Every Christmas season I step onto my soapbox as I get disgusted by how the world is quickly chipping away the meaning of Christmas. I used to wonder how anyone can celebrate Christmas, yet keep Christ out of it entirely. Sadly, our culture has devised a way. We’ve changed Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays and the Christmas tree to the …
Okay, it’s twelve minutes–or more precisely, four segments of twelve. I was honored to be interviewed on a local television show Author’s, Books & Beyond. The host of this program is fellow writer, Kathy Boyd-Fellure. It’s been a few weeks since it aired, and it’s taken me this long to get up the gumption to share a portion of it with …
The other day I was pondering the traditions of Christmas—such as Santa Claus and Christmas stockings. How did the birth of Jesus morph into these seemingly disconnected symbols? Of course, I knew Santa Claus was also known as St. Nicholas and he was canonized a saint (by whomever claims such authority) because of his generous acts. But there are many …
I’m confused. How can the looting of businesses and destruction of private property in Ferguson, Missouri be justified? I understand the frustration and anger of a community that feels justice didn’t prevail in the grand jury decision in the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager by white police officer, Darren Wilson. Because I wasn’t in the court room, …
I’m impatient, stubborn, judgmental and insensitive. And, I’m harder on myself than others. This is the list of my weaknesses for my Myers-Briggs personality type: ISTJ. I’d love to say that I don’t fit the type—that the test was inaccurate. Sadly, that would be a lie. Oh, and I’m a buy-the-book person—I follow rules to a T and live in …
I can’t sing. Or more accurately, I can’t sing well. However, it doesn’t stop me from trying. I belt out the worship songs at church or with the radio when I’m alone in my car (it’s all joyful to God, right?) And when I can’t help myself, I’ll even sing at times when my husband’s with me. I think it’s …
Okay, I’ll admit it—I have difficulty with forgiveness. In a spiritual gift test I just completed, one of the questions was, “Do you look at the world in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil?” This was one of 100 questions, and the only one to which I gave an unequivocal, “Yes.” I think this may be the …
Living out in the country, there’s not much excitement—unless you count the eerie disappearance of our entire chicken flock last week. Until Monday night… Chris came home after twelve hours at work, and not fifteen minutes later BAM! A rifle shot reverberated through the house. We rushed outside to spot a small, white truck sitting on the road below our …
I have an issue with “quiet time.” You’d think since I work from home, have no children to care for (mine are grown and gone) and live smack in the middle of twenty acres, I’d be a pro at it. It’s not that I have a problem being alone—because I don’t. But “quiet time” is something of an enigma for …
With the edits complete on my last novel, I’m getting ready to jump into another story. When most people find out I’m a writer, and I’ve finished three books, they assume I’ve been published. Why else would I continue writing? From the outside looking in, it might appear futile. I’ve often wondered about it myself—after all, when I taught middle …
