A Lovist in Progress

Author. Minister. Teacher. Grandmother. Great-grandmother.
Lifelong student of Love.

I’ve worn quite a few hats in my lifetime. Some were professional, some were personal, and some I never imagined I’d be wearing!

I’ve been a teacher, a child and family advocate, a nonprofit executive, a leadership coach, a retreat center director, a minister, and an author.

But the most meaningful discovery of my life has been that Love isn’t simply something we feel. It’s something we can choose to live.

And that’s what being a LOVIST is all about.

I didn’t arrive at this understanding overnight. It has taken a lifetime of adventures, relationships, challenges, unexpected turns, and more than a few opportunities to practice what I now teach.

And I’m still learning!

A Life of Living, Learning & Loving

The Early Chapters: Making a Difference

My professional journey took me from California classrooms to supporting families experiencing homelessness in Georgia, and eventually to Alabama, where I devoted many years to child abuse prevention, nonprofit leadership, training, and organizational development.

I had the privilege of working alongside people who were making a difference in their communities. I learned that meaningful change begins with relationships, that listening is often more powerful than telling, and that people flourish when they feel valued.

Those lessons have never left me.

The Heartwood Years: Creating Space for the Soul

In 2000, another chapter began in the beautiful mountains of Mentone, Alabama. For the next twenty years, Heartwood became a home for retreats, spiritual exploration, personal renewal, coaching, meaningful conversations, and opportunities to reconnect with what matters most.

During those years, I became an ordained minister through the Alliance of Divine Love and wrote my first book, Spirit Expression for EveryOne: A Guide to Living a Soul Driven Life.

Heartwood was more than a place. It was an expression of my belief that each of us carries an inner wisdom worthy of discovering and honoring.

When we closed that chapter in 2021 and moved to Florida, I knew that the experiences and lessons of Heartwood would continue to find new expressions.

The Florida Chapter: Living Love in New Ways

Here on Florida’s beautiful Emerald Coast, I began facilitating Inner Wellness and Meditation classes for older adults.

What a gift it has been to explore the possibilities of growing older with curiosity, humor, compassion, and a willingness to keep discovering ourselves!

And during this chapter, a new book was born.

The Lovist Handbook: A Guide for Living Love brings together many of the experiences, insights, and practices that have shaped my life. Through Ten Waymarkers, it offers practical ways to make Love an intentional part of everyday living.

Now I’m sharing these ideas through Lovist Circles, conversations, writing, and connections with people who are discovering what it means to be a LOVIST.

The Loves of My Life

Along with all those professional adventures, there is another enormously important part of my story.

I am the delighted grandmother of fifteen grandchildren and great-grandmother of seven!

My family is one of the greatest joys and blessings of my life. They have given me countless opportunities to experience the extraordinary, sometimes messy, frequently hilarious, and always evolving adventure of loving.

My husband, Ted, is my companion in this chapter of life, and together we continue to discover new possibilities for joy, connection, and adventure.

I believe family and relationships offer some of our richest opportunities to practice Living Love. And believe me, I continue to get plenty of practice!

Still Becoming

At this season of my life, I’m less interested in collecting accomplishments and more interested in savoring experiences, nurturing relationships, making room for creativity, and sharing what I’ve learned.

I’m discovering the gifts of spaciousness, the joy of slowing down, and the freedom to ask, “What would Love have me do now?”

I don’t believe we ever finish becoming who we are.

And I certainly haven’t finished becoming me!

Welcome to my little corner of the LOVIST world. I’m glad you’re here.

With Love,

Cathy