A Bit About Me

If you were here, I’d probably invite you to have coffee (or tea, if you’d prefer). We’d go to a little café, find a quiet table, and settle in for a bit.

I’d ask you, “Where are you from? Who do you love? Out of all the people in the world, what makes you ‘YOU’?”

I believe every person is like a book, written by God, and turning the pages is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.

And if you asked me those questions in return, this is what I’d say...

I was born and raised in the South. But I believe we really come from people more than places. That being said, I’m the latest in a long line of generations who value faith, kindness, and hard work.

I’m especially like my Grandpa Hollie. I’ve got his name and a bit of his spunk. He had a Christian bookstore for thirty-five years with my Grandma who is now in heaven. I think I fell in love with words sitting in the back of their shop surrounded by the smell of coffee and paper.

The second time I really fell in love was with my husband Mark. We met in college and have been married almost ten years. He’s my friend, partner, and the one who keeps my feet on the ground (which allows me to have my head right where I like it—in the clouds).

You can’t live on love alone so I’d also tell you I’m a Senior Editorial Director and Writer for DaySpring and (in)courage. Through the years I’ve written over 2,000 cards, lots of devotionals, journals, articles, and a variety of other projects.

I also recently had my first devotional book published by Summerside Press. It’s called Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times. That’s another conversation over coffee because it came out of a personal storm Mark and I have walked through the last five years.

As if life wasn’t busy enough, I’m also finishing up a masters degree in counseling. I’m doing an internship through the women’s ministry and counseling center of my church. I think my clients are brave, strong, and some of the wisest teachers I’ve ever had.

Then I’d add, “But really I’m just a messy, mixed-up, saved-by-grace girl who makes it each day in spite of herself.” (If you’d like specific examples, just read my very first post.)

By then our drinks would be gone. We’d push back from the table and give each other a hug (if you’re the hugging kind, of course). Then I’d walk with you outside and say, “I hope we can connect again soon.”

And I do, I really do.