Mark Morelli is a meaning maker with a love of mystery and humor. He must have read Jesus' parables many times since a few of his short tales have that same snap, crackle, and pop of surprise. In his introduction, Morelli admits that he loves words and his mission is to open our eyes to them and "life's biggest, joys, sorrows, and conflicts."

Like all of us, the author deals on a daily basis with the sacred and the profane. It takes a lot of energy. But Morelli is up to the task as demonstrated in the first tale about a broken umbrella.

After each story, there is a section called "The Conversation Continues" where he poses some questions and challenges us to put ourselves in the stories. These are great starters for journaling, social media posts, book clubs, classrooms, and coffee klatches. The best thing about Effwords is that the mysteries are given the reverence and respect they deserve!