- Department: Communications & Speech
- University: University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
I will arrive at Heaven’s Gate weary, wounded and having failed my ultimate mission to become like Christ. Yet I will be overwhelmed and overjoyed and fully accepted as a child of God. That is the miracle of the cross and a truth I hold dear. There is an old spiritual that says “I’m not what I ought to be, but I ain’t what I used to be!” and that is a central theme in my testimony. My childhood was impacted by divorce and alcoholism. My father (who eventually came to Christ) was largely absent from my life except for 1-2 visits a year. My mother worked hard as a factory worker. She eventually found Christ while in recovery in AA. She began going to church and dragged me along. We were poor. The only summer camp we could afford was the church camp since they would let me go for free. It was a chance to get away from mom, so I took it. It was there I accepted Jesus. There was something about the peace and humor of the counselors. Bob, who also led worship at our home church, became a key mentor in my life as I opened scriptures and started my journey. My adult journey has been full of seasons of flow and seasons of drought. I have never felt more accepted--and never been more hurt--by Christians. Such is the challenge of an imperfect community serving a perfect God. But I think that is why Jesus came to restore relationships. That can be harder than simply working on “no swearing, no porn, no ___” checklists. I am still in progress. I too have been the source of comfort and the source of pain for loved ones in my life. What I love about Christ and Christianity is the unfolding nature of the walk of faith. We become our best by seeking to be least. We grow closer to God by sharing our worst stuff with Him. The paradoxes of faith are fascinating and draw me in. “How can this be?!!?” And yet it is.
Favorite Quote
"There are two ways to slice easily through life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking." Alfred Korzybski
Friends describe me
Intense, witty, pragmatic, soulful.
My hobbies
Basketball, making music with my bandmates, archery, darts, trail riding . . . like to stay active!
Fantasy dinner guests
First, my criteria: faith, humor, appreciation for good food and wine. C.S. Lewis, Steven Colbert, my best friend Bill and he'll want Bono.
Best advice I ever received
For college; treat it like a 40 hour work week and get stuff done between classes. Don't go back to your dorm room until you're done with the day. For life: Our God is a God of process. Trust His work in you and in others.
My undergrad alma mater
UNCW
My worst subject in school
French and Math. Barely passed both.
In college I drove
My bike! Sold my car to meet expenses.
If I weren't a professor, I would
Real: Probably talent development in HR. Dream: Bamboo farmer.
Favorite books
How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith.
Favorite movies
Generally don't watch a movie more than once. But The Princess Bride is up there.
Favorite city
Any that are certified as Slow Cities by Cittaslow
Favorite coffee
Dark roasted with sweet cream and raw sugar.
Nobody knows I
Spent a year as a shepherd at a friends/mentors farm in Vermont. Slept in the barn during lambing . . . in November . . . in Vermont. Cold.
My latest accomplishment
Made a large board with over 1,000 wine corks (not all mine!) for behind my dart board. Nice conversation piece in the garage.
Current Research
I continue to work on projects at the intersection of popular culture, rhetoric and values/faith. I'm working with a co-author on a piece about Tyler Henry who is a popular "medium" to celebrities. We examine how he manages his "brand" and look to explain his popularity in rhetorical terms. While we don't actively "attack" him, it does give us a chance to debunk him a bit and use our faith as a frame if not the focus for our research.