Awe or Awful? Once again, it seems that much of our life comes down to the choices we make. One morning I was watching the birds at our feeders. Suddenly, the tiny birds disappeared. In flew the grackles and crows. Greedily, they gobbled up the seed. I was sure the seed levels dropped as I watched. As I complained in my mind, my heart reminded me of the night before. Eighteen-month-old Lana had disappeared down the hall. I came rushing to find her. I stopped at the doorway to

It's been a long journey, but I'm nearly there. Making Room has a cover. The envelope the picture and even the words from Nana are pivotal in the story. Hand-written letters are not common in today's world. The graphic artist, Sue Reynolds, and I are hoping it catches your interest. The story happens October to December so you might also ask, why a catalpa tree covered in its spring blossoms. Steve and his daughter and all of the Catalpa Creek community are facing change onc

Making Room: A New Kind of Courage Making Room: A New Kind of Courage Novel number three in my Catalpa Creek Series almost has a cover. It feels like and has been a long time since I published “To Begin Again”. In between I’ve given you “Rajah Finds His Wisdom”, “Breakthrough Moments” and “Dipping Your Toes, Too”. In “Making Room”, Steve and Renée return. At this point Renée is at University. Steve and Lee Ann’s romance is much more serious. Life is once again bring

Catalpa Creek Series with "Making Room: A Different Kind of Courage" Book III Coming Soon My new website is up and running. Yay!!! I start with my thanks to Gabrielle Beaulne and her new company Noetic for creating it and helping me learn to use it. Working with Gabrielle has been fun. I’ve already learned a lot. She is extremely patient which I needed and will continue to need as I learn more about editing and posting and whatever else is necessary. Website’s are important

What If Kindness Sold Newspapers I’m glad you have picked up this newspaper today. For me, local papers are extremely valuable. They tell me what is happening in my community. Even more than that, they often carry Good News stories. The national news is depressing. The truth they have to tell focuses on bloodshed, treachery, greed, and cruelty. Things I can’t fix. My heart cries each time I read about it. I’ve been trying hard to stick my head in the sand and ignore the n

Society’s expectations of men have changed dramatically over the last twenty years. Nonetheless, every child still needs to experience the healthy love, guidance, and example of a father or a father figure. I remember my father’s garden. He took immense satisfaction from tending his large, flourishing garden. By the time I was a teenager, I realized that his greatest joy in gardening came not from growing or eating the produce, but from giving it away. He delighted in sharing

This year, it feels as if spring has been a long time coming. We shivered in our winter coats through March and well into April. When the warm days finally arrived, Mother Nature caught up quickly. One day, the trees were in bud. The next day, fresh green leaves greeted us as we walked by. In my backyard, my dying tree came to life. Once again, it is resplendent in its spring finery. For sure, one more thick branch is bare. It did not make it through the winter, but that last

We have just celebrated Mothers’ Day. In our family, we now have four living generations. This spring, we are blessed with a new Mom. Joana is pregnant, due in July, bringing a fifth great-grandchild into our family. Like my other four great-grandchildren, this child has been surrounded by love since conception. Joana knows that being born in Canada into a middle-class family, supported through a professional education, means she can give her child, like my other four great-g

I’ve been reading Sarah Speed’s beautiful poems in the Sanctified Arts Lent/Easter Leaflet I received at Bridgenorth United Church. Poetry is not my strength, but occasionally I give it a try. This Easter poem was inspired by God, Sarah, and my great-grandson Riley. Plastic Box A plastic box. A yellow lid. I know the chaos, that hides inside. Eyes, legs, a jumble of pieces. There is no hope. I won’t even try. He’s only six. This child I love. He lifts the lid. He stares a w

Today is commonly called Good Friday. What does the “Good” in Good Friday really mean? Sacrifice? Love? Today’s reflection explores a different way of understanding Good Friday, not as payment, but as connection. The Goodness of Good Friday The Christian Church calls today “Good Friday.” The word “Good” comes from an old English term meaning “Holy.” There are two ways of understanding “Holy Friday”—the Friday before Easter. Some Christians see it as a “Holy” day to give thank

Why Tell Stories Over the years, my readers have often asked, “Why do you write books? Why do you tell stories?” Our Bible tells us that Jesus’ disciples asked him the same question after he told the story of the farmer planting seed (Matthew 13:1–9, The Message). “Why do you tell stories, Jesus?” He answered, “I tell stories to create readiness, to nudge people toward creative insight. In their present state, they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re b

Self-Publishing Tips Beware of publishing companies that require thousands of dollars upfront. Self-publishing does require some financial investment. Over the next few weeks, I will deal with the essential costs to self-publishing your book. A Professional Editor - Expensive? Yes! Essential? Yes! You want your book to be the best it can be. We all start with a raw manuscript. Creating that manuscript is fun. I love the feeling of flying on God’s Spirit that comes as my finge