Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Are you a planner? Do you fit your life onto a calendar and dare anything or anyone to mess with it? Planning gives a sense of control, yet none of us can totally control the course of our lives. Plans go awry without notice. How we respond to change determines how well we adjust to […]
Basketball fans know the meaning of pivot—to turn while keeping part of a foot firmly planted on the floor in an effort to protect the ball from a defender or gain a better vantage point for passing or shooting. Sometimes we encounter situations that force us to pivot. Life pivots require courage and a willingness […]
Some weeks, as I sit at the computer to write a post for my blog, the concept comes together quickly, and words flow through my fingers. Other times, I watch a flashing cursor and white screen until an idea finally gels. This week was different. I started a post, had a full outline, knew where […]
Thus far, this has been a year of overlapping seasons. Winter never fully took hold before warm temperatures encouraged a premature spring. The colors of fall hung on amid the budding trees and greening grass. Then, winter returned, with temperatures below freezing. At times, we experience overlapping life seasons. We hardly complete the handling of […]
Last weekend, I taught at a writing conference. Each time I teach at a conference, I become increasingly aware that our lives weave a story. Some lives are stories of abuse, neglect, betrayal, and struggle. Other lives involve miracles, healing, and thankfulness. Life stories are powerful. Your personal story is unique and multifaceted. Each life […]
Music has always been an important part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on the glider, between my aunts, my mother’s sisters, on the front porch of my grandparents’ house on Cornell Street. On summer evenings, the porch was a place to escape the heat of the unairconditioned house. Invariably, […]
Looking through possessions, pictures, and letters at my aunt’s house stirred so many memories and turned my thoughts to my ancestors and various types of life roots. Maybe signs of an early spring played into my pondering of roots. Or perhaps walking the yard with a landscaper and seeing trees that have anchored themselves deeply […]
This week marks another step forward in closing an important chapter in my life. The remaining furniture and other items in my aunt’s house were removed for donation. I haven’t been back to the house to see it empty because I know it will be hard emotionally. I also know it is a necessary step. […]
Life events pass by quickly and we don’t always have opportunity for reflection. Often, we are so task-oriented we don’t allow ourselves time to ruminate on meaning, emotions, and impact. This has been the case for me regarding our trip to Israel. Our schedule was relentless. Then, when we returned, I hit the ground running. […]
Both of my parents loved photography. During World War II, following the departure of all the male photographers, my mother became the photographer for the local newspaper. She was on call 24/7 and learned a lot about telling a story through pictures. My father also enjoyed photography and owned a variety of cameras, including movie […]