Hi. I’m Ann (Elizabeth). So glad you are here. I wish I was there. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit down over some thin and crispy tortilla chips and queso? Or coffee, like normal people. We could chat for hours in stretchy pants and laugh.

I came with a big heart, feisty bend, and creative spirit back in the early 80’s. No one ever accused me of being the quiet lamb in the corner. When I met Lucas (Luke, nowadays, apparently men can have name crises), in the very romantic Human Resources department, I pegged him with questions while he focused(?) on his work. He asked me out to dinner a few weeks later. I ordered a drink with an umbrella, which apparently made it “a date.” And a year and a half later, we were married. We laugh at the mini-me’s we’ve created in our two children and pray daily we can be the starting point for a new generation of hope for healthy marriages and relationships in our family.

There are a few things I crave daily. And without them, my life feels mediocre at best.

Authenticity matters. The thoughts we let rattle around upstairs and the words that we choose to give life to those thoughts are so critical. I value transparency in thought and words and seek this out in my relationships. There’s so much to lose in being vulnerable isn’t there? That’s what we tell ourselves. But in losing self we gain so much more. I crave this deeply. Let’s show up and be real. Don’t pretend to be authentic with somewhat spicy stories, let’s ask God to reveal our hearts wholly.

Leadership matters. One of the biggest cringe worthy moments for me in the “business world” was when people received their business cards with fancy titles. A lot of those titles came with the “M” word. Manager. Managing situations or people can be much like behavior modification if the heart behind it is off point. It’s not instituting real change. Show me someone who is transforming, engaging, caring, and I will show you a leader. I am passionate about ideas and people that lead others to freedom and transformation in their lives.

Coming home. Until I was nearly a married woman, I would have this recurring dream I couldn’t find my way home. I would get to the end of the neighborhood and have missed my street. How could this be? Each time, I would wake up nearly sweating and panicked at the thought of not being able to go home. I crave the comfort of tradition, food around a familiar table, card games in the living room, and movie nights with my worn quilt and pillow. There’s just something about settling in with those closest to my heart and hearing that toilet run for the fifteenth time each night.  The ruts we’ve worn, the time spent idling together, and the treasured dates on the calendar signaling flags on the driveway, pumpkin candles on the stove, and trees in the window. It’s settling for the soul. Home to me is a reminder of where I have come from, where I am, and where I am going.

Will you come along with me on this journey?