Frequently asked questions.

Wisdom is not ever abstract or static. Every bit of wisdom I offer and embody has flowed through other humans.

There are folks whose wisdom we recognize interiorly and are drawn to. They are like homing beacons, vessels that wisdom flows through. They become our teachers, whether in person or from afar. Our inklings and intuitions take root and mature as teachers provide shelter and nourishment.

Cynthia Bourgeault says, “There is a deep and pristinely clear ‘something’ in each one of us, regardless of the outer circumstances of our lives, that has the capacity to recognize Wisdom when we meet it, and it is the nature of Wisdom teaching to call this ‘something’ forth. But until the spark of recognition actually goes off in us, Wisdom remains invisible.”

As I reflect on the teachers who have shaped me most significantly, I realize they all invited me to engage with my soul— explicitly or in the way they uniquely inhabited their lives and callings. They encouraged me to participate — to step into my particular role in the collective, to play my instrument.

I’ve applied and tested what these teachers have taught me in the context of daily living, and it has called forth healing, integration, and transformation in me.

I aim to make everything I have received flow again.

The work of two primary teachers has cross-pollinated and taken shape within me. Together, their work offers context and practical application that harmonizes beautifully.

In my voice and presence, I aim to synthesize, translate, and transmit what I’ve learned from Rev. Dr. Shannon Michael Pater and Cynthia Bourgeault.

Other folks whose lives and work have shaped me, along with links to their current work, if applicable:

Rev. Eugene Peterson

Shelly Tiemeyer

Tilden Edwards, Shalem Institute

John O’ Donohue

Rose Mary Dougherty

Margaret Guenther

Rob Bell

Dr. Hillary McBride

Tara Owens, Anam Cara Ministries

Steve Reimer

Kathy McFaul

Lucy Abbott Tucker

Doug Harrison, The Outpatient Monk

Parker Palmer, Center for Courage & Renewal

Father Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation

Dr. James Finley, Center for Action & Contemplation

Fred Rogers

Carvell Wallace

ALOK

Aundi Kolber

Greg Cochran, Well for the Journey

Christi Ortiz, Harmony Woods Retreat Center

Brian McLaren

Brene Brown

Krista Tippett, On Being

Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams

Janet Ruffing

Dr. Gerald May

Chani Nicholas

Dr. Richard Schwartz

Dr. Frank Anderson