Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Recently, I had an extremely tedious and frustrating encounter with an editing client. After working on the manuscript for weeks, the client refused to pay the full amount for services rendered because of dissatisfaction with the end result. From the beginning, I should have recognized red flags signaling expectations were greater than the level of […]
As a writer, I’m familiar with rejection. Not every article I pitch, book idea I propose, or conference workshop I submit is accepted. When rejections come, I have the option of accepting them, re-evaluating the ideas, making necessary changes, and finding other markets, or I can react with anger and take rejection personally. Whether a […]
This week heralds the beginning of fall, but, here in the south, the weather hasn’t gotten the word. Although the nights tease with temperatures in the 60s, days top the charts in the 90s. Personally, I have enjoyed the sun-filled days and extra time to swim before putting a lid on the pool for the […]
When I was a child, we attended the high school football games where my father was once a football star. Not only did we have season tickets for the home games, we traveled to all the away games as well. I didn’t really understand the game so my attention was often drawn to the cheerleaders. […]
Do you remember where you were September 11, 2001? I was enjoying a cool fall morning on our deck, drinking a cup of hot tea, and working on an article. We live somewhat near the airport and occasionally hear air traffic, but that morning I suddenly became aware of a dramatic increase in activity overhead. […]
Yesterday, a precious little man entered our lives. His name harks back generations, echoing his forebearers. Yet he brings new identity to his name. Although he carries physical traits of his parents, grandparents, and beyond, he is unique, formed by Creator God in His likeness to fulfill plans and purposes designed specifically for him. We […]
Photo by Manan Chhabra on Unsplash Habits are like a train in motion. They start slowly, but gradually pick up speed until they are barreling through your daily existence at breakneck speed, blowing relationships, goals, and dreams aside. If anything gets in the way of your habit, you likely won’t be able to put on the brakes in […]
A few weeks ago, I pulled out several boxes of my children’s toys to entertain the grandchildren. Buried near the bottom of the first box was one of my childhood toys, a blue-haired troll. The grandchildren were initially fascinated with the wild blue hair and elfish features, but soon tired of the troll and moved […]
Last week, we received a letter from the company that manages our homeowners’ association citing a possible violation and requesting we weed our flower beds. This letter left me confused because our yard is professionally maintained, and two weeks before, our beds were sprayed and new pine straw put down. I squinted at the unidentifiable […]
Summer brings with it the opportunity for travel and exploration. Social media is full of pictures of families at the beach, lakes, national parks, historic landmarks, and enjoying beautiful vistas here and abroad. Nature is a gift. Our Creator could have chosen a bleak, bland landscape for our existence. Instead, he gave us amazing colors, […]