July 1, 2022 I was in awe and a bit nervous. At the age of 17, I followed my parents and my brother into the hush of that St Louis courtroom. A red, white, and blue flag covered the front wall. With tears of gratitude, we raised our right hand and pledged our allegiance to …
June 3, 2022 If you should read my bio, you might think I’m a confident, well-accomplished blind gal. Not so. I mess up sometimes. Here’s a time when my confidence went out the window. Some years back, I sat in various sessions and workshops at a writers’ and speakers’ conference. As part of the evaluation …
September 24, 2021 “I had to do it; I was desperate,” a friend confessed some years back. To avoid the intense loneliness, she had placed a sign on her front yard that read, “I need a friend.” Most wouldn’t take that step, a bit bold and daring. But when loneliness gnaws during long days and …
September 10, 2021 We can’t blame him. At one time or another, you and I did it, too. And sometimes we can’t even figure it out. Was it simply a shortcoming? Was it jealousy, envy or sorry self-pity? This scenario plays out in the prodigal son’s story. We all know it. One day he packed …
August 27, 2021 In 1962, my brother and I snuggled next to my mom. We rode in the back of a dilapidated truck around the mountains in Bolivia. “When will we get there?” I asked her as my ten-year-old mind anticipated fun moments in the tropical area of Bolivia. But to get there, we …
July 16, 2021 If you peek through my window, you’ll find me dancing. I’m celebrating because a few weeks ago, after a year of Zoom presentations, I delivered my first in-person message. After I finished, I put the mic down on the podium and stepped off. As I made my way to the book table, …
April 23, 2021 Dust from the dirt road came in through the open window. But my nine-year-old brother and I, at 10, didn’t care. Mom held us tight as we rode in the back seat of the dilapidated truck. “When will we get there?” my brother and I asked over and over again. We …
April 9, 2021 He belongs behind bars. I think you’ll agree after you read this excerpt from Wild at Heart, by Ransom Ministries. “Our local zoo, for years had one of the biggest African lions I’ve ever seen. A huge male, nearly five hundred pounds, with a wonderful mane and absolutely enormous paws. Panthera leo, …
January 22, 2021 Remember those days when Zoom was just a silly word? Remember those days when we attended conferences, public events, and concerts in person? I recall those days. And during one of those conferences, I sat in the back row. The speaker approached the podium and began his talk with humor. But shortly …
October 9, 2020 I sat at my computer ready to finish an article the other night. But I confess, rather than get to my task, I slipped over to check my inbox. And this message from a friend popped up: “The alarm company called at 3:30 this morning. Our jewelry store had a break-in. A …