I don’t know where to begin. For starters, I’ve been to several writers conferences. All of them were inspiring and beneficial. All of them taught me something valuable and allowed me to meet other writers, but Mount Hermon is different. Never have I been at a conference that is so incredibly organized, yet feels so laid back and unscripted. The …
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” ~Mother Teresa Close your eyes. I want you to picture this in your mind. You stand staring at a condemned house. Weeds and ivy have taken over the land. Broken glass litters …
When we started on this home school journey two years ago, I was a nervous wreck but incredibly excited. I had visions of ripe little minds growing into mature little models of exemplary citizens. I envisioned smiles, serene contentment, and—okay, I’ll just say it—I pictured the school from Little House on the Prairie. You know, the one room school house …
“I can’t do this. I don’t know how.” “It’s too hard. I’m not any good at this kind of stuff.” “I’m not qualified.” “I’m too old.” “I’m too young.” “What if I fail?” “People will laugh at me.” “It’s too risky.” “There are people better at this than I am.” Do any of these excuses sound familiar? I confess, several …
There was once a married couple who had been together for thirty years. One day they drove down a long, dusty country road, leaving their home to take a trip into town to get groceries and supplies. As they passed mile after mile of agricultural land ripe with growing corn and wheat, the wife began to think of their many …
My kids love impressions. The crazier, the better. And being a singer, I always find it a hilarious exercise to see if I can manipulate my voice enough to oblige their whims. Today I spent all day conversing like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. When bad manners were displayed at dinner, the Queen of Hearts yelled, “Off …
“Mom, we have a problem.” I blinked, trying to focus on my daughter and her probing look. Only moments ago, I was studying, my mind full of the sounds of ancient Israel: the shrill cry of blasted horns, stomping feet, the thundering crash of an enormous wall splitting and crumbling apart, the bellowed cries of victory… Jericho would have to …
What do you do when you have an important decision to make? Wring your hands? Make a list of pros and cons? Run all possible scenarios, both disaster and otherwise, through your head? Bite your nails? Play a rousing game of rock-paper-scissors? Call a friend for advice? Pray? Eat your weight in Fudge Ripple? Perhaps it’s all of the above. …
Wisdom…some will search the world over and never grasp hold of it. Some seek it by consulting infamous leaders like Ghandi or the Dali Lama and it still seems to slip through their fingers like sand. Most of us want to make wise choices. We are tired of learning the hard way and grow desperate for our lives to take …
A stable foreshadowing a tomb. A weary girl trembling with fatigue and pain. A father with the weight of a new family pressing on his shoulders. A king gripped with fear that the Promised Child will be his undoing. And shepherds, their limbs trembling as angels announce a message that rocks their world to the core. Yet amidst these poignant …