Hey…thanks for popping in! This space is where I work on putting to words the way my worldview and theology have shifted over the years. 

Like you, I am complex. I have moved through life picking up new pieces of myself and shedding others. I am not the same person I was at 19, or 32, 45, or yesterday. 

I cringe when I remember some of my dogmatic opinions and narrow world views, and it’s tempting to never look at or mention them. I would rather you see the person I have become. 

But…Beth at 19, 32, 45, and yesterday IS me. She was stumbling through life, learning things that would shape more tomorrows. 

It’s messed up

We all love a good makeover story and magical tales of transformation, but what we don’t like so much is to dwell on the process that leads to newness. Before the big reveal or happy ending, there are often terrifying moments when things appear worse than before and we fear we’ve made a terrible mistake. 

The mangled mess of deconstruction can fade the imagination. 

This is what life is like for those of use with wild curiosity who are oriented towards growth. We are messy and in process, and what served us yesterday might not serve us today. So we tear down a wall, and rebuild, and demolish again…only to do this over and over again. At some point, it dawns on us that this is the natural course of life!

When we finally accept that the destination is not the point, that’s when the mangled mess of deconstruction can spur the imagination.

I decided to get back in the blogging game to chronicle, normalize and celebrate this process. I am specifically pushing back against the current societal trend to shame ourselves and others for past opinions, instead of noticing and celebrating all the work we have done to get where we are. 

In a time when we live such public lives, it’s interesting to me that we actually see very little healthy openness. The online culture has become a cesspool of hate where an internet mob leads a reign of terror; belittling, shaming and shutting down the very conversations we need to grow and evolve.

I can’t change this, of course, but I can stop being afraid of it. 

My current working vision for a fulfilled life is to help people get from here to there, including myself. This website is an experiment and a curious journey, and I hope to gather friends and collaborators along the way.

I Am

My writing comes from my own experiences in this world, so I want to name and acknowledge that location. I am a middle-aged, middle class, cis-gendered white woman, pronouns she/her.

I grew up in Texas and am addicted to the wild, pure air of the Pacific Northwest. I adore big, fat, rich conversations filled with laughter and a-ha moments. 

I am mother to four complicated and fascinating humans who I love with my whole being, and partner to a man who has taught me a lot about simplicity, bravery and being 100% me. 

I am…

• Casual musician 
• Constant learner
• Business owner
• Former evangelical
• Intersectional feminist 
• Clarity-seeker and engagement junkie

I Am NOT

I am NOT a counselor, pastor, or looking to lead anyone. 

I am NOT funnier, wittier or smarter than the next person. I also don’t pretend to offer earth-shattering or original ideas. But for those who need it, I hope to model courage for all of us ordinary voices who need to put our truth into the world.

I am NOT where I need to be yet. Celebrating growth means I won’t make excuses when my current opinions are still problematic. I aim to be intentional about processing the world through an intersectional lens. The complexities of race, gender, sex and class are always at play and it is work to recognize how my own privilege has skewed my perspective and experiences. This means I will get it wrong sometimes. 

I am NOT interested in dumb fights. I have turned off comments because I believe in dialogue, not hit-and-run thuggery. I rarely see constructive listening in the comments section, but I am always open to a real-life conversation. Please send me a message in the contact form below.