Blog Stories
What About those Lies?
The other day as I was working in my kitchen, I was listening to a Christian song. The singer sang about how God had been there with her through every stage of her life. What a wonderful and true principle that should have given me comfort. As she listed each stage of her life--childhood, adolescence, marriage, children-- I felt an uncomfortable tug. Her life had followed such a “normal” course. My adolescence hadn’t been easy. My parents divorced when I was 12 and I struggled with depression...
Spring Upon Us
Depending on where you live, you may have seen signs of spring approaching or even arriving. Here in Raleigh, NC, we’re having a day close to 70 degrees. We had one or two of those over the winter (to our jubilation!) and we’ve had one snowfall. Gotta have at least one, right? Since I’ve lived here, we have always had at least one. Of course, it doesn’t last more than a day and two days after that, everyone is wearing shorts (the college students, at least.) It’s good to be emerging into...
Happy 2020!
It’s still January, so I can still wish you a Happy New Year! How was 2019? Maybe it was fantastic. Or maybe you’d rather forget it even happened. Mine had its share of downs as well as ups. But in the big picture, it’s all good. I’m so glad God’s in control and His timing is perfect. In any case, we’re starting with a clean record, a clean slate, whatever your favorite cliché is. It’s clean. New. New Year. I’m excited to have a new chance to see what God will do. I guess I have that chance...
A Thankful Season
Healed by Love and Thankful As the month of November draws to a close, I’m feeling thankful. Of course, our annual Thanksgiving holiday brings us to focus our attention on that. I’m thankful, too, for another year on this earth with a decent life and good health. (I’m not crazy about the new number representing my age, but Happy Birthday to me anyway!) I don’t think I’m more thankful at Thanksgiving than on other days of the year, and I’m thankful for that! God has helped me cultivate an...
Kyle’s Fall Newsletter 2019
Seems like a cliché to say that time goes fast. I’ve heard older people say that the older you get, the faster it goes. I hope that’s not true since I have a lot of things I want to do and enjoy. The idea of age hits me once in a while when I visit my Mom, who is 84. She’s a bit slower, forgets a couple of things once in a while, but inside the same wise woman who guided and inspired me all my life. In August of this year, yes, just a month ago, she moved from Virginia to my city, Raleigh, NC...
Kyle’s Newsletter June 2019
Hello, my reading friends! Kyle’s newsletter I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying your summer. May your weather be mild, your kids stay busy on their own, and may you have plenty of time to do what you most enjoy! That’s my summer wish for you! My summer wish for myself has already been fulfilled in part, with my annual trip to Europe. I have been going primarily to France each year (for the last 3) for several reasons. Because I...
A Promise is Here
Lately, my mind has been in faraway places. A lot of the time, I’m in Provence. The reason for that is my new book, A Promise in Provence. It’s finally finished! This is the sequel to Prodigals in Provence, but it reads mostly like a stand-alone novel. Of course, I’d love for you to read Bree’s story in Prodigals in Provence as well! Prodigals and Promise are books in my first series (a series of two!), the Provence Series. Book One, Prodigals, is about Bree Sorenson, uptight control-freak...
Expect the Best!
Happy New Year!
We say that so easily, don’t we? We are sincere (I am being sincere!), but if we dig into the phrase, it contains our hopes and anxieties for the coming twelve months
Reflections at Christmas
Mary, a not-so-average teenager How would you react in Mary’s shoes? You’re a girl of about 14 told you’re pregnant, even though you’re engaged (and you know you’ve been a good girl.) Mary had been raised all her life with the hope of the Messiah’s arrival. She fully understood the honor she had received by being chosen to bear the Son of God. We might expect her to be fearful, embarrassed, to dread, to shun inconvenience. But her reaction contained none of these. Rather, her song of praise in...
Limping, Strolling, or Running
There are different ways that people come to God. Not just initially, but along the way as they journey through their lives with him. First, there’s the limp. Life has beaten us up. We’re emptied out and bruised all over. Maybe not even sure God has noticed or cares, but we still go, limping toward him. Our journey may be slower because of it, but that’s okay. We get there. And we get a lot of TLC along the way as he meets us in often surprising ways. Or maybe limping demands more effort than...
This December….Curl up with a romantic story that takes you places!
Hi friends, I hope your fall season is fragrant with crisp, falling leaves and apple cider. I hope winter is magical, with twinkling lights and promises of hope and redemption. So, what’s better than roasting chestnuts on an open fire? Curling up with a Christmas romance. But One December only starts at Christmas . . . and ends the following Christmas. I’d like to take you on a vicarious trip to Paris. But FIRST, you need to meet Mike and Nikki, who get back together One December after three...
Hope for Clay Pots
Several years ago, I started learning pottery. I took my first class, which involved ust clay, a couple tools, and my hands. That was called “hand building” for obvious reasons! The next step in my learning was the pottery wheel. I assumed I’d catch on quickly because I’d done well at the first step.