etsy.com When I was growing up, my sisters and I loved to make crafts with Shrinky-Dinks. If you’re not familiar with this art medium...

There are certain Bible stories that I remember hearing as a small child in Sunday School class. Flannel board set up with the colorful...

One of the most instantly rewarding household chores has got to be vacuuming. In just a few minutes, I can run my vacuum over my living...

A dozen years ago, we took a family trip to Washington, D.C. On our first full day in our nation’s capital, we visited the Lincoln...

Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, was sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, had sent a message to Jesus. Instead of leaving right away, Jesus stayed...

There was a man who was born blind. Day after day, he sat while the world zoomed past him. Then one day, he met a man who changed...

The Israelites had escaped Egypt and slavery. The plagues and the flip-flopping Pharaoh. The Passover lamb and the midnight getaway...

Have you ever endorsed something that you didn’t actually know that much about? Maybe it was a product or a restaurant, and then you find...

I realized after I had placed the strap of a heavy bag on my shoulder that I was sunburnt. The sunburn itself probably occurred after...

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...