It’s been said that writers look on their books as children. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, this week, I found a writer’s application for a devotional on praying for children, titled “The Waiting Prayer.” This was in a lovely little book by Catherine Marshall, ADVENTURES IN PRAYER. My current book …
Like most of you, I’ve always loved books. I wanted to write as well as read them. But I didn’t always want to write Christian Fiction, didn’t even know what it was for much of my life. Now I realize how much more depth there is to Christian Fiction. Even when a story doesn’t contain …
Although I believed in Jesus at a young age, it wasn’t until I reached my forties that I began reading through the Bible each year. A pastor challenged the church with the sentence, “You don’t have time to read the Bible? How many novels have you read this past year? Magazines? Newspapers?” I took the …
At times, most of us have struggled with our writing. Sometimes we’re working through a story problem, but sometimes it’s an emotional or spiritual matter. Recently I allowed someone’s words to discourage me, and I could not write for a while. Thank you for the encouragement some of you offered. One day, the Lord sent …
For many years, after reading the beloved book CHRISTY and learning about the award bearing its name, I pored over the titles in the Christy lists picking my next great read. Today, my book RAIN is listed among these books by stellar authors and it seems impossible. Not that I didn’t work hard. Not that it wasn’t a …
We’ve all run into them, or more accurately, over them. No one likes them. Speed bumps jolt us, throw our wheels out of alignment, and slow us down to tortoise-approved speeds of two to five miles per hour. But slowing down isn’t always bad. On the road, speed bumps might save you from hitting a …
The Prophet Elijah stood tall among the heroes of the Bible when he fought the evils of idol worship. We’re told “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” (James 5:17 NLT) Elijah showed great faith in …
Writers are often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” For my book RAIN, a story began to form as I read the following scripture passage. “Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally, he died. Then she said to Elijah, ‘O man of God, what have you done …
While the world hunkers down to evade Covid-19 and many use quarantine time for creative endeavors, abandoned projects, or nursing a sick loved one, I grab my duster, rags, and ancient bottles of furniture oil and set to doctoring a ninety-year-old chest of drawers. I polish this old dresser as if it’s a treasure, which …
Early mornings are a great time to walk in our garden. The light of the rising sun softens the edges of leaves and blossoms and the colors of sky transmute as we watch. This is the time we’ll find garden surprises, a hidden butterfly chrysalis, an apple tree in full bloom, or new seedlings pushing …
