 2024 at 12:02 pm By Ellen Fannon

Winning the Battle of Inspiration I had an excellent idea for a devotion the other night, so instead of vegging out in front of the television, I sat down at the computer to put my thoughts on the screen before they disappeared from my head. There is nothing worse than thinking of a perfect devotion, blog, or story plot when you’re somewhere you can’t write down. Of course, I’m always going to “remember” that great idea I had because it... Read more

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