In 1983 our family got a letter inviting us to the American Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. About six years before that time, my parents had filled out an application to come to the United States. It did not take long for us to pack our belongings, and the next September ...
The word “Mother” is a term of endearment for a special woman. She is that one who nurtures and cares for you. She is the one who teaches you manners and how to clean your room. A Christian mother is a wonderful beginning to a child’s heritage. My own mother brought me up to look to God...
"My children, I would like to tell you what the doctors have said . . .” There was a very long pause, and then, “They can say anything, but I know Who takes care of lives.” That is how my mother told my wife and me the alarming news that she had...
When I was young, our school district had a speech therapist who came to all of the schools and gave an evaluation of each student’s vocalization needs. To make his assessment, each of us was asked...
Looking out our kitchen window one afternoon, I was startled to see two big woolly sheep nibbling grass along the drainage ditch. On our country road, I knew of two neighbors who kept sheep, but never had I seen any of them wandering...
My mother’s voice was steady as she spoke from the other end of the line in Kenya. I was making the call from Colorado, where my youngest sister had passed away the previous day. At the time of her passing, she was a twenty-year-old college student, studying half...
On the internet, I watched the news of a jetliner that crash-landed onto the Hudson River. It was reported that the huge aircraft was safely put down, intact and right side up, with no lives lost. As four of the passengers were interviewed, they said that when it became clear the flight...
Recently, as several of us were leaving the prayer room of our church before a service, I said to one of the gentlemen, “The Lord bless you.” His rejoinder was, “He will if I let Him.” I said, “What about the ‘handfuls of purpose’ mentioned in the Book...
A few years ago, while writing my first book on folktales, I was invited to speak to my daughter’s school class. After my presentation, she said, “Thank you, Dad. See you tomorrow.” The teacher then inquired, “Is he not going to...
Sometimes I get teased about my preference to sleep in a completely dark room. Since I go to work in the wee hours of the morning, I want to make sure I have enough sleep...