I wrote “Snapshots from the Family Album” for the 2016 Kentucky Arts Council’s “Where I’m From: A Poetry of Place.” It uses the structure and style of Kentucky Poet Laureate George Ella Lyon’s original “Where
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He sat quietly on his grandmother’s lap during a church service, quite an accomplishment for a two-year-old. While leafing through one of his favorite books, Nanny’s little man munched on snacks to help keep him
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How quickly we can plunge from mountaintop highs to the depths of despair. We return from a retreat, revival, or mission trip overflowing with enthusiasm. Then we’re slapped in the face with the day-to-day reality
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My husband’s mother did many things well. Her fried chicken outshone any restaurant I know. The five children she reared as a single parent grew into productive citizens in their communities. At ninety-plus years, she
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“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12 NIV). “Who lives here?” “We do,”
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Hope. I want it. I search for it. I try to hold onto it when I find it. During Christmas, I sing, teach, greet, write, and listen to pastors speak words of hope. Yet, in
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Another year, another loss. The waves of sorrow and pain come and go, from gentle swells to emotional monsoons. Some we can predict. Others come out of the blue. Pain Follows Pain My forty-two-year-old nephew
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“Would you be interested in keeping one or two university students from Taiwan during Christmas break?” That simple question in December 2002, began a marvelous adventure that continues for our growing family today. Our Growing
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“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 (NIV) The young bride, shoulders slumped and head down, struggled to muffle her sobs so neither her husband nor neighbors
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The telephone rang at 2:00 a.m. “This is the police department. We’ve picked up a mother and three children. The kids are in pretty bad shape.” Another call, another challenge for healing hurtful hearts and
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