Just a Girl in Her Body

July 23, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

As my series of guest posts continues, please welcome Christian Williams. Christian earned her ThM, with an emphasis in Spiritual Formation, from Dallas Theological Seminary and currently serves on staff at Christ Community Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as the Director of Women’s Discipleship. Christian is passionate about equipping women to own their place within the body of Christ through rootedness in Scripture, intentional relationships that sharpen us as image-bearers, and service to the church and to the city. She also lives for storytelling—from... Read more

The Effects of Trauma on Intimate Relationships

July 6, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

My guest post today comes from an artist who tells tales with both her keyboard and her camera. In addition to crafting gorgeous photographs, Dorothy Greco has written two marriage books, the second of which releases later this year. From her wealth of experience and research, she offers wise thoughts and helps for sustaining healthy relationships despite difficult events. We’re only halfway through 2020 but already, this has been the most traumatic year in the 21st century. The disruption and... Read more

When Blessed Assurance Feels Far Off

June 29, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

Welcome guest blogger Janay Barksdale to my series featuring Black women writers. ~~~~ Five years ago, my family and I journeyed through Tennessee’s National Civil Rights Museum. We encountered familiar images of our ancestors being pelted with food, sprayed by firehoses, and senselessly beaten. A replica of a burning bus stopped us in our tracks. My nine-year-old nephew, Bryan, wrapped his arms around me. In a small voice, he asked, “Is this how white people used to treat us?”... Read more

Prophets in Our Hometown

June 15, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

For the next few months, I’m turning over my blog to my friends of color, Black women whose voices deserve a wider audience. Each of them is seminary-trained, adept at reading and interpreting the Bible’s message of dignity, truth, grace, and justice. I’ve given them permission to write about anything, not just racially-charged topics, though those are welcome too. I pray you’ll welcome them with listening ears and soft hearts. Check out their blogs, follow them on social media. They... Read more

Why ‘All Lives Matter’ Misses the Point

June 4, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

My guest blogger today is my dear friend Rebecca Carrell, one of the most genuine souls on the planet. You will love her too, even if she steps on your toes a bit. ~ KM Five years ago, I began my grad school journey at Dallas Theological Seminary. Not only has this allowed me to study under some of the most brilliant scholars in the field, but it has also significantly expanded my circle of friends. A product of... Read more

Faith & Politics: Three book recommendations for Election Day

June 1, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

Politics permeates the trainwreck that is 2020. But with the glut of coronavirus coverage, economic repercussions, and recently-inflamed racial tensions currently occupying headlines and heart space, perhaps Election Day isn’t quite on your radar yet. (Or maybe you wish for time-travel so it could arrive tomorrow.) Regardless, November 3rd awaits Americans as assuredly as my dogs’ whining for dinner at 5 p.m. daily. Barring the Lord’s intervention, it will happen. Are we prepared for it? Current events demand that we... Read more

The Calendar Conundrum: Offering Care and Love in a Time of Need

May 26, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

The calendar plays a huge part in our everyday lives. We write or type entries in planners or phones, looking forward to future events with joyful anticipation—birthdays, concerts, dinners, weddings, lunches, parties, and vacations. We remember significant times by looking back at dates past—anniversaries of a loved one’s death, health recovery, obstacles overcome. We often fill our days and require more flexibility and space to allow God room to work in between our tasks and appointments. Right now we sit... Read more

The Woman Who Worked For Hitler . . . and the Woman Who Defied Him

May 19, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

Historical fiction is my favorite genre. History major meets storyteller—the perfect combination of my two loves. Aside from inspiring interesting “what if’s” and teaching famous and obscure historical events, sometimes the story and/or characters cause us to reflect on ourselves. We ask ourselves questions like: What was life really like back then? How would I react if I faced similar circumstances? How are those long-gone people just like me? Amanda Barratt, author of My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s... Read more

Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: A Better Model for Relationships

April 22, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

Men and women can be better than “just friends,” says Bronwyn Lea, writer, wife, mom, and now author. They can be family—and she doesn’t necessarily mean the married kind. When I heard about her new book, Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: Living as Christian Brothers and Sisters in a Sex-Crazed World, I felt an immediate kinship with my mostly-internet friend-with-a-divine-accent. After all, a decade ago I co-authored a book called Mixed Ministry: Working Together as Brothers and Sisters in an Oversexed Society. (Note... Read more

Helping Expectant Dads Survive Pregnancy

February 12, 2020 By Kelley Mathews

The market has plenty of pregnancy books for women, leaving guys on the outside looking in, hoping they’ll pick up crucial information by the time they need it. Veteran dad-of-four Aaron Sharp, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and my work colleague, decided to do what dads do best—fix it! In You Got This, Dad, Aaron offers a sort of wisdom literature, if you will: lessons for expectant fathers, learned from his own experiences. Having worked with him for the... Read more