About

I grew up in a large, lively missionary family in Colombia–a beautiful, complicated place. In recent years I’ve periodically had the privilege of providing accompaniment and advocacy to Colombian peace communities and human rights defenders. Naturally these experiences, and some of the many stories I’ve been told by Colombian friends, make their way into what I write.

I’m a visual artist too, working mostly in chalk pastels, collage, mosaic, and related digital media. My author-illustrator debut was Picturing God, a book inviting children and parents to meditate on some of the biblical God-metaphors; it was released by Beaming Books in September 2019.

Dearworthy: Little Meditations on the Revelations of Julian of Norwich was published in 2024 by Anamchara Books. Here I offer short meditations on essential excerpts from Julian’s stunning theological writing, along with scriptures, questions to ponder, breath prayers, and a botanical image to accompany each. I’ve opened a shop at Redbubble to allow some of these images (and others) to be seen and purchased in various forms. There are butterflies too!

My 2017 children’s picture book, Adriana’s Angels / Los ángeles de Adriana (published separately in English and Spanish; Sparkhouse Family), has a Colombian child protagonist whose family must flee danger. And then her new life in Chicago has its troubles too. Through it all, her brilliant guardian angels keep attentive watch and help her know she’s held firmly in God’s love.

Isaiah and the Worry Pack, in which a mother helps her son deal with nighttime anxiety through a quiet guided imagery, released from IVP Kids in 2021. And other books for children and adults are in the works!

Taking a phrase from “Las caras lindas de mi gente negra,” a song celebrating Afro-Latin beauty, as part of its title, Caras lindas de Colombia / Beautiful Faces of Colombia was released in June 2018 and took first prize in the Art Book category of the 2023 North Street Book Prize! It was a 2024 finalist in the Social Change category of the American Legacy Book Awards as well. I provided most of the text to accompany gorgeous, lush photos of Afro-Colombian people and communities by the distinguished photographer Michael Bracey. We self-published this book, which was beautifully designed by Cindy Grimes Kiple, and its presence in the world makes me deeply happy.

I’ve published two collections of poetry, Soap Is Political (Glass Lyre; these poems are rooted in Colombia) and Yellow Doors (WordFarm); a third collection will appear in 2025 from Fernwood Press. I also authored several scripture study guides, including Singleness (InterVarsity Press–now in its 11th printing, and it’s been translated into several other languages) and Heart Renewal (WaterBrook), as well as the booklet Date Rape (InterVarsity Press).

My lifelong breadwinning work was in book and magazine editing, culminating in fourteen years as a senior manuscript editor at the University of Chicago Press and a number of years as an instructor in the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies’ editing certificate program. It was wonderful work, and now I’m enjoying freedom to focus exclusively on my own creative projects–including occasional translations to or from Spanish.

You can get a copy of any of the books described above, plus a few others, by clicking on the Books tab on the upper right. Or consider booking me for a virtual visit to read and talk about one of my books with your child(ren) or class. We can even make art together! Go to the Contact tab for that.