Ron Starbuck is an Episcopal lay person and poet living in Texas, who, along with his wife Joanne, attends Trinity Episcopal Church in Midtown Houston. Ron began writing poetry and practicing forms of contemplative prayer as a student and young adult; he continues this practice (Praxis) in his spiritual life today, holding a lifelong interest in Christian mysticism, Comparative Religion, theology, and various forms of contemplative practice. The poetry he writes is an expression of and a response to encountering God's call.
Answering God’s call through a sacramental practice of meditation is one way to experience the “Reign of God” in the present moment. Sacraments are an “outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace” whereby the Spirit of God becomes present to us; sacraments are a means of grace and a vehicle for the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives.
Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, Ron grew up in the northeastern part of the state and the greater Kansas City area. Moving as a teenager with his family to Beaumont, Texas and then to Houston, eventually attending Lon Morris College, San Jacinto College, and the University of Houston, where he majored in psychology. In time, he moved into the corporate world as an Information Technology professional.
A former Vice President with JP Morgan Chase, he has over twenty years of experience in Program-Project Management, Business Analysis, Human Resources corporate training, demand and resource planning, executive-level planning, and staff management. He now serves in the public sector, as an Information Technology Program Manager for Harris County, Texas.
Ron and his wife Joanne, mentioned in the first poem “My Dearest Darling,” live in the Houston Heights Historic District a few miles from downtown. They share their 1940s vintage home with two dogs. One is a lovely burnt orange rust colored German Shepherd Chow mix named Cubbie, and the other, Dominick, a charming black Labrador Retriever mix. Cubbie is a University of Texas at Austin adoptee, and Dominick a hurricane Katrina adoptee; both of them are lovable and enduring creatures of God, mentioned in the poem titled “Winter Pays a Visit.”
Ron Starbuck can be reached at the following email address: rpsonstarbuck@sbcglobal.com
