It’s an odd feeling to sit down at a computer and think of things to say about yourself.

Honestly, the first thing I wanted to tell you was how ordinary I am. And the image that came to mind was of a burning bush. I’m the bush part. God’s the burning part.

So with that as a baseline, I can tell you who I am because of Him.

Apart from Him, my life story would’ve been different.

I wanted to become the mother of four to five children. Instead, because of infertility and God’s leading, I became the director of a pregnancy resource center—something I never set out to do. But there are physical and spiritual children alive today because of His sovereignty in my life.

I didn’t set out to be a writer either. When the founder of our ministry predicted I’d write a book on leadership, I laughed and said, “Oh right, just like John Maxwell and all the other exceptional leaders out there.” But God moved powerfully in our ministry, taught me a whole new way to lead, and it became book-worthy.

I didn’t expect to have such raw, real relationships with the people I work with. I thought a degree of professional distance was best. But when God invaded our ministry, He created a safe, honest culture where deep relationships thrive. I’m privileged to serve with some of my closest comrades in Jesus. 

And. I. really. didn’t. expect. to. lose. my. husband. at. age. 61. I could write for many hours about this, and one day I will. It was surreal and horrible to watch my strong, force-of-nature husband and best friend slip through my fingers an inch at a time. It was tender and beautiful to spend many, many hours with him in the Word and in prayer for others who were sick. And through our suffering, God forged His passion for lost people—who will suffer FOREVER apart from Him—into our hearts. Ron is with Jesus. I pray many others will be with Him too, through my words and my life.

So through these blogs, I am simply passing along the flames of wisdom God keeps igniting within this ordinary bush of me. Wisdom about leadership, ministry culture, staff relationships, board dynamics, discernment in prayer, gospel sharing, grief, and—best of all—Jesus, who is wisdom personified.

Along the way, I hope you’ll share some of your flames with me.

One of the greatest joys and privileges of my life has been serving at Align Life Ministries since 1985. From its inception, Align seemed to enjoy the favor of God’s hand. Like the proverbial lump of clay, He has warmed us, shaped us, and reformed us on His Potter’s wheel. If you ever hear anything noteworthy about Align, it’s because of our Potter.

Perhaps the simplest way to describe our ministry is to explain our name. The word “Align” portrays our commitment to actively align with Jesus and to help others align with Him too. Alignment with Jesus is the DNA of our ministry.

“Life” points to spiritual life in Jesus, which is our greatest need and the greatest need of the young moms and dads we serve. It also points to the physical lives of their preborn babies, which God created to be born, to come to know Him, and to live for His glory.

“Ministries” speaks to the multifaceted nature of our organization. We are primarily a pregnancy resource center, so the heart of what we do is provide pregnancy services, including post-abortion restoration. We also engage in strategic partnerships with other gospel-sharing, life-affirming ministries. And we produce equipping resources for the Church at large, like sexual integrity curricula and my book and blogs on leadership.