Practically speaking blog by Jill Donovan

Get Thee Behind Me Pinterest

When it comes to throwing birthday parties for their kids, some moms just innately know what to do and can pretty much do it with their eyes closed. From the decor to the food, to the perfectly w...

When You Are Going Through Hell, Don’t Stop

A few months ago, I had a dream I was in a vast field with hundreds of snakes. The world had no color. It was an awful shade of gray.Good times.However, there was only ONE thing I wanted to do in m...

The Sun Will Shine Again

When the clock turns from 11:59 pm to 12:00 am, a brand new day begins.  But other than the time changing to midnight, nothing signifies the end of one day and the beginning of the next.  As a ma...

What Eternal Significance Does It Have?

The day after my dad died, I realized there were no words anyone could say to make me feel better, and nothing could be done to bring him back. However, one thing my mom told me the following day w...

Stop Smelling Bad Milk

Last week I got the milk out of our fridge and, as a precautionary measure, smelled it before I poured it. Sadly, it had been there so long it evolved into another possibly illegal form. My first i...

Numbers Don’t Define You

Can you remember the phone number you had as a child, yet you cannot recall what you had for breakfast by the time dinner rolls around? For all of the data that has managed to escape my memory b...

Forgive And Forget

How many times have you heard the phrase forgive and forget? Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to forgive and forget. We tell ourselves that we must forgive someone and then do our best to forg...

Good Things vs. God Things

Have you ever been involved in something that seemed like such a good idea but never produced any fruit? Where you kept trying to move forward, but you felt like your feet were stuck in quicksand? ...

See It Before You SEE It

Many years ago, I had a wild idea to start a vegetable garden in the backyard. It lasted all of a month. Some of you have flourishing gardens, and I applaud you. Some of you don’t even need to go t...

Your Age Does Not Determine Your Effectiveness

Last week I called my mom.I said, “Mom, we really miss you and want to see you soon!”She said, “Jill, I’d love to come visit, but I need to check my calendar.I’ve got so much going on with back-t...