School is almost out! Which means I see exhaustion and I’m-so-ready-for-this-year-to-end on the face of every student and teacher in the classroom or hallway. But in the midst of being oh-so-ready-to-be-done, I have much to be thankful for from this year. Not least of which are my seven 10th grade homeroom boys—my smallest […]
International School, prayer, Teaching
Growing up, I loved celebrating the Fourth of July. Most years, my family would head to a nearby large, grassy park late afternoon. We’d watch the small-town parade of veterans and boy scouts and antique cars and children on streamer-bedecked tricycles. One year we even entered ourselves and rode on a “covered wagon” built […]
American History, Declaration of Independence, Fourth of July
Today I’m excited to host historical author Debbie Lynne Costello here on my blog! It’s been a blessing to get to know Debbie a bit as she has welcomed me as a new blogger on the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog, of which she is a hostess. In addition to sharing some of her personal […]
Blog Tour, Book Giveaway, Debbie Lynne Costello, Sword of the Matchmaker
Today I’m excited to have writer friend Norma Gail visit my blog! You may remember Norma from her first visit here when her beautiful contemporary romance, Land of My Dreams, first debuted. This spring her novel is “turning three,” and in celebration Norma is hosting a special contest and giveaway. See below for details, […]
Contest, Giveaway, Land of My Dreams, Norma Gail, Scotland
I have a special treat for you this Valentine’s Day week: a delightfully romantic book giveaway! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may have seen me mention my amazing friend, critique partner—and wonderful YA novelist—Sandra Barnes. Today I want to introduce her to you again, along with her newest […]
28 First Kisses, Book Giveaway, Sandra Barnes, Valentine's Day
I received an email from my friend in New Zealand the other day. We’ve never actually met, but that is one of the blessings I’ve found in our current digital, Social Media world—being able to make friends all over the place, even without meeting in person. I know online relationships aren’t the same […]
Praying for America
I watched my students, their faces stricken. My heart pinched for them . . . because I remembered how it felt, to learn some of these things for the first time. This school year I’m teaching American Literature, and one of things I love about our school is the flexibility to somewhat develop my […]
Common memory, doctrine of discovery, Native American Heritage Month
A few weeks ago, I mentioned how I’ve really enjoyed the international aspect of the high school where I’m the newly-minted English teacher. This week, I thought I share with you a few more reasons why this environment of missionary kids and students from all over the world is pretty awesome. Intercultural friendships happen […]
It’s been quite the couple of weeks, here in America. We’ve had a historic and divisive Supreme Court decision, my own state of California has passed a controversial law on vaccines, and we’ve been shaken by the sharpest reminder in some time that violent, blatant racism is far from dead. How are you […]
Over the past year or so, I’ve realized a lot of my writing—at least my fiction writing—is about healing and relationships. Healing of relationships, or healing through relationships. Relationships that bridge cultural and racial divides, and relationships right within families. Often both. In my first manuscript, my characters Tse and Caroline begin […]
