When my daughters were very young, I’d buy white tennis shoes and then paint them to match their outfits. I saw shoes like this either in a boutique or in a catalog and decided I could make my … [Read more...]
Sewing for Children
The lead character in Rescued Hearts, Mary Wade is a children's clothing designer. When my children were young, I enjoyed sewing outfits for them. I always had fun sewing for my children, and I … [Read more...]
A Week at Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp
Every summer for 15 years, my family has spent a week at Deer Valley YMCA Camp in Fort Hill, Pennsylvania. It's a beautiful place, one of our favorites in the … [Read more...]
Christmas Cookies
Two things I like best about December are sending Christmas cards and baking cookies. We mail over two hundred cards, and I bake at least twelve different kinds of cookies. In a family of six, you … [Read more...]
Holiday Traditions and Irish Encounter
On Thanksgiving night, while they’re still full from the day’s feast, Ellen and her family relax in front of one of their favorite movies, It’s a Wonderful Life. I took this tradition straight from my … [Read more...]
Tribute to Teachers
I come from a long line of teachers--some professionals and some who simply know how to teach, and I'm happy that one of the characters in Irish Encounter is Miss Myrtle. She’s a fun-loving, retired … [Read more...]
Payne’s Journey Through Music
Music has long been important to believers. Think of Psalm 150: 3-6: “Praise [God] with the sounding of the trumpet, Praise Him with the harp and lyre, Praise Him with tambourine and dancing, Praise … [Read more...]
Storing Treasures
I’ve been studying Matthew 6 this week. Jesus speaks about the Christian’s focus by teaching about the two different kinds of treasure: earthly and heavenly. He reminds us not to treasure earthly … [Read more...]
Remembering August
This morning we're socked in with fog as thick as potato soup. I can't even see the trees across the driveway. This is what August is--heavy wet mornings that give way to sunny, hot afternoons. For … [Read more...]