Stories...who we are...I have always believed that the story is a great metaphor for understanding who we are, how we relate to God, and how we relate to the rest of the world. I like to think of the Bible as the ongoing story about a God and God's people. I also tend to believe that the story didn't end when we reach the end of Revelation. The story continues in human history after the Bible as well. That belief has sometimes made me unpopular with those who want to take the Bible more literally. So be it.

I grew up in the frozen northern border of Minnesota. We couldn't see Canada from our house, but I could from my parent's jobs. The town was tiny (about 800), and so was my high school class. People know each other very well around there, because we look at each other every day. When I was in the 8th grade, I went to camp. This was not my first time at camp, but it was quite a change for me. I made friends that were outside of my home town. I learned that life existed beyond my little corner of the world. That was the beginning of my disengagement with rural living. After high school, I was an exchange student in Brussels, Belgium. I now live in a major city, and I'm not looking back.

I've always accepted my sexual orientation as just a part of who I was. I also accepted that my Christian identity was a part of who I was. I never had the major breakthrough that God loved me. That was always true. I'm completely fine with God (and I think that God is pretty fond of me too). God's people are a little more tricky.

When I moved to Minneapolis, I decided that I should live my life as "out" as possible. I wasn't going to be an annoying advocate, but I was going to be honest about who I was. It worked incredibly well in college. After college, I joined a traveling music ministry team. I tried the same honest approach with them, and it totally blew up in my face. I ended up being removed from the team because people were too uncomfortable with how comfortable I was (and how honest I was). That experience has made me a little more of an advocate than I intended to be.

Today, I juggle several jobs. I also have a lot of passions and ministries going in the air. My favorite (and the one that stresses me out) is called The Naming Project. What began as a weekly drop in meeting for GLBT youth interested in talking about religion and spirituality has become an annual camp for GLBT kids and allies. We were filmed and featured in the documentary, Camp Out (which I highly recommend). The camp continues.

I'm also figuring out what to do with my life. I like teaching (I've done a little). I like doing non-profit administration. I like planning and executing events. I don't know how you (successfully) juggle those things, but I sure try.

This is the "highlights" version of my story. It continues with a lot of nuance and each day.