One of the best fiction series, in my opinion, is Jan Karon’s Mitford books. Karon does such a good job of crafting this fictional town, it feels like an actual place where I want to live. The main character, Father Tim Kavanagh, presents his wisdom in spades. As the local Episcopal priest, he oversees most …
Stuck. Between the third and fourth chapter of the gazillionth revision of my novel. A segue exists somewhere, but I CANNOT find it. I know it will come…“Somewhere over the rainbow.” But the frustration of the moment calls for a break from writing. A massive piece of comfort chocolate. A gap of time to contemplate …
During this turbulent year of so many worldwide problems, I still do my usual thank you’s: Thank you, God, for the food in my belly. So many people are hungry today. Thank you for the roof over my head. Many are homeless or displaced. Thank you for my son and daughter-in-love … always. Yet now, …
In our crazy world of broken promises, it is soothing to know we can depend on one source of truth. God has never broken any of his covenant promises. Some of his hope-filled words are recorded within the general principles of the Bible. “I will never leave you or forsake you. I will be your …
While meeting with my spiritual director, she suggested I consider the questions, “What if?” In one of the workshops I teach, the “What if?” question is presented as a fear tactic artists sometimes use to procrastinate. But in this instance, I was to think about the “What if?” as a possible direction, even a vision-making …
Since God is timeless, it is always a sweet surprise when I discover him working—right on time. A year ago, I bought a lovely journal to add to my stash. Never enough journals for a writer, you know. This particular journal caught my eye because the cover was a quiet country scene with wildflowers and …
On my daily walk, I discovered this nest lying beside the sidewalk. Empty of eggs. Not even an errant feather left behind. Had it blown out of the tree or was Mama bird simply done with it? I gingerly picked it up and placed it back in a crook of the tree. Hoping it might …
Working in the garden always seems to trigger a sense of spirituality. An idea for a devotion, a poem, a story or as in this case — a blog post. Perhaps it is my connection with nature as a form of worshipping God. Or maybe it is the opportunity to reflect when doing nothing more …
It would be so much easier to travel the shorter journey. But what if God calls us to the long way? In Exodus 13, God begins to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Freedom! And God encouraged the people with a cloud each day and a pillar of fire each night. Signals that he was …
My hometown recently hosted an author festival. Thirty authors set up their tables, complete with vertical displays, dishes of candy and an assortment of books. After I set up my table, I roamed through the library and visited with the other authors. This library was the modern version of the old Carnegie library where I …