Welcome

a little backstory

In a professional sense, most people know me as the founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit called Homes & Havens. I’ve been leading this organization for seven years now and it encompasses several of my passions including empowering women, trauma recovery, home design, and creating healthy organizational culture. At the end of 2020, my heart began to feel drawn towards creating healing spaces in a retreat context for exhausted ministry leaders, women in the trenches of motherhood and/or career, and faith-driven creatives. I was also feeling the need to explore a more personal expression of thoughtful beauty through art, teaching, writing, and space-making. This expanded into what is now Listening House Creative.

I am a human that values the small things like being rooted in a patch of earth. I am a wife to a quiet, loyal man who tethers me to honest places. I am a mother of two beautiful, rowdy boys. I am a trained spiritual director and believe God can be found in all things and all places. I struggle to call myself an artist or writer or gardener, even though deep down I know I am all of those things. And if I’m honest, I feel most like myself when I am home with dirt under my fingernails, a paintbrush in my hand, or wrestling with beautiful, vulnerable words. I am a place-maker — I create home right where I am, wherever I am. That’s the best way to describe my deepest vocation.

I have been on a journey of untangling my voice from the all the roles I play and I’m learning to speak from a deeper place. I’m so thankful and tender that you are here. This place is a collection of my offerings to the world — an offering of healing space, thoughtful art, creative meaningful retreats, a place to listen and be heard, and inspiration for the deep work of making “home” in such a chaotic world.

I’m really glad you are here.

“People aren't longing to be impressed; they're longing to feel like they're home. If you create a space full of love and character and creativity and soul, they'll take off their shoes and curl up with gratitude and rest, no matter how small, no matter how undone, no matter how odd.” —Shauna Niequist