Lori Roeleveld One of my favorite writers anywhere ever is Lori Roeleveld . I’ve had a writer crush on her since 2010, when I heard her share her story in a workshop at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference …and then listened as her name was called several times during the awards ceremony a few days later.  I discovered her blog, Deeper With Jesus in Rhode Island ,… [ read more ]

Lori Hatcher Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and she is responsible for my very first print article (and the two articles that followed it). I’ve had the privilege of working with Lori as an editor and it’s a delight to introduce her to you, not as an editor, but as the author of a… [ read more ]

I lay on my son’s bed, his little head on his pillow, his little hand clasping my bicep. His fresh from a bath scent filled the air. A more peaceful and idyllic scene you’d be hard pressed to imagine. Except … I was weary. Not sleepy. Weary. I lay there, berating myself for wanting to… [ read more ]

What You Eat on Whole30 Did you catch Dr. Oz on Thursday ? I don’t watch him often, but I set the DVR because of the segment on Whole30 . I’ve done two Whole30s in the past six months and the results have been pretty awesome. So awesome that I’ve started getting a lot of questions about my health journey. I’ve hit the… [ read more ]

Coming in last. I hate it. Really hate it. Maybe you do, too? Have you ever thought about why you hate it? I have and I’ve boiled it down to a simple statement. I’m afraid. Ick. It’s safer to say that we hate to come in last. It doesn’t sound quite as pitiful as admitting… [ read more ]

Yep. That’s me. Deadlifting 190 pounds. I joined Five Forks CrossFit in November. I know. I’m surprised, too. My husband’s been doing CrossFit for years, but when a new box (that’s what a CrossFit facility is called) opened a few miles away, he finally convinced me to give it a try. I love it. Well, except for the… [ read more ]

It’s finished. Well…for the most part. Nine weeks and two days after the pipes burst (that’s 65 days folks – not that I’ve been counting or anything), the construction has been completed.  I’m ecstatic. I’m also exhausted, and a bit apprehensive, because there is still so much to do. Oh, the construction is finished. The… [ read more ]

It snowed on my renovation. Twice. I live in South Carolina. This kind of winter weather occurs maybe once a decade. But just let my house get torn apart, let me be waiting for paint and granite, let me get to a point where people are watching me for signs of imminent implosion, and then,… [ read more ]

I love figure skating. It’s one of my favorite parts of the Winter Olympics, right up there with curling, because let’s face it, curling is cool. Anyway. Figure skating has seen its share of drama, some of which led to a complete overhaul of the scoring system a few years ago. Now, the skater sits… [ read more ]

I saw it in his eyes. The flash of confusion followed hard by disappointment. His five-year-old heart sank as he examined the new Lego Fire Truck complete with firemen, hoses, and a house with the roof ablaze. He looked at me and my heart melted when he said, so low I could barely hear him,… [ read more ]