Not long ago, I finished up a beautiful study on the book of Hosea by Jennifer Rothschild. She challenged her readers to do something I love: to make a to-be list instead of a to-do list. I’m prolific at creating master to-do lists. They give me a sense of control, a sense of accomplishment and keep my cluttered mind from letting crucial jobs slip through the cracks of my faulty memory. (Correction: these things give me illusion of control, accomplishment and clearer brain function.) Despite my love of meddlesome to-do lists, I think they are overrated. Our culture is so…

  The Arkansas State Police is a happening place to be, especially in the motor vehicle office and even more so from one to four when they are administering driving tests. I recently took a family member to fill out some paperwork, which provided me plenty of time to sit in the waiting room and watch people coming and going. Anxious teens milled around, some of whom were too cool to show their jitters. Nervous mothers smacking gum contrasted against parents who rolled their eyes, muttering to the person on the other end of their cell phone that young Anthony…

Receiving a long awaited publishing contract is a euphoric feeling. It's also terrifying for someone like me, a recovering people-pleaser. I love absolutely everything about the creative process. From spinning a story world into existence, breathing characters to life or muddling through their spiritual and emotional transformations, I find the entire journey exhilarating. I even love the grueling grind of editing. (Most days, at least.) With my debut release scheduled for summer of 2018, life is a whirlwind of excitement. Edits and marketing plans, launch teams and beta readers, book covers and website designs. So much to take in. So…

  With my debut book release with Tyndale scheduled for summer of 2018, this week I've begun the daunting task of writing another story. It's set in one of my favorite time periods...the Civil War. This isn't a new assignment for me. This will actually be the fourth Civil War story I've penned, uh, typed, but the research involved is always staggering. Always bloody and gruesome, yet filled with heroism, astounding tales of beauty and forgiveness...even humor. People like 11 year-old Grace Bedell who wrote Abraham Lincoln a letter when he was running for President and convinced him the population…

  Wild child. Stubborn. Headstrong. Independent. Strong-willed. Although, having been one of those myself, I suppose I've always preferred the term "steadfastly-minded". You know the type of kid I'm talking about. If you're not sure, here's a checklist. You might have a wild child if... -You've considered purchasing a taser as a disciplinary tool. Okay, not really. (But maybe.) -The medical personnel at the ER know you and your kid by name.  - Your kid can unlock any child-proof device invented in under 3.7 seconds. Sometimes less. -Your eye twitches sporadically for no apparent reason, although you suspect it's trauma-related.…

You know the feeling. A cold, clenched stomach. Darkness. A pounding heart. All you want to do is hide. You beg the eyes fixed on you to disappear but they won’t. They gape and you wonder what they must think, how they must see you. You feel worthless. Exposed. I’m talking about shame. Is there a more miserable feeling? Growing up with a seizure disorder left me with plenty of fodder for times to reflect on this feeling. Most of the time I felt normal. Included. And then suddenly, my world would go black. Time would stop. I felt as…