Stay Home Stay Safe

If you're like me, you can't quit watching the news. Over and over we're asked to stay home if we can.

Many in my family work in health care. Tim, Bill, Scott, and Chris. They don't have the freedom to skip work or work from home. The best way we can help those on the front lines is to pray for them and stay home.

Please friends, stay home.

What Are You Focusing On These Days?

Shay Vaughn is a friend of mine, and she gave me permission to share this with you.

This was heavy on my heart this morning and I just had to share.

God is trying to show us something. Hear me out...
- Yesterday Italy woke up with low pollution and saw clean water in their canals and fish in them for the first time in almost 60 years.

God wants us to know he is making something NEW!

Though we may be fighting through the worst, Gods got this. He is bringing the world together by isolating everyone. He’s trying to get us to slow down and focus on the truly important things in life like your family and spending time doing some #selfcare.
Yes, that sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Though some are taking extreme advantage by stockpiling, most communities are coming together to make sure everyone is fed, being educated and offering childcare if their parents are still at work.
Communities are singing from their balconies in unison while being completely separated. This is what God wants of us. He wants us to lend a hand to our neighbors whether it been next door or across the world.

Some may disagree but this is what I’m seeing and it is amazing that God is turning this tragedy into his mighty work.

We may not be able to have church, but that is not stopping us. There is now a Tik Tok Church and it is reaching so so many. He is showing us all the good in this world!

Satan is driving this world apart!!!! It’s amazing our resilience is everyone just works together and does their part. That includes the fortunate and unfortunate. It may not be over and many have lost loved ones and I pray for those families but trust in him because he’s got this!

This came from my devotion this morning:
Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed by life, you always have two choices: you can focus on your circumstances, or fix your eyes on Jesus. If you choose to look to Jesus above everything else, you will begin to see that the storms you face are not nearly as powerful as the Savior choosing to walk through the storm alongside you.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33-34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God— the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your God.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:58-62‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Birthplace of Sweet Tea

I recently learned South Carolina is the birthplace of sweet tea. I hope you enjoy this charming video about the tea plantations and the history of this beverage that has been talked about and sung about. It's part of our culture.

Bite the Dust

Years of dreaming, praying, and lots of hard work have led to my first cozy mystery being published by BelleBooks. It's the first book in A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series.

Here's the back cover blurb:

One steamy South Carolina morning, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott discovers a client’s dead body. Police quickly decide she’s the prime suspect. Horrified, she knows she’ll have to turn detective if she’s going to convince them they’re barking up the wrong tree.

Proving her innocence could be a tall order. The local police never solved the hit-and-run that killed her parents; Andi Grace isn’t sure they’ll solve this crime either…not when they have a convenient suspect—one caught with the possible murder weapon in her hand. She’ll have follow every clue and call in every favor, even if that puts her in danger.

I've been asked to speak and sign books at Wesley Village in Wilmore, KY. If you're in the area on April 8 at 1:15, I'd love to meet you.

I'll also be signing books April 15 at The Lakes at Litchfield in Litchfield, South Carolina. I'm not sure about the time, but if you're interested I'll let you know.

While writing is hard work, it's also a joy. 

Through this journey I've been encouraged by my family and many good friends. 

Philemon 1:7 says, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people."

Sweetgrass Baskets

We got our first sweetgrass basket for a wedding gift. We knew it was a pretty basket, but we didn't understand the tradition and history of a sweetgrass basket. The baskets are a Gullah tradition.



West African slaves began weaving these baskets from bulrush which is a strong but supple marshgrass. The original purpose was to winnow rice from chaff on plantations.




Many people display these beautiful works of art in their homes. If you'd like to have a sweetgrass basket for yourself, they can be found at the Charleston City Market and many of the gift stores in South Carolina. There are many roadside stands where artisans sell baskets.