This short story published by Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Life Lessons from the Dog in 2019 is close to my heart. Einstein was my first dog. Not a family pet, but a dog of my very own. He came along the month before my daughter’s near-fatal car accident, saw me through the breakdown of my first marriage, and …
Sixteen years ago, I attended Mount Hermon’s Writer’s Conference in California’s Santa Cruz mountains. It wasn’t the first time I’d attended, and it wouldn’t be the last. But something very special occurred that particular year—I met another wannabe author named Blossom Turner who traveled all the way from British Columbia. We had both signed up for a special two-day …
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms—Ephesians 6:12 When I was little and fearful of things that went bump in the night, my mom told me I had a guardian angel who kept …
When I reminisce about my childhood, I’m so grateful that I was one of the lucky kids who was outside more than in. Sometimes I’d gather tree frogs with my brother or play make-believe with my sisters. Every day was filled with the possibility of a new adventure. When we weren’t in school, we were outside playing. So many children …
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”—Maya Angelou. I was impatient before I was born (two weeks early). Fortunately, the Lord (and life) has softened the edges of this particular flaw. I have quite a few more in the works, …
Last week, everything came to a screeching halt all because I caught a nasty cold. It wasn’t cancer or Covid or a car wreck. Just a cold. And as I laid in bed too wrung out to care about writing, I thought about Lauren Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. …
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many—Hebrews 12:14-15. I don’t need to tell you that we are experiencing a very …
When my kids were young and complained that they were bored, my standard comeback was, “It’s because you’re boring.” Maybe it sounds a bit harsh, but I grew up in an age when there were no computers or cell phones. A tablet was a pad of paper to jot down notes and Cable T.V. was a luxury my parents …
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil—Ephesians 5:15-16 The art of juggling has always fascinated me. It takes masterful coordination, balance, and focus to do it well. Years ago, I visited Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. They had a juggler performing center stage. I …
When was the last time you felt a need to control a situation? I stumble across this challenge daily (dare I say several times a day?) It’s one of those personality traits the Lord and I have been working out over the last several years. If you have the same problem, you can blame it on Eve. Of course, if …
