I’m quilting today. It’s a mindless, repetitive process – pin, sew, press, repeat. Soothing. There’s been a recent death in our family, sudden and unexpected. So much heart hurt. So many details to think about, so much staying busy and busy and busy. Today I don’t want to think or …
“I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.” Job 33:2 Every time I’ve given a writing assignment, without fail, one or more students in class will writhe in agony and groan, “I don’t know what to write!” Anyone who has ever attempted …
“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 I was feeling hemmed in by the writing workshop format I’d chosen for my blog, when it occurred to me that this page does in fact belong to me and I have freedom to post pretty much anything I want on it. With that in mind, …
“Much dreaming and many words are meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:7 In writing circles, legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to create a story using 10 words or less. He won the bet with this: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” Whether or not that incident actually took place, …
“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” Amos 3:3 When my first daughter turned two, she insisted on choosing her own clothes. I moved her pants and shirts into the two bottom dresser drawers, and she put a lot of time into her daily ensemble decisions. …
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 Although I have lived an hour from Fort Worth, Texas for almost ten years, I had never thought to visit the famous Stockyards until looking for ways to entertain …
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.” Psalm 107:2 I was in third grade when C.S. Lewis died. At the time I was too young to realize that meeting him would have been on my bucket list, had …
“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:12 Beside the sports theme, what is the common thread running through this short photo essay? Answer: All the captions are written in passive voice (including this answer). In all my years of teaching writing, …
This month my Mom and Dad celebrated 66 years of marriage. That’s an amazing feat in today’s world. To honor them, I’ve decided to step aside from my Writers Workshop series momentarily and post the sonnet I wrote sixteen years ago for their 50th anniversary celebration. Anniversary Sonnet The years …
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 I love middle school students, particularly 8th graders. They routinely dazzle their teachers with energetic creativity. But 8th grade girls can also be the worst at writing …
