by Chris Manion | Apr 20, 2020 | Blog, Writing
What are unexpected wonderfuls? They are the balast for our lives these days. They are like lightning bugs to a child. Little surprises. New anchoring weights. Balance is missing if all we do is focus on avoiding the news or dwelling on it these days. I’m a...
by Chris Manion | Apr 4, 2020 | Blog, Writing
Facing your fear is a part of life these days. You find yourself distracted, unable to focus. Unable to work. To write. To do much of anything. Using an old pattern of thinking and analyzing things, you may view this pandemonium as avoidance and not facing your fear....
by Chris Manion | Mar 16, 2020 | Blog, Writing
Doing Lent together? Do you have a sense of this? Most of us go through Lent in a private way. Perhaps that’s not the best way. If you’ll join me in our Lenten journey together, I must tell you I’ve already failed my Lenten practice and it’s...
by Chris Manion | Mar 1, 2020 | Blog, Writing
It seemed improbable—growing a deep relationship with God who is patient while building a successful business. The business was a home-based one. As it grew, it required more and more of my time. I hired an assistant. My two children helped with minor office tasks. I...
by Chris Manion | Dec 19, 2019 | Blog, Writing
A successful story revolves around believable characters. Plot is important, but it’s the characters we think about and miss when we finish a good book. After writing non-fiction for decades, my wild side took over last month and I accepted an inner dare from my...
by Chris Manion | Nov 21, 2019 | Blog, Writing
Photo by x1klima The choices we make can haunt us. I have gone over the edge often, being one of those roll-your-eyes overachievers. I wrote in my memoir how my husband felt compelled to send me away for a weekend of rest because I had pushed myself too hard to use...
by Chris Manion | Nov 11, 2019 | Blog, Writing
Writing fiction. Yep. I’m giving it a shot. After I write this blog post. You don’t have to point out the procrastination. I’m watching myself do it. photo by Kaitlyn Baker You never know what you are capable of if you don’t stretch yourself....
by Chris Manion | Aug 27, 2019 | Blog
Have you ever heard of St. Padre Pio? I did not know of him until a kind friend, Shiela, introduced me to the magazine that tells of his many miracles. Padre Pio was a Capuchin monk born Francesco Forgione in Pietrelcina, located in southern Italy on May 25, 1887. His...
by Chris Manion | Jul 6, 2019 | Blog
Scripture teaches about first fruits. Stephen Covey teaches the concept of first things first in his best selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. The latter is a principle I’ve tried to follow over the past thirty years when prioritizing my tasks,...
by Chris Manion | May 31, 2019 | Blog, Writing
Books by Poets and Children’s Writers 1. e.e. cummings. Not sure, but I think it was his A Selection of Poems which was the first book I read of his and it forever changed how I viewed poetry and self-expression. His avant-garde approach, rule-breaking, and...
