Every now and then, for any number of reasons—at the coffee shop, during an argument, browsing Netflix with my family–someone will ask me, “What do you want?” It’s a good question. Maybe, it’s the best question.
I want to raise kind, intelligent children. I want their kindness to be a fruit of the Holy Spirit. I want their intelligence to be God’s gift used well to serve the world. I want to stay married—happily—to my husband. For the rest of my life. Period.
I want to serve the church with joy. I don’t want feigned joy, not practiced joy, but real joy, so that the people will see a little bit of Jesus in me.
I want to teach my students to think carefully and compassionately about ideas and ethics, so that they’ll do more than parrot their parents or regurgitate a political agenda that’s at odds with who they’re really becoming.
I want to read great books and write a little bit and enjoy the sunshine doing either.
I want my laundry to be ironed and folded. But this may be too much to ask.
Just the facts… I have a husband Chris and two kids, Eleanor and Karl…My daughter is named after her great grandmother…My son is named after his great, great grandfather, and not theologian Karl Barth, as some people believe…I got my formal education at the University of Arizona, Eden and McCormick Theological Seminaries…I got most of my education in marriage and parenthood…I serve the First Presbyterian Church of La Junta, Colorado, as their pastor…I teach philosophy and ethics at Otero Junior College…I’m part of a teensy Presbyterian denomination called ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, and I love, love, love my colleagues…I’ve watched all seven seasons of The West Wing several times over; it’s like comfort food, but with less calories…
