ABOUT ROBYN

My Story

In response to God's hope-filled work in my life, I seek to "spend myself" (Isaiah 58:10)—my passions, gifts and experiences—on helping other people hope. I welcome opportunities to walk with others as a trail guide of sorts on The Hope-Brained Way of trauma-informed spiritual formation, having traversed a lifelong journey with anxiety and insecurity further complicated by a decades-long cloud of depression. I'm thankful for the opportunity to accompany those dealing with anxiety, depression and despair on the "exilic-return-to-exodus" path of hope, healing and human flourishing—with an emphasis on disenfranchised Christian college students/"gones" (Gen Z), deconstructing ministry leaders/"nones" (Gen Y) and disheartened clergy/"dones" (Gen X). I also seek to advocate for increased awareness and access to mental health resources in and through the Church.

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In 2016, God invited me into the work of encouraging, equipping and enlivening the Church to better tend to people in crisis and emotional brokenness following a 25-year career in nonprofit communications, which included tenures at Greenville University and Spring Arbor University as well as investments in prison ministry, disaster relief, homeless outreach, and those dealing with medical challenges. I believe hope is the way home for orphaned souls set adrift by attachment wounds—those for whom the love of a Father; the grace and truth of a Son, Friend and Savior, Jesus; and the presence, power and providence of the Holy Spirit as counselor and comforter (a reparative, replacement attachment figure) provide a resilient relational context for reconciliation, regeneration, redemption and restoration.

After four years of study, I graduated in May 2023 with a D.Min. in Organizational Leadership from Asbury Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Christian Ministry from Liberty University. I also hold an M.A. in Communication with an emphasis in Digital Engagement from Regent University (2004) and a B.S. in Education from Greenville College (1988).

A proud mama bird of three fine-feathered sons (and three beautiful daughters-in-law) and "Birdy" to three grand girls, one grand boy and three grand pups, I love to nest with my people as much as possible in between travels. Hope is my story. Hope is my song. And I will sing praise to my Father, my Friend and Savior, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for this hope—my one and only hope—all day long.

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Favorite Words of Hope

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"May the God of green [living] hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope." (Romans 15:13) 

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“Do. Not. Move. from the hope held out in the gospel.” – Colossians 1:23 (additional punctuation mine ☺️)

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"Hope returns when I remember this one thing: the Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise." - Lamentations 3:21-23 GNT
 

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." – 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

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"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." –Hebrews 6:19b NIV

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"We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us." – Hebrews 6:18–20 MSG

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"Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit." – Romans 5:5 NIV

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"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." – Romans 15:4 NIV

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"Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!" – Romans 15:4–6 MSG