“The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.”
~ A.W. Tozer

Bio in Brief
Fledgling poet and former dog owner (long live Nacho!), I strive for faithful engagement as a husband, father, friend, worker, and citizen. My vocational travels have visited engineering, church ministry, and higher education. Firmly embedded in mid-life, I balance my left-brained day job with writing and reflection on God’s presence in the commonplace – which I find pairs well with a sizable cup of French-pressed coffee.

A bit more…
A life-long resident of West Michigan, my growing-up years were shaped through faith, family, and athletics. After high school, I trekked north to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where I earned an Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. Shortly thereafter, I wandered back to the warmer climes of Grand Rapids to get married and begin my engineering career.

While happy and successful, I sensed engineering may not be my terminal profession. As our family grew, my wife and I were invited into lay-leadership roles in our church. These roles sparked a theological curiosity, which when coupled with my affinity for learning landed me in a seminary level distance education program. Just prior to earning a Master of Arts in Religion, my sense about my engineering future seemed to be validated when I was asked to join our church staff. I served there for 10 years in a blended role of administration and ministry work.

Then, similar to my previous premonition, I felt God preparing me for another occupational move. This time He placed me at Calvin Theological Seminary where I served in various capacities for four years. Currently, I am back working as an engineer which I have once again found enjoyable and fulfilling. Perhaps I will finish my professional days back where I started?

In the midst of this journey of vocational refinement, I’ve discovered joy in writing, teaching, and mentoring. I’m particularly interested in the writings of Christian mystics, spiritually formative practices, and the beauty and tension within multi-ethnic church congregations. I have also recently been certified as a Spiritual Director and have become a ministry with my wife called Red Clover Abbey.

I welcome the opportunity to converse about pretty much anything over a freshly brewed, strong cup of coffee. The sidebar of this page has writing projects I’ve worked on as well as samples of my teaching. And of course there’s the blog and poetry section of this site where I welcome you to join me in thinking about God in the common places of life. Please visit my Contact page if you’d like to connect.