I exited the window onto the fire escape only to lunge backwards as a giant mouthful of teeth came at me. I pressed as far away as the railing would let me, too terrified to even scream, let alone cry. The bear's nose and mouth were wrinkled together in a ghastly snarl, accentuating the glistening… Continue reading When all hope is gone
Tag: Hope
A New Day
Today is a new day. Treat it like one. Those were the words in my head when I woke up yesterday. And I knew without a doubt they were from God. Forget the past. Forget the mistakes. Stop thinking about how you failed in your diet again. How you didn't exercise. What you should have… Continue reading A New Day
The Teddy Bear
So, one of my favorite ways to come up with short stories is to use my Dixit board game. For those who don't know, Dixit is comprised of a whole bunch of very unique pictures, and when playing the game, you are supposed to come up with a word or phrase to describe a picture… Continue reading The Teddy Bear
That Elusive Acceptance
Last month, I received my first acceptance letter, along with a check for $20. I know, I know, you are wondering why on earth, I didn't write about it right away?? Or even in last week's blog post?? The answer to that is complex, and I'm not going to bore you by retyping my three-page… Continue reading That Elusive Acceptance
A Season of Miracles
All of us kids sat soberly on the couch, looking at our rather distraught parents. They took a breath, looked at each other, and then back at all. . . eightish?...of us. Then, "I'm so sorry, but we can't afford gifts this Christmas." It wasn't the first time, nor the last time, we were told… Continue reading A Season of Miracles
Dear Mr. Knightley
In August, I read the book Dear Mr. Knightley after a friend recommended it to me. I was skeptical at first because I knew it was based on Daddy Long-Legs, which I didn’t like much. But, well, God works in mysterious ways? Dear Mr. Knightley is about a girl (named Sam) who had a difficult… Continue reading Dear Mr. Knightley
The Dark of the Night
I cowered in the closet, clutching the baby in my arms. I could hear both men out there, searching, slow and dogged. I hugged the baby closer, silently begging it not to cry. The men had already killed everyone else in the house. Surely, I could save this one child. Click. Click. One came closer,… Continue reading The Dark of the Night
Hope and Storytelling
When I exited the house that night, I slipped into my car, and unfolded the check I had been handed for a night of babysitting. And then I leaned my head against the steering wheel, and I wept. Making it in college is rarely easy. I had moved across the country, to a state where… Continue reading Hope and Storytelling
A Writer’s Identity
Writing full-time makes you think. A lot. And not just about whether you are worthy, whether you are making the right decision, or whether you are a failure--it makes you think about what you should be doing versus what you are doing. Accordingly, I've been thinking a lot, especially the last couple days. If any… Continue reading A Writer’s Identity
Today’s Thought: Something New
As I sit at my kitchen table, in my little breakfast nook, watching cardinals eat from the birdfeeder outside my window (instead of squirrels, for once!), I'm struck once again by how idyllic all this is. Sitting at home, with as much time for writing and researching as I choose, pursuing something I've only ever… Continue reading Today’s Thought: Something New
Forest Idylls 