Because I’ve used a lot of virtual ink over the past few weeks defending my deliberate choice to take on many time- and labor-intensive Christmas traditions, instead of slowing down and pruning my to-do list, I thought I’d wrap up this week by sharing a list of what I do—and don’t do—to get ready for Christmas. My point (in my guest post on Introverted Church as well as Tuesday’s post here about how tangible Christmas traditions can enhance, rather than... Read more
In last week’s episode of the ABC family comedy The Middle, Frankie (the mom) decides that, to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas, the kids won’t get a big haul of gifts. The kids greet this news with wide-eyed panic. When Frankie’s parents, dismayed that their grandchildren won’t get many gifts, show up Christmas morning with a huge load of presents, Frankie has a spectacular meltdown during which she yells at everyone for ruining the special Christmas she planned. Then... Read more
I’ve noticed a movement afoot among Christians to take back Christmas. No, I’m not talking about the perennial braying over secular America’s “war on Christmas” from those offended by “holiday” trees. (If you want to know what I think about that war on Christmas, read Sojourners’ Jim Wallis’s take on it. That pretty much sums it up for me.) And I may be overstating to call what I’ve noticed a “movement.” It’s really just a preponderance of blog posts, all... Read more
I’ve decided the best way to introduce myself and what I write about is to explain the tagline that appears in my blog header: “Parenthood, disability, ethics, and the crooked way of grace.” That said, I’m going to start by discussing a term that doesn’t actually appear in the tagline: faith. My faith perspective underlies most of what I write and landed me here on Patheos. Faith: I am a Christian. Beyond that, I use several different labels to describe... Read more
Welcome to my new blog here on Patheos! The time is right for me to go in some new directions with blogging, and I’m excited that the folks at Patheos invited me to do so here, in the company of so many other great writers. I encourage you to check out the company I’m keeping at the Patheos blog page, particularly the Progressive Christian Portal. For the past few years, I have maintained two blogs: Five Dollars and Some Common... Read more
Ellen Painter Dollar
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Comment Policy
Comments are welcomed and encouraged. Passionate responses and disagreements are to be expected on a blog discussing faith, reproduction, parents, children, disability and medicine. Healthy and helpful discussions will only happen if people feel safe to comment honestly, without fear of being attacked or silenced. Strong opinions and debate are welcomed, but negativity is not. Comments are not moderated, but I do review comments and will delete those that are: way off topic (though I welcome comments that suggest a... Read more