Hope you'll come along for the journey as we launch Ember Rising: The Green Ember Book III into the world! … [Read more...] about Sam (S. D.) and Gina Smith Announce Launch Dates for Ember Rising: The Green Ember Book III!
Home. Life.
A Cathedral of Words
I wrote this little poem in a minute while listening to a man talk about how bygone builders approached the architecture of angels. He spoke of how they built grand spires and sacred spaces with an expansive imagination for the ages. He challenged us to consider what we were building. Would it last? I thought, I am only telling stories to children. And this came out. It will have to serve for now … [Read more...] about A Cathedral of Words
Marginal Faith: You Probably Should Be Doing Less
Have you ever read a book that was inviting and endearing, but the words ran all the way to the edge of the book? Probably not. Stories without margins are nearly impossible to enjoy reading. It’s the same with life stories. Margin is not the wasted space on the page where more words could have gone if only we would knuckle-down and work harder. Margin is the place where the words we carefully … [Read more...] about Marginal Faith: You Probably Should Be Doing Less
Think Small: Pick Only a Few Things. Do Those With All Your Heart.
Scholars agree that the Crane Technique, if done right, cannot be defended. Mr. Miyagi pointed this out in the Eighties and it’s since been tested by roughly every single one of the humans who were boys in that era. I refer, of course, to that cinematic masterpiece, The Karate Kid. After I saw that movie, I ran around kicking air, punching boards, and, most importantly, trying out the Crane … [Read more...] about Think Small: Pick Only a Few Things. Do Those With All Your Heart.
An Ogre’s Castle and My Own Cottage
I’m writing this in the Forge. A bluejay is bouncing outside my window in front of an ambling caravan of deer. Squirrels range through the trees behind and the leaf-strewn trampoline sits there pouting, waiting for children to liven up its otherwise sedentary life. I have so much to be grateful for. God has been profoundly kind to me, even amid challenging and painful times. Life is hard for all … [Read more...] about An Ogre’s Castle and My Own Cottage
This Smith Has a Forge: My Writing Hut Is Ready
Say Hello To My Little…Forge Over four years ago, I wrote about the possibility of us buying our next-door neighbor’s home and the little shed that came with it. It was a long-time dream of ours to turn that shed into a little office for me. A writer’s hut. That dream is coming true. The little building was once a well-house, but has been used as a garden shed for decades. (I wish I could locate … [Read more...] about This Smith Has a Forge: My Writing Hut Is Ready
Why It Matters
Why do the arts matter? Why does Beauty matter? I don't believe I have ever heard a better explanation than the song Why It Matters, by Sara Groves. I can still remember Gina coming to me years ago while I typed away at my first novel, battling discouragement (as always), and saying, "This song is what you're doing." I hope so! Even if it's just in a small way for a few people, I hope so. We … [Read more...] about Why It Matters
A Good Year
It was a good one. Yes, 2014 was a wonderful year for us for so many reasons. There was pain and darkness, like always in the world as it is, but overall it felt like a year of healing and hope, of rest and new life. It was a year of surprising adventures and, as the man who loved cliches once said, dreams come true. Last year was a year of lasting goodness. I loved it. May I have another, … [Read more...] about A Good Year