about

You’ve found your way to a venue for conversations fostered by David Dunn. I’m the one swimming in the choppy waters behind the SpiritJourneys blog. For a time this new site will seem a little spare; it needs some plumping up. The wave of technology overtook my learning curve and rather than drown in an old backwater, I decided to plunge into the flood. The community behind WordPress has given me enough encouragement to believe that I’m not in imminent danger of sinking. Thanks people.

I try to keep up with the world, especially what gives life to ordinary people. I have an active interior life: I try to be curious, honest and thoughtful. I pay attention to my feelings as worthy messengers with important information. I mostly succeed in not drowning on the down days or flying off the handle on the odd manic days. Both happen every now and then.

The “eyeglasses” through which I see life—the mindset that I bring to my work—are the questions, beliefs and practices from the Judeo-Christian tradition: who or what is God, is Jesus the savior, what is Spirit, what does it mean to have a Lord, where does life come from, can we and how do we transcend human limitations, where do we find courage to grow up and what sustains our conviction to love and serve the world around us?

My worldview has also been influenced by living in India, Egypt, Australia, Bosnia, Russia and the US. My heart has been touched by Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and by people with no discernible faith tradition who have become deep spirit friends. I’ve come to believe that the highest calling of a person of faith is to encourage and support the spiritual path of others, no matter what life experiences launched them on their spirit journey.

I pay attention to the interplay between my interior life and the outer world. I try to live gratefully as one given the power to get real, make fruitful choices and act as a creative servant leader. I try to deal with reality and live in the real world. This inside-outside connection is the heart of my mission: to help people “live on both sides of their skin” so that we can help one another shape and care for the world.

—————

I’m a writer, editor, desktop publisher and spiritual companion—I call myself a “creative generalist.” The passion beneath the craft is story telling, creating images, and teaching by listening. I have a degree in theology, a certification as a spiritual director and a hodgepodge career as an itinerant community activist, organizational facilitator, and director of publishing for a national nonprofit.

Visit my online gallery and Flickr portfolio.

My wife (an English as a Second Language teacher, avid reader and pianist) and I live in Denver, Colorado. We share interests in music, theater, hiking and reading together. We also share four grown children and eleven grandchildren between us. A great grandchild joined us in April 2010.