Friends, I’ve got an unexpected treat for you today: although I usually only post once guest voice a week, you’re getting two this week. It may not come as much of a surprise, that as this season is likely hard for you, it’s hard for me too. Sometimes I feel like I’m going batty NOT writing, then when (and if) I get the time to sit down and write, I’m so exhausted, no words seem to pour out of my fingers. That’s okay.... Read more
Well friends, I’ve got a post that made me stop and pause …especially in such topsy-turvy, upside-down times like we find ourselves in now. What would it look like instead to stop and listen for just a second, through the barrage of noise that bombards us right now? My buddy Jeff Shankle has some raw thoughts for us, so y’all, pull up a chair and enjoy. — 100,000. 200,000. Less than SARS or more than H1N1. In about 6 months (or... Read more
My friend Ashley said something earlier this week that I haven’t been able to get out of my head: Right now, all we can do is count our joys and honor our griefs. This is the one thing, the only thing, she can do right now. I wish I could say the same – that I don’t explode in anger when all of this staying indoors and away from other humans doesn’t get the best of me. That I do... Read more
I don’t know about you, but it feels like everything is changing by the hour: the news changes by the hour. Directives change by the hour. Moods change by the hour. Grief itself changes by the hour. Just this morning we found out our boys will be out of school until at least the beginning of May. This is not surprising, but it’s another reality check, another dose of unwelcome (yet understandable) surprise. When news like this hits and all... Read more
I’ve been a big fan of Lisa Van Engan for awhile now, especially after reading her book, And Social Justice for All. It’s tangible and applicable, and as such, it’s not an understatement to say that every person who teaches children (and youth) in the church should get their hands on it. All that to say, Lisa joins us today for a “Listen, Learn and Listen Some More” post all about justice + young people, so, enjoy. Proceeds from today’s post go... Read more
In Wednesday evening’s post, I told a couple of stories, including how I’d just preached about how we can lean into the invitation and calling into unity through acts of peace, justice and love. And as I also mentioned that the last third of the service was highly interactive, with all of us giving examples of peace and justice and love to one another through the comment section. It was a thing of beauty, y’all, so pop on to Facebook if you haven’t... Read more
To say that the world feels rather heavy right now is an understatement. News changes by the hour: this afternoon, when my seven-year old son and I sat across the dining room table together, he looked at me and said, “Mama, isn’t it interesting that I had school at school a week ago?” Interesting, indeed. Now the governor of California warns that most of the school-aged children in our state will likely be out of the classroom until summer, a... Read more
As per the Tuesday usual, I’ve got a treat for you, mostly because I don’t think there’s a better sentence to begin an essay than with the one below. Enjoy this “Listen, Learn and Listen Some More” post from my new friend, Sam Chamelin. Proceeds from today’s post goes toward Bravemaker. — If it’s possible to find salvation again, I found it in a pig pen. My evangelist, a young boy who loved pigs more than anything in the world. ... Read more
It hit me the other day: we’ve been back in the Bay Area for as long as we were in Seattle. If you’re new to these parts, the short of our story is this: a week after the 2016 election, my family and I moved up to the Pacific Northwest. We thought it’d be for life, near my family and friends I’d known for twenty, thirty years of my life. But our time up there ended just as soon as... Read more
Well friends, as per the usual, you are in for a treat. Annie Rim is pure joy, and she’s someone I’ve loved getting to know and getting to learn beside for a few years now. So, pull up a chair and enjoy her thoughts on the intersection of parenting and justice during this “Listen, Learn and Listen Some More” series. Proceeds from today’s post go towards Preemptive Love. — In the spring of 2015, I was pregnant with our second... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In