About

About Jan

When I won $300 in a writing contest in 1986, it dawned on me that God’s message to Habakkuk was also for me: “Write the vision clearly on the tablets, so that one can read it readily.” (Habakkuk 2:2) My vision arises from life experiences, including the following:

An earlier career as a physical therapist gave me great respect for medical science, plus an awareness of what it can—and can’t—do to cure people. That carried over into my later focus as a writer about healing and healing ministry. In collaboration with Father Leo Thomas, a Dominican priest, I co-authored two books: Healing as a Parish Ministry and Healing Ministry: A Practical Guide, along with a training program called “Formation for Healing Ministry.

My third book, Healing: Stories of Faith, Hope, and Love, shows readers how to actively participate in their healing. It helps them experience God’s presence as they journey toward more wholeness than they may have thought was possible.

Now millions of people wrestle with a wound that’s deeper than physical: loneliness. In the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There is a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.

Lighthouse

Where can we find that love? One way is through spiritual companions. My newest book, Seeking Christ Through Friendship, shows how to share our spiritual life with friends who walk with us as part of our relationship with God.

Today I am a certified catechist in the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. My personal journey with God continues, as does my ministry as a writer, speaker and teacher about spirituality, healing, and prayer. I welcome inquiries. Contact me for more information. In the meantime, I offer you this prayer: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24, 26)