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.
Faith & Mental Health
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.
Should I Stop Blogging? Finding Authenticity When Faith Falls Apart
Six months after my life imploded, I'm rebuilding from the ground up without the foundation of childhood faith. Here's why I keep blogging through the uncertainty—because authenticity matters more than having it all together.
When Your Love Story Doesn’t Look Like Everyone Else’s
My fairy tale ended, my faith wavered, but love didn't disappear—it just showed up in places I never expected. Sometimes the best love lives are the ones that don't fit the mold.
When Prince Charming Moves to Germany Alone: Ending a Volume
While everyone was watching the royal wedding, I was trying to figure out how to explain why there wouldn't be another one in July. Sometimes love stories end differently than we planned.
When God Changes Your Plans: How I Learned to Say Yes to Germany
We had our whole life mapped out in Arlington when God dropped Germany on our doorstep. Here's what I learned about trusting a path you never asked to walk.
Writer's Growth 