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Attempted Wisdom | Essay

Stop Making Content
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

This is Worse than Losing Everything
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

An Encouragement to Faithfulness
Essay | Home. Life.

On Embodiment & the One Who Will Put All Things Right
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

Christmas Isn’t Safe, It’s Good
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

I’m Angry and Sad and I DO Know What I’m Going to Do About It
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

Does Struggle Disqualify Me?
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

Misinformation
Attempted Wisdom | Best Posts | Essay

Boyhood is a Blessing, Not a Disease
Attempted Wisdom | Essay | Writing on Writing

The Power (and Danger) of Stories
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

The Mystery That Moves Me This Week
Attempted Wisdom | Essay

Screens and Games and Movies, Oh My!

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Get Lost! Not an insult. No, I want your kids to g

Get Lost! Not an insult. No, I want your kids to get lost in a story. My heart for them is that they get lost in stories that help them be more fully awake to wonder and alive to who they are in God's world. In other words: Get lost in stories that won't get you lost.

This summer we are inviting families to Get Lost in Green Ember. Join the Green Ember Summer Reading Challenge with fans around the world.

We've put together a free Green Ember Reading Tracker to help you & your kids get lost (without getting lost) as you read (or reread) the main Green Ember series.

Anti-Abolition (in this case). Pro-Human. #Grego

Anti-Abolition (in this case). Pro-Human.

#GregoryShaneMorris #sdsmithdopequotescuration

Writing process? Magic. Mystery. Play. All a gif

Writing process? Magic. Mystery. Play.

All a gift.

What kind of stories are preparing your children f

What kind of stories are preparing your children for the real world?

🐉🗡️

Book touring in Texas, and it’s been a hoot. It’s so special to connect with fans and friends, new and old, and young and old. We’ve always had such a warm reception in Texas (double-meaning/insert weather joke here), and this is no different. We’ve loved being at THSC’s conference, and getting to keynote on the Escaping Into Reality was an honor.

Green Ember LIVE was LIVELY! We were really blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of the audience! Less an audience and more co-performers. They were singing along with so much joy, both kids and adults. Wow. So sweet.

I also really loved sharing the story with them. SO warm. So receptive, and so tuned into all the jokes and nuances of the short tale. I can’t remember having a better time performing this unpublished Green Ember story.

Maybe we need to take Green Ember LIVE to more places?

I’ve signed a LOT of books, and that means getting to meet each sweet kid and their wonderful families, and sharing some really special moments together. I am reminded each time of the big WHY of my work…

We’re loving and serving these kids and their families with hospitable, formative stories that delight and inspire and bless.

It’s so sweet to see so much fruit here in Texas. I’m grateful to God.

I also got to see my pal, Carolyn Leiloglou (terrific author of the award-winning Restorationists trilogy). She’s so great. You should get her books!

And thanks, all you beautiful Texas people, and all the folks here. Thanks, Susan Macias especially. I’m so grateful for your hospitality and kindness. We loved being here.

Texas forever.

Donald B. Roberts has no children or grandchildren

Donald B. Roberts has no children or grandchildren to remember him. But I will hold him in my heart, and so, I hope, will you.

In the middle of the last century, young Americans went to war in Europe to stop the fascist Hitler from conquering the continent and enslaving all to his perverse nationalist socialism. My grandfather, Clair Shadwell Smith signed up as soon as he could. Inspired by hearing Churchill’s speeches over the radio at seventeen, he had almost hitchhiked to Canada to join the British cause. He would always say that Winston Churchill saved the world. Clair, who would later be known as “Papaw” to me and his many other loving descendants, joined up and was soon sent to England to serve in the U.S. Army Aircorps.

Don Roberts was Papaw’s best friend in the service. They laughed together, worked together, and made plans to visit each other’s homes. Don was from New York, and Clair was from West Virginia.

Papaw was a ball-turret gunner on the B-17, Hells Angels Out of Chute 13. Don was a top turret gunner and engineer on the B-17, Omar the Dentmaker. Clair Smith lived to see VE Day and came home to build a family.

Don was killed in action over Pas de Calais, France on March 26, 1944.

Don was never married, nor had children to carry on his name. He was twenty-two years old.

Clair Smith’s first son is my father, whom he named Don Smith.
My dad, an honored combat veteran himself, also named his oldest son Don. Don Roberts’ name carries on, in a way, and his memory is alive.

I think of him and the countless others like him, who gave the “last full measure of devotion,” and laid down their lives for a noble cause.

President Lincoln said at Gettysburg that the honored dead don’t need to be dedicated, but we all do. The living.

We remember Donald Behrn Roberts. We remember them all.

May light perpetual shine upon Don Roberts.

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