Pencil in His Hand: A Mother's Journal of Stories, Thoughts, and Poems.

  Salvation Stories: Lizzie. Free Christian Story. Jesus Saves. Lizzie Lizzie walked automatically to her usual spot: a small round table in a quiet corner of the popular coffee shop. The waitress gave her a questioning smile, and Lizzie nodded and forced her lips into an upward curve. By the time her scented tea had arrived, Lizzie's laptop was already open, and a spreadsheet dominated the screen. She may have fooled the waitress, but she couldn't fool herself: the numbers on the screen were as jumbled as her thoughts. If she didn't get her act together soon, her job would be a mess just like everything else in her life. Her perfect pink gel nails tapped the keyboard. Outwardly, she appeared poised and professional. Inwardly, she was on the  point of collapse. If only she could go back: undo the sordid mess she'd made of everything. If only she could wipe the look of disgust off of Pete's face. But she couldn't. Her choices had seen to that. "Everything fi...

  Salvation Stories: Leo The atmosphere in the city was growing steadily more unsettled; uneasy. People walked where they needed to go with nervous energy, eyes on their screens. Leo had always been sensitive. Perhaps he felt more; thought more. Perhaps that was a good thing, but he often doubted it. He couldn't just bury his head in cloud cuckoo land like most people did. He was like a dog with a bone: he'd lay his questions aside, only to pick them up again. Someone, he thought, must surely have the answers. "Where are you headed?" His friend Zane lifted his eyes from his screen for a moment. "It must be important for you to walk so fast." "The bookshop. I need a Bible." Zane stopped abruptly. "You need a Bible?" "I've been doing some research. The Bible may have some answers to my questions about where the world is headed." Leo began walking again, and Zane kept pace. He shook his head. "Don't go down that route,...

  Changed Lives Part Seven "Sixteen weeks along, now, Wren. It's time for your first ultrasound." Wren's doctor opened her file. "Would the two of you like to know the sex the baby?" "Yes. We would. Gretchen is dying to know if she can buy pink." Wren laughed. "It would be nice, doctor, but it's OK with us if you can't see." "Girl or boy is fine with us." Jasper added. Once gel had been smoothed over Wren's belly, the doctor began his examination. Wren and Jasper's eyes were glued to the screen.  "There's the heart." The doctor told them. "And it's beating good and strong." With his help, Wren and Jasper's baby appeared before them as it floated in its temporary home.  "Ah. I see." The doctor took a second look, then nodded. "It's a girl. Definitely a girl." "A girl. Oh, Jasper. A girl." Wren stared at the screen. She was really having a baby. A sw...

  Changed Lives Part Six (A little early. :) The last part will be posted tomorrow, and stand alone stories and other posts will commence again from Monday, God willing.) Eli's heart felt a great deal lighter as he entered the Chapel. He was no longer bound to the legalistic church he'd attended for so many years. Perhaps now, he would finally be able to settle down. That is, once he'd spoken to Pastor Roberts. He felt the need to be part of a church, and something about the Chapel felt right. After the service, Eli shook hands with the pastor. The man's friendly handshake put him at his ease. "Pastor, I'd like to become a member here. You see, I've left Mount Sinai officially. Now I need a new church home." "Have a seat, Eli." Pastor Roberts gestured to a pew. "It always makes me happy when people say they need a church home. If there's one thing people need apart from sound Biblical teaching, it's fellowship. I need to ask you ...

  Changed Lives Part Five A couple of weeks later, Gretchen headed to the popular farmer's market. She'd fed her guests well with a full English breakfast: now the dishwasher was loaded, and Gretchen was looking forward to her outing. Homemade preserves were on her list, as well as free range eggs, and the usual vegetables. She smiled as she wondered what else she might find. Perhaps a handmade baby blanket? Wren was about four months along now and Gretchen could hardly wait for the little one's arrival.  The thought of buying something for the little one was so much on her mind that she stopped by the crafters' stands first. There were plenty of booties and other hand knitted baby clothes on display, but Gretchen's eyes were drawn to the crochet afghans. One made up of pink, gray, and white granny squares caught her eye. She wished she knew whether the baby was a girl or a boy. She selected a pretty white matinée set instead to put away. Gretchen decided to wander ...

  Changed Lives Part Four Eli had settled on a hire tractor for the moment. That Monday, he put it to good use leveling and grading the sizeable piece of ground he'd marked off for his barn. As he worked he mulled over the weekend. First, his visit with the Merton's and Gretchen, the happy news, and the interesting conversation they'd had over coffee. That conversation had led him to do something he'd never thought he'd do. He had attended not only one, but two services at the Chapel on Sunday. He'd come away convinced that something was seriously wrong with his own church. At the Chapel, he'd met up with the Merton's and with Gretchen again. They, along with the pastor and other folk, had welcomed him warmly. After the service, Eli had spoken for some time with the Pastor, and he'd come away with a great deal to think about. *** Eli finished grading, then headed for his truck. He needed to fetch his first load of timber from the hardware store. Putt...

Changed Lives Part Three It was Monday, and all the bed and breakfast's guests had left that morning. Gretchen felt free to sing "Blessed Assurance" as loudly as she wanted to whilst she changed the sheets. Her bed and breakfast, Gretchen's Getaway, boasted three double rooms and two singles. All of the bedrooms had at least a partial mountain view, as Kelby was encircled by them. Shade and fruit trees also graced the view, along with flowering shrubs and an ample lawn. Gretchen's guests could enjoy the country sunsets from the gazebo or enjoy the splash pool on hot days. The house, a gracious old lady, had been in her family for years. Gretchen, who'd never married, lived in the granny flat, but she loved pottering about in the house, cooking in the spacious kitchen, and making her guests feel at home. Her next guests would only be arriving on Wednesday, so she had plenty of time to give all of the bedrooms and bathrooms a good clean. If she worked quickly, s...

  Introduction Dearest Readers, Welcome once more to Kelby, the quaint town we recently visited as we got to know Wren, from Wren Comes Home. I thought that you might enjoy spending more time in this peaceful place. Who can resist blue-purple coloured mountains, fruit trees, and grape vines? Don't forget Wren and Jasper's spot, the stream, which bubbles along near old fruit trees. Of course, you'll enjoy strolling through Kelby itself, with its Victorian cottages complete with broekie lace, oak flooring, and deep cool verandahs. These old houses were built a long, long time ago using local stone, which keeps them lovely and cool during the hot summers. Wren has moved into Jasper's house, which is a lot like the one I've just described. It has a breathtaking view of the mountains on the other side of the valley, and has a garden filled with peach trees. You will often find Wren and Jasper enjoying the cool of the evening on their verandah. I'll let you pop in and...

  Author's note: This story has been translated from the original Afrikaans. Translation can be a tricky thing, and sometimes things get lost. :) I hope you are still encouraged by this Haifa inspired read. I lived there for a while as a little girl. An Au Pair In Israel It sounded as though the doves in the fir trees knew that it was nap time. Their soft and tender song echoed through the garden, a fitting soundtrack for a toddler to nap by. Adeleen Pelser was relieved to reach the apartment as she carried a sleepy toddler on one hip whilst carrying the stroller. Here in Haifa, she thought, you had to be fit. It's a busy city built on a hill, that even has a cable car. But Adeleen was young, and she'd excelled at netball at her South African school. For most of her life, she'd dreamed of seeing the world and writing and vlogging about her adventures. She'd saved nearly all of her waitressing money from the age of sixteen. With a bit of help from her parents, she...

  Dear Readers, After completing Wren Comes Home, which turned out to be a longer short story of over 6 000 words, I decided to make it available to you here for free.  Enjoy! And please share the story and the blog. Thank you. :) With love and prayers, Alison *** Wren Comes Home A Short Story By Alison Lawrence ♡♡♡ Copyright Copyright owner: Alison Lawrence. All rights reserved. This story is the intellectual property of Alison Lawrence, and may not be copied, sold, or published elsewhere. To share, please share this page/blog. Wren Comes Home is a fictional story. No resemblance to any real people or places is intended. Date of publication: 2023 Scripture quotes from: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ® (ESV ®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway. ♡♡♡ Dedication To my church family. ♡♡♡ Author's Note: The timing of the seasons in this story is in line with that of the Southern Hemisphere. ♡♡♡ Chapter One Wren Blakeway smiled fondly at her class. All was peaceful in the group...