O Sacred Head …

Text: Anonymous; trans. by Paul Gerhardt and James W. Alexander Music: Hans L. Hassler, 1564-1612; harm. by J.S. Bach, 1685-1750 O sacred Head, now wounded With grief and shame weighed down Now scornfully surounded With thorns, Thine only crown How art Thou pale with anguish With sore abuse and scorn! How does that visage languish Which once was bright as morn! What …

Wanting to be Invisible

INVISIBLE by Ginny Yttrup B&H Books ISBN: 9781433671685 ~~~ Publisher’s Description:      Ellyn DeMoss — chef, café owner, and lover of butter — is hiding behind her extra weight. But what is she hiding? While Ellyn sees the good in others, she has only condemnation for herself. So when a handsome widower claims he’s attracted to Ellyn, she’s certain …

Springtime

Spring is here. Honest! Even though we Minnesotan’s and upper Midwesterners aren’t seeing a lot of evidence right now. Several blankets of snow still coat the grass, the temperatures are hovering in the single digits, and the winds are howling like they do in January. Yet, the calendar tells us spring is here. Just in case you doubt, here’s a …

Overcoming Writer’s Block

I’m blogging over at Inkspirational Messages today, talking about my creative way to overcome writer’s block. Stop by and join in the fun! https://inkspirationalmessages.com/2013/03/the-story-from-10-random-words/

Novel Recommendation – Secrets Over Sweet Tea

Denise Hildreth Jones is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m not usually a fan of Southern fiction–there’s just so much of it out there–but Denise’s work stands out. In 2011, The First Gardener made my favorite’s list, now this year I’m adding Secrets Over Sweet Tea (Tyndale). I love the characters! First there’s Scarlett Jo Newberry. She’s a loud, …

Celebrating National Reading Month

I’ve just learned that March is National Reading Month! Don’t know where I’ve been. Actually, I don’t even know what authority has declared it National Reading Month (NRM), but who am I to argue? Admittedly, I have not been doing a good job at celebrating–so far, I’ve only completed two books this month: THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS by Denise Hunter …

Home Improvement Project

I’ve been frequenting the home improvement stores lately, hoping to get a glimpse of one of those DIY Network House Crashers crews. Well, maybe not for that exact purpose, but running into them would have been a very nice perk. After all, we have a kitchen and two baths that they could do wonders with. Besides, Matt Muenster of Bath Crashers is …

When God Says Wait …

I’m blogging over at Inkspirational Messages today, talking about a Waiting period in my life and lessons I learned from it. https://inkspirationalmessages.com/2013/03/when-gods-answer-is-not-yet/ How do you handle it when God answers with “Not Yet”?

March 2013 – Novel Anticipation

All the books I’m anticipating reading this month are written by authors whom I’ve read before, authors who are gifted storytellers. I’m certain I won’t be disappointed with their newest releases. ORDINARY GRACE: A NOVEL by William Kent Krueger – This novel is quite a departure from normal for Krueger, whose fame comes from writing his NYT bestselling Cork O’Connor …