Writing as Therapy
Writing began as a way for me to process the news that our firstborn lives with a rare genetic disorder. Much of my writing continues to emerge from the paradox that only in dying can we live again, rise again, and hope again.
My desire to write was largely inspired by two Ann(e)s.
First, I met Anne Jackson who, in her book Permission to Speak Freely, describes the gift of going second. When we choose to share first, we gift someone else the courage to share too. There’s power in that kind of community.
Second, I met Ann Voskamp on the pages of her book One Thousand Gifts and almost a decade later had the joy of working creatively alongside her. Her words transformed my thinking, and her voice inspired my own storytelling.
Tracing the Thread of God's Presence
When we write, we name the unnameable, find a home for misplaced parts of us, build outposts for our tender places, and stitch patches over threadbare pieces.
The thread of God's presence is the most important part of my story. God’s presence has been most evident during the most difficult circumstances of my life, bringing with it a hope and joy that only God's grace can explain.
As God always does, His faithfulness has carried me, and each step of the way, He has confirmed His calling on my life to write and speak of the hope we have in Him. My absolute joy and delight is finding the presence of God through the words we write.
Now, I’m an experienced college writing professor with a graduate degree in composition and rhetoric, which is just a fancy way to say “writing.” I’m also trained in Pennebaker’s Writing to Heal method and certified as a Journaling to the Self Instructor through Therapeutic Writing Institute.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of women experience the life-giving power of putting pen to page through my online journaling community, classes, workshops, and retreats.
