the messy MIDDLE
Writing Life Michelle Bolanger Writing Life Michelle Bolanger

the messy MIDDLE

We are in the midst of preparing the house for new carpet and office furniture, and while we are very excited to get the upgrades, right now, the house is a disaster!

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word of the YEAR
Writing Life Michelle Bolanger Writing Life Michelle Bolanger

word of the YEAR

Every October or November, I begin to pray about what my Word of the Year will be for the upcoming year.

In 2025 the word was CULTIVATE. When the Lord gave that to me in October of 2024, I prayed over it, and believed it meant I would deepen relationships or increase my involvement in things at church. I had no idea it would come to mean so much more than that.

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Just You Wait!
Christian Living, Devotions Michelle Bolanger Christian Living, Devotions Michelle Bolanger

Just You Wait!

Waiting isn’t something most of us are inherently good at. We spend a great deal of our time trying to avoid waiting. Internet searches, Amazon next day shipping, Instant Messaging, and 24 hour news gives us access to practically anything we want exactly when we want it.

But what happens when we can’t speed up the process? How do you respond?

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the JOY of the LORD
Christian Living, Devotions Michelle Bolanger Christian Living, Devotions Michelle Bolanger

the JOY of the LORD

Have you ever had a horrible day? Like the kind of day where no matter how hard you try, nothing seems to go right? You intend to do everything to the best of your ability, but somehow things just go sideways. The kind of day that ends with you feeling like you can do nothing right.

How do you find the strength to get up and go back at it tomorrow?

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Remember Your Calling
Christian Living, Writing Life Michelle Bolanger Christian Living, Writing Life Michelle Bolanger

Remember Your Calling

I love to write, and I believe God has gifted me with stories that will both entertain and give hope, but what I struggle with is marketing. I don’t mean I’m afraid of it, but as an older woman (55) in a social media world filled with young creatives who grew up with video editing, social media trends, and BookTock sensations, I feel very amateur when it comes to promoting my work online. I worry that my lack of abilities will ruin my sales, and that the ads or posts I create are so bad, no one will take a chance on my books.

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Writing With ADHD - Introduction
Writing Life Michelle Bolanger Writing Life Michelle Bolanger

Writing With ADHD - Introduction

Ever since childhood, I’ve struggled to thrive in school or work. I was repeatedly told I was smarter than I behaved, that I was being lazy, that I was hyper, unfocused, or undisciplined. Several years ago in counseling, she and I were discussing the ongoing difficulties I have with focus, emotional control, time blindness, and most strongly working memory. We had a good laugh, then she suggested they were all ADHD symptoms.

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Lessons from Sunday Sermons - August 25, 2025
Michelle Bolanger Michelle Bolanger

Lessons from Sunday Sermons - August 25, 2025

I think we’ve all heard the statement that God will see us through the storms in our lives, and if we are not currently in a storm, we are either coming out of one or heading into one. This could very well be true, but if we are in the in between place after we’ve gone though something and before we are immersed in the next crisis or struggle, how should we spend our gratitude?

Thanking Him that He will get us through the next trial? Do we only measure our lives by where we are between difficult times? If all we spend our time thinking about is how to brace ourselves for the next hardship, it makes it very hard to thank God for the good things we had, have, and will one day gain.

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Lessons from Sunday Sermons - August 11, 2025
Sermon Notes Michelle Bolanger Sermon Notes Michelle Bolanger

Lessons from Sunday Sermons - August 11, 2025

I was privileged to be part of the worship team this week, and the songs we lead the congregation in held personal invitations for me. More of a reminder that because Jesus is my Lord and Savior, I dwell with Him, therefore fear doesn’t control me anymore.

The two songs that impacted me most were Good Plans by Red Rocks Worship and Tremble by Mosaic. Both of them declare that fear has no power over us if we are in a relationship with Christ. When He is a dynamic part of our life, just whispering His name makes the darkness around us tremble!

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