I’ve been practicing yoga for going on seven years now. Approximately once a week, I spend an hour in a room with a dozen other people, saluting the sun, breathing deeply, and contorting my body into poses that both energize and relax me, all at the same time. There are three main aspects to yoga, as far as I can tell: flexibility, strength, and balance. Flexibility is not my thing. When we’re supposed to be stretching our hips, for example,... Read more

I have a new post on the BLOOM blog: “All Are Welcome Here” about our first experience on an “inclusive” playground. It starts: “Architecture is evangelism.” I heard it said in the context of church buildings. The speaker was making the point that a ramp at the back of the sanctuary might comply with ADA standards, but it isn’t exactly welcoming to individuals in wheelchairs. I’ve been trying to think of an equally pithy way to state this truth for... Read more

I watched the Superbowl yesterday (including the football part). First time in my life that I cared who won. My husband is from New Orleans. He lived there for the decade of the “Aints,” when the New Orleans Saints were far from Superbowl material. By the end of last night’s game, his voice was hoarse from cheering. As with the Yankees (see November’s post: Go Yankees!), our kids have been brought on board this football celebration. Penny wore a black... Read more

I have a new post on the Park Forum: “Is Scientific Research Driving Us Crazy?“ Read more

No deep thoughts to record this morning, but two points of possible interest: One, for anyone in the greater New Haven area, I will be doing a book reading from Penelope Ayers at Yale tomorrow at 4:00 pm at the Dwight Hall Library. Click here for directions. To read excerpts or get more information about the book, please visit my website at www.amyjuliabecker.com Two, I wanted to draw your attention to a recent oped in the Washington Post: Tebow’s Superbowl... Read more

Peter and I, like many Americans, have talked a lot about Haiti recently. We’ve wondered what we can do to help. And the answer is pretty obvious: pray, and give money. The prayer part I know how to do (which doesn’t mean I’m particularly faithful in doing it). The money part is a little more challenging. With thousands of institutions offering aid to Haitians, where do we send money? Our conversation made me think about the Greek word that is... Read more

There’s this verse in the book of Galatians that always catches me off guard. It comes in chapter two, after Paul has explained that he is going to preach about Jesus to the Gentiles, and the apostles in Jerusalem will take the same message to the Jews. Then Paul writes, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10). It’s a verse that catches my attention on... Read more

I read an interesting article in the Washington Post earlier this week about the various influences upon President Obama. I posted some thoughts on it on the Park Forum: “President Obama’s Influences: Stories and Statistics.” Read more

I wrote a post here over the summer that received a lot of comments, so I turned it into an essay that has been published at Divine Caroline (which, I must add, has a pretty low bar for publishing, but I thought it might get a different audience to read this essay). The essay begins: Wrinkles. Sunspots. White hair. A stout waist. Flabby arms. Hers was a body I loved. The sunspots once had been freckles, gained through countless summers... Read more

Three snapshots of life in our household: One: Yesterday morning, Peter finds Penny and William in the playroom. William in a chair, Penny facing him, sitting on his lap and coloring his face. Yes. His face. She’d already finished his head, neck, and clothing. He’d done a number on her hands, nose, and left cheek. I had just gotten out of the shower, and he brings them into the bathroom to get cleaned up. “Markers are for paper, Mama,” Penny... Read more