2022: A Year of Peaks and Valleys
Both 2021 and 2022 have been filled with peaks and valleys, haven’t they? And now I have more for you. Meet Peaks and Valleys, A Shenandoah Album Collection. Peaks and Valleys was published at the beginning of this month, and is now available as both an ebook and a paperback. Click on the cover to…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Mr. Rogers
With his wisdom and humor and creativity, Mr. Rogers helped many of us raise our children into mature adults. In his gentle and unimposing way he supported and encouraged children to become the best versions of themselves. These are a few of my favorite quotes of his, but you can find more here. Thank you…
Read More2021: A Great Year for Books? Tell Us Your Favorites.
Did you notice I’ve been missing? Or that Sunday Inspiration posts are the only ones on Southern Exposure since early fall? Okay, so you didn’t notice, and frankly neither did I. In fact, when I began to think about this, I couldn’t remember when my new aversion to deadlines began to infect my blogging, too.…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Hate is too great a burden to bear
“Hate is just as injurious to the hater as it is to the hated. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Many of our inner conflicts are rooted in hate. This is why psychiatrists say, ‘Love or perish.’ Hate is too great a burden to bear.” -Dr. Martin…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: God’s dream
God’s dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion. Desmond Tutu These words are in memory of Bishop Tutu, a great religious and political leader who helped the people of South Africa move towards justice,…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: I hope you make mistakes
I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. — Neil Gaiman
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: The Work of Christmas
The Work of Christmas When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: The Wise-Man Star
Every once in a while I share this reading at Christmas. The excerpt comes from my novel Fugitive, which was released as part of a romance trilogy from Silhouette Books in the 1990s, and is now available in revised form as part of the three book Homecoming series on my web site. Tate, the heroine, has…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Advent is Possible
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian Are you looking forward to greatness this Advent season? What joy awaits you?
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: When your flashlight grows dim…
When a flashlight grows dim or quits working, do you just throw it away? Of course not. You change the batteries. 🔦 When a person messes up or finds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not! You help them change their batteries. Some need AA…attention and affection; some need…
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