“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zeph. 3:17Two days ago while I was at work, I got this phone call from my son Ben. He told me…

Over 20 Chicago Public School students have been killed so far this year, most with handguns. (I believe two additional students have lost their lives since this story ran in last week’s Chicago Tribune.) These stories blur together on the nightly news: the impromptu memorials of flowers, notes and stuffed animals; the police statements; the…

I just wanted them to do what I’d asked of them. But week after week, about half the middle-school kids in my home school writing group would show up without their writing work done. Since my class plans depended heavily on having each of them share their writing with the group so we could discuss…

Last week, our household received a postcard from our local megachurch, advertising its Easter service schedule. There were multiple services, designed to invite people to consider the empty tomb. It occurred to me that the numerous identical services strung at regular intervals across Saturday night and Sunday AM were not too different from Catholic mass…

I am glad to be back in Chicago again after nearly a week in California. I discovered Jesus in some of the unlikeliest places at the Mt. Hermon writers conference: – I felt Him embracing so many who’d come with high hopes, only to be told by an acquisitions editor or agent that their idea…

A couple of months ago, I ran across a contest on The Writers View e-mail loop. This loop is a networking/information/encouragement portal for…you guessed it…writers. The prize for the essay contest was a full scholarship to the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference in Cali. I’m at a bit of a crossroads in my writing vocation,…