Welcome! Let me take a moment to introduce myself. I am a pastor, a chaplain, a writer, and a teacher, harnessing the power of words to communicate the good news about The Word—Jesus Christ. Sometimes those words are explicitly about Jesus; other times he shows through in challenging, encouraging, or mediating words without ever being named.

You may notice around this site a logo of sorts—the letters re: in a circle. The two letters are not only my initials; they also convey the idea of something that happens again, as in second chances; or to identify a subject or topic, as in re: grace—about grace. The circle represents wholeness, which comes only as we experience and accept the grace of God. And I need all the second chances I can get to experience grace!

My wife, Eiley, is an interior designer with a passion for serving and strengthening women. Her business, Dwellology, helps families around the world to dwell well  by creating livable, healthy home spaces here, using products hand crafted by artisans in poverty-stricken areas around the world so they can provide for their families and communities.

Eiley and I have an adult son, Morgan; a daughter, Molly, in university; and another daughter, Megan, in her last year of high school. We live in Sonora, California, where I pastor The Journey Church.

I’ve been around a lot, both geographically and professionally: A pastor for five years, financial services for fifteen, and seven in the U.S. Air Force and California Air National Guard. I’ve been a mailman, pipe organ installer, groundskeeper, dishwasher, busboy, cab driver, oil tank cleaner and assembler, secretary, photo processor, and mailroom clerk. I’ve had the privilege of living in Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, British Columbia, Germany, Washington, England, Colorado, Oregon, and California; and have traveled in Mexico, Europe, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Liberia.

 

 

For a more personal look at my background, the events and influences that have shaped me, and who I am today, I invite you to take a few minutes to watch this video, created by my parents in 2014 as I was transitioning from Associate Pastor to Lead Pastor.