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I am Mark, a retired chaplain and Christian counselor who has spent decades companioning people through grief, joy, and the slow work of healing. My calling has never been about fixing—it has always been about presence.
Now, in retirement, I write from the front porch. The rocking chair has become my pulpit, and words my ministry. Through reflections, stories, and silence, I offer spiritual hospitality and emotional honesty.
My life has been shaped by resilience, by the ache of disappointment, and by the grace that carries us through. What I share now is not ceremony or counseling, but companionship—an invitation to sit beside me in the glow of the porchlight, where healing is honored and belonging is sacred.


About the porch keeper

Portrait African American Nun and Priest in Office

A beautiful natural wood porch of a farmhouse framing green landscape during a vibrant colorful sunset

The Porch

The Front Porch
The front porch is a threshold place—neither inside nor outside, but somewhere in between. It’s where rocking chairs creak, silence lingers, and stories find room to breathe. The porchlight glows softly, not to dazzle but to guide, a beacon for those who need rest or companionship.
Here, presence matters more than answers. The porch is a space of spiritual hospitality, where honesty is welcome and resilience is honored. It’s a place to sit without hurry, to share the ache of disappointment and the grace that carries us through.
The front porch is not a stage or a pulpit—it’s a place of belonging. A place where healing is slow, but real. A place where you are invited to sit, to be seen, and to know you are not alone.
