What are your favorite afternoon adventures? Do you love planting a garden of wildflowers? Cooking a gourmet meal? Maybe you enjoy sanding an old board so you can build something new. How about strapping on a parachute and flinging yourself into blue sky thousands of feet up? Umm, I’m starting to feel queasy … Fortunately, I love writing. My imagination can soar through the clouds while my feet stay rooted to the ground. I have friends who are quilters, photographers, musicians, decorators … and the list goes on. Everyone has a different idea of adventure, but behind each of our passions are experiences and people who contributed to that love.…

What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? Here in eastern North Carolina, we have some delicious choices. Nestled on a side street in the lovely coastal town of Beaufort, the Beaufort Grocery offers a crab sandwich that’s out of this world. Sautéed crab cakes with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a rémoulade sauce on a flaky croissant–yes, please. The Chelsea in beautiful, historic New Bern has a club sandwich that’s a go-to in our family–warm pita bread piled high with turkey, cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce, and raspberry mayo. Wow! And of course, let’s not forget the cupcake sandwich … you know, what you make when you’re in the car with no napkins…

Blue sky, bright sun, and mild temperatures promised the perfect spring day. I gripped the leash of my eighty-five pound lab and we headed out for our early morning walk. Though I pray while we walk, my prayers are sometimes scattered, something like “Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy and … no, Gibbs, leave it!” We live in a neighborhood with patches of woods between the houses, and Gibbs always manages to pull me to underbrush as he picks up scents of deer and rabbits. Today was no exception. As we rounded a curve, Gibbs veered toward a wooded area. He poked around branches, leaves, and a log resting on…

In The Secret of Jenny’s Portrait, Jenny fears a future with Joe because of the danger of his work with the FBI. The “what-if’s” threaten to cloud her faith. In our own lives, how many times do we do the same? What if I lose my job? What if I get sick? What if something happens to my family? Do we choose fear or faith? When we allow fear and uncertainty to become our focus, we stop looking at Jesus, the all-powerful One. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, found himself in the same situation on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 14:28-30 tells us Peter got out of his boat, intending…