Mary Hamilton
I always thought the name passion flower came from the romantic scent the flowers give off, but the name comes from Spanish missionaries in the 15th and 16th centuries who used the flower’s structure to illustrate Jesus’ last days, or the Passion of Christ. The tendrils, for example, remind us of the whips used to …
We often sing this song as though it’s our right for God to bless America. As if we’re demanding that God bless our country. Instead, we need to sing it as a prayer, a humble request for God’s favor and blessing. God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide …
Welcome to Part 3 of my series on the 8 things kids need to hear. So far, we’ve covered: 1. I love you. 2. I’m proud of you 3. Tell me about it. 4. It doesn’t matter. The fifth thing kids need to hear is “Yes!” Sometimes, it feels like kids are constantly asking us to …
Welcome to Part 3 of my series on the 8 things kids need to hear. So far, we’ve covered: 1. I love you. 2. I’m proud of you 3. Tell me about it. 4. It doesn’t matter. The fifth thing kids need to hear is “Yes!” Sometimes, it feels like kids are constantly asking us to …
Welcome to my series on the 8 things kids need to hear. Last week, we talked about the first two: 1. I love you, and 2. I’m proud of you. Here are the next two items on the list. 3. Tell me about it. When our son got in a fight at recess, when our …
Welcome to my series on the 8 things kids need to hear. Last week, we talked about the first two: 1. I love you, and 2. I’m proud of you. Here are the next two items on the list. 3. Tell me about it. When our son got in a fight at recess, when our …
Shameless self-promotion today. So excited to present the cover for my middle grade novel, Sticks and Stones! Brady McCaul’s mom drops him off for a week of summer camp and tells him he can’t come home. She doesn’t want him living with her anymore. He must go live with his workaholic dad. Brady spends the …
Shameless self-promotion today. So excited to present the cover for my middle grade novel, Sticks and Stones! Brady McCaul’s mom drops him off for a week of summer camp and tells him he can’t come home. She doesn’t want him living with her anymore. He must go live with his workaholic dad. Brady spends the …
By now, school is out for most students and summer has officially begun. As much as I loved having my children home during the summer months, there was always an adjustment period. It usually took me about a week to transition, to get used to having more people in the house, no longer being able …
By now, school is out for most students and summer has officially begun. As much as I loved having my children home during the summer months, there was always an adjustment period. It usually took me about a week to transition, to get used to having more people in the house, no longer being able …
Flag Day. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
How do you catch a squirrel? Climb up a tree and act like a nut.
I thought the dream was dead. It died a slow death, giving me time to look around for a new one. At last, I felt ready to put the old one to rest and move on. Move forward. And then… Boom! I met an editor at a writers’ conference who expressed a strong interest in …
I thought the dream was dead. It died a slow death, giving me time to look around for a new one. At last, I felt ready to put the old one to rest and move on. Move forward. And then… Boom! I met an editor at a writers’ conference who expressed a strong interest in …
I’d never been to North Carolina until I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference last week. I’d hoped to arrive in time for the newcomers’ orientation, but with a flight transfer and possible weather delays, there was a good possibility I wouldn’t make it. As the plane took off from Houston, I settled …
I’d never been to North Carolina until I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference last week. I’d hoped to arrive in time for the newcomers’ orientation, but with a flight transfer and possible weather delays, there was a good possibility I wouldn’t make it. As the plane took off from Houston, I settled …
Jury duty. Kind of on the same level as a stinky diaper, isn’t it? Wrinkle your nose and hope someone else gets to do the honors. Since my kids have broken the age barrier and I can no longer claim the mommy excuse, I’ve received two summons for jury duty. One resulted in my serving …
A head cold kept me under the weather and less than sociable this week. It’s difficult to keep my spirit strong when my flesh is weak. I become discouraged about anything and everything. I guess the Lord decided it was time for me to re-learn a lesson from the past. While rummaging around in one …
A head cold kept me under the weather and less than sociable this week. It’s difficult to keep my spirit strong when my flesh is weak. I become discouraged about anything and everything. I guess the Lord decided it was time for me to re-learn a lesson from the past. While rummaging around in one …
Have you ever gone through a rough time and found that years later, you’re able to laugh about it? That’s called perspective. Things look different from a distance than when we’re in the thick of the batter (pun intended). A large oak tree in my back yard has limbs reaching from one side of the …
Since it’s April and we start off the month with a day of pranks and tricks, it seemed a good time to remember some camp pranks. Short-sheeting beds. Breakfast in bed (putting cereal between the sheets). Running underwear or swim suits up the flag pole. Did you ever put someone’s hand in warm water while …
My smartphone has a sense of humor.This is what my husband saw one morning this week when I messaged him about a Great Horned owl in our back yard. I know I typed in “staredown,” not shakedown. Obviously, my phone thinks it’s smarter than I am. Okay, sometimes it’s right. Night is not spelled “nkght.” …
Tanya Eavenson is one of those people I wrote about in “Life Critique.” She can criticize my work and suggest ways to fix it and I pay attention. She’s a trusted critique partner and friend, and I’m pleased to promote her debut novel, Unconditional. Tanya, tell us a little about yourself. My husband and I …
Tanya Eavenson is one of those people I wrote about in “Life Critique.” She can criticize my work and suggest ways to fix it and I pay attention. She’s a trusted critique partner and friend, and I’m pleased to promote her debut novel, Unconditional. Tanya, tell us a little about yourself. My husband and I …
