Bread of Angels, one of Tessa Afshar’s biblical history novels, is the retelling of the story of Lydia, the purple seller mentioned in the book of Acts, a woman who was Paul’s first convert in Philippi. I checked the reference in the book of Acts where Lydia is given barely a handful of verses, but […]
Faith Matters
Book Pick–Wilderness Journey
This week a writing friend, Christina Suzann Nelson, offered her first story If We Make It Home to the reading world. I had purchased an advanced copy at a summer conference and have read the work. If you want to sit on the edge of your seat, hyperventilating, this is the book for you. The story […]
Saying Goodbye
Today I attended the funeral of a man I’d never met. His daughter is a fellow author and friend, and has spoken many times of her father. Her praise of him glowed—his kindness, wisdom, and knowledge almost supernatural in the telling. But he was mortal, a great individual who left a legacy of love. He’d […]
In Fire’s Path
In the Northwest where I live, fires are threatening forests, homes, and wildlife all around us. A popular mountain resort, complete with lodge, nearby cabins, and RV sites, is nestled among the trees and sits directly in the fire’s path. A young man I know, who works for the railroad, returned home through one of […]
Book Pick–Laura Frantz
Laura Frantz has earned a place on my favorite authors list because she writes genuine life-changing stories set in the wilderness of early Kentucky. She creates fascinating images of the existence the early settlers endured, the dangers they faced, and the courage they had to summon to survive. A Moonbow Night, is one of those […]
Reflecting On A Conference
Uplifted. Challenged. Informed. Three seemingly disconnected words to describe four days of intense personal growth at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon last week. Frank Peretti, also known as the father of Christian fiction, not only tickled our funny bones but challenged us to make our […]
Frank Peretti To Speak
Author Frank Peretti, credited by Newsweek as having the hottest novels in Christian fiction, will be the keynote speaker at the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference next week in Portland, Oregon. His multiple, award-winning stories have sold more than fifteen million copies. A natural storyteller, Frank is considered one of the biggest surprises in publishing […]
The Countdown Ends
Emily Perl Kingsley joined the writing staff of Sesame Street in the early 1970’s and is credited with creating several stories for children. What many didn’t know was Kingsley reared a son with Down’s Syndrome. Together they wrote a book about their experience, Count Us In: Growing Up with Down Syndrome. In 1987 she touched […]
The Countdown Continues
A Russian commander, Druzhinin, is credited for having discovered Dutch Harbor in the early 1700’s. He envisioned the natural port as a haven for ships seeking refuge from the winds of the Bering Sea. Russian fur traders followed and established a community on Unalaska in 1798. Efforts to evangelize the Aleutian people ensued and a small, Russian Orthodox chapel […]
The Countdown Is On
The story behind the story, Part 2 All laborers in and around Dutch Harbor in Unalaska, Alaska have a home base. For some, visiting their original jump-off point is low on their priorities. Many live on the fishing boats they serve and rarely see the lower forty-eight. For others, leaving the ice, snow, and the constant […]