This has been a quick week with a trip to North Carolina for a conference/vacation. I’ve had the opportunity to learn and present at a scholarship of teaching and learning conference tied to my day job while also exploring the North Carolina mountains with my family. It’s a last hurrah before life gets insane with the start of school and then ACFW — all at the same time. One of the joys of this trip was the opportunity to connect with my dear friend Pepper Basham. She’s one of my soul sisters, the few individuals that I can trust with every part of me and who I know gets me, loves me, and will challenge stinking thinking. There’s a few people God has put in my life like that and she is one of them. So it was a delight to get a couple hours with her at the Biltmore. While others were listening to the audioguide, Pepper and I were talking writing, family, and faith with a good sprinkling of Biltmore trivia. I’m sure it was entertaining. One of the great things about being out of town was the creative side of me was fed by wandering the gardens. The flowers. Y’all, it’s insane. So beautiful. We joke as a family about creating the Putman estates, but places like this make me wonder it would like to create a corner of that in our yard. Anyone want to come help? There’s such beauty and diversity in God’s creation and so much of it is on display on the grounds at the Biltmore. There’s something about being in places like this that feeds a part of my soul and creativity that I need. But it’s hard to find the time to slip away for times like this. I tend to come when it’s a combination of work and family time. And this week has been a great combination of both. We missed having our 19 year old on this trip, who was still on his internship, but he’s home now! How do you find time to feed your soul? Are you able to find ways to escape even for a day or two? To help you relax, here’s a giveaway for a book. Either a copy of Sarah Ladd’s latest book or Pepper’s latest. Both are excellent and I’d love to share them with you! a Rafflecopter giveaway