Dana has been married since 1980, has three adult children and eight grandchildren. She loves that they are all living within 10 miles of each other in the Southern California desert. She enjoys reading, writing and teaching. Dana delights in the gift God has given her to teach life lessons from the Bible through picture stories.
Brand names and designer labels all have their logos: Rolex, Neiman Marcus, Rolls Royce, Harley Davidson, Gucci, Louis Vuitton to name a few. These labels are driven, worn, or purchased to impress, enhance, amaze and influence. Yet often people are labeled in a way that does the opposite. They are forever marked or tarnished by […]
Nine years ago on December 18th, I was diagnosed with cancer. Every year that reminder hits me. I am grateful to be cancer free today, but the road to that recovery was fierce. The plethora of tests, medications, thyroid surgery and then radiation treatments left a deep-seated mental scar. It hovers at the surface of […]
Duke and Kathy, I LOVED your man cub. I L O V E D HIM. Yes, many times I wanted to slap him upside the head and a few times did – but it never diminished my love for him. It seems like yesterday we were at Lake Havasu and while he was sprinting around […]
At 15, my daughter Brittany took a job assisting for a home daycare. I went to pick her up and as I waited in my car at the curb I glanced in the large front window. My instant thought was what a warm family appeal. I glanced at the driveway and thought what a family […]
The turkey was almost done with the cheesy potato’s going in next, an hour before part of my fragmented family arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. I was already feeling a little disjointed knowing that not everyone would be there because of broken relationships. Silently, I was thinking of the misunderstandings, bitter words, and unresolved conflict. As […]
Upon landing at Dallas airport my daughter and I quickly headed for the Ladies Room. Anticipating a wait time for our luggage we then proceeded to baggage claim. There was only one airport employee in the area, so we thought maybe we were at the wrong carousel. But our flight information was posted on the […]
“The directions say stand back fifty feet.” my Dad read. “On the count of three be ready: One…two…three!” BOOM! Rock, sand and caliche shot fifty feet in the air. Then a deafening silence fell after the dynamite ignited. We stood stunned at the magnitude of it all: the noise, force and violence necessary to generate […]
The disturbing dream had me waking at 2:30am with a jolt. Attempting to calm my racing heart and shake it from my mind I went to the living room to read. Unable to comprehend what I read I set the book aside and starting praying. “Oh God, please don’t let that dream come true! I […]
Excitement was mounting as the Junior High group lined up for the race. The rules were: Run to the table at the end of the gym, eat the caramel apple as fast as you can, then run back to this end of the gym. Go! The volume magnified as the teammates cheered each other on. […]
A dear friend lost her 21 year old son in a car accident. Words seem so inadequate during this time. Although I cannot comprehend how she must feel I wanted her to know she is loved. Dear Vicki, I can’t begin to fathom the depth of pain you have endured. I truly cannot say […]
