Words. Words. Words. I love words. Writing makes me very happy. When I haven’t written in a long time, I feel stuck, almost without feeling. As if I am not myself. It feels yucky. The joy of written expression!

Sometimes it comes fast and strong. Nearly too much, all at once, leaning to exhaustion. But what a good exhaustion. A pouring out of myself, emptying by words.

I didn’t always consider myself as a writer. In my past life, I was a high school teacher. Physical Education and French as a Second Language. Can you believe it? Oh what a journey it has been since 2012 when I took my second maternity leave and never returned – enter second son, poetry, Jesus, and dedication to my spiritual vocation. What change has occurred!

I mostly write poetry, although I do have a few books on the go. We will see what transpires. I wrote poetry in my early teen years but in my first experience with mania (from Bipolar Disorder) in 1999, I wrote a poem that haunted me and caused me to back away from writing.

In 2012, with the birth of my second son and a tremendous spiritual, emotional breakthrough, poetry began to flow (I mean surge). This has become my deepest, safest, best way of processing, healing, and learning. Ultimately, God drew my pen to the cross somewhere along the way, and now, 500 poems later, I am in awe.

This is truly a remarkable story. Because God is truly a remarkable God.

Since 2015, I have written and self-created / published a number of chapbooks. If you haven’t heard this term, chapbook is what a poet calls a book of their poetry, usually hand-made. My chapbooks are titled:

"Operation: Women" - 2021

Operation: Women tells the story of how God has transformed me from hating and fearing women, as a result of a painful early relationship with my mother, to finding inner healing, and repaired relationship with my mother, myself, and women. Beyond such amazing healing and repair, God has paved the way for me to be a leader in women’s ministry at my church where I am able to share my stories of healing with many other women and inspire their healing journeys. This beautiful collection of poetry speaks to generational family trauma and wounding and it also includes some writing from my mother on this topic.

"Sweet Salvation" - 2020

In this chapbook, I share the struggles I have had, for many years, with food, eating, and body image. From a place of deep vulnerability and transparency, I show the reader how God is strongly at work in this journey with me, even as I continue to stumble. I share from a place of not being done yet, not having it all figured out, but of walking with a good and perfect God who loves me no matter how I eat or what my body looks like. If you currently struggle with disordered eating, please use caution in proceeding to look at this book. It is very raw in some places.

"Great Excavation" - 2020

I frequently mediate on images of digging, mines, rocks, soil, and excavation. I see the journey of inner healing as somewhat of an excavation process. It isn’t easy, it hurts sometimes, and it often seems hidden in the darkness and rubble accumulated over time and generations. I sense that now is an opportune time for excavation with the Lord. With daily living turned upside down, we have the chance to ponder and reflect more deeply, to deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to give Him more room to change the world as He changes us. Great excavation paints a beautiful story of how God meets me in the trenches and transforms my heart.

"Christmas Present" - 2019

Christmas has been historically hurtful for me, after losing my two uncles in 2003, ten days apart (Dec 20 and Dec 30). The first death was by suicide. Christmas wasn’t enjoyable even before this, living in a divorced family with all the complications or family conflict and tension. Even before I met Jesus, I began writing a poem each Christmas season, trying to express myself and heal. When I met Jesus in 2016, the poetry became even more effective and potent. This collection lays the poems out together in a row to weave a beautiful story of God’s redemptive work in my Christmas heart.

“Nesting” – 2019

This is a dynamic gathering of poems which form a call to the body of Christ to prepare for upcoming revival. There is much work to do, hard, scary, and painful, but good. The good news is that we walk with a good God who has paved the way for us to do this work. We are called to die to ourselves so that Christ may live in us. There is built up gunk that we carry, from generations of unprocessed trauma, but we can be the people who say ‘yes’ to a greater working through the Church.

“Holy Tears” – 2018

Many of the stories we have been told about crying are not helpful or healthy. This collection of poetry tells the story of how I began to let me tears, long since shoved down and not expressed, come up and out. From being afraid to cry, I now release pent up and current tears, and am able to cry in front of others. This has been a process but it is healing and freeing.

“Heartbeat of Mental Health” – 2017

This is not your average writing on the topic of mental health! Having lived for the past twenty years with Bipolar Disorder, and having met Jesus five years ago, I have come to see mental health through a very unique lens. I believe there is matter over the mind and that we can move from mental illness to mental wealth.

“Peaces of my Heart” - 2015

This was my first chapbook, featuring many of my early pieces. Peaces of my Heart propelled my early journey, ultimately a quest to discover Jesus, before I knew where I was headed. The pioneer journey, making my way to a better place.

Click on the titles to download a free copy of any chapbook you would like.

Over the years I have also written stories and articles for various magazines, websites, organizations, and causes, etc. I love writing! One of my most recent and beloved pieces of writing can be found on the website weareunsinkable.com. In this story I share my journey with Bipolar Disorder over the past twenty years. It is full of creativity, love, hope, and inspiration.

Thank you for taking the time to read and support my writing. Without an audience and readers, my writing and speaking would be one-sided and somewhat boring and meaningless. Chances are, if you are still here, now, reading on my site, you connect with my words. Keep reading. Keep writing. There is a writer and speaker in everybody. We all have stories worth telling. I share mine in hopes that you will be inspired to share yours.