Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Years ago, I traveled to New Mexico each year to teach at a writing conference. One year, as the plane banked for landing, the woman next to me sighed and said, “Isn’t it beautiful!” I managed a nod, but what I saw was bleak, barren, dusty, reddish-brown desert. Conversely, she saw the beauty of a […]
Often, life bombards us with sounds—loud talkers on cell phones in public places, raised voices in debate over inconsequential nonsense, too-loud music in restaurants, construction noise, car horns. A cacophony of sounds assault us on a regular basis. How many times have you longed for a little peace and quiet? As an only child, I […]
“Comfort” and “Joy,” words we often associate with Christmas. But can comfort and joy coexist with loss and grief? Yes, both comfort and joy are sustaining me in this season of my life. Following are among my sources of comfort and joy: Grandchildren My precious grandchildren provide so much comfort and joy during these days […]
Pall—a casket covering used during the funeral, from the Latin pallium, or cloak. The days following Jim’s death were a flurry of activity—trips to the mortuary and cemetery, planning his celebration of life service, numerous necessary phone calls and texts, and people constantly in and out of the house. I was focused on doing the next […]
What has 2024 been like for you thus far? Are you energized, determined, and happy, or has the first week of the year brought medical issues, sudden loss, and grief? My reality is the second part of the list. On January 3, 2024, I came home from a short errand to find my husband dead […]
My father was a builder, so I grew up around construction sites, tools, and lumber. I learned a lot from my father, not only about building, but also about life. My father’s life mirrored his values and his actions modeled his beliefs. Key elements for constructing a sound structure are a sturdy, level, and plumb […]
Long, long ago, in a faraway land, a baby was born. This is how fairy tales begin, but the story of Jesus’s birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection is not a fairy tale dreamed up in someone’s imagination; it is a true story, the greatest story ever told. At the beginning of this year, my […]
Last weekend, I sang in our choir Christmas presentation. Unless you are a singer, I’m not sure you can fully understand the joy it brings to stand side-by-side with others who are singing. A camaraderie exists in blending voices and finally “getting” difficult passages. While the audience hears seemingly effortless, beautiful music, only vocalists know […]
Years ago, when I was leading a girls’ discipleship group, we completed a spiritual gifts survey for each person in the group. I was surprised to see the results. Many of the girls scored me high on the gift of hospitality. I never considered hospitality one of my gifts, but then I realized hosting these […]
Last weekend, our family spent an evening at Tweetsie Christmas. Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, has been in existence since I was a child. It’s one of those places you remember from childhood, and later take your children, and this year, our grandchildren. Holiday events, items, and history, passed on to successive generations, […]