Slavery in the U.S.A.

Along with many other people, I grieve over families being separated at the border.  I know if I was in Mexico, living in fear of cartels, wanting a better life for my children, I’d be swimming with them across the Rio Grande or pushing them up over the walls.  We all long for freedom, security, …

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Road Trippin’ with Tyndale and Carla Laureano: Stop #1

Welcome to Tyndale Fiction’s Road Trip Scavenger Hunt! We’re so happy you are here. To participate, collect the key words through all 13 stops in order, so you can enter to win our grand prize giveaway! Some details: The adventure begins on Wednesday, August 1. You’ll have two weeks to make your way through all …

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Childhood Memories

The brain-stormers gathered in Coeur d’Alene again this year, and I’ve no doubt half a dozen books will come forth over the next twelve months and beyond.  One of our gals (Gayle DeSalles) did a devotional.  I always have my pen handy because I know she will dive deep and bring up thoughts and questions …

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When Family Moves Away

Not too long ago, our daughter informed us that our s-i-l had found a dream-job opportunity that would make him a very happy man.  Surprise!  The job is in another state.  Eighteen months ago, our daughter helped find our new home — within five-minutes of she and her family.  We’ve been spoiled to have them …

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Advice from Hedy Lamarr

I love watching biographies, and the story of Hedy Lamarr caught my attention.  My father and father-in-law both thought Hedy Lamarr was “the cat’s meow”.  She was a beautiful woman, an actress who left Nazi-occupied Austria and came to America.  She was under the old star-system, a form of bondage.  Sadly, very few saw past …

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Sexual Confusion

An electrician came to do some work in our home and said he’d just gotten back from Sacramento where he and his pastor had gone to speak against AB2943, a bill that will make sexual orientation reparative therapy illegal – even if requested.  They were concerned that the bill was an attempt to move toward …

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Irony in the News

There are some days when the irony of the news astounds me.  Headline:  40 Arrested at Petaluma Farm.  Why?  For protesting the treatment of chickens.  They had trespassed on the property and were rescuing chickens.  There was a picture of several people in handcuffs.  Great front page story! Though I’m all for being proper stewards …

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Old-Fashioned Friendship

I’m taking some time off and going through family memorabilia that has been gathering dust far too long.  Letters, pictures, diaries – boxes of them.  I’ve found some surprises along the way. My paternal grandmother won a prize for an essay she wrote for a sugar beet company.  She liked poetry.  This is precious to …

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Scents and Memories

Scent brings back memories.  Hot sand and vineyards take me back to the weeks each summer I spent with my Grandma Wulff on her Livingston ranch. The verdant vines and almond orchard were places of adventure.  I remember the feel of hot sand between my toes and racing to the irrigation ditch for a cool …

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