I’m so excited to have dear friend and agency-mate, Jill Kemerer, join me on the blog today. *waves* Jill is one those sweet souls who immediately puts others at ease and makes the world a whole lot brighter… and funnier! 🙂 I got to meet Jill in person when we roomed together during the 2012 ACFW conference in Dallas. Let …
Well, I sure won’t do that again. The thought pricked my subconscious as I turned to go. I’d just shared my heart with someone who I thought would understand. Someone I trusted. Instead of identifying with where I was coming from, however, this person wounded me—crushed my spirit with careless, unkind words. Sound familiar? I think we’ve all experienced those …
Spring has arrived in my corner of the Ozarks and the valleys, mountains, and meadows are lush and green against a backdrop of endless blue sky. It’s always invigorating—this reawakening of musty earth mingled with winter’s last breath and spring’s first yawn. I don’t look forward to the arrival of spring storms, but I adore the seasonal shift from the …
Every Easter season I write a similar post. I shift gears a bit as we approach one of the holiest times of year—a time marked with tragedy and suffering, but also a time of abundant blessing and victory. This post isn’t intended to be preachy, pretentious, or holier-than-thou. Because I love you and I care about where you spend eternity, …
During the midst of Holy Week, today I want to pause for a moment and consider this poignant time of tragedy and triumph. For some, the holiday means little more than Easter eggs, baskets, and goodies. For Christians, we understand that’s surface stuff—fun and fluff secondary to the real celebration. When our kids were little, each received an Easter basket, though …
When we decide we want to be a writer, that’s what we want to do—write. Craft. Create. We’re in that romantic phase. We’re in love with the idea of writing, the writing world, and our glorious perception of what the future holds for us. For some, reality sinks in fairly quickly. For others, it takes a while. Novices march to …
Wow. A little word that conveys so much. When we hear people say it, we snap to. Surprise, elation, or maybe even fear or disappointment—whatever emotion wow evokes, it moves us. Today, let’s focus on the feel good aspect of wow. (Because as you surely know by now, I’m all about encouragement.) Without further ado, here are your 6 Wednesday …
Last weekend we kicked off spring break with a trip to one of our favorite places—Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. We love it! Silver Dollar City is a family owned, Christian oriented theme park nestled deep within the Ozark foothills. This family getaway has it all—rides galore, quaint eateries, shopping venues, singing, variety shows, a cave, and more! Fireman’s …
Ever hanker for something different? Well, Billy Gail’s Cafe near Branson, Missouri is sure to fit that bill. Last weekend, we kick-started spring break by meandering down south a ways to this delightfully deelish cafe, owned by the lovely Gail Blong—widow to Billy who passed away in 2012. I came across this profile of the place in our wonderful Rural …
Friday! Friday! The best day of the week! Years ago this was the theme song of our children’s favorite teacher. Every Friday, Mrs. M (a much-adored teaching veteran) would meander down to the principal’s office, hijack the PA system, and belt out those favorite words of students and teachers alike. “Hey everyone! Know what day this is?” After the lead-in …
