A more graceful Ross joins GetReligion crew

Some folks get annoyed when they read a news story with holes, a piece with errors, prose with pockmarks. Me? I see it as an opportunity to learn and to teach. And when there’s nothing to fix, when all angles are covered and no questions remain by the ending, I rejoice and join in the celebration of good journalism. Everyone wins!

That’s part of why GetReligion captivates me, and it’s a big reason why I’m thrilled by the opportunity to join this stellar group of religion news hounds.

I’ve been reading this site for years, since my husband Bobby Ross Jr. turned me on to its efforts to shine a bright light on the dimly lit ghosts of secular religion coverage. I’ve always thought the Almighty has a sense of humor, and the commentary here affirms that for me. I love journalism, too, and that’s what this blog is all about.

Besides loving a good laugh, though, who am I really? A good friend calls me Jobette, the feminine form of the Bible’s most prolific yet long-suffering man. I think that’s much better that being called Sarah/Sarai, though, because that wing of the house is firmly closed.

I ended my 20-year career in journalism in 2012 after a trio of as-yet-untamable autoimmune diseases made it impossible to stay vertical for even moderate periods of time, much less type, travel or transcribe notes. During my byline years, however, I worked as religion editor for The Oklahoman, promoted up from copy editor and assistant features editor. I’ve also done freelance work for The Associated Press and United Methodist News Service. My most recent gig was with The Christian Chronicle, which truly was a homecoming for me, as I interned there during my college years at Oklahoma Christian University.

I ended my 43-year career as my mother’s favorite (and only) daughter just three weeks ago after she suffered a massive heart attack and died 48 hours later. I sat with my dad in a different heart hospital three days after her memorial service and listened as he described for doctors numbness, tingling and pain I had never heard about before. (My own ticker seems to be keeping excellent time at the moment, in spite of its brokenness.)

Over the last year, I’ve tried to focus on getting well. I read voraciously and work hard at making memories with my family, which also includes sons Brady, 20, and Keaton, 16; and daughter Kendall, 14. For reasons I have yet to understand, I’m tolerated well by my spiritual family, too, at the Edmond Church of Christ. Like Bobby, I’ll generally step aside from commenting here about any stories relating to the Stone-Campbell Movement, but know that Stone, Campbell and their Restoration Movement friends will continue to be dinner conversation here at Casa Ross for sure.

As the only female contributor here (at least for now), expect me to both give and get a hard time from this group of constantly leapfrogging Alpha Males. I’m no M.Z. Hemingway sadly, and would never attempt to try and walk in her ever-so-stylish boots/flats/kicky sandals. But I’m thrilled to be here, to join in this dialogue. Thanks for the warm welcome I know will be forthcoming.