My Faithwriters Profile Page: https://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=37392

Regular Articles and Writing Contest Stories

Working Out My Passions

Regular Article. Posted July 13, 2018. “I didn’t grow up dreaming of getting married or planning a fairy-tale wedding. Instead, I grew up with dreams of traveling, teaching and writing. I’m not sure when or how, but at some point in my young, formative years, I latched onto the idea that if I got married and had kids, I would lose myself – disappear into a mundane void of housework and keeping track of small children…”

Seeing Life in Death

Regular Article. Posted September 5, 2017. “I miscarried on Sunday, August 13, 2017…”

My Unspoken Universe

Regular Article. Posted July 3, 2017. “Thoughts unknown. Words unspoken. A universe waiting to be explored but lacking a vehicle to take me there; Until my fingers picked up the pen and unlocked the unspoken thoughts of my soul…”

Leading a Quiet Life

Regular Article. Posted July 30, 2014. “I Timothy 2 tells us to pray for those in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life. Later in that same passage, it says that women must quietly receive instruction, and should not control men (the Greek word here means to dominate/govern/control) but to remain quiet…”

An Educational Trampoline

Regular Article and Challenge Article. Posted July 14, 2014. “Saying good-bye never gets easier. I had spent the last three years living and teaching ESL at an International School in China, and now I was heading back to the U.S. where I would hopefully find a job…”

Progressing in II Peter 1

Regular Article. Posted June 16, 2014. “For many years, this passage has been a highly interesting and challenging one. There is a list here — a progression of something. What is this progression? What does it lead us toward?…”

Prophet’s Song

Regular Article. Posted June 10, 2014.

“Prophets Song
(to the tune of “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians)

Chorus:
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel,
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi are prophets of the Lord…”

Don’t Know Much About Romantic Love

Regular Article. Posted March 27, 2011. “While restlessly browsing through some e-harmony articles, I came across an article that was along the lines of a “Dump him if…” list. Most of the “beware’s” seemed pretty logical, such as, dump him if he still lives with his ex. No, really? I rolled my eyes or nodded in acknowledgment of the sense made by one tip after another, until I came to one that suggested that if he says this…”

Do You See Me

Regular Article. Posted March 23, 2011. “You look at me and then quickly look away. But I saw the fear in your eyes…”

Running With Purpose

Regular Article. Posted February 27, 2011. “Some people live for the sake of living. Some live because they are afraid to die. Some live without hope, biding their time until death. Christ calls us to live with hope and purpose. Best of all, He gives us what we need to live this way…”

Answering the Call to Light

Regular Article. Posted February 27, 2011. “Imagine a Cinderella who refused to leave her backbreaking, heartbreaking work in exchange for the beauties of the palace and, oh yeah, a handsome prince…”

God’s Apprentice

Regular Article. Posted February 27, 2011. “I have to admit that I love the training sequences in such movies as Zoro, the Karate Kid, and even The Princess Diaries (I and II)…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 1

Regular Article. Posted November 8, 2010. “Homelessness, remoteness, contaminated water, a flooded house, no health insurance, inconsistent cell phone and internet service… just another day in the third world country of the Navajo Nation…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 2

Regular Article. Posted November 11, 2010. “Week 1 – Speed Moving…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 3

Regular Article. Posted November 12, 2010. “Mixed Reviews…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 4

Regular Article. Posted November 13, 2010. “I had begun this chapter with the intent of describing my first couple of weeks at Passing Sheep Valley. As I started writing, however, it turned into a description of the spiritual battle here on the Reservation…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 5

Regular Article. Posted November 13, 2010. “Welcome to Passing Sheep Valley…”

The Pages of My Life in Third World USA Part 6

Regular Article. Posted November 15, 2010. “At first, it seemed most logical to write this account in sequential order. I found myself, however, wondering where to begin. I didn’t write down exact times and dates for every different circumstance. The complications of location, housing, classroom matters, curriculum, students, staff, and administration happened simultaneously at some points…”

Which Do We Believe?

Regular Article. Posted June 5, 2010. ““It’s all your fault,” gloated Guilt, dancing cruelly around me while the accusations continued…”

Pandora and Eden

Regular Article. Posted June 5, 2010. “My first thought when I first saw the poster advertisement for Avatar was something to the effect of, “Weird cartoon-sounding name, weird blue people, umm… I think I’ll pass…”

So Many Kinds of Hope

Regular Article. Posted June 5, 2010. “The word hope is a word that seems to be used and felt quite often, but what do we mean by hope, and what does the Bible mean by it? Write down your own ideas about what you think this word means…”

I’m a Disciple?

Regular Article. Posted May 29, 2009. “I was 5 years old the first time I was forced to think about why I believed in Jesus and what it meant. I don’t know how the conversation started. All I remember is that one moment we were coloring and the next moment she was asking me why I believed in Jesus…”

Beyond Typical Students

Regular Article. Posted October 1, 2008. “Parents help their children scramble around and get ready for school – just like any typical families. They arrive at the school on foot, by bike, car, van, bus – just like your typical students. They walk under the bilingual sign that identifies their school, and through the gates – a little less typical?…”

Zoe the Fairy and the Great Fairy King’s Home

Contest Article. Posted December 11, 2019. “Four-year-old Zoe Allen followed her mommy through the sea of aunts, uncles, and cousins who filled the small room. In spite of all the people, it was quiet. The only sound was a steady, continuous beep – beep – beep…”

How Am I Still Alive?

Contest Article. Posted December 4, 2019. “Sometimes I look back on my life and wonder, “How am I still alive?…”

The Power of a Beautiful and Intelligent Godly Woman

Contest Article. Posted July 30, 2019. ““Get up!” Abigail rolled over looked at her husband. It was barely light outside, but that didn’t matter…”

Weathering the Desert

Contest Article. Posted July 25, 2018. “The desert – it’s hot, dry, and seems to go on forever. At first glance, before you enter it, there is beauty. You could call the bright color of the sand beautiful. You could call the waves and texture of the land beautiful and the occasional mesas or mountains that rise above the sandy surface beautiful. There is a sort of romantic loneliness and solitude. On the other hand, also at first glance, it is devoid of life…”

Isabella of Dikahyos

Contest Article. Posted July 18, 2018. “Isabella sighed as she leaned against the door of the Dikahyos Village Inn. The rain was still falling – slow and steady – just as it had been doing every day for the last week…”

The Power of the Ordinary

Contest Article. Posted July 11, 2018. “Golden wheat rose free and unhindered until it touched and mingled with the cloudy waves of sky above. In the corner of the picture was the word, “Kansas,” written in bold white print. A tear fell down my cheek as my hand reached out to tenderly finger the postcard. It was a piece of home, far different from the world in which I now lived…”

Misguided by Man, Led by God

Contest Article. Posted June 13, 2018. “Welcome to my story. It is a *true story – one of regret and of thankfulness; of sorrow and of God’s goodness. It began over six years ago and has not yet ended…”

The Youngest, Greatest, Fairy Magician Warrior

Contest Article. Posted June 11, 2009. “The mighty Zoe approached the looming, ominous castle with a great sense of foreboding growing ever stronger in her spirit…”

The Youngest, Greatest, Fairy Magician Warrior Takes on Cinderella

Contest Article. Posted October 19, 2017. “The day had arrived. Suspense hung in the air, thick and heavy, like a quilt on a hot summer day. It was the moment of truth. Had the mighty Zoe succeeded in her quest to receive the powerful position of Ultimate Fairy, or was she doomed to fall into obscurity…”

The Youngest, Greatest, Fairy Magician Warrior and the Darlagonian Court

Contest Article. Posted June 6, 2018. “Condemned without question. Convicted without a trial. The knowledge of it all, the injustice of it all, burned deep into her heart and mind. Tears threatened to reveal her pain at any moment, but she held them back with ferocious might. The Youngest, Greatest, Fairy Magician Warrior would not expose such weakness to her accusers…”

A Stormy Adventure with Selah

Contest Article. Posted October 11, 2017. “Dark, menacing clouds rolled unhindered across the plains, gaining momentum with every forward thrust and masking the light of the noonday sun…”

Dear Grace

Contest Article. Posted October 24, 2017. “Dear Grace, I recently heard your news and immediately felt my heart drop. A deep sense of disbelief and loss came over me as I pondered just how instrumental you have been in my life…”

Portraits from the Rez

Contest Article. Posted September 6, 2017. “As a teacher, I long ago recognized the truth that mentally and emotionally, my students become my children. I invest my love, time, and energy in teaching them and getting to know them. Before the end of the year, they have solidified a place in my heart and memories…”

Beauties Past and Present

Contest Article. Posted July 19, 2017. “My baby just woke up. She is screaming and has a poopy diaper that needs to be changed. My 4-year-old is tirelessly repeating, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, I want milk and fruit snacks in a bowl and …”

A Different Kind of Vision

Contest Article. Posted July 12, 2017. “I can do this. I can do this. 1… 2… Why did I agree to come to this party?…”

The Facets of Silence

Contest Article. Posted July 28, 2015. ““They turned off the main road and crossed over the cattle guard. From here on out, there would be no pavement, no telephone poles, no cell phone service. Civilization as they knew it was slowly disappearing out the back window…”

The Mafanian Stone

Contest Article. Posted March 8, 2017. “They were at it again. Before the sun had a chance to rise above the horizon of Duoren, they had started…”

The Day Reality Changed

Contest Article. Posted March 1, 2017. “Pale morning light worked its way around the blinds and proceeded to dance freely into the bedroom where a man tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was alone—alone in a spacious king-size bed…”

From Fear to Joy

Contest Article. Posted March 2, 2016. “The room was a buzz of quiet activity. Hands were moving, eyes were flitting in short spurts across the various work spaces, and faces were taking on different forms of concentrated expression…”

A Forced Reevaluation

Contest Article. Posted November 10, 2015. “It was officially, definitely my worst Christmas ever. For the first time in my life, I was spending the holiday away from home. And this wasn’t an away in the sense of being in another state, or even away in the sense of being across the country. This was an away in the sense of being on the other side of the world; an away that meant I would be experiencing Christmas day while my family was still celebrating Christmas Eve…”

In Search of Life

Contest Article. Posted October 7, 2015. “Leah trudged on – one step at a time. On. And on. And on. She was tired and found herself wondering why she had opted to hike this trail again after so many years…”

Little Luna

Contest Article. Posted July 18, 2015. “My heart wept and silent tears fell down my face as I made my way slowly toward the security checkpoint. The youth group leader looked at me with concern. Poor guy. He probably had no idea what to do with an emotional 17-year-old girl…”

The Glory of the Journey

Contest Article. Posted July 6, 2015. “The idea began as one of those “wouldn’t it be fun” ideas that never actually materializes into reality. It wasn’t until a fellow teacher also voiced the idea that I decided to bring this thought to life – a four stop tour of Shangri-la, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Lijiang, and Dali…”

The Journal

Contest Article. Posted July 24, 2014. “She was known as the quiet one of the Freshman class – quiet Clarissa Wright. Her seat of choice in Mrs. Raine’s English class was the same as that in every class: back row, farthest seat to the left. She sat with her head down, afraid to make eye contact for fear that doing so would result in getting called on…”

The Divided Kingdoms of Day and Night

Contest Article. Posted July 16, 2014. “Ancient legends spoke of a time when there was one Kingdom with two peoples operating in complimentary harmony: Hemera, to rule over the day and Lela to rule over the night. The Hemera were full of vibrant, uninhibited brilliance while the Lela spoke in peaceful, unassuming tones…”

The Cost of Affluence

Contest Article. Posted June 2, 2014. “Cynthia Green stood critically assessing her appearance in the mirror. Her shoulder length blond hair was getting a touch of gray, but styled as it was, it served to give her a look of greater dignity. Her eyebrows were arched a little high, but with the right touch of makeup, they managed to not look too severe…”

The Foreigners

Contest Article. Posted November 12, 2010. “It was afternoon when they walked into our village. They had the most beautiful white skin and their eyes were the color of the sky. They were the first foreigners I had ever seen…”

The Internet Connec–

Contest Article. Posted November 11, 2010. “Though thousands of miles apart, we’re always joined in heart – and by the internet – if we’re in a location that provides it – and doesn’t censure it too much – and if there aren’t too many other people waiting to use it…”

Black, White, or Gray

Contest Article. Posted November 1, 2010. “Let’s face it. Everyone, regardless of their current situation and/or station in life, gets bored. Seeking some form of relief from our mundane existence, at least some, if not most of us, have turned at some point to the deliciousness of drama in other people’s lives…”

Perceptions

Contest Article. Posted July 11, 2009. “Thud! What a heavenly sound – especially when it has the resonance of the school year’s final plopping-down-of-the-overloaded-book-bag!…”

That Person Looks Like a …

Contest Article. Posted June 15, 2010. “My eyes continued their zigzagging path around the room, assigning names, personalities, conversations, and background stories to those present. As long as this game maintained its presence in the realm of fiction, I thought it to be relatively harmless. As long as reality didn’t burst in…”

I’m So Jealous!

Contest Article. Posted May 5, 2009. “High School has ended – the world is wide open – anything is possible…”

A Land Not Forgotten

Contest Article. Posted May 27, 2009. “The land stretches ever onward – a vast sea of multicolored sand, interrupted occasionally by massive rock sculptures formed by some invisible hand. These testimonies of a Higher Power stand guard over what seems at first glance to be a deserted and barren land…”

A Small Town Girl

Contest Article. Posted May 18, 2009.

“She grew up in a small town,
Just another Kansas girl,
But she had dreams of flying,
Of going to see the world…”

While the Enemy Rejoiced

Contest Article. Posted October 26, 2008. “In an endless expanse of darkness, a Voice spoke. Strong and immeasurably powerful, it was not a Voice to be ignored. Choosing a tiny portion of that space, the Voice put into place a small spherical article…”

Made on a Whim, Known by Him

Contest Article. Posted October 19, 2008. “I must have been crazy. What in any real or day-dreamed worlds had ever possessed me to raise my hand and volunteer to bring cookies to that Christmas party…”

More Than a Yearly Journey

Contest Article. Posted October 12, 2008. “It was a yearly journey that foreshadowed our future…”

Chang Chang’s Hope

Contest Article. Posted October 3, 2008. “Chang Chang stared miserably down at the grade on her physics test, tears of disappointment threatening to cross the boundaries of her eyes. She had missed one question and received a 97%. That one mistake would lower her rank in the class and would bring displeasure from her teacher and parents. Her parents had, after all, named her Chang Chang – flourishing, obviously hoping and expecting many great things from her…”