The Visionary behind We Sojourners
The Practice of Peacemaking saved my most valuable relationships, helped other relationships go deeper, and gave me daily freedom from stress and anxiety.
Trust me when I say it’s possible to replace the anxiety with peace — and actually sleep through the night instead of replaying stressful interactions over and over. As I learned how to manage conflicts and appreciate the flow of genuine relationships my entire life began to look and feel different.
Imagine a young mother of 27 pregnant with her second child. The phone in her simple American kitchen rings with the news that her husband was in a car accident while traveling in a European Country. He didn’t make it. This kind of news changes things; it sends a person back for a completely new start, trying to figure out how to live life under new circumstances. It complicates existing relationships with family and friends as well as the relationship you have with yourself. Fast-forward 6 months to the birth of her second child, a daughter. She presses on with family support despite feeling numb that her husband is no longer there to share life with her.
This is my mom’s story, one I could only experience from my point of view. Even though I could never completely relate to her exact feelings, my own story emerged from the moment she had begun rewriting hers. Growing up, the three of us didn’t have a ton of peace in our home. Our emotions drove us. We didn’t have great communication skills, and we certainly didn’t know how to listen or help each other. It was every woman for herself.
Growing up without peace has its effects. I was in my mid 30’s before I could begin to work on my self-confidence. My ability to have meaningful friendships started to take shape in my late 30’s. Now almost 50, family unity and deep relationships are the backbone of what brings me the most peace and positively affects every area of my life.
Learning and practicing peace, for me, was a painful and lonely process but now, I have the peace I was missing, I am more confident in myself and my relationships, and I know how to reach out to the right people so I don’t have to walk through life’s challenges alone.
This is what I want for you too.
Maybe your story isn’t exactly like mine, but everyone can benefit from a deeper level of peace. It’s my mission to journey with other women to gain more peace and make sense of why everyone else looks like they have it together while you struggle.
When I am not helping others or pursuing peace in my own life, you can find me cooking, at the gym, digging in the garden or talking stupid to my dog (he loves it).
This is the real boring stuff, but some folks really like to know. As a peacemaker and conflict resolution coach, I help you discover what is keeping you and your relationships from being peaceful and enjoyable. I hold a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from Southern Methodist University. During my studies, I worked full time as a paralegal, managed a home of 3 grown kiddos, 1 grandbaby, & a dog and a cat, along with her husband of 26 years. I have used my degree and legal experience to serve as a court mediator, helping people resolve their conflicts together in lieu of judicial proceedings. I was also a coordinator for a juvenile diversion program facilitating restorative circles. The program was created to offer teens an alternative option to to normal legal proceedings and give them the opportunity to take responsibility for their legal offense. This took place in the form of a discussion (with the teen, their parents, and a representation of the community) of what happened, who was hurt, and how it was going to be fixed.
These positions were greatly rewarding and taught me a great deal about people in conflict. Despite the tremendous rewards of those positions she knew there was more. For the past decade, I focused my conflict resolution skills from a different perspective. Focusing more on building and restoring relationships rather than simply negotiating property settlements, I have found that combining conflict resolution and peacemaking skills offers a complete approach to resolving conflicts, restoring relationships and peace.
With these new skills, I offer an online community called ‘We Sojourners’ where Christian women can build these skills for themselves.
