Life Background:

I’m from Columbus, Ohio. My mom is a Home Economics/Health Teacher, and my dad is a Worker’s Compensation Attorney. I have two younger sisters—we’re all May babies, three years apart. Every summer, for 16 years since 1st grade, I’ve been at a church camp in Ohio—it was a huge part of my deciding to go into ministry. That place is the most fun and most holy place I think I’ve ever had. When I was in High School, I thought I’d become a doctor until I realized I couldn’t stand AP Chem & Calculus. So, I wrote down a list of things where I was, who I was with, what I was doing where I felt happiest and most alive. I looked back over that list and thought—huh. That’s ministry. There was a click of peace inside of me, and since then I’ve been on the path to full-time ministry.

Favorites:

Food - Ice Cream (especially mochi ice cream—google it; and try it if you haven’t!

AMAZING! I recommend green tea or mango at Momo Taro on Rockville Pike), Cheese (especially the yogurt garden vegetable from the Amish market), Bing Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Challah French Toast, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, sushi, falafel, Ethiopian, Panang Curry tofu, Can you tell I love to eat yet? Kabob, gyros, ginger stir-fry, real Mexican tacos (fyi—that means no shredded cheddar cheese—sorry to disappoint. But try the crumbles of fresh cheese—you might be surprised to find they’re delicious!) Fresh bread with olive oil, Peruvian chicken (check out Flor de la Canela behind the church and also Mi Peru on Flower Hill), calzones; okay, this is ridiculous. How about I just say everything except canned tuna & mayonnaise

Movies - depends on the mood: “Sense and Sensibility” with dark chocolate on an

“I just need to curl up” night; “The Interpreter” or “Crash” for deep reflection; “Happy Feet,” “The Incredibles,” or “The Emperor’s New Groove” for light & playful moods; classics like “Fiddler on the Roof” or “My Fair Lady” when I need some family time, and “White Christmas” for—you guessed it—a warm-fuzzy Christmas fix.

Books - The Tolkien Series (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings…) and The Chronicles

of Narnia are my hands-down all time favorites. Although it is controversial for some, I do like the Harry Potter books—a fantasy world that is pretty much a candy shop for my brain & imagination and also a dose of the classic good guys vs. bad guys with the good guys being the under dogs. It just doesn’t get old in whatever form it comes. Theologically speaking, I’m a fan of Elizabeth Johnson and her work with Feminist Theology in She Who Is (not the bra-burning kind!), Mark Heim and A Trinitarian Theology of Religious Ends (in understanding how Christianity does and does not relate to other religions), Roberto Goizueta and his work with Hispanic/Latio Theology and God’s preferential option for the poor in Caminemos Con Jesús, and recently I’m intrigued with Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.

Bible Passage - Isaiah61: 1-3 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the

Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion - to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.”

Music – for dancing it would have to be salsa and swing, for in the car Gaelic

Storm, classic rock, or maybe even some Dixie Chicks, and for relaxing Michael Hedges on guitar or really anything acoustic with arpeggios

TV Shows - Joan of Arcadia and Heroes, and I think Lost is going to become an

addiction as well…

Sports Team - Ohio State Buckeyes

Vacation Destination - Pelee Island in Lake Erie. It’s the southern most inhabited island in Canada and my grandparents own a cottage there. All we do is eat, sleep, play in the water, eat some more, and sleep some more. Talk about the life! We’ll pick fresh corn and eat it with grilled steaks or hamburgers and my grandma’s homemade mac & cheese with a beach bonfires and S’mores to finish up. Heaven on earth, I’m convinced. The other tradition is my grandfather waking everyone up with his pancakes - doughy pancakes, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, plain pancakes—and then when we couldn’t eat any more a pancake fight outside with the left-overs! (They get pretty sandy pretty fast).

Random fun facts--

• I have collected instruments from around the world (mostly Latin America and Africa) and am learning to play them.

• Snow and water skiing is my all time favorite (besides dancing)

• Slowly but surely I’m learning how to sew (from the mid-west with a mom who’s a home-ec teacher, and I’m still working on the sewing bit—go figure)

• Dream vacation: a chocolate, ice cream, and olive oil tour through Europe.

• My favorite thing about being a pastor: leading the sacraments, baptism and communion.