Category Archives: Encouragement

Writing, Blogging, and Speaking, Intelligently

I have met people with PhD’s who say things like this: “Her and me went to the movies.” “This gift is for she and I.” While this may peg me as a language snob, I think twice before I listen to a … Continue reading

Posted in blogging, books, Business, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Education, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, homeschooling, Humor, inspirational, Job, Life, Lifestyle, media, News, Personal, Random, shopping, success, technology, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Three Simple Steps to Solving the World’s Problems

The beauty about solving the world’s problems is that you don’t have to be rich, famous, or running for president to do so — all these people propound, and often push through, their ideas, which ultimately don’t work any better … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, News, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“The Least of These” Are Great Indeed

Wisdom comes  from the strangest places. I have just finished reading my latest novel, The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, which is admittedly a children’s book that the Toddler and I enjoyed before naptime, but there’s more substance to it … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

“Quiet” and “Shy” Are Not the Same Word

At one time, like a lot of reserved people, I considered myself shy. The misconception is understandable, given that once a room fills with more than four unrelated people, I clam up like an oyster trapped inside a mussel shell, … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Business, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Job, Life, Lifestyle, News, Personal, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Single Most Significant Thing I Do

The other day was one of those in which nothing ever quite worked out the way it was supposed to, schedules were disrupted, the computer acted up, and everybody was hungry but no one had any inspiration, or time, to … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Get Me to the Church on Time — Or, Not

There is this pervasive, and perverse, belief in Christian communities that one of the hallmarks of a true believer is the tendency to get up early– really early, say 5 a.m. or 4:30. Otherwise, you’re a sluggard, the Proverbs one. … Continue reading

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The Big Significance of Small Business

Normally, I avoid buying cookies, or anything, from strange children on my doorstep. It’s not so much that I discourage budding entrepreneurs as that I prefer to not support the mega-companies providing the product and pocketing most of the profits. … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, children, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Job, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Personal, Relationships, shopping, success, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why I Knit

My mother taught me to knit when I was 15. In her day, she said, a woman knit in between romantic relationships. An especially heart wrenching breakup, followed by months of no dates at all,  could result in a complete … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, knitting, Life, Lifestyle, News, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, Style, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Politics of Pinching Peaches

Generally, the produce department of a grocery store is a quiet place. Pinching peaches, while it is a dreadful practice, doesn’t result in sounds from the peaches. I imagine, however, that the people who work in the produce department scream … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, Food, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, media, News, Personal, Politics, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

E-book — The Jane Austen Driving School

The newly published Jane Austen Driving School is the second volume in the Ordinary Life Is Beautiful E-book Series, adding to the stories and illustrations of Life Is a Gift. Thirty short, easy-to-read, fun and funny stories bring readers into … Continue reading

Posted in books, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Entertainment, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Job, knitting, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments