Gentleness is strength under control. It is the ability to stay calm, no matter what happens.

The Pacific Northwest, and particularly Whidbey Island, is extremely suited to be a location in a novel.

I don't think anyone could write about another culture and get it 100 percent accurate.

For being able to use language was a critical skill that could carry one far. One could use it professionally, as a crafter of everything from political speeches to modern novels. One could use it personally, as a tool of discovery or a means of staying connected to others. One could use it as an outlet that would feed the artistic spirit of the creator, which existed in everyone.

But if you don't understand that story is character and not just idea, you will not be able to breathe life into even the most intriguing flash of inspiration.

We are to make a plan for the day, pray over that plan, and then proceed with that plan. When we are willing to regard the unexpected as God's intervention, we can flex with the new plan, recognizing it as God's plan.

Material blessings fade and deteriorate, but your riches in Christ are everlasting.