Check out those "musical notes" socks! It’s been a rough day at school. I can tell. Even before her backpack hits the floor, Taylor is fighting back the tears. Then it all comes spilling out. The emotions of a sixth grade girl. I’ve been there. Feelings so intense you...
Okay, I’ll admit it. Sometimes I talk to myself. Not out loud, mind you. But I have this annoying inner voice and every so often I have to tell it to be quiet. Like when I first decided to pursue my dream of becoming a writer. That voice just wouldn’t shut up. It...
It was a typical weekday morning. Madison knocked on our bathroom door, her hair dripping wet from the shower. “Come on over,” I said, grabbing the hair dryer. “I don’t want you going outside with a wet head.” We stood for a few minutes, making silly faces in the...
This past week I went back to junior high. More specifically, I got to hang out with Mrs. Miller’s eighth-grade English classes. I talked about my writing journey, shared stories from winning the Guideposts contest and even threw in a few writing tips I’ve learned...
Taylor - May 2006 Sometimes a little change of perspective can make a big difference when dealing with a problem. I remember several years ago, when Taylor was around six years old. One day, while looking in the mirror, Taylor discovered a small freckle on her...
We needed more than curtains! A few years ago my husband and I built a house. Not everyone enjoys that kind of project, but I loved it. Especially the final stage. Decorating. As moving day approached, I flipped through various home decorating magazines for...
Wow, the blessings overflow! I whacked the top of my blaring alarm clock and threw my pillow over my head. What a dreary day. The first day back after vacation was tough enough, but thinking about my to-do list made me want to go back to sleep. I dragged myself out of...
Madison's first day as a new kid Hello. I’m new here. Welcome to my very first blog post on this brand-new website! I’m happy to be here. I’ll admit it’s been an interesting experience so far. You see, I love to write, but when it comes to creating a website and...
When I first heard the news I told myself I wasn’t going to share it. Honestly, I just wanted to forget it. I certainly didn’t plan to write about it. It was too personal and frankly, a little too somber for my taste.Then I thought about it some more. Why did I start...
One of the coolest things about being a ghostwriter (besides getting to use the word ghost) is having the opportunity to tell someone else's story. Many of the stories I write for Guideposts are ghostwritten. This means my name isn't listed as the author. But I'm okay...
When I was a kid growing up on a farm, my parents dragged me along to all kinds of places. I’ve written about making my own fun while Mom and Dad left me with a bunch of cows (Keeping Company with Cows), riding on the tractor with my dad (Tractor Tunes) and checking...