“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 While in Nebraska, a doctor diagnosed Pastor Gene with dementia and suggested he leave the ministry. His wife wanted to live closer to family and preferred California, near their oldest son. When a church in that area heard that Pastor Gene was moving […]
“God Knows What He is Doing” by Kat Crawford – guest blog Read More »
To find a lifetime friend who will pray faithfully is a rare gift. God granted me such a person about 30 years ago. We volunteered together at a pregnancy crisis center. I edited her books, and we prayed together. When I moved away from that town, she continued to pray for me and my son.
What killed him? Ironic that a man, a carpenter, who spent his life learning to fashion chairs, tables, and cradles from rough wood – then died on the same material. The mallet, an instrument he used to pound joints together now hammered spikes into his wrists. The nails, used to connect legs to table tops,
What Killed Jesus? Read More »
As the trauma-induced dementia stole my father away, one joy remained – the memories of music. He lost his ability to speak and to sing. He no longer strummed the old Martin guitar or plunked chords on the piano. But the memory of the music remained. I know this because I saw it in his
The Power of the Music Read More »
The publishing process for a book involves many different people with various gifts. From the graphic artists who design the cover, to the copy editor to the publisher – all these people have a hand in printing the final product. As a self-publisher, I learned about each of these processes myself and worked hard to
Journey of a Novel – Step 5 Read More »
In Christian circles, we talk about the divine coincidence. This is a moment when everything in the universe centers around a particular event, and we find ourselves in the middle of something wonderful. The divine coincidence is birthed in the heart of God. When it happens, we are reminded once again how much God loves
Journey of a Novel – Step 4 Read More »
It takes guts to participate in a critique group. The first group I joined – many years ago – was connected with a writers’ retreat. As the facilitator of the group, I helped other writers polish their manuscripts and encouraged them to keep writing. It was a grand experience until my manuscript emerged from the
Journey of a Novel – Part 3 Read More »
In many ways, 2010 proved to be a difficult year for me. I was unemployed, downsized out of my job right in the middle of the recession. In fact, this blog began as a plea for all of us to stay in hope – no matter what the circumstances. My unemployment taught me several things
The Journey of a Novel – Step 2 Read More »
For the past almost 40 years, I have written nonfiction. Four nonfiction books, 11 compilations and hundreds of published articles. With my Type-A personality and my spiritual gift of teaching, nonfiction has always been my comfort zone. And since I have had success with nonfiction, it also seemed to be my life’s genre. Tell the
The Journey of a Novel – Step 1 Read More »