Artist's Lane

How it used to be isn’t how it is

I showed up for a scheduled nuclear stress test in Durango with my entourage, my family. We travel as a family to the doctor, dentist and hospital. We have had to change as life has changed. …

Leaving this place with dignity

I told my writer friend we need to finish strong. We can’t quit writing. Someone needs our words to give them courage to fulfill their lives. We should be living our days for others, hone our …

Gratitude for the core of our community

Spring and summer guests will soon fill our streets, scurrying in and out of stores and shops. Winter has passed and a new season is about to burst into our little town of Pagosa. We will soon …

An email from a friend

I received an email. The subject line read “Emptiness.” I stopped and re-read the first two lines again. Mark Craine told me his precious wife, Wanda, went home to be with Jesus. He …

In the making: the final brushstroke

I scrambled for something to write about for the next deadline. I’d been in the hospital for four days from this horrible respiratory syncytial virus. Time to pull myself up by the strings …

We’re not that easy to love

Love brings struggle. Life is hard at best. But, God is love and He draws us to Himself in love. So, two loves struggle to become one. Poets speak of love. “It’s better to have loved …

The mystery of regathering a nation

On Oct. 7, 2023, pictures of devastation flashed across the television screen. Hamas militants launched a massive surprise attack against Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking civilian hostages. We …

Delivering a hard message

Have you faced a moment you couldn’t explain? God has propelled me out of my comfort at times, and I knew the heavens were raging and were agitated. I could sense the outburst from God …

Press on to the top of the hill

The family called, excited over a feel-good film they had just watched. My Sweet Al and I must see “The Hill” with Dennis Quaid.   “The Hill” is a 2023 American …

They walk on high places

Our daughter came home Sunday morning with sermon notes. “God doesn’t call qualified people. He calls them and then He qualifies them.” It’s so true; it’s the Holy …

Learning from stray bullets

The proverbial bullet came from nowhere. Ricocheting through my whole body, ripping through the files of my mind, I wondered what on earth happened. I’ve dodged a lot of bullets, but this one …

Plenty of food in the pantry

“Don’t open your Christmas card until I tell you what’s on my mind.” I passed out a card to each of the 12 members of the family. I wondered how they would react when they …

The broken hallelujah

Hello, 2025. Take a deep breath. The sun came up just like the Lord promised it would. Start this year with a clean slate. Leave behind all the trouble that consumed you in 2024. It’s time to …

Stay true to yourself

Does anyone remember the old Victoria Magazine? In the ‘80s, I could hardly wait for the next issue. Every word, watercolor and poem drew me in. The vintage handwriting, the soft pastel …

The heart of truth

“Back behind me on the trail of time, there is a place that is sacred to me. Sometimes I go there in my mind and I look upon it thankfully,” Steve Chapman wrote in one of his lyrics. …

The old oak tree wept

This morning, sitting in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, my attention turned to the daily Bible study from a hunting devotional book I read to my Sweet Al every morning. An avid …

From a sow’s ear to a silk purse

“We comin’.” “We don’t want you.” “We comin’ anyway. We here.” Deion Sanders dug his feet into Colorado soil and planted them on the CU …

How to live in unity God’s way

Unity is on my mind. Jesus is in my heart.

It’s about staying in the race

When life changes direction on us and we wait for the dust to settle, there is a redefining moment ­— a time to reevaluate and rethink who we are, what we’ve lost, and how to move …

Stories behind the music

When our children walk through the front door, they hear western music. Kitty Wells sings, “As I sit here tonight, the jukebox’s playing the tune about the wild side of life. It …

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