I’ve been nominated for the Sisterhood of World Bloggers Award by a writing friend, Jodie Wolfe. Jodie and I met through the Craftsman’s courses with the Christian Writer’s Guild. I was pleasantly surprised to find an email in my inbox this morning saying she had nominated me. I love the way Jodie encourages readers with her true-life stories and book reviews. You should check out her blog at Digging For Pearls (http://diggingforpearls.blogspot.com/) and her updates and features here (http://www.jodiewolfe.com/). There are some rules with this nomination. The Rules: 1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their…
Goodbye, Mr. Leonard Nimoy
When I found out about Mr. Leonard Nimoy’s passing this week, I had to pause our series to say goodbye. Although we never met, his iconic scenes in the original Star Trek, and especially the recent Star Trek films, have left such a warm and lasting impression on me. I appreciate his contribution to pushing the boundaries of fiction and creating new avenues for expressing ideas. Soon after I heard the news, I reached out to my father, a serious Trekkie, and had a nice conversation. It might not have seemed like anything earth-shattering, but somehow the Vulcan has always…
Resilience Or Lockout?
How do you reinvent your trials by fire? I’ve been polishing my proposal for the manuscript now that the novel is complete and needed something to keep the super book I’m reading open. I reached in the desk drawer and saw this heavy lock. I laid it down with a loud, THUNK! Without realizing it, I’d put possibly the hardest iconic item right on my future dreams—the lock from our storage unit after the fires. EEK! What a word picture. This one object protected the photos and items the fire fighters grabbed as our home was in flames. We were…
Under The Waterfall
To escape the hectic pattern of life, where is your favorite place to uncover beauty that feeds your desire for meaning in life? If you can’t answer this question, or can’t remember the last time you tried, read on. For Valentine’s Day, my husband and children and I all visited a favorite place with gorgeous gardens, interesting libraries and science exhibits, and pretty weather. As we walked around, the serenity of the place and beautiful scents from flowers made me smile. Watching my boys chase fish in the coy pond helped me find my girlish giggle once more. After a…
Beautiful Moments
Valentine’s Day brings out mixed emotions for most people. At best, it’s a way to remind those you care about how special they are to you. But sometimes it can place unwanted pressure to be perfect or stir up difficult memories. If you are caught in the latter, I encourage you to seek out a beautiful moment either alone or with loved ones this weekend. Whether it’s trying a tempting new type of tea, going on an outing with loved ones, or doing something creative that reawakens old dreams, bringing beauty in can be so refreshing and peaceful. It dusts…
Grace Bombs
I was stacking plastic bowls where the kids have easy access. At the back of the drawer, sat a wad of old pretzels. How did they get there? And this after two drives to school with forgotten items this morning. It’s definitely looking like we need some grace bombs around our home today. I have two tween-aged boys, and so everything around here is very boy-friendly. Especially when we need to learn a lesson. So we developed the question, ”Does this need a grace bomb?” to apply to the little mistakes. Grace fills me with forgiveness and hope, a readiness…
The Green Song
Finding green lights for your dreams. Part of the Hawaiian Insights series. “Mom, sing the green song.” My young son would get us all to sing in the car when we were stuck at a long red light. It seemed to work, lessening the time stopped in traffic or at least getting us to laugh and giggle while we waited. As my sons have grown, now I ask them to sing the “green” song if we’re in a hurry. It’s made me more sensitive to the color green, especially since we live in a semi-arid climate without much of a…
Your Invitation To Seekerville This Friday
Returning from the ACFW conference this year, I got to sit next to Tina Radcliffe on the plane and learn about Seekerville, a great place for authors to congregate, be encouraged in the writing journey, and get tips for advancing your career. She asked me to write a blog and “The Power of the Right Turn,” When life throws you a major hurdle, how do you survive, not give up, and create a memorable moment in the midst of difficulties? will appear this Friday, January 23, 2015. Please join me for the active discussion on their blog, located here: http://seekerville.blogspot.com/…
Casting The Vision
How Do You Inspire Children To Reach For More? I sat on my son’s bed, dismayed once more with the piles of laundry “put away” by stuffing into the closet, in one huge pile. I felt like a failure, looking at cluttered toys, hardly ever used. How did we get this way? We used to have nothing. Literally, nothing, after the wildfires years ago. Yet here we are once more, with such abundance. How can I help my son become the young man he was created to be if “stuff” stands in the way? I uttered a prayer, “Please, Lord,…
Climb In The Zodiac, Ma’am!
I stared in disbelief as the safe-looking large white boat pulled out of the slip. Behind it, hidden from view, sat our black and gray zodiac inflatable boat. You know, the sleek one, like the military uses on secret operations. Not the kind a writer takes. Definitely not the writer who thought we were on the safe white boat with railings that just left. “Ma’am. I’ll help you in. Here’s your dry bag.” The Captain smiles his wide grin, a tooth missing on the right. I’m handed a bright red bag that locks for all my valuables. So, no cell…
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