Traveling Thoughts

"I think we should stop asking people in their twenties what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to do." -Amy Poehler, Yes Please For the last 14 months, I have had the privilege to "come and see" and learn from the people of Faith Community United Methodist Church . I consider this past year a great journey of learning, development, and growth not only personally, but spiritually and professionally as well. I'm thankful for the Residency experience as it has been integral to my discernment and helped to clarify/affirm my call into ministry.  After much time spent in prayer, reflection, and conversation with my very patient  mentor, Randy Stearns and other trusted friends I am now (again) pursuing a call to Deacon's Orders . The Deacon's Orders to Word, service, justice, and compassion is intrinic to how God has wired, shaped, and gifted me. My niche for over 10 years within the non-profit sector, minis...

Having a restless, gypsy heart makes for a lot of moving, even if it is within a 30 mile radius. Perhaps it was living in the same house growing up that has prompted this desire to live in different communities, but I have found myself moving 8 different times in the last decade. For me, it wasn’t until I’m packing and physically moving boxes am I finally confronted with the amount of THINGS and STUFF I have. Instead of waiting until my next move to be almost embarrassed with all the unnecessary possessions that I have, I’ve decided to take on the Minimalist Game  this May. The rise of popularity in the Minimalist movement has really intrigued me and gotten my attention. I’ve found myself reading articles and posts on wardrobe capsules , tiny houses , and how some millennials are embracing this revolution . Well, the wardrobe capsule post inspired me to clear out my closet and drawers, which resulted in 10 bags either being donated or tossed, but I highly doubt that I ca...

“Death is a powerful tool that allows us to rethink our outlook and wakes us up to the things that matter and makes our lives meaningful.” I wrote this sentence down just a little over two years ago. Working within a church you are invested in the lives of people of various life stages and I have found that death goes beyond the loss of a loved one. I realized that that death can occur in our jobs, our relationships, and seasons of life. My experience with death for most of my life had been very limited. My paternal grandparents had passed when I was very little and my only other experiences came from walking with friends as they experienced the death of loved ones. Then two years ago, I received an unexpected (and unwelcomed) call that didn’t allow me to avoid death anymore but face it straight on. My 40-year-old cousin suddenly passed. I had just talked to her on the phone the week before and now she was gone? Now very awake to the new outlook that death provides, I watch...

"When I grow up…I want to be Miss Ohio." This was my first sentence for a writing assignment in 3rd grade.   You see my teacher, Miss Hooker, was in her first year of teaching because she placed third for Miss Ohio.  At least that’s what I thought. I figured that I could win and that would be my career. I had a year of piano under my belt, I loved wearing dresses that twirled, I could walk in a straight line, smiling and waving were no-brainers, and I loved answering questions. How hard could it be? Turns out, making a career out of being Miss Ohio isn’t a thing. I was crushed to learn this fact when I received my paper back with Miss Hooker’s note of being flattered that I wanted to follow in her footsteps, but suggested that I look for something more long term. If I were honest, even if Miss Ohio could be a career, I’m not exactly the most qualified. I stopped playing the piano years ago, I am no longer a fan of wearing dresses, I’m lucky if I don’t trip ...

I’m soaking wet, standing in the middle of a field in Dayton, Ohio as rain is pouring down…and all I see around me is mud . It is in this moment that it finally hits me…“I’ve made a horrible mistake...” I am many things, but one descriptor phrase is: "I’m a pusher". Read on to learn how I came about this self-realization in ministry and how I found myself standing in a field of mud. Let’s rewind to the Spring of 2007, a man who can only be described as the jolliest person’ besides good ole St. Nick was digging a post hole in order to build a tree house. This isn’t your typical, back yard tree house, this was a tree house built for a community. The man’s name was David Helmers and he was the architect and designed this tree house. David Helmers is working hard digging his hole for this massive 20’ pole that would be one of 8 to hold up the tree house. This tree house is right in the heart of this community known as el dumpe in Tijuana, Mexico – the city dump. So...