I love stories. I particularly love the stories of the Bible’s Old Testament. During our worship time at the office where I work, we are reflecting on the life of David. His life reads like a contemporary drama series, including wrongful persecution, a king’s abuse of power, and thrilling pursuits. The stories of the Bible …
Continue reading “Devotion: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward”
I’ve been using the word pause often after recently experiencing the sudden loss of my mother. Over the Christmas holiday, I gathered with my family to make funeral arrangements, and I entered the new year surrounded by the struggle of bereavement. Because of this, January brought the need for a pause from work, socializing, and …
My husband and I were invited to a church friend’s home to play games with his two other guests. After some discussion, we decided to play Uno®, a popular game we were all familiar with. One of the cards in the deck is a wild card. With it, the player has the power to do …
Continue reading “Devotion: Using Your Wild Card Power for Good”
I am grateful for perfect timing. An unexpected situation recently brought my husband and me to New York City. Due to the serious nature of the trip, I did not follow my usual practice of planning sightseeing excursions, activities, and shopping. While researching the area of our hotel, I discovered that we would be within …
The old year goes out with fanfare. Restaurants create elaborate menus for New Year’s Eve dinners. Shopkeepers dress their windows using party clothes to entice customers to buy their sparkly offerings. Friends and family ask, “What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” In New York City, crowds stand for hours in Times Square waiting …
One Christmas, I received a book many writers may have in their library of writing resources. Between the covers of Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Christopher Booker pours a wealth of knowledge into 700 pages about crafting the perfect plot and creating satisfying storytelling. A plot is a sequence in which a story …
Have you ever been lost? Have you sat in your car or stood on a street corner, looked around, and wondered where to turn next? Getting lost is not uncommon when we are in unfamiliar surroundings. However, we expect to know how to get from Point A to Point B in our neighborhoods without difficulty, …
One of the most beneficial things a writer can do is attend a conference. These events provide novices and published authors with networking opportunities, social events, and instruction for learning skills needed to navigate the business side of writing. After attending a couple of conferences and finishing my first novel, I was encouraged to request …
