chaplains pull up a chair in impossible places
At thirty years old, I took a job at a high-security men’s prison. I showed up thinking I’d been hired as a chaplain—then discovered I’d been hired as a law enforcement officer, too.
An incarcerated man once told me I was “the most dangerous person here.” When the men saw me, he said, they saw their wife, their sister, their mother, their daughter. If someone tried to harm me, others would step in to defend me.
I don’t know if it was true, but I know this: prison houses some of the most resilient people I’ve met. Working with them opened my eyes to the dilemmas people face inside: how to survive, how to protect each other, how to hold onto humanity in a dehumanizing place.
I’m currently finishing a memoir about my experience in the prison. This book is for those drawn to stories of resilience, for those who have held onto faith in hardship, and for all who have ever felt called to show up in impossible places.
bearing witness through Writing
Each chapter of my chaplaincy has shaped my voice as a writer. I explore moral complexity, grief, healing, and what it means to show up for one another.
My essays have appeared in The New York Times, Wayfare, Deseret Magazine, and Deseret News.
Podcast
Podcast
Guiding Light was born out of the soul-stretching seasons of life. Even in the darkest moments, we believe we’re held by something greater—a guiding light, a steady source of peace.
That’s the heart of the podcast I co-host with therapist and fellow chaplain Sierra Larson. Each week, our guests share wisdom and practical tools to support emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. We hope these conversations remind you that peace is accessible right here, right now.
the secular the religious the spiritual the skeptic
Chaplains provide spiritual care for people from all backgrounds.
During my training at Harvard, and while working in hospital, prison, and military settings, I have found purpose in bearing witness to pain, to resilience, and to the messy holiness of being human.
Helping people navigate grief, trauma, and spiritual transition through writing, podcasting, and chaplaincy is what I feel called to commit my life to.