Author Ava Pennington
Author Ava Pennington

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

Autumn is here. Splashes of red, orange, and gold punctuating a green canopy. Falling leaves blanketing lawns. A nip in the air and hot apple cider on the stove (or in the microwave!). Sweaters and scarves become go-to accessories. Or not. Here in south Florida, the...

read more

Christians and Halloween

Ghosts and witches. Jack-o’-lanterns and black cats. Scary masks and things that go bump in the night. Typical frightening Halloween fare. But the day is not called Scary-ween. So what is the “hallow” in Halloween? Hallow is not a frequently used word these days. When...

read more

The Cross and the Supreme Court

Happy 243rd birthday, America. You've changed a lot in those 243 years. In some ways for the better. In other ways, not so much. But one of the most significant changes is in how the cross is perceived in our culture. For centuries, the cross has been an undeniable...

read more

Moms – World’s Toughest Job

I hired thousands of people during my career in Human Resources in New York City over 20+ years. Some positions were considered “plum” jobs with a high salary, good benefits, and a clear career track. Others were temporary, dead-end, hourly positions that barely paid...

read more

We Have Not Loved Well

We are to love well. Jesus said love would be the mark of His followers—love for each other and even love for their enemies. But we have not loved well. For 2,000 years, believers have bickered and fought with each other. Splitting hairs and splitting churches over...

read more

One Word for 2019

Do you make new year’s resolutions? I used to. But I was as successful as 80% of Americans who, according to U.S. News, make and break their new year’s resolutions by mid-February. So several years ago I gave up resolutions. Instead, I began the practice of adopting...

read more

How Current is Your Thankfulness?

Thankfulness is good for the soul. And it’s especially fashionable to be thankful during the month of November. But how far back do you have to go to find something to thank God for? Do you find yourself casting back on old memories? Searching experiences from your...

read more

Punctuality and the Tyranny of the Clock

I have a love-hate relationship with clocks. When I was a child, my parents always set our clocks five minutes fast, supposedly to help prevent us from being late to appointments. It never worked. We were always late…to everything. Despite the ineffectiveness of the...

read more

Fall Colors in Nature and in Us

Fall…the time when (in places other than Florida!) nature dons flamboyant garb as God paints His world with vibrant colors. Lush, supple leaves in shades of green gradually change color until the green is just a memory, replaced by vivid red, yellow, and orange. But...

read more

A Time to Work and a Time Not to Work

The Labor Day holiday weekend is coming. Ironically, it’s a holiday we celebrate by avoiding what we’re celebrating. We celebrate labor by not working. This holiday reminds us there’s a time to work…and a time not to work. And that applies to our Christian life, too....

read more

Receive Ava’s weekly blog
posts & occasional 
newsletters in your inbox!

Search by category:

You May Also Like

One Word: From Wait to Present

One Word: From Wait to Present

One Word: From Wait to Present   Time for my new 2023 “one word.” For 2022, my “one word” was wait, something...

Adapt or Transform?

Adapt or Transform?

Adapt or Transform?   I've heard it said that when you move from a cold climate to a warm one, your blood...

Advent: Prince of Peace

Advent: Prince of Peace

Advent: Prince of Peace   Four weeks of Advent – four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah. “For to...