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Sunday’s message at my church was called “I Will Fight.” Our preacher spoke of David and Goliath. I knew the story. The verse I hadn’t considered before, though, was when King Saul tells David prior to his battle with Goliath, “You are not able…you are only…” Here’s the verse: Saul replied, “ You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” –I Samuel 17:33 I get it.   Several years ago, as a professor at Cincinnati Christian University, I was charged with trying to get a state approved teaching program for the school. If we got it, we would be the first school to be added to the roster of teacher educators in over 50 years in the State of Ohio. Talk about a David and Goliath story. The academic dean of the college, Jon Weatherly, met me in our state capitol for a preconference meeting on accreditation. There were thirty or so colleges and universities represented in the meeting....

While visiting Tarpon Springs, Florida, my husband and I took the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Travis and Molly Tipton.  Travis took Molly to this Gulf of Mexico fishing village for a brief fall holiday in the book,  Breathing on Her Own . No, the book isn’t about Tarpon Springs, but this is the place where Molly comes face-to-face with what she really believes. For today’s blog,   I am bringing you along on our journey. The excerpts from the book are in bold text. Tarpon Springs Sponge Dock Area Holding hands, they ventured up the street of the old town, poking around antique shops and a used bookstore. They each found a novel to read, paid all of a dollar for both and found a small Greek restaurant for dinner. Book cover? No, Howard Park The next morning, rested and relaxed, they donned their swimsuits and headed to the beach. Howard Park was a short drive from their bed and breakfast. Several kite surfers were out on the water fly...

I love the smell of fresh crayons. The stores start to stock them in August. By September backpacks are filled with all of the fresh supplies required of a new school year. For some it is a mark of summer’s end. For me, the new crayons signify new adventures. I always loved school. In fact, I still do. So, it is back to school for me this autumn season. Why? Because I am a writer. A writer always has more to learn. I am still working on two novels in differing stages. I’ll not abandon those, but I also have ideas for other works I hope to publish in the future. These ideas may come as a surprise. Or not. Thank you, Nora for sharing your crayons. I want to publish two children’s books. I have been working on them and even went so far as to send one of the stories to my friend, Pamela Harrison, an author in the field of children’s literature. Pam was extremely helpful. She pointed me in the direction of three on-line articles to help me with my rhyming book. S o for ...

Flicka. Not what I would call an original name for my first pony. But that’s what I called her. She was a pretty little Pinto. I was thrilled when we bought her and brought her home to our Midwest farm. I named her Flicka. Just like the horse on television. I thought I knew a lot about horses. I was a huge fan of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I watched My Friend Flicka and shows like Wagon Train and Rawhide . We had lived in Arizona and been to real honest-to-goodness rodeos. And I had my dad. My dad had a pony growing up. He offered his wise instruction on learning to ride. “If the horse throws you, you just have to get back on.” There was more to riding a horse. I knew that. I knew you had to mount the horse from its left side. I knew you needed to brush and curry and feed your horse regularly. I knew quite a bit. The only problem I could foresee was that I had never actually ridden a horse before. The coin-operated ponies in front of the grocery store didn’t count. E...