About

My blog is intended to get to the heart of the matter of what being a Christ-follower is all about. Here you will find information on marriage, parenting, church life, spiritual growth, salvation and other topics of interest to those desiring to live the Christian life with peace and purpose. I am a wife, mom, grandmother, Bible study leader and former teacher who has experienced God’s undeserved grace and forgiveness many times in my journey of faith. My hope is that this blog will encourage you and give you practical help as you navigate the peaks and valleys of this beautiful, challenging, ever-changing life God has given you.

A Little About Me

I am a southern gal who loves to read, write and spend time with my family. Family game night is a favorite pastime! I love the beach and have an extensive seashell collection. Digging into the Word of God with women of all ages and stages brings me great joy. I love all things southern: sweet tea, magnolia trees, comfort food and entertaining.

I have been married to my husband, Eric, for 29 years. We have two married sons, a married daughter, and four beautiful grandchildren!

I spent many years as an elementary school teacher in both public and private schools and loved every minute of it. I even taught music for a few years. When my children were really young, I was blessed to be able to stay home with them. At one point, when our daughter was in middle school, I home-schooled her with a program called Classical Conversations. It was an amazing time for both of us as we learned together and strengthened our mother-daughter bond.

My Spiritual Roots

I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was a young child, walking the aisle and making a profession of faith after a Sunday morning service at our church. The church was an important part of our lives. It was the place where we gained essential knowledge in the things of the Lord and was also the center of our social life. My parents taught Sunday School, my dad was a deacon and my mom was a member of the choir. My brothers and I participated in Sunday School, missions organizations , children’s choir and youth choir. We loved our church family and our participation in the local church for so many years shaped our values and had a great impact on who we are today.

After high school I headed off to a small college in the south where I earned a degree in elementary education and eventually learned to navigate life as an independent young adult.

Although I was a believer, my life was not always smooth sailing. Shortly after college I was married for a few years but that marriage ended in divorce. I was then a single parent with a young son for a while. Later, I met my current husband and God blessed us with two more children.

I am so grateful for the mercy, grace and forgiveness God has shown me throughout my life—even though I wandered away from Him for a time thinking my way was better.

My beloved father—the spiritual leader of our home— had a powerful and lasting impact on my life. We lost him to cancer in 2008.  Then, in 2021, I lost my sweet mother who lived to be 96 years old. She had been to me a model of faithfulness, service and unconditional love.

Through all the ups and downs of my life, God has been faithful—comforting, correcting, guiding, and forgiving— seeing through my weakness to meet my need every step of the way. 

Honestly, I don’t know how I’d survive a day without the Lord. He is my healer, my sustainer, my friend, my confidante, my counselor and my rock. He is my purpose for living. And most importantly, he is my blessed Savior—the one who died so that I could live. 

My desire is to walk in a way that is pleasing to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to live in a manner that glorifies Him— impacting the world by loving, serving, and giving. I pray that my children will be salt and light in the world and will pursue with passion the life he has for them as they pass on the baton of faith to their own children.

I pray that you find hope and encouragement on my site, Heart of the Matter, and that you become a regular visitor. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please leave a comment.