I have, and I want to tell you about a few of them. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner was named EPCA’s Book of the Year in the fiction category just recently, and I know why. It’s an awesome book, beautifully written and thoroughly captivating. When 19-yr-old Lauren takes a part time job transcribing a centuries-old diary for an …
Hugs from God’s Arms
Did you ever have one of those times when your outlook on life is just plain gloomy? I’m there lately, for a variety of reasons that I won’t list. Because I know the Source of joy, I’ve been praying for an extra dose of comfort. The other day my morning prayer time was full of complaints like, “I can’t hear …
The Value of Friends and Writers Conferences
Writing is a solitary profession. Writers spend long hours practicing our craft in the confines of our offices, often going for months without seeing anyone else in our industry. This is hard, especially for novelists who, by nature, like people. In fact, the solitude was one of the most difficult adjustments I had to make when I left the corporate …
Vacation – Aaaaahhhh!
As I write this, I’m enjoying a healthy dose of Florida sunshine. My daughter called yesterday and informed me in a voice full of disgust, “It snowed today. Again.” Thank you, Lord, for vacations! My husband and I went on a Caribbean cruise this week, and enjoyed a bit of scuba diving in one of our favorite destinations, Cozumel. (I’m …
You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover
We’ve all heard that saying. I know it’s true literally. I received a book in the mail from a publisher not long ago, and when I saw the cover, I thought, “Nah. Not interested.” Then a week or so later I became desperate for fresh reading material and picked it up. Wow. Within a page or so, I was into …
Do You Smell That?
God has blessed me with a terrific smeller. I don’t mean my nose, either. (I’ve always been sensitive about that, ever since I was a kid and my sister asked, “What’s that bump on Ginny’s nose?” and Mom replied, “It’s supposed to be there. She has a classic Greek profile.” Ugh!) No, I mean I have a terrific sense of …
God the Father
I’ll probably get myself into trouble with this post, but it’s been on my mind lately. I tend to think better while my fingers are flying over the keyboard, so I hope you’ll bear with me. I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about God the Father. Or, to be more specific, about God not being …
You Might Be Hot Flashing If …
I’m crossing a line. I told myself I wouldn’t stoop to journaling about female concerns, especially those that have been discussed at such length that they’ve become cliché. I dislike clichés and try to avoid them. I also try to avoid subjects about which only a percentage of folks who read my journal will have any appreciation. I like to …
In 2009, I’m Resolved
I‘ll be honest, I’m not much of a New Year’s Resolution kind of girl. I have had only one really successful resolution, and that was nineteen years ago, when I quit smoking. I took my last puff at 11:59, and then snuffed the cigarette out and flushed the rest of the pack down the toilet. Hard work, as anyone who …
Christmas with the Smiths
Well, Christmas is over for another year, and I’m feeling a little sad. Why don’t we stay in touch with extended family throughout the whole year, instead of waiting for Christmas? But I guess that’s one of the things that makes the holiday special. Here are a few pictures of my Christmas fun. First, here’s me in a very special …