I am a former pastor and chaplain who traded the pulpit for the compost pile. For years, I tended to the souls of others while quietly navigating my own escalating chronic pain. Eventually, the weight of my condition reached a breaking point, resulting in the loss of my vocation. Finding myself at this sudden termination point, I had to learn how to find equilibrium in a life that felt fundamentally broken. I am not a doctor or a guru, but a fellow traveler who knows the grit it takes to persist when you feel plain miserable and overwhelmed. I live in that same dark cupboard you do, yet I’ve found that even in the pitch-black, transformation is possible.

My work at Cultivating Mark is about the hard-won wisdom of "Composting the Chaos." I leverage my history of pastoral care and my own struggle to come alongside those who are stuck or wandering in the dark. Life with a chronic condition is a profound difficulty, but I believe in a "Yes, And" strategy  - Yes, acknowledging a broken body - And, making room practices and rituals that cultivate vitality. Having lost my old world, I am now dedicated to being a blessing to those who are suffering, offering an honest, grounded reminder to keep on keeping on.