The Stories We Live – Page 4 – Mountain Brook Ink

[Angela Ruth Strong] Save the Pets

Jun 12, 2020Angela StrongAngela Ruth Strong, Author Posts, Personal Stories, Story Behind the Story, The Stories We Livedogs, pets, The CafFUNated Mysteries, writing with pets

I have to admit I was a little surprised when a reviewer said Ranger was her favorite character in A Latte Difficulty since, you know, Ranger is a dog. But this made me think of all the pets I’ve written into books. Honestly, I added dogs to my CafFUNAted Mysteries for two reasons: 1.) I…

[Melanie Campbell] In God’s Timing

Jun 10, 2020MelanieC2 CommentsAuthor Posts, Melanie Campbell, Personal Stories, Story Behind the Story, The Stories We Liveanswered prayer, Family Stories, inspiration from family, music

This picture…it’s an answered prayer. A little over a year ago I began writing One Way Home, the second book in my Whispers of Grace series. In the story, Sharon, a recovering alcoholic, lives with her only daughter and granddaughter. Part of the story line is about their relationship. The character of Sharon is inspired…

[Bryan Davis] Fathers of Comfort

Jun 6, 2020BryanDAuthor Posts, Bryan Davis, Power of Story, The Stories We LiveChildren, Comfort, fatherhood, fathers day, Parenting, Trusting God

Fear of the unknown surrounds the young; strange shapes in the darkness, creepy sounds in the night, slithering creatures under the bed or in the closet. They all work together to make little hands clench the sheets and yank them over their heads until the dawn of the next day. The worries of the world—political…

[Richard Spillman] Victory

May 8, 2020Alyssa RoatAuthor Posts, Devotional, Personal Stories, Richard Spillman, The Stories We LiveAll Things for Good, Evangelism, God's Guidance, Teaching, Volunteering

I taught at Pacific Lutheran University for 35 years. A few years in, I committed myself to dedicate the first five minutes of each class to telling my students a story about God’s work in my life. I would tell my students that while the technical material we were going to cover in class is…

[Starr Ayers] Living Out Loud

Apr 20, 2020StarrA4 CommentsAuthor Posts, Devotional, Encouragement, Starr Ayers, The Stories We LiveEncouragement, letter writing, letters, Starr Ayers, Testimonies

Letter writing may be a lost art, but there is one letter we will all write.

[Jeanette-Marie Mirich] Life Interrupted

Apr 8, 2020Alyssa RoatAuthor Posts, Encouragement, Jeanette-Marie Mirich, Personal Stories, The Stories We LiveFollowing Jesus, Prayer, trials, Trusting God

When Henri Nouwen’s life was interrupted by the death of a loved one, confronted by poverty, his quiet monastic life by busyness, and his emotional safety by the collapse of a deep friendship, Nouwen, a Roman Catholic priest and spiritual writer asks in Beyond the Mirror, “Where is God? And Who is God for me?”…

[Susan Kimmel Wright] These Are the Times Set for Us

Apr 4, 2020SusanW4 CommentsEncouragement, Personal Stories, The Stories We Live, Thoughts & Things1918 Flu Epidemic, coronavirus, Courage, COVID-19, faith, Family Stories, Grandmothers, Grandparents, Great Flu Epidemic, pandemic, Strength

Maybe we rode a subway to work in the city or got up to feed the chickens. Coronavirus’s new restrictions and fears have changed our lives in a heartbeat. Hunkering down under a stay-at-home order, I can’t help thinking about a long-ago conversation with my grandma Blanche, who survived the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918.…

[Sara Davison] What I Learned Selling my Books in a Bar

Dec 12, 2019Alyssa Roat1 CommentAuthor Posts, Personal Stories, Sara Davison, The Stories We LiveGod's Calling, Outreach, Unexpected Influence

As soon as we walked into the room, we knew we were wasting our time. A friend of mine and I had been invited to have a book table at an event in our city. Neither of us knew much about what the event actually was, but since it was late November and they were…

[Gayla K. Hiss] A Wild Encounter

Oct 3, 2019Nikki Wright3 CommentsGayla K. Hiss, The Stories We Liveadventures, National Parks, South Dakota, Wind Cave National Park

Last June, my husband Jeff and I took an RV road trip to several national parks in the Dakotas. Having recently completed my latest book, COLD PURSUIT, which is set in Yellowstone National Park and features bison in the story, I was delighted to see bison in the wild, roaming freely throughout the buttes and…

[Susan Page Davis] When Routine Just Doesn’t Work

Sep 5, 2019Nikki Wright2 CommentsSusan Page Davis, The Stories We LiveCrises, Flexibility, Prioritizing, Time Management

“Some writers thrive on routine, and I’m one of them. Every day I like to get to my desk early and work for several hours, then have the rest of the day free for family time, household chores, and other pastimes. But earlier this year, my routine was blown away. My husband, Jim, suffered a heart attack and had to undergo major surgery—even though I was on a deadline.”