Persecution Parallels by Vince Rockston Puzzle pieces fit together. Sometimes. As I researched my mother’s ancestry, I discovered some of her forefathers were Huguenots who fled from France to the British island of Jersey after King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. One of these was Pierre d’Allain, born in 1653…
A Cup of Water
Held My Heart Captive by Sherry Shindelar
The Story that Held my Heart Captive by Sherry Shindelar The story of Cynthia Anne Parker captured my heart a couple decades ago, and she still haunts my imagination. Her story inspired my novel, Texas Forsaken, and my newly released prequel, Wichita Path Sacrifice, which is part of the Freed by the Frontier…
My Mother’s Jade Brooch by Ruth Wuwong
My Mother’s Jade Brooch For three months after the funeral, the door to Mom’s room in our house remained closed. The silence held a heavy mixture of grief and self-reproach. My father died early, and life had always been just the two of us—a widow and her daughter. I knew her sacrifices very well,…
Unintended Hero by Becky Van Vleet
Unintended Hero The Story Behind the Story by Becky Van Vleet A kitchen table, a father, a daughter, and a cassette recorder. What’s so special about this? As a baby boomer, I grew up in a household occasionally hearing stories from my parents about the Great Depression and WWII. I’d always been fascinated with…
Shining Brighter in a World of Darkness by Darlene L. Turner
Shining Brighter in a World of Darkness by Darlene L. Turner Have you ever stood outside on a pitch-black night out in the countryside? You know, the type of darkness where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Your senses become more alert and every sound feels menacing. You take uncertain…
Evergreen Friendship by Linda Sammaritan
Evergreen Friendship by Linda Sammaritan Have you ever noticed that friendships seem to have their seasons, much like a flower garden offers different blooms at various times of the year? For instance, think back to your earliest friendships in elementary school, maybe even further back to preschool. Those friendships seem like playful daffodils nodding in…
Greatest Love Story of All Time by Ashley Thompson
The Greatest Love Story of All Time by: Ashley Thompson Now we are on sacred, holy ground. My ultimate prayer is that everything I share will be inspired by the Holy Spirit in washing the bride in pure, white linen fit for her glorious King. May I be like Hegai was to Esther in…
Trauma is Trauma by Laura DeNooyer
Years ago, my friend (I’ll call her Amy) was falling apart after seventeen years in an emotionally abusive marriage. She’d never told anybody. Partly because she didn’t know it was abuse. She and her husband had been missionaries to Mexico. Yes, missionaries! She refused to go back, considering the story state of their marriage. But…
Why I Wrote Eclipsed System by R.F. Whong
Why I Wrote Eclipsed System Few science-fiction novels grapple with sin and redemption, even though history keeps placing those themes at the heart of the human story. Instead, many linger on exhaustive world-building—pages upon pages that often swell past 80,000 words. However impressive, that kind of exposition leaves me cold. Those worlds rarely feel lived-in….
Truth is Truth by Lori Altebaumer
Truth is truth no matter where you find it. I learned this many years ago this from a pastor. I don’t remember the details of his message, but I do remember he was referencing a song by the 1980s band known as Meatball. As I’ve come to know my calling as a writer, I’ve also…