I live in a very green part of the world here in the Pacific Northwest, and though I find myself complaining about the rain, I admit that I love the “green-ness” that it brings. One of my all-time favorite musicians, Rich Mullins, put it best. “I’m amazed when I remember who it was that built … Read More
After all of the research I did on the 1906 San Francisco quake for my novel Shaken, I am always fascinated when I hear about other earthquakes around the globe. The footage from Friday’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan has been absolutely heart-rending to watch. Here’s how this new quake stands up against the 1906 San Francisco … Read More
Our culture loves romantic books and movies that end with that “happily ever after” moment. However, most (if not all) married couples soon realize that while romance creates moments of happiness, it doesn’t guarantee the “ever after” part. Kerry and Chris Shook, founders of Woodlands Church in Texas, are the authors of Love at Last Sight: 30 … Read More
In honor of Dr. Suess’ 107th birthday, I tried to figure out which of his children’s books is my all-time favorite, but it was a harder choice than I had first imagined. I love the Sneetches, the Grinch, The Cat in the Hat, Fox in Socks, the 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins… and so on. … Read More
Sometimes life throws us off-balance. Everything can be going along fine and then–in the blink of and eye–we are sent spinning off into chaos at a dizzying pace. My 8-year-old daughter knows a thing or two about spinning and balance because she is ballet-obsessed. She already takes three hours of dance instruction each week, but it … Read More
Here we are at another Valentine’s Day and the jewelers and florists are sure to be doing a brisk business. But this past Friday, I heard about what had to be one of the most original Valentine’s gifts of all time. My friend Kerry posted this to Facebook–“Only Jeff could find a two day old … Read More
The roads in Judea, Samaria, Galilee and Syria were treacherous and travelers risked bandits, murderous zealots, and sandstorms as they struggled to reach their destinations. But, on the road to Damascus–everything changed. The Damascus Way is a sweeping saga that gives readers a glimpse into the uncertain lives of the people of “the Way,” the … Read More
“Who cares about spelling? It doesn’t matter!” My 11-year-old son flung his spelling book onto the kitchen table. Can you believe he said that to his mother–the writer? Dad brought out the big guns. “We warned you all week to work on this. If you don’t get an 80% or better on tomorrow’s test, there … Read More
The internet is an amazing tool for the historical fiction writer. I’ve found wonderful old books, photographs, newspaper clippings, personal letters and journals. Some of my favorite finds are videos. But, since I’m writing about the early 1900s, they can be tough to come by. Moving pictures were still in their infancy. One of the most spectacular (from a … Read More
If you have followed my blog for very long, you know that I am a huge fan of the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference held each year over the Palm Sunday weekend. I’m preparing for my third conference this year. Yesterday, I popped onto the Mount Hermon blog to check out a new post and … Read More