Monday, November 30, 2020
Gift-Giving Basics for the Non-Writing Spouse
Sunday, November 29, 2020
A Tribute to My Daughter-in-Law
I have three sons and as they’ve married, we’ve also added three precious daughters to our family. Each girl is as special to us as if they’d been in our family for their entire lives.
This past week we lost one of our girls in a tragic accident.
Katie was our oldest son’s wife and they recently had their first child. Baby Van is only three months old.
It’s been the hardest week of our lives, but it’s been precious too as we’ve pulled together as a family. Our community has lavished love on us and buried us in an avalanche of food. We’ve cried, laughed and tried to figure out how we’re going to go forward with a huge hole in our lives.
Katie was our first daughter. She’s been in our lives for fourteen years. She began dating Jimmy when he graduated high school and entered the Marine Corps. She was a year behind Jimmy and spent her senior year coming to our house after school three or four days a week while he was deployed.
When she and Jimmy decided to move up the wedding date her mother was in Germany and she allowed me to go with her to pick out her wedding dress. Her caring heart and infectious laughter have added so much to our family.
We all miss her so much.
She and one of our other daughters, Weslyn (Kirk’s wife), went through their pregnancies together. Katie delivered Van first, but Weslyn followed soon after with Rivers. The boys were born two weeks and two hours apart.
And eight weeks later, we added our third daughter when John married Tiffany. Now it felt like our family was complete.
Oh the plans we had with these new additions—from beach trips to family photo shoots.
Then the accident and the unthinkable happened. We’ve learned anew that nothing in life is certain and there are no guarantees. Nothing, except the faithfulness of God—even in the midst of the unthinkable.
Many of you have reached out to us and I can’t thank you enough for this outpouring of prayer and love. I’ve tried to thank you, but it’s just not possible. Death brings with it a myriad of details. There are so many things that need to be handled just when your brain is incapable of processing information.
But we’ve found that’s when God steps in—using friends and family to keep you going. There have been practical boots-on-the-ground help and there has been spiritual offensive help as prayer warriors place a dome of protections and peace over us.
Each of you have eased our burden by sharing it and we cannot thank you enough.
I do want to let you know about one way you can help our son and grandson. In the midst of this, Jimmy has started a GoFundMe for their son Van’s college education. If you’d like to donate, we’d be honored. And if you can share the GoFundMe, that would help as well.
Here’s the link to our GoFundMe for Van’s College Education.
And thank you for allowing me to take one day to share this tragedy we have in our family.
Blessings,
Saturday, November 28, 2020
In The Studio: Recording Your Book
by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock
Friday, November 27, 2020
5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Day Job
by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Holiday Conflict in the Stories We Write
by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Monday, November 23, 2020
What to do When a Writer Gets Stuck
by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan
Sunday, November 22, 2020
What Am I Really Afraid of as a Writer?
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Writing Truth in a Secular Society
by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme
Friday, November 20, 2020
Those Pesky Little Pronouns
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Improve Your Website’s Domain Authority
by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
The Stepping Stones of Our Writing
by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Writing to Felt Needs
by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel
Monday, November 16, 2020
Holiday Marketing for Authors
by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting
Sunday, November 15, 2020
A Writer’s Accolade of One
by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Choosing to be Grateful in the Face of Uncertainty
by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt
Friday, November 13, 2020
TAKING PART IN GOD’S WRITING PROCESS
by Joshua J. Masters @JoshuaJMasters
Thursday, November 12, 2020
What’s on your table for a Thanksgiving launch?
by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Tips for the Shy Author-Marketer
by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
How a Writer Overcomes Discouragement
by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted
Monday, November 9, 2020
A Different Kind of Birthday Month
by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1
Sunday, November 8, 2020
Take a Slow Ride
by Martin Wile @LinesFrom God
Saturday, November 7, 2020
5 Tips For Writing In A Crowded House
by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth
Friday, November 6, 2020
What I Learned When I Failed NaNoWriMo
by A.C. Williams @Free2BFearless
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Thoughts on Writerly Gratitude
by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Four Ways for a Writer to Think Like a Reader
by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
In Notes a Wise Writer Trusts
by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells
My first interview as a reporter, I arrived armed with a recording device and a cub’s notebook containing strategically prepared questions.
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Daniel, the Thankful Prophet
by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank