From the Desk of Darlene N. Böcek Faith-building Fantasy, Sci-fi & Speculative Stories Dear Reader, I’ve been wrestling with something for a long time, and I want to share it with you candidly. Over the past few years, we’ve all sensed it—that slow pull of the apps, the scroll that never ends, the way our attention is quietly siphoned away. Johann Hari wrote in Stolen Focus, “the algorithm has one driving principle: show you what keeps you looking.” Not what builds you up. Not what roots you...

From the Desk of Darlene N. Böcek Faith-building Fantasy, Sci-fi & Speculative Stories Let the Merry Holidays Begin! As we enter into the season of Christmas, as we begin to focus on the birth of our savior, here are some wise words I read yesterday from Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians. “Wherefore, when thou art terrified by the majesty of God, or when thou thinkest upon God’s judgment, unless thou hast Christ, thou wilt despair. Then straightway imagine Christ, the true and natural...

From the Desk of Darlene N. Böcek Faith-building Fantasy, Sci-fi & Speculative Stories Happy Thanksgiving on Thursday! Hey Reader, My daughter has been experimenting with Pumpkin Pie recipes--So for about a week and a half we ate Pumpkin Pie every day. Yumm!** The good news--we found the perfect one! The better news--it also happens to be Monica's recipe (If you know you know 😉). Then she moved on to Apple Pie. She made a dairy-free apple pie and sugar free/gluten free apple pie for me...