>Last night's full snow moon lay pregnant on the horizon and rose as a shimmering amber globe to be slowly curtained by a dark cloud. The covered moon metamorphosed into a hazy white disk gleaming behind gauzy clouds.

>It doesn't matter what the groundhog predicted or what the calendar says, this morning's 60 degree temperature is spring.I'm making it official by opening the shades on the west side of my office. Letting in spring sun is much more pleasant than keeping out winter cold.

>My poem "Eagles," which won first place in the rhymed poetry category of the November HACWN contest, is going to school today.A friend from the HACWN conference loved the poem, showed it to her son, who is studying poetry in his fifth-grade class at school. He liked it, and she asked permission for him to … Continue reading >"Eagles" at school

>Living Ink Books, published by AMG PublishersRaising Dragons, paperback; 371 pages; © 2004The Candlestone, paperback; 388 pages; © 2004Circles of Seven, paperback; 418 pages; © 2005Tears of a Dragon, paperback; 363 pages; © 2005Any Christian with an interest in fantasy can tell you that it’s difficult to find a fantasy novel that is interesting and … Continue reading >Book Review: "Dragons In Our Midst" series by Bryan Davis

>The sun is rising on a clear day here in south-central Iowa. If any groundhogs happen to peek out of their burrows today, they may very well see their shadows.I confess I've never really understood that popular legend. So what if the groundhog sees his shadow and we have another six weeks of winter? Everyone … Continue reading >Groundhog Day

>On Sunday (and early Monday morning!) I read Jeannette Windle's novel, Betrayed. I was familiar with her as an author since I had placed two of her books, CrossFire and its sequel Firestorm, in our church library. But I learned a lot more about her when I attended some of her seminars at the HAWCN … Continue reading >Jeannette Windle

>When I was in grade school, autograph books were popular. They were small albums with blank pages and one asked one's friends to write in them. I was thrilled when my mom bought me an autograph book. I could hardly wait to ask my friends to write in it. After several of my friends had … Continue reading >Autograph Book

>A couple of weeks ago, I made my first-ever foray to the local Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits store. Row after row of shelves stocked high with huge bottles of alchohol immediately overwhelmed me. I mentally latched onto signs hanging over sections like a drowning person grabbing a life preserver. While the "GIN" section was not … Continue reading >Gin raisins

>The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.Numbers 6:24-26This morning, while praying the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6, an image came to me of a sun-warmed tan wall with dark green shutters.The … Continue reading >An Image of Peace

>On our way to church yesterday morning, it seemed as if very few people were out and about. Are Christmas morning services becoming a thing of the past? Although there are always plenty of family gatherings to attend during the Christmas season, it would be a shame to discard Christmas worship like used gift wrap. … Continue reading >Celebrating Incarnation