“Walking with vulnerability and great love matters. I seek to encounter people where they are and seek to understand and grow. I am grateful especially for the flowers of mercy, forgiveness, and love.” Dr. Sarah Probst Miller offers a bouquet of life experiences to compliment spiritual direction, preaching, speaking, and facilitating. Her experiences as veterinarian, creative director, Music Director at Our Lady of the Lake, former D1 college basketball player, writer, mother, and partner grant unique yet rooted perspective. As a veterinarian and creative director of an ag media firm which she founded, Sarah may be found on farm discussing a culture of care, directing a video shoot, reviewing a training project on great animal care, or traveling the world speaking. She has served as a keynote speaker in her backyard in rural Monticello, IL when practicing messaging with her flock of chickens as well as in places as far flung as Japan, Australia, Thailand, China, Brazil, Netherlands and throughout the United States.
Sarah also recently completed a Benedictine Spiritual Direction Training and Certification Program with Benet Hill Monastery. As a spiritual director, Sarah seeks to see divine in everything, grow a more compassionate heart, listen to self and others with a spiritual heart, and love more fully. “In life, I seek to clothe myself in compassion and open my heart to the horizon. I imagine and believe that when we listen to each other amidst the prompting of the spirit we can see the splendor and wonder of vulnerable love.” Dr. Sarah serves as Co-chair of the Women in the Church Working Group with the Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP) and is a volunteer leader with Discerning Deacons.
As mom, she is most found cheering her children and their teammates on the cross-country course or encouraging them in musical endeavors. The former basketball college basketball player can be found on court encouraging young girls to be proud, confident, strong, and beautiful in their own skin. She also specializes in teaching them how to use one of the gifts God gave them, specifically their behind, when posting up and boxing out. When playing the piano, organ, or directing a choir at church, Sarah works to welcome all to discover how the Holy Spirit moves in and through our bodies to unite people through the prayer of song. In her writing, Sarah seeks to birth sacred ground, onto which we can plant seeds.
Sarah loves to hang out with her chickens, write, garden, cook and bond with family at the lake, go on dates with her husband, make music with all who arrive at Church, and read (or take naps) in hammocks. “I acknowledge that it sometime is that which has broken us that widens our soul and expands our journey. I seek to work with others be an instrument of peace and joy.”