Spiritual Sparks
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NIV) Have you ever had one of those days, months (whole year!) when the pain in your heart feels like a clay pot collapsing on a potter’s wheel? One minute everything's holding its shape, and the next—splat—it caves in on itself. Emotional turmoil runs rampant in our world, and sometimes it feels like our hearts are the favorite target. Hurt, tears, and sadness have a knack for sneaking in through unguarded openings: a door slammed by someone you trusted, a diagnosis that dropped like a plate full of spaghetti, a dream that withers on the vine, a catty friend whose sharp words land like darts in the heart. I don’t know who out there is hurting, and I don't know if this devotional will help. But I do know this: God laid it on my heart to write these words for someone today. And here’s the cosmic plot twist: our Potter never steps away from the wheel. Ever. While the clay spins and wobbles and threatens to collapse, God's hands remain steady as He gently wipes away the weary tears. He understands your whys, your worries, and those lingering questions that circle your mind at 2 a.m. Your pain rests in the Potter’s hands like an unfinished vessel waiting to be shaped with grace and mercy. When you think no one notices the raw, bone-deep ache lodged in your chest, don’t believe that lie. Jesus feels your heartache. He hears those moans and groans masquerading as prayers. Even when you feel misshapen, brittle, or stuck spinning on the Potter’s wheel, remember this: His hands never abandon the work He is doing in your life. Never. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV). Dear one, the same God who “counts the number of stars” (Psalm 147:4 NKJV) also counts your tears. You're never forgotten, unseen, or alone. Our Potter does not discard His collapsed clay. He gathers it, presses it, reshapes it, and sets it spinning again. Then ... He lovingly forms you into something stronger, deeper, and more beautiful than before. Heavenly Father, When my heart feels like collapsed clay on Your wheel catch my tears, calm my heart, and shape my struggles into something meaningful. Even in the wobble, help me trust Your steady touch, and remind me You’re not finished with me yet. In Jesus' name. Amen. Spiritual Sparks Where in your life does it feel like the spaghetti just hit the floor and the clay collapsed on the wheel? How might God be reshaping something in your life that currently feels like a messy lump of clay? ~~Jesus' hands never abandon the work He is doing in your life. Never.~~LM
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 KJV If anyone would’ve told me I’d write a devotional one day inspired by Kid Rock, I would’ve laughed—probably loudly and without shame. Yet here it is, camped out in my head, looping like a song you can’t turn off. I remember some of his songs. They weren’t my favorite—I was never the rapper or heavy-metal type. Still, he carried a persona that was impossible to ignore: loud, cocky, unapologetic. He wore confidence like a sleeveless T-shirt and dared anyone to comment on it. That was part of his history. And if we’re honest, we all have a history. Back in the day, we talked big, listened small, and treated humility like an accessory we’d eventually outgrow. None of us wore the meek-and-mild sandals very well—only Jesus. He never needed a transformation-alignment. Our Jesus is perfect and sets the standard with a simple invitation: “Follow me.” As we age, though, something shifts. We become … well, we become humble. You see, life sandpapers the rough edges, and we look for answers. We take stock of the life we’ve built and begin longing for something better—for our children, our aging parents, and the world we all share. During a performance on Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show,” Kid Rock—Robert Ritchie—allowed us to witness his heart shift. He explained he awoke one Sunday morning with 'Til You Can't stuck in his head and “something or someone spoke to me,” inspiring him to write a verse to the song … and this is what Robert Ritchie wrote: “There’s a book that's sitting in your house somewhere that could use some dusting off/ There’s a man that died for all our sins/ hanging from the cross/ You can give your life to Jesus/ and he’ll give you a second chance/ ’til you can’t, ’til you can’t.” Those lines written by Robert Ritchie made my eyes leak and my heart cry. They carry the unmistakable marks of transformation. Each word carries a holy weight: redemption, repentance, urgency, salvation. Dear one, Holy doesn’t wait. He saves. When transformation triumphs, we stop chasing freedom and start longing for forgiveness. We crave unity instead of division, purpose instead of noise. It’s like finally coming home after wandering too long in the dark. You see, we don’t just want love—we want unconditional love. We want to intimately know our God, to feel Jesus in our hearts. Scripture says it best: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 KJV). That’s the turning point. That’s when pride loosens its grip, grace steps in, and God rewrites the lyrics of a soul reborn in Christ. Father God, Thank You for being a merciful Savior who looks beyond our history and sees our future in You. When pride loosens and grace steps in, transform our hearts and teach us to walk humbly in Your love ... rewrite our story for Your kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen Spiritual Sparks As Robert Ritchie (Kid Rock) shared his turning point, where might God be quietly inviting you to share your own? What “dusty book” in your life needs opening so God can begin rewriting your story? ❤️ Holy doesn’t wait. He saves. ~~LM ❤️
Prayers Under Fire
~~coming soon~~
Dex Hamilton, special ops mercenary, turned his back on God six years ago. He now spends his rogue life living for the government, sidestepping a monotony of red tape, and righting a long-overdue wrong.
Marcee Simmons, small-town preacher’s daughter from Ohio, is forced to drive deep into the Belize jungle with Dex. Her faith is tested as she and Dex dodge a host of armed men, cavort with a freeloading tarantula, and plunge over a makeshift waterfall.
Together they must evade the evil forces of a kingpin who fights to monopolize new smuggling channels for the exploitation of illegal drugs and human trafficking. When a few phenomenal miracles cross their paths, the results become an awakening kaleidoscope of change, making their survival critical, their trust unavoidable, and their love unstoppable.
My Anthologies
Enjoy ten delightful short stories,
including my own,Tinsel-Touched.
It’s such a joy to see this Rom-Com about second chances come to life alongside the eclectic voices of my talented author friends.
I'm so grateful Love at First Drop found a home in this beautiful
anthology. These twelve stories dive into human depths of resilience, humor, and enduring power of love in unexpected places.
Linda Morgan
Linda Morgan resides in Ohio with her husband. She is a flower gardener at heart, a three-aquarium enthusiast, and when time permits she crochets pillows and afghans. As an eclectic book nerd, Linda loves reading her Bible and any devotional she can get her hands on. However, her bookshelf contains everything from Dr. Seuss to Helen Steiner-Rice to espionage thrillers to clean rom-coms. The latter being her all-time favorite, and as her husband is always quick to point out: “Life’s (more!) better when you’re laughing.” She agrees.
She is a word geek to the extreme and for some quirky reason has an overwhelming impulse to spell words backwards, but only to herself. Not out loud. That would just be weird.
She's written a full-length novel, Prayers Under Fire, which will be released soon. (Spoiler alert: it’s a trilogy, so get ready to meet the Jameson brothers, whose entertaining adventures and swoon-worthy romances bring faith, hope, and love to life.) Linda combines page-turning adventure, intriguing suspense, and a romantic happily-ever-after to her novels. She had a poem published a decade ago, and a few years back, she won first place on two devotions submitted to FaithWriters.com. In July 2025, she's had a short-story published, Love at First Drop, in an anthology titled, DREAMS AND DRIFTWOOD. In November 2025, Tinsel-Touched hit the shelf in a Christmas anthology titled, HOLIDAYS IN THE HEARTLAND.
Above all else, God is number one in her life, and Linda knows she wouldn’t be writing if she didn’t believe this is what He’s called her to do. Please take the time to stop by her devotional page, "Spiritual Sparks." She welcomes your visits and prays her words touch your heart.