I found a snake skin in the backyard the other day, stretched out under the redwood trees. Yikes! I’d better watch where I’m stepping, and when I pull up plastic ground cover to give the trees breathing room, I’d better do it carefully or find what’s living in those half tunnels I keep uncovering. That …
There are people in the world who have the gift of hospitality, and my friend Holly is one of them. She’s been entertaining for years; teachers, neighbors, missionaries, anyone who looks like they need a little spoiling. When Holly says she’s having a tea party, I’d postpone heart surgery to go. Holly and her …
For a couple of seconds, I thought the headline must be a joke. But then, I remembered: I live in California! The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco is reviewing the case of Naruto, a crested macaque monkey on the Indonesian Island of Sulawesis, verses David Slater (photographer) and Blurb (self-publishing company …
We had hawks and hawklets when we lived up on Longleaf Court. When we took a look at this home backed up to acres of green space on the flood plain dotted with oaks and willows, I spotted another pair of hawks. Woohoo!! The neighbors on the other side of the county culvert have a …
I’ve visited the California Carnivores nursery in Sebastopol several times in the past. It was always an interesting field trip for my children where we learned the United State is home to the widest variety of carnivorous plants in the world; including such species as Venus flytraps, sundews, butterworts, American pitcher plants, cobra plants and …
Down through the ages, scientists have sought answers and come up with theories. For example: Geoterrapinism Theory= the earth rests on top of a giant turtle Fixed Earth Theory= the earth is the center of the universe Contracting Earth Theory/Geophysical Global Cooling = the earth is getting smaller Expanding Earth Theory = the earth is …
Have you been feeling anxious lately? If so, you are one among millions. Everyone seems to be worrying about something: global warming, terrorist attacks, Russians hacking, GMOs, the apocalypse. We wear fit bits to monitor heart rate, footsteps, sleep patterns. We carry communication systems in our pockets, and live by text messages, tweets and snapchat. …
The Fine Art of Parenting Our pastor, Jim Swaney, recently gave a wonderful sermon on three kinds of fathers. I think it applies to mothers as well. There are three kinds of fathers and mothers: absent, involved parent, strategic. What turns a caring, involved father or mother into a strategic parent? One who knows that …
The theme of the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution this year was “Beauty”, beauty that restores, refreshes, revives, reconciles and recreates. “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hands of the Lord.” It fit perfectly with my WIP, a story of brokenness and redemption, and communication through art. One of the presenters, Rev. …
Rick and I recently attended the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution (ICAP) in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Over the five days, we attended workshops and met people from 32 countries around the world, all involved in the fight against sex trafficking. They are working on the front lines in the darkest corners of our planet, often …