ALL WRITING

In 2016, by a strange turn of events, I was invited to present at the McGill University CREOR (Centre for Research on Religion) conference, an annual inter-disciplinary gathering called "Frontiers." The topic that year was right up my alley: "Cosmos, Curiosity, Creativity." All presentations -- some of them in the realm of astrophysics -- were riffs on the following statement: Human cultures approach religious questions in ways informed by their cosmologies and vice versa ,

There is so much going on prior to Easter -- the emotional roller coaster ride of Holy Week, the expectations of each of the services to hit the right mark, and then, if you're like me, preparing your home for friends and family to celebrate. I wrote this Easter sermon in a state of extreme fatigue. It's short and to the point, but several people have told me that it affected them deeply. “Roll the Stone Away” John 20:1-18 Tobermory United Church April 5, 2026   Let us pray:

In 2010, I was blessed to be able to spend a week with the Iona Community on the island of Iona in the inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, part of a course in Worship that I was taking at Emmanuel College. To say that this week was life changing is a cliche, but it was. Inspired by the pilgrimage that takes place on Iona on Tuesdays, as a course assignment, I created a pilgrimage located in the City of Guelph, my hometown at the time. The pilgrimage begins at th

When I pitched some of the stories from my Doctor of Ministry final project, Deep River Questions , to Broadview, they were more interested in the process through which the stories arose. I adapted that journey into a Lenten practice, and it became part of the cover story for the March-April, 2026 issue. “Lent with Intent: Six spirit-filled practices to deepen your journey to Easter: Writing as a Sacred Act," cover story, Broadview,  March/April, 2026 https://broadview.org/l

When my father was hospitalized at Christmas, our holiday plans became a journey of the soul. Spirit Story, Broadview, December, 2023 Image: Brett Sayles, pexels.com

Memoir, Broadview (online) November 7, 2022 https://broadview.org/canadian-military/ Image: Ellie Burgin, pexels.com

In 2021, I started in the Doctor of Ministry program in Creative Writing and Public Theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. In Lori Jakiela's memoir class, I wrote a piece about my daily existence as a post-menopausal woman. “Fragments: An Incomplete Encyclopedia of a Post-Menopausal Life,” memoir, The Porch: A Slow Conversation about Beautiful & Difficult Things,  Nov. 2022 Image: Cottonbro Studio, pexels.com

As a ministry placement, I served as a volunteer at Chalmers Community Service Centre in Guelph. A friendship with a fellow volunteer led to this story. “Spirit Story: Friendship Comes with Open Arms,” personal essay, United Church Observer,  October, 2012 Image: Pixabay

In 2007, I walked part of the Camino de Santiago as a means of discernment toward ministry. I encountered a fellow pilgrim who completely illuminated my journey... “Quests: A pilgrim’s progress: Walking the Camino de Santiago was supposed to be a solitary journey. But the company of another traveller led to some surprising spiritual insights.” Personal essay, United Church Observer ,  May, 2010

During a ministry placement at Three Willows United, I was lucky enough to become friends with Jean Little and her sister, Pat de Vries. It was an honour to write part of their story.  “Author of Beloved Children’s Books, Jean Little, Conquers Hardships: One of Canada’s best-loved children’s authors is an active United Church member. Jean Little’s story is hardly a fairytale,” profile, United Church Observer , February, 2010 This story is still online, and you can read it her

What do you do when you find that your name is on your ten-year-old child's 'stupid list'? You write about it... “Cool or Stupid, Your Choice: There I was on my daughter’s ‘stupid’ list. It’s tough to work out a different kind of mothering when your home is like a bus station with a bank machine” “Facts and Arguments,” Globe and Mail,  October 2, 2006

I long time ago, a back injury challenged my identity. Fortunately, I gained some spiritual insights... “I Am a Busy Person or  The Appreciation of Sunbeams,” essay, Tapestry , CBC Radio, aired June 2003 A few years ago, on a Monday morning, I bent down to pick something up off my hall floor – a simple action, the kind we do fifty times a day – but when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. My back had given out. I hobbled off to the chiropractor and found myself sobbing all over hi

Somehow along the way, I got wind of a story about St. Francis and how he had created the first creche in a cave in the hills above the Italian town of Greccio. With a lot of research, this became "A Gift for Greccio," a children's story published in the United Church Observer in 2003. I've since adapted it into a Christmas Eve service. Image: St. Francis, Jason Youngman, pexels.com

With three young kids, I needed creative space. I cleaned out a storage room in our home and made a radio documentary in the process... “A Room of Her Own,” documentary, Outfront , CBC Radio, aired October 2000 Steve Johnson, pexels.com

A long time ago, when my kids were little, I left home for a few days to meet up with a friend in New York City. It resulted in this essay for the Globe and Mail : “Daylight Train to Gotham: A stay-at-home mother takes her first unaccompanied trip to the Big Apple,” “Facts and Arguments,” Globe and Mail , April 28, 2000