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Teenagers stepping up to be a blessing to their neighbors.  Coooool! :)

Tracie Miles wrote this book about an incredibly important topic, how God can use our past to impact other people in our future.  He doesn't make mistakes, and our own mistakes can be exactly what he uses to help those who are hurting.   This is an inviting book, with a nice cover and title.  I found Miles' writing to be engaging, and her stories to be vulnerable without being sensationalistic.  I loved the testimonies and questions that were included.  Miles wants people to work through their pasts in a God-centered manner and I think the Bible study questions could be a powerful tool for breakthrough in this regard. I can see her work being extremely useful for people wanting to move from painful backgrounds into all God has for them. I would have liked to see less of an emphasis on public platforms.  Not everyone is called to be a public speaker or author.  She says this in the book, but I felt it got a little lost in her encouragement to...

My mom gave me a phenomenal Christmas present this year.  She registered us for the 2015 West Coast Christian Writers Conference. We weren't first-timers.  She and I had been once before, back in 2006, I think it was.  Back then, Lee Roddy was keynote speaker, Jon Drury was Director, it was held under the name "Christian Writers Seminar" in Castro Valley, and I was working on a contemporary novel.  This past weekend, Kathi Lipp was keynote, Susy Flory was Director, we met in Fremont, and I was a little stuck on the non-fiction project I have poured myself into for the past two years. There are so many things to share about the conference, and maybe in the future I will write more about those.  Today, though, I want to tell you about something very personal that happened to us.  Something that felt, in a sea of strangers, like it was meant just for us. Road trip selfie My mom and I are both working on projects, and had a hard time selecting a con...

  This video touches my heart for a few reasons.  Our pastor preached on saving grace last Sunday.  Undeserved, life-changing grace from God.  This story is a glimpse of that to me, like a metaphor.  Peter Kuch's son is living a much different childhood than Peter did, not because of what he did but because of what was done for him.  Peter's service to this country stems from a deep-seated response of gratitude.  A beautiful story. Please watch. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-army-sergeant-reunites-with-long-lost-family-in-sudan/

Have you heard the story of James Robertson this week?  That is one man who is hard to classify as "disloyal" or a "slacker." You know those days when you don't want to go to work? When your car is running funny. . . or you don't like what you're wearing. . . or you woke up late. . . or you have something else you would rather do. . . . Well, when James Robertson's car broke down 10 years ago, who might think that he stopped going to work till it was fixed.  After all, it was quite a commute (46 miles round trip).  Yet, he kept going to his job each day.  He kept at it, even though it meant, in addition to the bus trips, walking 21 miles a day.  In Michigan cold.  At retirement age.  For less than $11/hour. Talk about some diligence. When a young college student heard about it recently, he wanted to help.  So, he did.  He crowdfunded $350,000 for the man. James is moving to a safer location, due to his neighborhood having incidents ...

FAIR WARNING: Today's post is kind of PG-13.  So, kids, ask your parents before you read it. ------------------------------------   I recently overheard a coworker of mine say she is so excited about 50 Shades of Grey coming to theaters that she can hardly wait. I won't be at the theater watching 50 Shades on Valentine's Day.   In the words of Terri Clark, I have better things to do.   "I could wash my car in the rain, change my new guitar strings, mow the yard just the same as I did yesterday. . . . Check the air in my tires, straighten my stereo wires, count the stars in the sky or just get on with my life. . . I got better things to do. . . " (Shapiro/Waters/Clark) I don't mean to sound judgmental, but I won't be seeing it the next day, either. Or even when it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray. I refuse.   Maybe you don't care why, but I'm going to tell you, just in case. :) I love my husband and marriage.      Years ago, before ...

I thought this was cool.  I am constantly nagging my kids (and myself) to engage in the real world and not spend so much time online. Though I'm not a big fan of the phrases, "Dude Week" and "Babe Week," the idea of unplugging in order to build up community is fantastic. Check it out. . . . http://www.bethelcollege.edu/news/2015/02/03/students-embrace-digital-detox-to-build-community

I usually love pruning my flower bed.   It's like giving my roses a haircut.  I  anticipate how lovely they'll look come summer. But yesterday's pruning was hard.   Even painful.   It felt less like a trim and more like surgery.     You see, I've been worried about one of our roses, a bush that was planted in our yard approximately 100 years ago.   It was full of flowers our first year on the property, but after I cut it back last year, it hardly bloomed.     That is rare.   Usually the right kind of pruning makes the roses stronger.   So, a friend who is a rosarian graciously came over for a look.     Last Spring's blooms on the Lady Banks She said the rose was perfectly healthy, and I hadn't hurt it at all.   In fact, it needed to be cut back even more.   Almost to the ground.   Though it was healthy, it had developed years of twists and turns that were hindering it from being t...