Two years ago we were on vacation over 4th of July weekend and visited a church that sadly combined patriotism and love of country with worship of Jesus. We got up a left because we are convinced that we cannot serve two masters: America and The Kingdom. No other day causes to me to reflect on this tension more than the Fourth of July. While I’m in awe of the courage and insight it took for revolutionaries to resist oppression... Read more
This morning I went a workshop on Islam. Like most of you, I’ve been watching the news and completely heartbroken about what our Muslim brothers and sisters are going through. Between Isis and the refugee crisis and attacks from politicians, I feel deeply for them. As a Shalom Sista, I’m wondering what peacemaking looks like for me— a Western believer with limited influence and very little access to policy-makers/changers. Is there something I can do in light of the brutality?... Read more
I’m so thankful for my friend, Alice Colegrove. For nearly twenty years, Alice has worked on initiatives to help youth and young adults exit homelessness. She has worked on the issue of homelessness at nearly every level including local direct service, city and state policy initiatives, and national academic forums. Locally, she has over fifteen years of direct service experience, including street outreach with homeless youth and young adults in Boston and Cambridge, MA, and she is an active member... Read more
My guest on the podcast this week is Rachel Hollis. Rachel Hollis the brilliant founder of the Chic Site, head of the #chictribe and one of the most authentic women I’ve ever met. I’ve followed her site for almost a year now and I can tell y’all that every single time I read a post or watched a #RachTalk I thought, ‘This woman is practicing Shalom in such a profound and important way’ so I knew... Read more
My guest on the podcast this week is Sarah Quezada. Sarah and I write for some of the same places and so we’ve been cheering each other on on the interwebs, but I feel for her over chips and salsa when I was in Atlanta this past fall after the Allume conference. Sarah Quezada is the author of the blog, “A Life With Subtitles” where she writes about living a multicultural life in Atlanta, GA with her Guatemalan husband and... Read more
Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult... Read more
Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult... Read more
Hey Sistas, Toady’s episode is all about celebrating the ways you’re practicing Shalom in your everyday lives. I’m joined by my friend, Abby Perry and we share the ways we’ve seen Shalom in the media this past month, we cheer on our listeners who shared their stories of Shalom, and we introduce our really fun #SummerofShalom Instagram Challenge! Abby is the writer behind the blog, “Joy Woven Deep”. She’s a mom of two in College Station, Texas who... Read more
We were rushing to the car on a rainy Friday afternoon when my son pulled me under a concrete awning and said, “Mom, something happened at school today and I don’t want to say it in front of the rest of the family.” He told me about a basketball game and a group of boys ribbing on each other—taking it a bit to far, and then he told me about a coach who chastised them. “He called me the n-word... Read more
My guest on the podcast this week is Jessica Kelley. Jess is a dear friend of mine who share with us her story of loss. When her son, Henry was five years old, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Within the year, he passed away. Jess share with us that her primary practice of shalom, seeking wholeness where there is brokenness in to share a picture of God in the midst of our suffering that’s altogether lovely, beautiful, and good.... Read more
Shalom in the City
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