The Author

Honestly, there’s not a lot to recommend me.  My two-year Bible degree is nothing fancy. The only titles I wield are wife and mom. I write because I can, and because I like to. I’m a bit on the quiet side and I’m terrified every time I’m asked to speak in public.

The thing is…I’m also passionate about pursuing God’s heart, digging into his word, and sharing what I’ve learned. I prefer personal conversations or the written word, but if an opportunity presents itself in the form of standing intimidated and vulnerable before an audience, I’ll brave it. I find God honors that—and it’s funny—but my trepidation doesn’t seem to diminish the truth or the power of God’s Spirit.

They say there’s treasure contained in jars of clay—I write and speak out of the conviction that it’s as true of me as anyone else.

With that in mind, the pages of this blog are snapshots of an ongoing discovery of the depth of God’s word—the rough draft thesis of what it means to dwell in the place where theology meets life.

Brief Bio

Kayla (daughter), Crystal (me), Jesse (husband), Soren (son), Maximilian (son), Dan (son), Kora (daughter-in-law), Julianna Mae (granddaughter)

I wouldn’t be surprised to find Product of the Pacific Northwest stamped on the bottom of one of my feet someday. I’ve lived everywhere on the west coast from Mexico to Alaska, but Oregon is where I’m from. I like the rain and all the green that comes with it. The words temperate climate affect me about the same way the words tropical paradise probably affect most people.

The outdoors is my playground. If I could, I would travel, explore, and hike all over the world with my family, meeting tons of interesting people (preferably with charming accents) along the way.

I’ve loved words and writing ever since I can remember. A good language study or etymological puzzle can engross me for hours. Other things I like: family ancestry, photography, and gardening. Not vegetable gardening—I don’t enjoy eating those nasty things and they aren’t terribly attractive as far as plants go. Growing them just isn’t rewarding. The textures, scents, and colors of herbs and flowers, on the other hand, almost define the word pleasant for me.

My mom was a headstrong Jersey girl and my dad was a wild Oregonian fisherman. I guess they wanted to ensure that they would have interesting children. When I was a toddler, my parents purchased a double-wide trailer and some acreage on a mountain just outside of Nowhere, Washington with a dream of living off the land. We grew our own veggies, raised or hunted most of our meat, and kept a milk cow. Our nights were lit by kerosene lanterns and it wasn’t uncommon to cook on the wood stove. We were poor, but I never would have believed it if you told me. I blame that early experience for my innate need to grow things as well as my nostalgic impulse to, quite unnecessarily, do certain things the hard way.

My family eventually left the farm and adopted a slightly more conventional lifestyle. It was probably good timing—I had just entered my pre-teen years and was beginning to figure out that Mt. Hull Hippie was not a flattering label.

When I was a teenager I tried to destroy my life. It was coming along quite nicely until God intervened. My life has never been the same and I am continually grateful to Him for ruining my plans.

I married the most brilliant, charming man in the world when I was twenty. One year later, we were given the gift of two rather old children—a twelve year old boy and a seven year old girl. They are both grown now, and raising them has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.

While our first set of kiddos was still at home, we spent 3+ years in Germany as a military family. I loved, loved, loved it there! Upon our return to the states hubby and I both attended Bible college while he worked as an associate pastor. During these years two charming young boys (now eight and four) were added to our family.

My husband recently accepted a position as youth director and worship leader at a church in Portland, Oregon. We look forward to seeing how God directs each of us to serve in our new church family. Enjoy the rest of the story!