My Grandpa Art, God rest his soul, was a proud and sturdy Norwegian—a farmer from the plains of North Dakota. He passed away on this day in 2001. The terrorist attacks took place the following day, so traveling to his funeral was challenging for many. When I think of my grandpa, the word epic comes to mind. His was a life that could easily inspire a Hollywood film. He was a true pioneer, whose youth was filled with adventures I can only imagine. When he was a wee boy of eight, his mother died and his father gave him to another family to raise because the children were too difficult […]
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Still in the Miracle Business
In 2006 I interviewed Tricia and Melissa Brock, the sister team behind the Christian pop band, Superchic[k] for my book, God Unplugged. I was astonished by the way God showed up in their young lives. Melissa One day, my mom and I were driving to my grandpa’s house to celebrate his birthday. She needed to stop at her seamstress’ house on the way. When we arrived, my mom parked the car in the driveway that was at an upward incline. She said she’d be just a second and told me to sit there and wait. Well, being four years old, I didn’t “just wait.” I decided to mess with things in […]
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TODAY’S QUOTE: The Open Door
This morning I woke up in my usual fibromyalgia fog and stumbled down the stairs to brew some java and get ready for a long day of writing. My first task is always to let out Fitzy for his morning tinkle. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the entryway and the front door was WIDE open. I was pretty freaked out. We moved out to the country for the peaceful wooded setting which means we have a plethora of wildlife, some we enjoy and some we don’t. Actually, we delight in it all (except for bats) if said critters stay in their own zone outside. All morning I have […]
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Fitz the Rescue Dog
Five years ago we met this little cutie at an Underdog Rescue adoption event. We were going through a painful season in our life and needed a pick-me-up, so we thought it would be fun to snuggle with some puppies. Well, let me tell you, the event was like a three-ring circus – literally! There were three enclosures containing various breeds of dogs: One for the retriever types, one for bulldogs and those with special needs, and one ring full of little white fur balls running in circles. It was sheer insanity! We petted many of the dogs, but we ended up at the back with the little guys. As […]
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TODAY’S QUOTE: It’ll Be All Right
The rate of U.S. adolescents and young adults dying of suicide has reached its highest level in nearly two decades, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. With over 6,200 suicides among people aged 15 to 24, suicide ranked as the second-leading cause of death for people in that age group in 2017. Most experts agree that the brain isn’t fully developed until the age of twenty-five, so impulse control and emotions can be difficult to manage before then. I remember being a teenager when problems seemed insurmountable. The sun comes out again dear ones… please hang in there until you can feel it […]
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TODAY’S QUOTE: Fear of Failure
When I left the corporate world after a twenty-year career in sales and marketing, my dad asked me what was next on the horizon. I told him I was going to step out of the rat race and pursue my lifelong dream of writing. He was always optimistic and supportive, but I know deep inside he thought this was a very bad idea. I’d always made good money and to start a new career at my age was risky. More importantly, he worried the failure that comes with artistic endeavors such as writing would kill my sensitive spirit. But I did it anyway. I’ve had some wonderful successes and many […]
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TODAY’S QUOTE: The Beauty Within
The older I get, the more grateful I am that true beauty is within us. I have wrinkles around my eyes, my skin has lost some firmness, and brown spots dot my once porcelain complexion, but I know my true essence is in my soul.
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Thank You Note From Charlie Daniels
I had the privilege of interviewing country music legend, Charlie Daniels, for my first book, How Do You Know He’s Real? He was so sweet and humble that I felt like I’d known him all my life. Even though we aren’t related by blood, Charlie and I are still in the same family, the family of God, and I can rightfully call him my brother. During our interview, Charlie shared some powerful insight into his faith: One of the hardest things for people to understand about the gospel message is that it is so simple; it’s not the very complicated thing we tend to try and make it. There is nothing you […]
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