Before you write the email to pitch your book, Tim Grahl says, think about the reader. “What does she want out of life? what stresses her out? What could I do to make her life easier? What is her daily job? Could I make that easier? Ultimately, how can I help her get what she […]

If you are looking for a word or goal for 2014, may I offer you one? It’s been slightly used for the past couple years, and I’ve found it very helpful. I think there is plenty of good life in it still. It’s the word “prepare”. I used it two ways during the past couple years. […]

The good news of Christmas is that Jesus was born. Not descended fully formed, as if he could ascend and descend at will. Not breaking through a movie screen, two dimensions suddenly turning into three. Born. That is good news on the weekday Thursday after Christmas Day, when some of us still have to go […]

After the first Christmas, the holiday took awhile to catch on. No one is sure exactly where Jesus was for his first birthday, the one where adults have a party and laugh at the silly things the child does with cake. It is possible, of course, that the “uncles” from Persia came then. Very distant […]