I love to read books to children. Whether it’s a novel with cliffhangers at the end of each chapter or a picture book with simple text...

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, my husband Brent and I went on a little river trip. We were accompanied by our captain, a guide (let’s...

Several months ago, I boarded a plane for a Spring Break trip to Florida. Once everyone had settled into their seats, announcements were...

It’s summertime! Along with the heat and the humidity, the wasps and the lightning bugs, summer comes with the annual cry from every kid...

If you live in Tennessee, the Carolinas, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, or Illinois you have something in common—cicadas that have been...

blochworld.com In college, my older sister was cast in the role of Cinderella’s Stepmother in the musical Into the Woods. She was told to...

I have a friend who adopted her son after several years of fostering him. She said that when the official court date drew closer, she...

The other day, I asked my husband Brent and our younger son Ezra to list some phrases that they like and some that they don’t like. (I’m...

Every six months or so, depending on what’s going on in my life, I have a Knock-Down. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s kind...

I broke the bracelet my husband gave me for Christmas. It survived about 35 days before the slender gold chain got hung on the corner of...

With the cold weather in full swing, now is the perfect time for me to spend my evenings crocheting. There’s not much that makes me...

My New Year’s resolution this year was to drink more water. This is one of those goals that is laughably obvious and somehow difficult at...

The Last of the Spirits, from Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With Illustrations by John...

Growing up the middle sister of three girls, we had a lot of Barbie dolls. We liked to make haute-couture dresses for them using scraps...

Apart from the few cheesy holiday songs which make me want to rend my garments Old Testament-style, I love Christmas music. Once I start...

One of the scariest parts of teaching someone to drive is sitting in the passenger seat when they’re learning how to change lanes. Once...

While talking to a friend the other day and standing eye-to-eye, I was amazed by how tall I am. With her just barely skimming 5 feet in...

The other day, I heard someone say that Jesus asked 307 questions in the first 4 books of the Bible, but, of the 183 questions he was...

I have a friend who had a children’s Bible when he was little that he loved reading. The only problem was that this hardback version had...

One of my all-time favorite books is L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. Anne, the waifish orphan, is mistakenly brought to live with...

I’m regularly amazed by the addition of holidays to the calendar which I never knew existed. I’m not just talking about silly ones like...

I’ve been making my way through the Old Testament, and I’ve noticed a phrase which pops up frequently when God is referring to His chosen...

When our twin daughters were born, we were living in a different city, away from family. Even with the generous and loving community we...

This may be indicative of my particular personality type, but sometimes I think the expectation of a vacation or other anticipated event...