Nuggets of Wisdom

Nuggets of Wisdom

I just returned from a walk on our local beach here in Totoralillo, rumored to be the best in the region. No, I didn’t have a piña colada, but the fruit sundae booths, churro carts, and ceviche shops are already doing booming business. I didn’t wear flip-flops either, because as you may remember, it’s still…

Tea Reads

Tea Reads

Twenty-five tins that contain—or once contained tea—line the shelves and cupboards of my home. While I consider myself more of a coffee drinker than a tea fan, those special cups of tea remind me of dozens of “tea reads” over time. The main character of my original story world, Melissa Travis of Destiny at Dolphin…

The Digital Dilemma

The Digital Dilemma

Perhaps it may look suspicious for a blogger, the ultimate purveyor of virtual life and literature, to write about our worldwide digital dilemma. But that’s exactly what I’m going to do today. There was a time in early 2021, a year into the Covid pandemic here, when I wondered, “Am I the only person left…

Things I Know Are True

Things I Know Are True

On July 14, 1983—a crisp, cold winter morning—my husband and I arrived in Chile for our first term of service, with six suitcases, seven barrels, a crate, and an 18-month-old daughter in tow. Sometimes, the devil tries hard to convince me I’ve spent 40 years tracing circles in the wilderness, but I recognize his lies….

Writing for Timothy…and Teresa

Writing for Timothy…and Teresa

Many authors keep in mind an avatar or ideal future reader while writing their books. Christian writing podcaster Thomas Umstattd, Jr. suggests directing our stories to a real person rather than an imaginary persona. The apostle Paul was writing for Timothy—one person—when he scribbled the biblical epistles of I and II Timothy. Yet millions of…

Generation of Heroes

Generation of Heroes

My husband’s a World War II buff, and I too value the rich legacy bequeathed by that generation of heroes. Sometimes I wonder how the stories and screens of the past century would have looked different had the dramatic and traumatic events of two world wars never happened. Certainly, both Hollywood filmmakers and New York…

Finish the Books

Finish the Books

How often do you not finish the books you’ve picked out and started with such diligent intentions? Though a friend tells me I’m a bit obsessive-compulsive that way, it happens more than I’d like to admit. Back when I homeschooled my girls, we learned one day that King Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199) owned a magnificent…

The Story Inside the Story

The Story Inside the Story

My two granddaughters were charmed by the quirky set of Russian dolls I put in their Christmas stockings when they visited Chile in December. Someday I’ll share with them the stories inside the story here. As did—surprisingly—a recent guest speaker at our church when he used a set of these dolls as an object lesson….

Windows to the World

Windows to the World

In my travels, I’ve made a game of snapping photos of doors and windows. I find the variety absolutely fascinating. They give me windows to the world by showcasing cultures and styles of architecture predominant in a given place. What vivid object lessons! From the exterior, you can note the size and shape of a…

A Certain Point of View

A Certain Point of View

What if I told you all the myths of Chiloé are true…from a certain point of view? A certain point of view? That little phrase—and the echoing question—comes from the original Star Wars Trilogy. You may remember the classic scene from Return of the Jedi where a disillusioned Luke Skywalker accuses Obi-Wan Kenobi of deceiving…