During the end of my fifth-grade year or the beginning of my sixth-grade year—I don’t recollect the exact time, my class put together items to put in a time capsule to be dug up either in 2000 or 2020. (I think. It seemed far off then.) That’s a great many years ago—over 40, gulp. Time…
Karen Kingsbury’s latest novel, Truly, Madly, Deeply reminded me of a truth that I sometimes forget: none of us knows the number of our days, yet we try to control parts of our lives we cannot. We have never been in control. Our choices send us in certain directions, but, if we are honest, we…
Parents, grandparents, and teachers who show favoritism create a lot of hurt feelings. Favoritism shows up in words and actions. Aware of favoritism, I work to avoid it at all costs. Favoritism harms relationships While reading James L. Rubart’s novel, The Pages of Her Life, the pain caused by favoritism reflected loud and clear as…
Embracing our real selves. Being comfortable in our own skins. Knowing our worth as a person. The Pages of Her Life by James L. Rubart reflects these messages. To really live, we need to embrace our real selves. On the back cover in a large font, this question stands out: How Do You Stand Up…
I loved the romantic, Christmas, YA, fantasy, Tinsel in a Tangle by Laurie Germaine. Why talk about a Christmas novel now? Well, while the story is set in Santa’s village with Christmas coming fast, the overall story is about elves who are jealous of a tall elf, Tinsel. If you’ve ever been ostracized, then you’ll…
What lasts? Hand prints in the concrete on a freshly poured patio don’t. Hands and feet dipped in paint and pressed on the wall don’t. Even those pressed into ink and onto a page at birth don’t last forever. Those pressed into plaques to be saved even get stored away in boxes, and one day…
Do you get enough sleep? The last few months, I’ve been tired because my sleep is disrupted. Not enough sleep leaves me groggy and sometimes grumpy. I used to get enough—once my children slept through the night and I figured out what worked for me. But now, I’ve come to value a good night’s rest…
God moments happen when I least expect them. Seeing God act never gets old. For me, two such times happened under stress. Sometimes I forget the faithfulness and goodness of God. I wrestle with a decision or a choice. I lash out in anger. Why, God? I seek guidance but feel stuck. Then SMACK. I…