Amid the bustle–and often, stress–of this season for many of us, it helps me to have intentional ways to focus my mind and heart on why we celebrate this time of Advent anyway. To remember that Jesus really did come to this messy world of ours, to real people in real, and often difficult, circumstances, […]
I didn’t used to care that much about Native American history and culture. That might surprise people who’ve met me in the past few years. 🙂 Oh, I knew some. I studied a little in school, knew the Native peoples of this land hadn’t been treated very well, and even lived near the […]
Last week my friend Jennifer Major presented a question I’ve been pondering: “When did you know the story owned YOU? Jennifer and I both write about Navajo history in our novels and have been blessed with the same Navajo/Anglo family to take us under their wings and teach us much. So today, we […]
Special Note: Stay tuned for a special “same day blog” with Jennifer Major next week! And now, for our current program… For the first time in my life, I’m following a couple of current TV series. I’ve been watching through PBS online or Amazon Prime streaming, as we have neither cable nor a […]
Click for Part 1 and Part 2. “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared…” ~Luke 24:10 Mary Magdalene The birds twitter in the pearly predawn as we make our way up the stony path to the tomb. I want […]
Read Part 1 here, or click here for Luke’s account of Peter’s story. Peter Darkness. I stumble through the Jerusalem streets, half-lost, wishing no one to find me. I stumble and fall, cracking my elbow against an abandoned vegetable cart, welcoming the pain. I deserve far worse. I huddle on the rocky ground and clutch […]
This Holy Week, I’ll be posting several snippets from the Easter story imagined through the eyes of those who were there, some revised from last year’s To Jerusalem series, today a new one. I hope you enjoy! Please comment and share your thoughts as we experience this week anew together. Mary of Bethany Laughter, […]
The other day I told my mom I was feeling bad about being mean to my characters. She laughed, but sympathized. Since stories are built on conflict—and more conflict—it’s a writer’s axiom that in writing a good story, you get your beloved characters stuck up in a tree. And then you throw rocks at […]
I so enjoyed seeing the movie Saving Mr. Banks a few weeks ago. As a writer, I loved the “behind the scenes” angle on a story going from book to screenplay to film, plus the marvelous acting in a poignantly multi-layered story. But one line struck me in particular, and I’ve been pondering it since: […]
Saving Mr. Banks
Originally posted in Toward Bethlehem series, December 25, 2011. Merry Christmas, dear friends! How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven… Joseph And He is born. I lay Him on Mary’s chest, warm and wet and wailing, and cover them both with my […]
