Welcome! I am so glad you stopped by.
I believe Christian homes should look different from the outside world. They should be different. Feel different. Our homes are meant to be full of His presence and power exuding His love and light. And thus, in their difference, drawing people in and inviting intrigue and curiosity from those around them, What is it about that family? I can’t put my finger on what it is, but there is something really good going on inside that home, and I want to find out what it is.” Our homes have the great potential of becoming one of the central hubs for God’s glory radiating out into the our dark and hurting world.
But then…life happens. And we live in this fallen world. We are overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Overextended. Anxious. Feeling distracted and disconnected. Wishing we had more quality time with our spouse and children. Or that we’d be seeing more ‘fruit’ from the time we are pouring into them. We may even be feeling like our marriage is crumbling beneath us. Our homes, it turns out, do not look or feel any different from those around us.
You're not alone. It is not easy holding onto your deeply held values of faith and raising a family in this cultural moment - and its unique challenges - in which we find ourselves living. It can often feel like we are going against the tide.
Believe me, I know. Because I am living it too. To be married, shepherding various ministries alongside my pastor husband, running a coaching business, parenting 4 children in a foreign land — it’s a full life. And it is so easy to get swept up in all the flurry of activity - in person and online - that we can easily lose our way from The Way our hearts and souls were designed for.
But all hope is not lost. You and I, our marriages, our families, our homes - and the unique and glory-filled stories He is weaving through them - matter too much to God to be left alone. He wants to invade our hearts and invade the very space of our homes with His glory, so that we in turn may live as ‘glory carriers of Heaven’ in whatever we do and wherever we go. As the Apostle Paul said, all of us who believe are called to “...reflect the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
But how? Seriously, how.
That is where this little publication comes in. In my writing, I aim to be a companion alongside individuals and families like yours to provide biblical inspiration and practical tools to support you and your family - and mine! - in staying grounded and growing in the deep, the real and the genuine things of God in a world competing for our time, attention and identity - that you, that we all, may become true Homes of Glory radiating His light, life and love in this world. We can to it together. My family learning and growing alongside yours.
I consider it an absolute privilege that you stopped by my little online “Home of Glory.” As you look around, I invite you to begin by subscribing to my substack newsletter. It's a great place to get started and to get to know me a bit more. I’ll be writing more about:
The biblical basis and vision for Homes of Glory and what steps to take to start becoming one.
Practical rhythms and habits around worship, spiritual growth and formation, rest, play and learning that you can begin implementing in your home and family life right now.
Tips and tools to strengthen the relationships in your home - with God, your spouse and your children.
Inspiration and encouragement in practicing emotional health in your home by learning what the Bible says about grieving our losses and what it means to live a lifestyle of emotional freedom and health.
God’s Good News for women in particular and His radical vision of love, power and purpose for us in every age.
That is a start, and we’ll see how we go. You can continue reading more about me in the My Adventure section below to gain a better sense of some of the shaping influences and experiences in my life that have brought me to this point.
I believe our God loves to fill each humble heart and willing home at a time with the undeniable radiance of His glory. May He shine His light ever brighter through your heart and home as you make Him the center of it.
For His Glory,
Ali
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
My Adventure: Faith, Family & Ministry
I’m a Montana Girl at Heart
I was born and raised by my parents in the beautiful and mountainous state of Montana.
My three sisters and I were raised in a loving home where my parents were adventurous, active and instilled the value of believing in God and going to church as a family every Sunday. We rarely missed a Sunday. I am grateful for this upbringing, and attribute my gift of faith, pioneering spirit, and love for people to having grown up there.
I was a dedicated athlete throughout my school days playing basketball, volleyball and track. My dream from an early age was to play college basketball, which meant I spent every summer going to camps and playing in competitive tournaments. Going into my senior year, I had a few prospects for playing college ball, but not any I was excited about.
Then, one day that I will never forget, my high school coach came to me and said, “Ali, you are not going to believe this, but I am getting calls from the Ivy League schools inquiring about you. Princeton, Dartmouth and Harvard are interested.” My mouth dropped and I was speechless. I couldn’t help but think, How on earth did these schools find out about little old me and are they sure they have the right gal?
Long story short, two months later I was signing on with the Princeton Tigers and would soon be making my college home in New Jersey.
A New Chapter Begins
Princeton was a challenge and a thrill all at the same time. Culturally it was so different than everything I knew from my small town upbringing. I thrived in this new environment with new people, perspectives and possibilities for the life ahead of me. And of course, I was playing basketball with a team who became like family to me. I went on to become the captain my last two years with our team winning the Ivy League my senior year. What a thrill, sacrifice (the hundreds of hours of practice) and shaping influence all at once.
Academically, I had planned to be a pre-medical student, but after doing an internship with a surgeon one summer in my hometown decided this was not my path. I went back for my Junior year unsure of what direction I would go and was surprised to fall in love with a Religion Course. The department was small, people were genuine and passionate, and the study of belief in the Divine and the course offerings gave me a range of exposure to the five major world religions. It was then that I discovered I had an interest in the study of religious belief and how it shapes individuals, families and cultures - for better and for worse. I also loved that the discipline of Religion was an intersection of theology, history, psychology and sociology. In my last two years at Princeton, I became immersed in the Religion Department and earned a degree in Comparative Religion, which I believe planted the earliest seeds of pursuing a vocational path in Christian ministry.
My Suitcase Faith
My faith during college remained, as I say, “in the suitcase.” By this I mean though I had faith in the existence of God, it was a very private affair and I only took it (my faith in God) out of the suitcase when it was convenient to do so.
Even though most of my life consisted of academics, sports and the lively social scene, it was my senior year when I decided to take God out of the suitcase I had put Him in and join a small fellowship of Christian believers that met every Monday on campus, called Crossroads. It was a very warm, welcoming and grace-filled group of people, who welcomed me with open arms even though my commitment and devotion to God at that stage was waxing and waning. Each Monday night I would enjoy taking my faith “out of the suitcase,” but then would put it safely back in and resume my “normal” college life of staying up all hours to both study and socialize. But God used the genuine people of this group to stir the deeper questions about my life and purpose of existence and to begin opening more of my heart to God.
Beyond College: An Adventure to Asia
When I graduated, many of my friends were going to work on Wall Street or at consulting firms in the major cities in the US. But something within me was calling me to pursue a different path, though I didn’t yet know what. Then one spring day I met a friendly woman recruiting for a program called Princeton in Asia and I immediately knew, “This is it.” I applied for the program and was accepted to a TV broadcast journalism post in Manila, Philippines. I literally had to pull out a world map and while laying on the floor in my dorm room, circled where my new home would be the following year - all the way across the world where I knew not a soul! Gulp.
I remember upon arriving in the Philippines and sitting on my studio apartment bed thinking, What have I done? But somehow I knew deep down that this was going to be a formative phase of my journey and my life was going to change - for the better.
Work life was exciting and challenging, navigating a foreign culture, language and the media industry all at once, but it was in these challenging circumstances in this foreign land that was a catalyst for reigniting my faith in God. It was as if He plucked me out of my comfort zone and hurled me across the world so I could get to know Him.
Within a week, just when I was just starting to feel the homesickness kick in, someone invited me to join her out at the nightclubs, while another someone invited me to join her at church. It was as if I had a choice handed to me on a silver platter and God knocked on the door of my heart asking, Which one will you choose?
From Suitcase Faith to Sold Out
Since I knew the scene of the bars and nightclubs, I decided to take a risk and try going back to church. So I did and I never looked back. This friend introduced me to a lovely group of young adults pursuing the things of God and it was very inspiring to me. It was something very new to me too to learn what it meant to live fully for God in every area of one’s life (not just the suitcase faith I had known). I realized that I had a lot of things in my life that needed examining, re-ordering, rooting out and healing. I began the slow process of transformation.
This is when God brought a friend into my life who asked if she could “disciple” me and though I initially declined (not thinking I needed it!), she persisted and I eventually agreed to do a one-to-one study with her, learning the foundational tenets of the faith. It was then that something ‘clicked.’ I suddenly understood, as if for the first time, why Jesus had to die for my sin. And it somehow felt very personal - I realized, again for the first time, he died for me.
God Makes His Home in My Heart
Receiving these truths into my heart, brought me to my knees. Literally. One night while I was alone in my apartment waiting to have a Skype call (yes, I am dating myself!) with my family (which happened to be on my 23rd Birthday), I was pondering some of the things I had been learning and the revelations I had been having and, feeling suddenly deeply moved in my heart, decided to take a moment to get on my knees to pray. I said a simple prayer from my heart, something like,
Lord, you know I have always believed in you and I thank you for that gift. But there has been so much I have not understood and it has kept me from living fully for you in my heart. I have resisted your fulness in some ways, afraid that you might ask too much of me or that I might have to remove all the fun in my life. But somehow, my desire to know you more and get closer to you trumps all that, and I give it all over to you. I believe it was my sin that kept me separated from you and I turn now to place my trust in you Jesus, who died for my sin and gave me eternal life. Come into my heart now to lead and guide my life. Help me to be the person you have called me to be. In your name I pray, amen.
I felt something in my heart shift after that. All the fears I had previously of being ‘too extreme’ or being a ‘Jesus freak’ melted away and were replaced with a very pure and simple desire to know Him. I felt lighter. Free even, and at peace. I started to detect a sense of purpose of wanting to live for something beyond myself; to live for God and discover what His plans for me were. I was given a tender and compassionate heart towards others that was not there before. I became more generous with my material goods and my time. I began to read my Bible (after 23 years of carrying it with me and piling up dust!) and was awestruck as I began to understand more about God’s radical and redemptive story of love for His people through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I remember having the thought numerous times while reading Scripture, Why didn’t I discover this sooner! It was a time of great excitement as my passion and love for God grew. I soon began to experience the reality of what a deep and personal relationship with God could be like and it had a profound impact on every area of my life, including my career path…
The Shift from Media into Ministry
I was extremely fortunate to get to experience so much in the field of broadcast journalism so early on. Being an American living in Asia, I quickly rose the ranks and was put on air - not because of my journalistic skills - but because of my good English! I got to wear hats as a news reporter, presenter, writer and show host, for two different networks - one in the Philippines and one in Singapore. It was a thrill really, and in some ways posed great potential for being a viable career path for me.
But alongside broadcast journalism, I was also growing leaps and bounds in my faith. I was serving in my church, became a leader in my young adults ministry group, participated in Bible studies and couldn’t seem to get enough. I would spend hours reading my Bible and writing in my journal as a way of processing what I was learning and what God was speaking to me. It was during this time, I detected a real passion for writing and started sharing my thoughts on a blog, which eventually turned into a book, published by a traditional publisher in Singapore, called Entrusting the Key: From Serial Dating to Joyful Waiting, which chronicled my journey of discovering intimacy with God and rooting my identity in Him.
This growing desire and sense of call to serve as a writer and speaker, a vessel through which God would communicate His words of Truth and love that He was teaching me in any given season, became a growing passion I couldn’t seem to shake. It eventually grew into an overwhelming desire to serve Him with my whole life, and that meant taking a (rather scary!) leap in a new vocational direction: ministry.
The Adventure Continues: From Asia Back to Princeton
After a season of prayer, fasting, and discernment, I made the difficult decision to leave my job as a broadcast journalist, and transfer my skills and passion for communication to explore a vocation in Christian ministry. This is a whole other story that I will save for writing about another time, but this decision eventually led me to move back to my homeland of the USA and accept a role with my alma mater in Princeton with a Christian ministry organization as a women’s campus minister. I loved it. Week to week, I would welcome over 60 college women into my home to study the Bible, counsel them through their struggles and serve as a source of spiritual encouragement and support for them in a highly academic context that was not so conducive to strong faith.
The Calling into Marriage
It was during this time that I met my husband, Noah, who was studying to become a pastor at the seminary down the road. We met through a mutual friend, who had the brilliant idea of organizing a ‘big group blind date’ bringing together all her single male and female friends. There were probably a dozen of us at this dinner and the man with the deep southern voice stole my heart and intrigued my soul with his own testimony of coming to faith post-college like I did.
More on our perfectly imperfect love story in future posts, but suffice it to say for now, at 29, I had met my match and we were ready to conquer the world - or rather step into God’s unique call for us - together. On May of 2013, we were married before God and all our friends and family in the Princeton Seminary chapel and began to prepare for our next stop: Oxford, England.
Newlyweds Studying in England
Just when I thought my adventure could not top Southeast Asia, the man God brought into my path had plans (even before meeting me) to study an extra year in England. I was able to apply to the same program and after being married, we set out to begin our life in the ancient modern world of Oxford, England to study theology and apolgetics at Wycliffe Hall, the seminary training college at Oxford University. Living in a one-room flat, we fully embraced the world of tea and scones, pubs, fish and chips, driving on the left side of the road and ancient libraries (never mind the gloomy weather!).
It was magical and dreamy in many ways - and yet was challenging in the rigor and intensity required to complete our year-long intensive course in theology and apologetics. This course of study was the ‘cherry on top for him’ and the beginning for me as I went on to complete my master’s degree in Applied Theology.
Our First Pastoral Call: Union Church of Manila
It was during this time we began to pray about where God would send us for Noah’s first call as an ordained minister. This is another long story, but the short of it is that through an old contact of mine in Manila, who happened to be the wife of the senior pastor of an international church there, we discovered the role of Associate Pastor was open. Sensing a call to remain and serve God overseas, Noah applied for the position and in March 2015, we were moving from our magical and formative season in England, to Manila, Philippines, to serve the Union Church of Manila - a lovely hundred-year-old international church in the heart of the bustling city. We were thrilled and also unsure of what this new chapter would bring!
Our Ministry Begins, but First…
Very early into our ministry at UCM, I lost my beloved mother, after a three-year fight to cancer. I share this part of my story because it has been very soul-shaping. It was my first major loss and it thrust me into one of the deepest experiences of grief I could ever imagine, which I had no clue how to navigate as a daughter, let alone as a Christian. I will be writing more on this topic here on my substack, exploring what the Bible (really) has to say about grief and loss, what this means for how we approach the many losses that come to us all in life, and how we, as the Church, can care for others through their grief journey. For now, I would just like to give a shout out to my mom, Becky, the woman who gave me life and who was one of the most incredible and deeply faithful souls I ever had the opportunity to know. I miss her dearly and believe she lives on in my pursuit of deep faith, learning and engaging in the art of loving others well - that is, until I see her again!
I never anticipated that the year I lost my mom, I would become one.
Our Ministry and Family Begins
Within a year of arriving to our new church home in Manila, our first daughter Kendal was born, followed by our daughter, Cora, and two sons, Caswell and Oswald. All four of our children were born in Manila and call this place ‘home.’
In the years of establishing our family, I have remained as involved with the church life as time and energy have (or have not) allowed, hosting Bible studies and courses in our home for expat women and families, leading and speaking at our monthly women’s fellowship called Kingdom Women and engaging in any opportunity to pray with and for others in our community. I also have invested in becoming a credentialed coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) during these years, and now run a home-based coaching practice that helps women discover their God-given uniqueness and significance through one-on-one and group coaching programs.
My heart is full - being dedicated to both our own growing family and our church family, with our ministry flowing from our home. We have served our beloved Manila church for over 10 years now, our passion being to see hearts and homes transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they may shine His glory and radiance in this dark world.
Homes of Glory: A Life Being Lived and A Vision Hoped For
As our children grow and enter their school years, we realize more than ever how important discipleship and spiritual formation is in the home. In this ever-changing world with its shifting values at every turn, we have a million and one decisions to make daily, weekly, monthly and yearly how we will choose to order our days for our family. As the Psalmist said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Our days with our children, while they under our roof, are numbered. So how will we spend them?
Homes of Glory was created with this question in mind, among others that arise in us amidst the daily grind of raising our own children: How will we address the various challenging topics arising in the culture? How will we raise our children up with strong faith and what is truly needed for such a time as this? How can we keep faith formation stay at the center when so many other things are vying for our time and attention? How do we create a strong home rooted in the gospel while also living it out by serving and engaging our community?
With these questions in mind, my aim is not only to help families (including our own!) to navigate living out their Christian values in a culture that clashes up against them (going on the defensive), but also to help families (including our own!) to transform from strength to strength by intentionally and creatively choosing rhythms and habits to practice in their home that promote family togetherness, deep spiritual formation and yes, even fun (going on the offensive)! That we may act as hubs of God’s radiant glory, shining His light out into this dark world. I picture homes scattered around the globe, filled with God’s warmth and love and bursting with rays of light, drawing God’s hurting and lost sheep to Himself through these Homes of Glory. Wow.
That is the vision God is calling my family to live into in this season and I am inviting you along. There is a lot more to explore and unpack as to the ‘how’ of doing this, but for now, I am just excited you are here - and that you read this far! Sincerely, thank you for taking an interest in learning more about my unfolding story. I look forward to getting acquainted with you, hearing your story, and journeying together in this vital mission to see hearts and homes transformed by the gospel for the glory of God.
Thanks for stopping by. Before you go, I would love to hear from you. What about my story resonates with you most and why?
