On Palm Sunday in 1975, a 19-year-old mother walks down the aisle of small church in Eastern Ohio. She stops at the altar and bows her head. In the moments that follow, she whispers a prayer to Jesus, confessing her sins and believing in her heart that He is Lord and died to save her. […]
Imagine standing at the other end of this year. A glance back into 2016 and what would you hope to see? I’ve pondered on this often as I step into this new year. One yearning that stands out for me is to spend many “I’m going to treasure this forever” moments with my family. You […]
“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” Albert Einstein As a mom and fiction writer, I love encouraging my nine-year-old son to use his imagination. What better way to do that than through storytelling. Storytelling can take many forms, including: A creative story handwritten on paper or typed on a computer. The telling of a story […]
Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. ~Ephesians 5:14 (NIV)~ An eight-thousand-foot mountain rising along Highway 40 in northwestern Colorado sparked my imagination as a child. Each time we drove by it, I would try to visualize its namesake—the Sleeping Giant. Squinting, I could see the outline of […]
Tonight, children across this country will bring home jack-o-lantern buckets brimming with candy and pillowcases about to burst at the seams. Little hands will dig through trick-or-treating treasures, tearing wrappers open and indulging in this once-a-year candy overload. Many of us parents stare at the cache of candy with mixed emotions. Nostalgia overwhelms as we […]
My little guy LOVES Star Wars and gets a kick out of playing Angry Birds Star Wars. So it made perfect sense this autumn season for us to decorate mini pumpkins as characters from Angry Birds Star Wars. With some basic supplies in hand, we spent a few hours over the weekend converting seven mini pumpkins into beloved characters: […]
A few days ago, I finally downloaded photos I took this summer. Nestled between hundreds of pictures, I found a treasure—this candid moment captured between my seven-year-old son and his forever young great grandma.
My seven-year-old son and I are embarking on an adventure this summer—an educational expedition that will take us around the world over the next 11 weeks. As armchair travelers, we’ll be learning all sorts of things about each region we visit, including its geography, people and cultures, history, cuisine, contributions to art and literature, and […]
My seven-year-old son and I love a good adventure story. So I was thrilled to discover a series of books that delivers just that—Adventure in Odyssey’s The Imagination Station series. We’ve read the first three books and have enjoyed the storylines, characters, and messages. We own Books 4 through 10 and plan to read them. […]
Life’s been busy here these last couple of weeks with many good things. My son finished first grade last Wednesday. I’ve also enjoyed some special moments with family. My husband’s Aunt Rose and her sister Dorothy came into town for a visit. I always cherish our time with them. They are lovely, funny, and wise ladies! […]