The Bible offers some rather odd images of God. One minute God is a rock and the next a rose; a loaf of bread and
I have spent a good number of years now wondering what it means to be a woman and be made in the image of God.
My band instrument was the cornet (sort of like a trumpet). While most students began playing in the 5th grade, my small elementary school did
Perhaps you are familiar with the writings of George MacDonald. I am particularly fond of his stories The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess
The story goes something like this: I was a toddler, long before the days of safety seats for children, and thus I was standing between
There are a few things I like to collect: Children’s books, tea pots, table cloths, fabric that I am pretty sure I will make something
To understand the heart of God, it may be helpful to understand the heart of a grandmother. In some ways, she has the heart of
My dad used to stand at the back door and holler for one of my brothers or my mom or me. His call meant there
When in childhood and tears were in order, I would sometimes cry in front of my bedroom mirror. Okay, so that was a little weird.
Pamela Graf Short counts her farm heritage as one of the great blessings of her life. On the Ohio homestead, she was surrounded by neighbors who understood the value of blessing one another with fellowship, kindness, generosity, and laughter. Many blessings in this book flow from her childhood memories. Others are gleaned from her diverse vocational history as a nurse, a teacher of world religions, a pastor, and a mother. “I think I am correct in saying that the first formal blessing given to me as a babe was Numbers 6:24-26: ‘May God bless you and keep you. May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God look kindly upon you and give you peace.’ And though blessed throughout my life, it was not until I read Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen’s My Grandfather’s Blessings that I really understood blessing as an unconditional gift of pure grace.”
Pamela is an ordained ministrer in the Presbyterian Church, USA, serving Jesus Christ through the Maumee Valley Presbytery (Ohio and Michigan). She and husband Peter are grateful to count their family as blessings: Benjamin and Lauren, Allison and Andrew, grandsons Samuel, Isaac, Nathan, and Jaden, whose brief earthly life broke open a mighty waterfall of love.
Gwen Stamm, the oldest of six children, grew up on a farm near Archbold, Ohio. Besides raising turkeys, her family cared for their pets, including cats and dogs, instilling in Gwen a sensitivity for the well-being of animals and all creatures of the natural world.
In addition to work on the farm, Gwen and two of her sisters closest in age spent much time in their early years singing as a trio, playing, and drawing cut-out families together.
When she was age nine or ten, Gwen’s mom and dad gave her a book of drawing instructions, a gift which has led her on a revelatory, vivid, colorful adventure of exploring with artistic creations ever since.
Gwen studied art and design at Hesston (Kansas) College and Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. She worked as a graphic designer at Goshen (Indiana) College and Mennonite Publishing House in Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Currently, she does freelance and volunteer art, design, and calligraphy projects for clients and the church she attends. She’s a member of the Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh, and occasionally attends calligraphy workshops which the guild offers.
Gwen lives in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Robert Eby, and their beloved orange tabby cat, Georgi.
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