Dear Reader:

We are heading home….on the way up Thursday afternoon… as we got closer and closer to the mountains there was a sense of thrilling anticipation to see the next beautiful scene awaiting us as Fall in the North Carolina mountains welcomed us.

Just the idea of having a jacket to wear sent goose bumps down my arms…how long had it been since I had worn a jacket?

And now today…there is also another kind of anticipation awaiting us, around every bend, as we look to see what kind of damage we see from the remains of Matthew.

The most important bend, of course, will be turning onto my road in Summerville and seeing the house and garden for the first time since the storm.

A thought and image flickered through my mind…the photograph Donna Clark gave me after her first visit to St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope.

I love this old fallen cross near the chapel in Trust, North Carolina. And it is so true…we don’t know what is around the bend but Jesus does and everything will be all right.

So until tomorrow…there will be plenty of shared feelings, photos, and thoughts about the unexpected detour of the last few days. Deep breath, one last prayer, and home awaits.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh