Six weeks with Summer Sarah, my ukulele, and I feel complete. God meets me at Fort Monroe every sunset, and now He's sending strangers who stop to listen to my songs.
Faith & Mental Health
Getting Right with God: A Beach Encounter That Changed Everything
A mysterious man named Ray at Fort Monroe Beach asked me a simple question that cut straight to my heart: "You want a husband? Then you need to get right with God." Here's how that encounter became a prayer.
Finding Peace in Uncertain Times: When Home Feels Far Away
Homelessness taught me that peace isn't about where you sleep—it's about what you carry inside. Here's how I learned to find rest even when everything felt unstable.
Purging the Past to Prepare for the Future: Moving Forward Light
On my last night in South Carolina before moving back to Virginia, Mama Sue helped me pack and gave me wisdom: 'You're purging the past to prepare for the future.' Here's why I'm packing light.
Summer Shift: When Teacher Becomes Storyteller
On Friday, I woke up a teacher for the last time in the foreseeable future. My classroom is now boxed in my carport storage, an easy fit. The question was what to do with my rolling teacher desk. My principal called it the Cadillac of carts, I called it my classroom on wheels, and my students called it fidget toy one-stop-shopping. I unpacked it in the carport, put the screws back in, looked around at the sea of green and blue country, heard the birds, felt the breeze, and realized I’d unlocked the greatest writing real estate.
What the Botanical Gardens Taught Me About Leaving Teaching
Walking among mountain laurels with my adopted South Carolina mom, I discovered I might be a hybrid tea rose—capable of blooming two different ways. Here's what garden wisdom taught me about career courage.
When Faith Moves Mountains: A Family’s Prayer Journey Through Medical Crisis (Repost)
Six years ago, my brother P.J. battled an ulcer that sought to make a widow of his wife and leave my nieces and nephew fatherless. My family battled right back in prayer, and God worked a miracle. Today, a similar circumstance reminds me of this story, where I raised an Ebenezer worth revisiting now.
When Death Comes on St. Patrick’s Day: Stories Interrupted
St. Patrick's Day will never be the same. This is the story of the day my world changed forever (twice!) and how love persists even when the person is gone.
From Generations of Gardens to God’s Sovereignty: A Legacy of Faith and Growth
My grandfather's tomato garden connected me to generations of Italian immigrants who knew that growing things meant trusting God's provision. Here's how tending plants taught me about God's sovereignty and my place in His eternal family tree.
The Power of Sharing Your Story: Depression and Connection
Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is share our cup—our story, our struggle, our hope. Here's why vulnerability creates the connections we desperately need.
Writer's Growth 