When I was four, I was my big brother’s little shadow. He was five, so he was older and braver than I was. He hated our big sister’s red dress, and he was determined to destroy it. One day when my brother and I were alone in our house, he found daddy’s matches, opened the […]

Have you ever been on a journey and been excited about your destination, until you were met by one obstacle after another? Perhaps you had a flat tire or were stuck behind a long line of slow-moving traffic. Maybe the bridge was out, and you had to follow a detour through unfamiliar territory. Maybe you

As a child, I looked forward to our Fourth of July celebrations. We enjoyed picnics or cookouts with family and friends at the lake, the park, or the beach. My parents taught us to respect our flag and be grateful for the freedoms we have in America. We learned that freedom isn’t free. People paid

On Father’s Day, my mind was filled with memories of three wonderful fathers who have been a blessing in my life. I’m writing this in honor of them. My earthly father, Carmelo Marrone, was born in New York City to Italian immigrants from Sicily. Dad taught me to love my family and my country. He

On Memorial Day millions of people celebrate with cookouts, barbecues, and fireworks. Many of them have forgotten or have never been taught that this is a special day. This is a day to remember the brave soldiers who died while serving our country and to honor their sacrifice. We must do our part to protect

I discovered chewing gum when I was only three. I loved to chew it in the morning, in the afternoon, and even in the evening. It was so tasty; it seemed like a great idea to chew it at night, too. But Mama always told me, “Don’t go to bed with gum in your mouth.”

2020 was a challenging year for most of us. In addition to health and financial struggles, many dealt with canceled plans, unmet goals, and unfulfilled dreams. Some even struggled with grief from losing a loved one. As the year came to a close, I thought that surely 2021 would be better. Sadly, putting up a

I’ve struggled to write my first blog post and sometimes even wondered why I was doing this. I’ve never had a blog before. Why start one now, at my age? Then I remembered. The Lord called me to write. I still wasn’t sure what to write about, so I prayed, and I waited, until a

  For years I thought about writing a blog, but I couldn’t decide what to write about. I read many wonderful blogs about a variety of topics, but none of them inspired me to write my own. Instead, I focused on writing stories, novels, and picture books. When it was time to submit my books