Rise and Shine

“Higgs’s honest portrayal of herself as a woman who finds hope amid life’s struggles will resonate with other women who cherish both her frankness and her humor.” — Publisher’s Weekly

Rise and Shine Mondays on Facebook LIVE!

A scripture, a story, a reflection, and a prayer, shared in a few lively minutes. All the joy-filled encouragement you need to start your week with a smile, every Monday@8am ET through 2022!

Monday, December 5:  Spread the News  Watch and listen HERE.

Monday, December 12:  Putting It All in Focus  Watch and listen HERE.

Monday, December 19: Fabric of Our Lives  Watch and listen HERE.

Monday, December 26:  Shine On  Watch and listen HERE.

Not on Facebook? No problem. Each video for Rise and Shine Mondays will be posted right here on my website minutes after the live spot, and remain here for about two weeks. Rise, sister mine. And shine!

A One-Month Reading Guide for Rise and Shine

Chapter One

Rise and Shine, Sister Mine

Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1

When you rise from your bed, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and the tangles out of your disheveled hair, how many minutes does it take before you truly shine?

Oh, dear. That long.

Might I have just two of those precious minutes each morning?

Two minutes to whisper a gentle word of encouragement, to brush a feather across your funny bone, to prove how beautiful and valuable you are to God.

Say yes, sis.

The most important part will be our first few seconds together, as you drink in the living water of God’s Word. My own simple words will follow, closing with a prayer from my heart to yours. Only two or three pages, then you can put Rise and Shine aside and reach for your morning coffee.

The tone and subject of each day’s message will be quite different — some are playful, some inspiring, others more serious. Promise me you’ll only read one chapter a day, or you might suffer from spiritual whiplash!

You’ll find occasional references to surveys or quotes from, say, “Nancy from New York.” For years I gathered information and stories from readers, and so they’re quoted here. Just think of them as friends you haven’t met yet.

If you’ve already read several of my early nonfiction titles, from Does Dinner in a Bucket Count?  to “While Shepherds Washed Their Flocks” and Other Funny Things Kids Say and Do, or some of my articles in Today’s Christian Woman, then—bless your generous, supportive heart!—this may not be all-new material for you. But if you and I have met only recently across the printed page, then Rise and Shine will be the perfect way for us to catch up with one another.

Perhaps you are doing more than rising from the comfort of your bed. You may be rising from the depths of a disastrous lifestyle or a painful relationship, determined to start fresh. Arise, beloved sister. Strong hands await to hold you steady.

Perhaps you fear you’ve lost your shine. The glow of good health, the sparkle of young love, the shimmer of a new mother’s tears—all have faded into a gray sort of daily grind. Fear not. Turn with me toward the radiant One and let his light be reflected in your countenance like the dawn of a summer day.

Two minutes. No calories, no squat thrusts, I promise.

Rise, sister mine. And shine.

Lord, what an honor it will be to start the day with you.
Give me the strength to lift my head,
the courage to lift my heart,
the joy to lift my spirits,
and the confidence to lift my eyes and see you
rising and shining in me.

What readers are saying:

“I hold close to my heart the devotional, Rise and Shine. It’s like a big hug from God every morning.”
M. P.

“Rise and Shine has been such an encouragement to me. Each day that I pick it up God speaks directly to me through your words! Thank you for being so honest and real.”
H. E.

“I love reading Rise and Shine! Each little story is uplifting and a great way to start the day. Is there anyone who cannot use a boost?”
M. H.

“I really feel the impact of the short, easy-to-read selections. So many strike home. Thank you for catching real life in your writing.”
M. S.

“Out of numerous devotional materials I have sampled through the years, Rise and Shine is the first one that I actually look forward to reading each day, instead of just feeling that I should read it.”
V. V.

“When I started the first chapter, I just about cried. It was like it was written for me. Mornings are going to be a lot better now with my Bible, coffee, and Rise and Shine.”
P. S.

“Rise and Shine does as it advertises: It encourages, it lifts, it fills, it even causes a few twinges of remorse, but more than anything it fills me with a renewed sense of the Spirit and the blessedness that is ours in being loved by God.”
S. E.

“For about a month now I have been waking up and reading Rise and Shine. I don’t think I’ve had such happy starts to my day since I was a child. Proof-in-point: It’s 7:45 on a Saturday, and I’m all up and chipper!”
L. D.

“I am struggling with life/religion/meaning/etc. Your strength and messages in Rise and Shine give me hope. I have always felt so ‘broken’ or ‘soiled.’ You make me believe that ‘clean’ is a real possibility.”
B. S.

“Rise and Shine was wonderful! I couldn’t put it down and so read it in two days. It is so encouraging and so full of wisdom.”
M. M.

“I read one chapter each morning and if I miss…oh, do I have a bad day!”
A. H.

“What a blessing Rise and Shine has been! My best friend and I get together every weekday morning to have coffee, cry, talk, laugh, pray, and learn more about God.”
M. L.

“What a great book for a little lift each morning! I look forward to reading the encouraging real life bits. They put a smile on my face as I get out of bed to face another day.”
L. B.

“When I finished Rise and Shine, I cried. The book had become so much a part of my morning prayer time, I wanted the writing to go on forever.”
M. R.

“Rise and Shine has lifted my heart and brought wonderful expressions to my face. The small prayers are pure joy.”
P. R.

“Every day my prayer partner and I murmur while reading Rise and Shine, ‘Oh, that was a good one!’ We don’t know what we are going to do when we finish. Do we start again? Of course, we chimed, ‘Yes!’”
S. C.