Where gratitude meets grace, faith becomes action and everyone has a place.
Rooted in Love
Hi, I'm Chris.
I'm a United Church of Christ Member in Discernment, pastor, preacher, teacher, nonprofit leader, grief educator, and person in long-term recovery.
I believe the Gospel is good news for EVERYONE! We are ALL beloved and grace is abundant.
Through preaching, writing, pastoral care, and community engagement, I seek to help people discover hope, practice gratitude, and experience God's extravagant love.
LOVE. GRACE. BLESSINGS.
I believe God is love.
Not fear. Not judgment. Not exclusion. Love.
When I want to know what God is like, I look to Jesus—the humble, brown-skinned rabbi who walked dusty roads, welcomed those on the margins, challenged systems of injustice, and reminded us that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
I believe God meets us exactly where we are, not because we have earned God's love, but because we are already beloved. Grace is not a reward for getting life right; it is the gift that sustains us as we grow, stumble, heal, and begin again.
This belief shapes everything I do. It informs my preaching, my pastoral care, my commitment to justice, my work in the community, and my daily practice of gratitude. I believe faith is meant to be lived—not only in sanctuaries, but in hospitals, food pantries, recovery meetings, neighborhood conversations, and wherever people are longing for hope.
I believe every person bears the image of God and possesses sacred worth. The Church is at its best when it reflects the wide embrace of Christ, making room for every story, every question, every doubt, and every hope.
Love calls us to feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, welcome the stranger, seek justice, care for creation, and work for a world where all people can flourish. Following Jesus is not simply believing certain things about him; it is choosing, day after day, to love as he loved.
I don't claim to have all the answers. Faith is a lifelong journey of learning, listening, questioning, and trusting. But through every season of life, I return to this simple conviction:
God is love.
And wherever love is transforming lives, healing wounds, restoring hope, and drawing people into deeper relationship with one another, I believe God is already there.
Daily Gratitude Practice
Every morning begins the same way.
Before I check my email, read the news, or begin the work of the day, I spend time in prayer and meditation. Then I write down at least five things for which I am grateful.
Some mornings the list comes easily—a sunrise, good health, the love of family, a meaningful conversation, the companionship of my dogs, or the quiet gift of another new day. Other mornings, especially during seasons of grief, uncertainty, or struggle, gratitude requires a little more intention.
Yet I have discovered that there is always something. Often, there are many, many things.
This simple practice has reshaped the way I think and the way I live.
Gratitude has taught me to pay attention—to notice the sacred woven into ordinary moments, to celebrate small acts of kindness, and to recognize God's presence in places I might otherwise overlook. It hasn't eliminated hardship or sorrow, nor has it asked me to pretend that life is always easy. Instead, it has reminded me that joy and grief, hope and heartbreak, can exist side by side.
Over time, gratitude has become much more than a journal entry. It has become a spiritual discipline, a way of seeing the world, and a daily invitation to trust that grace is always at work, even when it is difficult to perceive.
My hope is that these reflections encourage others to cultivate their own practice of gratitude—not as a way of ignoring life's challenges, but as a way of discovering God's abundant blessings in the midst of them. I believe gratitude changes us. It softens our hearts, deepens our compassion, strengthens our resilience, and opens our eyes to the countless ways love continues to surround us each day.
Every day is a gift. Every breath is grace. And every morning offers another opportunity to begin again with a grateful heart.
Navigating the Sacred Journey of Grief
Grief changes us.
Whether your loss is recent or years old, expected or sudden, the death of someone you love can reshape every part of your life. Grief doesn't follow a timeline, and it isn't something we simply "get over." It becomes part of our story, inviting us to discover new ways of carrying both love and loss.
As a David Kessler Certified Grief Educator, I provide a compassionate space where people can learn about grief, explore their own experiences, and find hope without minimizing the reality of their pain.
I believe one of the greatest gifts we can offer someone who is grieving is our presence. We don't need to have all the answers. We don't need to fix what cannot be fixed. We simply need someone willing to walk beside us.
My work is shaped by David Kessler's approach to grief, which honors the uniqueness of every person's journey while recognizing that healing comes through understanding, connection, and meaning. Grief is not a problem to solve—it is a reflection of love. The depth of our grief speaks to the depth of our relationship.
Whether you are grieving the death of a spouse, parent, child, sibling, friend, or beloved pet—or navigating another significant loss such as divorce, illness, retirement, or a major life transition—you deserve a place where your story can be heard with compassion and without judgment.