About Me
Welcome to my corner of cyberworld!
We drink a lot of coffee here and we enjoy good conversation. Sometimes that conversation takes us to deep places where we puzzle out the mysteries of life, loss and faith. Just as often—maybe more often!—it involves a good laugh.
In my books, on my blog, on Instagram and in my speaking, we’ll talk about walking with Jesus and what’s happening at church. I’ll ask you about your life and faith, and I’ll share moments from mine. I’ll always have a new story about my four grandkids. Sometimes my two daughters, Becky and Lyn, and my husband Ed will appear in a tale as well. (Everything is grist for the writer's mill.) In both our strengths and our struggles, we’re probably a family much like yours.
And I’ll tell you all about the history of this town in Florida where I’ve spent the bulk of my life. I’ve got so much sand in my shoes it’s sometimes hard to walk! My hometown is a beautiful spot on Florida’s east central shoreline, and I’m so thankful to the pioneers in my family who chose to settle here. Back in the day, they founded a small business to grow and sell citrus fruit. As is the case with most family businesses, everybody, including me, pitched in. I majored in journalism in college and went on to be the publicist for the family’s gift fruit shipping business. In addition, Ed and I owned and operated a pharmacy two blocks from the beach. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this community so deeply and so long.
Of course, my church is one of the most important parts of the community for me and mine. As a Lay Speaker in the Methodist church for ten years, I've been blessed to have a variety of opportunities to serve.
I began writing personal essays two decades ago and never stopped. Two of my books, Faith Breezes and Cradle and Cross, collect the kind of short pieces—often humorous and always heartfelt—to which I’m most drawn. My most recent book, Encounters, imagines the moments in which ordinary people encountered the Savior during his time on earth. Though it is fiction and my other books are nonfiction, all of my work really muses on the same core themes: how God manifests himself in the midst of our familiar, everyday lives and how we make room for him in our hearts, souls, and schedules.
While I hope many different kinds of people can find value in my writing, I speak and write most often about our lives as Christian women. How do we juggle our many responsibilities with time for God? How do we keep and even deepen our faith when life turns difficult? How do the stories and insights of Scripture resonate for us as women today? There is so much to share and so much to learn from each other.
I hope my musings about faith, family, friends and the wonders of everyday life will turn up a slew of common ground for us, and maybe even spark a memory or two for you. I love to hear from readers, so please don’t hesitate to use the contact page to get in touch with questions, ideas or invitations. I look forward to hearing from you, and am wishing you and yours and am wishing you and yours bountiful blessings, joys and mercies for the journeys of your days.
Sue
