Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 35

Tenterhooks

It’s All About the Color…Sometimes

My mice died. Both of them! The touch-pad on my computer and my Bluetooth one. No, nothing furry or creepy-cute. But, I felt like crying and cursing when my cursor stopped responding to my cues. Now, I have a cobalt blue mouse. And it matches the keyboard. And the pen. But, I didn’t pick the… Continue reading It’s All About the Color…Sometimes

Second Sunday of Advent: Peace

This reading for the second Sunday of Advent appears in While Bethlehem Sleeps: A Poetic Advent Devotional. Peace: An Essential Lesson Second Sunday of Advent Often our peace of mind is interrupted. Maybe a recent job loss causes discouragement. Perhaps decisions cause worry. Or, as this story shared by Charles Swindoll illustrates, we encounter irritation… Continue reading Second Sunday of Advent: Peace

The First Sunday of Advent: Hope

The following excerpt, originally presented and written by my father Paul L. H. Olson for a Sunday School series for Advent, appears in While Bethlehem Sleeps: A Poetic Advent Devotional. Hope: An Anticipatory Lesson First Sunday of Advent Shortly after publishing While Bethlehem Sleeps, Penny posed this question to her family during an Advent season… Continue reading The First Sunday of Advent: Hope

Sparkle

While Bethlehem Sleeps: Author’s Note

For every book, there is a story behind the story. Here is the one behind While Bethlehem Sleeps: A Poetic Advent Devotional. Author’s Note             In 1995, my mother asked me to write the poem for her Christmas card. “Christmas Wonder” was that poem, and it remains a personal favorite. Since then, I have written… Continue reading While Bethlehem Sleeps: Author’s Note

Sludge

While Bethlehem Sleeps

The Happiness Dare by Jennifer Dukes Lee

Five Stars I bought this book at a local writers conference for Christian authors. I’ve read several books about happiness in the past year. But, I liked the approach this book takes in matching our sense of intrinsic happiness with our personal style and by exchange how we can understand one another better through seeing… Continue reading The Happiness Dare by Jennifer Dukes Lee

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Five Stars The Call of the Wild by Jack London calls to me every time I read it.  Seeing life through the eyes of animals has always intrigued me, and understanding Buck’s perspective is truly an analysis of human nature at its best and worst. This story inspired me to write my own literary short story… Continue reading The Call of the Wild by Jack London