(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Feb. 28, 2017) A group of college students from Texas stood in a long line of tourists waiting to see the “afterlife army” of China’s first emperor, who died in 210 B.C. The Terracotta Army Museum is one of the greatest archeological sites in the world. My son’s Mandarin-language instructor had planned […]
(ROCKWALL, HEATH, TX – Feb. 11, 2017) I’m still surprised I chose to attend the University of Arkansas. My parents didn’t like my far-away plan, especially when good schools were closer to home—smaller colleges, which seemed a better fit for me. My mother, who’d heard wild stories, had one stipulation: request a non-freshman dorm. I […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — Dec. 19, 2016) For unto us a child is born… The words proclaim a good-news message set to music that much of the Western world either welcomes or tolerates each December. This season especially, Christmas carols and concertos may serve to dispel some of the gloom and strife that plagued our nation in […]
(ROCKWALL, HEATH, TX – Nov. 7, 2016) As World War II wound down, the USS Tombigbee recruited a radar operator on the Pacific island of Okinawa. The young man from Texas had to decide quickly whether to accept the assignment or wait for an expected—and preferred—aircraft carrier. With an approaching typhoon, the gasoline tanker needed […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Sept. 29, 2016) I stroll through the neighborhood at a slower pace these days. My old dog enjoys the extra time to dawdle. This, I tell myself, is fresh air but not exercise. I’m only trying to keep moving until my injured knee is strong again. My friend Ann has faced much […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Sept. 23, 2016) She’s a homeschooling mom of four with plenty of other roles, including: wife, soccer mom, symphony violinist, and writer. The latter title allows her readers to see how women can sift through the mundane and sometimes inglorious stuff of life to discover opportunities of influence. Lea Ann Garfias, of […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – June 24, 2016) How should we celebrate? I’ve been chewing on this thought in view of our 40th wedding anniversary, which seems to call for something out of the ordinary. I’m amazed that “as long as we both shall live” has turned out to be quite a long time. And so much […]
May 15 is Pentecost Sunday (ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – May 9, 2016) How can God be in so many places at the same time, helping and guiding so many people at once? This mystery amazes Christians and causes many others to doubt God’s existence or to hang back with no faith commitment. I was hanging back, […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – May 6, 2016) I woke up wanting to call my grandfather who was ill—at least in my dream. I hadn’t talked to my grandparents in months, so it would be good to check in with them. My busy day as a young mother slipped away. I reminded myself to make that call […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – March 18, 2016) My husband unloaded his treasure from the car and carried it downstairs. The large box held dismantled pieces of a crystal lamp that once adorned the homes of both his parents and grandparents. Jim hoped we could find a place for it in our home—some day. For now, his […]