Hello! Honestly, it feels odd to introduce myself to you in this manner. I’d much rather be sitting with you in a coffee house with a chai latte wrapped in my hands. It would be nice to hear your perspective, see your story, understand your passions and I would laugh with you, I would most definitely cry, and I would need a drink refill because we would stay too long. While we may not be able to practically make that work, I hope that you can find those sentiments in my heart and in my writing. 

In a nutshell: I am a wife, mother, writer, teacher, and preacher. Since we are chatting over coffee though, here is a closer look.

I value friendship and connection. The back-and-forth conversations, silliness, and adventures done beside a loved one help to bring the Gospel to life. To be treasured in both the trenches and the triumphs. To find value in the simple, the mundane, the practiced. To willingly engage in the messes, to grow together in forgiveness, and to cherish the work of God in your life and mine. 

I value the church. What a gift for everyday struggle and strain! It is a place where we should be both blessed and a blessing. The church challenges me to execute my faith in the dark places, it provides places for me to extend grace to the hopeless, and it offers me the safety to be fully me, however broken that may be. The Gospel again comes to life through a community of believers who strive to be the tangible love of Christ.

I value words, both written and spoken. As a young child, I would make lists in the morning, outlining my play for the day. Those lists grew into stories, poems, and plays and eventually transitioned into essays and master’s thesis papers. For years, words were written into lesson plans and spoken in English high school classrooms. Simultaneously, words were utilized in small group curriculum, leadership training, and Sunday sermons. More recently, childhood dreams have turned into reality as God opens doors for the written and spoken word to reach a larger audience, including you. There is beauty and power in language; the tongue has great strength to edify and transform. I desire to write words that encourage others to apply HIS WORD to everyday observations, expectations, and implementations. 

I value family. There is great depth laced into the miracles of my family unit. God’s grace has been so evident and His fingerprints can be traced back to generations of faithfulness and protection. I thrive in partnership with my husband, Scott, of fifteen years and love living life beside him in ministry, work, and parenting. We have two miracle children, Soraya and Levi. They constantly challenge us to live out the Gospel and they are our favorite Bible preachers. We also are blessed to have a god-daughter named Billie, who has lived with us previously but now is adulting on her own! Together, we tend to laugh the most during board games, beach days, “tsum-tsum” fights (it’s a thing!), and glow-stick dance parties.  

I value Jesus above all. His sacrifice saved me. Really, that is all that needs to be said. Salvation alone is enough, but He has given so much more and I am a recipient of blessings too many to name. My deepest hope is that you, too, know the salvation of Jesus Christ. If not, my desire is that you will see His love and acceptance through my words, through the miracles He places in front of you, and through someone else in your world who chooses to share Him with you. His Gospel message is for everyone, all people, in all places. It is not a message of condemnation, but one of acceptance, hope, and restoration. 

Lastly, I value YOU. Why, you may ask? Because you matter. There is a deep purpose inside of you and only you can accomplish the work asked of you. Only you can love the people in your space the way you can love them. You can influence and bless your little corner of the world. It may at times seem futile or small, but it matters desperately to those in your corner. So, embrace your place and start your part.