Born in Lawton, Oklahoma @ Fort Sill, I am an Army baby born at 32 weeks in 1968… breech.

A skillful army doctor grabbed me by my feet & pulled me into the world.

My parents gave me the name, Anna Carol.

I’ve always had a sense of God’s presence in the world. As a little girl, I loved reading chapter 2 in the gospel of Luke. It’s the story of the baby Jesus being born. It sounded like good news to me… and that was before I knew much bad news.

As a teenager, I was baptized by my Granddaddy & grew in the next years to understand that God wants to be my companion throughout life’s journey. And this was especially meaningful to me because I needed to know of God’s care and willingness to guide, hear, & understand me. My parents divorced when I was young, had both remarried, & the dynamics in my life had changed. Being a teen is already filled with trying to figure out who you are, growing in skills & independence, constant changing landscape inside & out, & navigating relationships with a whole bunch of people going through all the same crazy stuff. Add to that, two homes with differing situations & personalities, mixed perceptions, & a struggle to find my voice & speak up.

I leaned in hard toward God’s love & did all that I could to grow: in knowledge, through service, by worshipping, praying, going to church, & reading scripture. The words of scripture provided comfort & calling. By the time I was a senior in high school, I wanted to tell others that God’s love is true & personal~ so that people who find themselves searching for unconditional love, hope, belonging, & purpose, might hear this message & experience this reality through me.

I met my the man who became my husband while in college. It was my sophomore year at Averett when this guy named Dean Miller arrived at school. By the start of his sophomore year, he had thrown me over his shoulder and carried me off in front of my ex-boyfriend (yes, literally- an act all of my friends thanked him for), and we started dating. I can’t tell you how much fun we had. I think most of it was legal…. We headed to seminary as newlyweds.

God’s call has taken me into differing roles of service in several congregations, each bringing continuing growth, nuturing meaningful relationships, allowing opportunities to offer the ministry of presence. Sharing love & holding out words of hope while sharing my story & teaching from scripture has been my lifelong vocation. I’ve gotten some of it right and some of it wrong, for sure. God’s grace must surely be wide.

Churches that have invited me to serve, will be recognized forever as some of life’s great gifts. We’ve learned so much about life and ourselves while we’ve served others and been nurtured in God’s loving community. It has filled our lives with beautiful souls and great friends.

Growing never stops. Life brings questions, blessings, challenges, hardship, needs, people, gifts, concerns… that require something more from me. So, I read, listen to books & podcasts, and seek out the voices and insights of others who offer varied perspectives. Even taking a course or two is still in the mix.

Nature & Science, Theology & Spiritual Experience, Art & Creative Practices… all for the purpose of Meaning-Making…because I need it and every once in awhile, I meet others who do, too. When I am putting these things together, I am in my happy place. Thriving.