Characters Part 3: Seeking Forgiveness with Herta Schmidt

Yesterday morning, on Mother’s Day, I woke up thinking about Herta Schmidt. She is a minor character in the Gott Mit Uns Series, yet her role in The Prodigal Sons is significant. She is the grandmother of main character, Jakob Schmidt, as a result of her husband Bernhardt’s continual lengthy absences, the matriarch of theContinue reading “Characters Part 3: Seeking Forgiveness with Herta Schmidt”

What Do We Do With Our Pain?

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!”—Psalm 27:13 (ESV) Perhaps you’ve read the Bible story about Job. He was a godly man who was taken through horrible, seemingly inexplicable suffering. Yet in the end, he not only received much more than he’d had before,Continue reading “What Do We Do With Our Pain?”

Good Friday

As I sit at my computer, my hand is swollen and typing is uncomfortable. After lecturing my kids about the far-reaching consequences of sin and stupid choices, I am bearing the brunt of my own. For someone like me, who spent years struggling to make decisions simply out of fear of making the wrong one,Continue reading “Good Friday”

God With Us

I’ve had the pleasure of caroling twice this season, as well as doing Christmas music at church, leading the children’s choir, and singing in a choir full of wonderful senior citizens who have become my Opas and Omas (maybe I’d call a few of them Onkel and Tante, since I myself am now in myContinue reading “God With Us”

Of Babies and Bathwater

We’ve all heard that saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Too often in my life, I’ve focused on the bathwater to the exclusion of the baby. I’ve talked before about the legalistic Christian background from which I’ve come. I can’t say it’s always been that way in every church I’ve ever attended,Continue reading “Of Babies and Bathwater”

Between Fiction and Reality

It’s interesting to see my life experiences, or the experiences of loved ones, reveal themselves in the lives of my characters. This may sound funny, but sometimes it surprises me, like a great revelation. Oh, that’s where that came from! It gives me an opportunity to work through difficulties from my past that I haven’tContinue reading “Between Fiction and Reality”

Author Insights

As I’ve been working diligently on Book 2, I have found not one but three characters that are central to the story. There is yet another who will come to prominence later on. For those who like to ask questions about the writing process, this may be of interest. With the exception of some insightsContinue reading “Author Insights”

Memorial Day Musings

As we celebrate the memory of our fallen soldiers, and in so doing also acknowledge the many veterans among us, I felt it was time to share a little bit of my story and why I personally appreciate them so much. Of course, we all do. Without them, where would this country be? In aContinue reading “Memorial Day Musings”