My family and I have had mastiffs for years now. We've had nine so far, but we only have them two at a time for obvious reasons. At 200+ pounds each, having two mastiffs is a lot of dog, especially if you're allergic! For years I have also worked as a volunteer photographer for dog rescue groups. I've snapped many a photo of homeless dogs because good pictures make it easier for these dogs … [Read more...]

I have discovered a wonderful book: Food at the Time of the Bible, by Miriam Feinberg Vamosh. I use it as I write, of course, because I can't have my first-century characters sit down to eat something that didn't exist in their part of the world . . . or I can't have observant Jewish characters eating something that was forbidden. (I was once taken to task for having Samson eat wild rabbits, but … [Read more...]

When I was in high school, I played with the church high school hand bell choir. One day our director, Dr. Jim Whitmire, told us we had been invited to play at a local synagogue. I was surprised, to say the least, but Jim said that if we blessed the Jews, God would bless us--it's a scriptural promise. So we went and played, and God planted something in my heart that later blossomed into a … [Read more...]

People who are really good at what they do make it look easy--but usually, it's not. Becoming truly expert at something, or even good, takes years of practice. Wasn't it Malcolm Gladwell who wrote that to become expert in ANYTHING requires at least 10,000 hours of purposeful practice? That's more than one full year of doing NOTHING else--no sleeping, eating, or stretching one's legs. And of … [Read more...]