This week while shopping for groceries in a busy store filled with after-Labor-Day customers, I noticed a tall, thin, elderly man with nothing in his basket except a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, and a loaf of bread. Lines were long and the noise deafening as most shoppers pushed carts overflowing with their […]
Faith Matters
Book Pick #4–Author Richard Spillman
Few speculative fiction books with frightening content make the grade for my to-be-read pile, but this one’s premise captured my interest from the beginning. I’ve long known the biblical account of Lazarus, the man whom Jesus rose from the dead, but I’ve never considered what might have happened to that man after his encounter […]
After A Conference
This week I had the privilege of attending the Oregon Christian Writers conference at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion in Portland, Oregon. Featured speakers included Brian Bird who writes screenplays for the popular Hallmark Sunday night movie, When Calls the Heart and Francine Rivers, who is a best-selling, multi-published […]
Book Pick #2–Author LindaThompson
Part two of my August book line-ups My father served in the Army during World War II, but beyond his experience and the history I learned in school, I didn’t know much about the conflict. My husband, however, is a history enthusiast, and often will show me something new he’s found on the internet—usually live […]
Book Pick–One Woman Falling
One Woman Falling Author Melanie Campbell Everything Cassie Peterson holds dear is in danger of being stripped from her grasp unless she finds the courage to act. On the surface she appears to live the idyllic life—beautiful home, handsome husband, darling daughter. Beneath the facade, trouble brews. Cassie is living a lie. This […]
A Friendly Gathering
One of the joys of having a retired husband is seeing my honey-do list fulfilled. He likes keeping busy and I’m just the girl to help make that happen. Part of our together time has been devoted to making our patio a gathering place for others. For years the area went unused because a large […]
An Elaborate Scam
The phone call came midday. My retired husband’s former colleague needed help. He’d been in a car crash, had broken his nose, and was in jail. Could we post bail? He gave us the number of the public defender assigned to him. Alarmed, I made the call. The attorney said our friend had failed the […]
Hug a Soldier This Fourth of July
Check off list for the Fourth: The barbecue is ready. The dogs are ready to grill, The tote is packed for the beach. The sunscreen and hats are loaded. All that remains is to hug a soldier. The soldier is the one to whom you are indebted this Fourth of July. He carried […]
The Need for Nurture
Today I fed my summer flowers. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But more than two dozen pots and planting beds sit in various locations on my patio and the task of keeping them nurtured is not a job for the faint of heart. If you’re not a gardener feeding a plant means I mixed water with […]
From Boys to Men
Dads come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of expertise, with pre-formed notions of what a father should be. Father’s Day can be a joy-filled occasion. Or, for others, not so much. Men who have been reared with a role model who taught character and values, or one who led by example, come into […]