I'm just a girl...
in the Middle of North Dakota,
in the Middle of the Midwest,
in the Middle of North America,
loving Middle Schoolers.
Growing up in North Dakota, I always had big dreams of leaving and living anywhere but here. (I still long for the Southern Californian weather and beaches, especially when its -30 degrees in the middle of January). But as a friend-the dear Crystal Kirgiss-once told me, the Middle is a great place to be. I currently serve at Century Baptist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. I've been a part of the youth ministry since 2008 and have been on staff since 2011.
I love to write. Writing has always been a release for me. I can still picture what my first journal (or diary) looked like and how it was a space for me to dream, to process, to grieve, to be me. That journal with the gray kitty on it and a lock still sits with me in spirit every time I begin to put words down on a page.
I love Middle School students and people who love Middle School students. I think they're some of the best people in the universe. Because my Middle years weren't so great, I desire to be that voice cheering on Middle Schoolers today that they got this, that they're loved, that they're worth it, and they have so much to offer the world.
I love the youth ministry world. It’s an incredible tribe of people. I’m grateful to have been welcomed into that world by my friend and boss, Paul Nather, who put me in a place to learn from the best. In fact, I could go on and on to write Hallmark card after Hallmark card to thank people like Paul and others who have given much to the youth ministry world. There’s room for more voices and more perspectives, because more and more students are in our midst who need to know they’re loved and created with purpose. So let’s join together, let His Kingdom come, let His will be done, and let’s turn the world upside down.
I love to write. Writing has always been a release for me. I can still picture what my first journal (or diary) looked like and how it was a space for me to dream, to process, to grieve, to be me. That journal with the gray kitty on it and a lock still sits with me in spirit every time I begin to put words down on a page.
I love Middle School students and people who love Middle School students. I think they're some of the best people in the universe. Because my Middle years weren't so great, I desire to be that voice cheering on Middle Schoolers today that they got this, that they're loved, that they're worth it, and they have so much to offer the world.
I love the youth ministry world. It’s an incredible tribe of people. I’m grateful to have been welcomed into that world by my friend and boss, Paul Nather, who put me in a place to learn from the best. In fact, I could go on and on to write Hallmark card after Hallmark card to thank people like Paul and others who have given much to the youth ministry world. There’s room for more voices and more perspectives, because more and more students are in our midst who need to know they’re loved and created with purpose. So let’s join together, let His Kingdom come, let His will be done, and let’s turn the world upside down.