I just wanted to pause and thank so many who have touched my life as a writer and personally as I’ve worked to launch this dream this far. It’s so easy in life to be too busy to say thanks, so I’m pausing here to do just that. I’m excited to work with Johanna Maaghul with Waterside Productions Literary Agency. This opens a new chapter for the books, with hopes for getting them into kids’ hands via a traditional publisher. Thank you all for your considerable support, enthusiasm, and being part of the team blessing us with your prayers and…
The First Step In Air
The First Step In Air
I watched as one teenager after another climbed the high platform, hooked into the harness, and jumped with a whoosh into the trees. This was the last course at T Bar M camp, where I volunteered with a youth ministry and mentored a group of girls. All mine had been through it and survived, so had the boys. My feet were very happy planted firmly on the ground. “It’s called the Screamer or the Breath-Taker. You see, people either scream their lungs out or not make a sound at all. Which one do you think you are?” The camp supervisor…
Resilient Summer Reading
Recently I was in Barnes and Noble looking for some inspiring summer reading for myself and my kids. I naturally found myself thinking of authors that I’ve loved in the past. Thought I’d share a few favorites to inspire your reading with deeper significance, as well as examples of resilience that have kept me going through dark years. Someone asked me recently what the first books I bought after the fires were, and here’s some of my favorites. For adults: The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers I discovered these incredibly inspiring stories, historical fiction, when I was…
Camp Grateful
With summer about to descend and everyone discussing plans, my son Joey nervously waited to see if he’d need surgery on his hand. I saw us all skimming the edge of wishing away the next month due to his injury and the holding pattern we’ve been in. Perhaps you know what that’s like, to be on hold while the world around starts to move faster and you’re chief of “it’ll be Okay” and “we’ll get through it together.” It’s not my favorite place to be, but here I am once more. Facing a summer with an altered flight path again,…
The Blog Machine
A Year Ago… Touched By Sticky Grace I was trailing through the grocery store with my adventurous nine-year-old son Joey and he pointed toward the blood pressure machine, loving all things with buttons. “Mom, can I please play with the blog machine?” I love when he trips on an “oops” word still. There aren’t many these days. And I smiled ear-to-ear that he even knows what a blog is. As we continued through the store, I kept thinking that less than a year ago, really nine months ago, this fun journey through blogging began for me. Then the big AHA….
Guest Blogging At Seriously Write!
Today I’m guest blogging at the wonderful blog to encourage writers, Seriously Write. My thanks to Dawn Kinzer for inviting me to share tips on how to share gems from your heart about being resilient in difficult times, without sharing the “rough.” Come join me there! http://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-only-share-your-written-gems-not.html
Right-turn The Blues Away
A Recipe For Abounding Hope A weekend of down moments punctuated with sick ones, sad news, and first my husband being far away, then my son going out of town with his class, left me a bit blue recently. My wonderful husband instantly suggested a right turn, which was so nice it felt like a day of vacation. We’ve been tackling serious topics in this blog for a while, and I thought you’d like to come on my most recent “right turn” or intentional change in direction with us. Whenever you need a boost, try dipping your fingers into intense…
Can Fantasy Teach Good Lessons?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ObaHCXJ5y0&w=560&h=315] Today I’m sharing five reasons to encourage your child’s imagination. I’ve just finished writing the first in a gem adventure series for kids, and I often get asked why I wrote it. For me, having survived real emergencies like a wildfire and medical traumas with my family, I’m all for a great story with a good premise. We’ve lived direct application of each of these five reasons. Testing boundaries safely Fantasy provides a safe arena to test boundaries and find out what kids really believe. In a world where things like gravity or flowers don’t operate the same…
Five Tips For Raising Resilient Readers
This week I’m sharing ideas from a new series called Resilient Parenting and giving you a preview from my new YouTube channel. I hope you’ll subscribe and be part of the conversation about resilience there. With two sons reading three to seven levels above their grades, I’m often asked how I got them to like reading. It’s true, sometimes my kids can be found reading books, into the car or walking into walls at home. So, beyond reading to them as little ones, how did we do it? Here’s five tips to help. 1. Rotating Library: When they were very…
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