“…these (stories) are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” –John 20:31 My whole life is the journey to belief, though I have not seen. My whole being is stretched to try to understand Jesus’ presence in the world, though I cannot touch his nail marks. But what is the proof of His presence? Love. Peace. Forgiveness. Humility. Presence. Truth. Jesus,... Read more
Today, more than ever in history, we can meet the world at our doorstep– or rather, at our computer screen, where we can connect with someone across the sea with the push of a “send” button. If this is true for us, it’s also true for our kids. My oldest son found me crying a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t hide anywhere. Have we already forgotten our friends, people who are fleeing, dying in the in-between, before they see... Read more
The mystery of Christ, of this deep well of a man and Savior, is that we may have known Him all our lives, and then one day we find Him all over again, as tangible flesh and Spirit awakening our hearts. This is blessing. I spent the weekend in an Episcopal cathedral, with pillars protruding through the middle of the building, with white light being flushed through the tinted windows high up on the walls. I watched women speak from... Read more
For the last five days, I’ve been an emotional pendulum, swinging frantically back and forth between excitement and guilt, between the need for self-care and self-accusations of selfishness. On Thursday I fly to Minneapolis for the Why Christian? Conference. In nearly four years, I’ve only been away from Eliot once overnight, and Isaiah, never. We are one of those families, you know. We snuggle in bed with our boys all night long, content to have them close to us as long... Read more
Thursday I sat on my knees on the living room rug and I cried. I wrote Abdullah Kurdi’s name on my refrigerator door to remember his family, his wife and two boys who died trying to get to safety and away from the Syrian border. Sometimes I think God lets us look right into suffering, lets us feel it in our bones, lets the weight of it fall on our hearts and knock the breath out of our lungs. And... Read more
Isaiah turned two on Wednesday. And this morning, I paid the last of our medical bills from the day he was born. Two years of $100 this month, only $30 the next. For being in labor less than five hours, for giving birth about forty minutes after we arrived at the hospital, there was still a lingering attachment to that day, money to pay for the gift of a second boy. The other day, Eliot spoke to us about his... Read more
A few months ago a friend mentioned that I might not glean from Rachel’s writing as much as a hard, type-A personality might. I tend to find myself somewhere in-between, hanging in the balance of high-strung and not strung enough. So, when I received Rachel’s new book, Hands Free Life, in the mail, I was a little nervous. What I did know is that I’ve spent time in Rachel’s home over the past few months. I’ve witnessed her kindness toward myself, toward... Read more
“If you are tired and worn out by your labors for Your Lord, place your head upon his knee and rest awhile. Recline upon his breast, breathe in the fragrant Spirit of life, and allow life to permeate your being. Rest upon him, for he is a table of refreshment that will serve you the food of the divine Father.” –John of Dalyutha When I first saw the word “labor,” I dismissed this prayer from myself immediately, and from many... Read more
#14 “A disciple should always carry the memory of God within. For it is written: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.’ You should not only love the Lord when entering into the place of prayer but should also remember Him with deep desire when you walk or speak to others or take your meals… If a disciple’s heart always longs for God, then God will surely be the Lord of their heart.” — Makarios the... Read more
The family rhythm is quite a feat to keep up with. They say it takes about two weeks to establish a steady pattern, so when it’s a pretty constant re-establishing, things get a little rocky for everyone. Welcome to summer vacation. So when this happens, we need a constant. We need lasting traditions to hold us steady, like the before-bed-storytime. We need the gathering at the table for every meal, to process our day and remember that we belong to... Read more
Stories - with Kaitlin B. Curtice
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In