A long time ago, I had two friends, who I’ll call Jamil and Abby. Jamil identified as an atheist, while Abby often said she believed in God but would only identify as Christian if she had to choose a religion. One day, I tuned in on a conversation between the two of them at the...
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Some of my friends always knew they wanted to be teachers, doctors, or lawyers. But not me. One thing that I have always known, however, is that I want a family of my own. My longing to find a partner to build a life and face...
I am eternally indebted to my spiritual director this year, Amy the Amoeba. Amy showed up in my life about seven months ago, soon after Mr. H. Pylori, a gastritis-causing bacteria, finished his five-month mentorship. Let me say up front: I did not choose Amy. In fact, she hid from...
I had always hoped to teach someday, whether at a university, community center, online, or in some other format. I always figured it would happen sometime in the far, far future. One morning last fall, I was talking to my husband, Daniel, about future dreams. I named teaching as a far-off...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew...
My family is almost at the end of a two-year house build. The whole process actually began much longer ago. After my husband, Bill, and I had our second child (who is currently nine), we realized we wanted a third. Our home was small-ish and less than ideal for the type of family life...
"Wives, submit!"Growing up in a very patriarchal culture, this phrase, extracted from Ephesians 5:22, always daunted me. My dad’s friend at church once told me I was wasting my time getting so many degrees, because, ultimately, my job would be to support my husband at home from...
As a father, I have been very intentional with my four children—especially when it comes to making a way for them. This is the season when my relationship with them transitions from parent-child to adult-adult. I must admit, I miss them as children. In retrospect, those...
“A man that has not prepared his own children for his death has failed as a father.” – T’Chaka, in the film Black Panther As I left the movie theater, this quote from Black Panther stuck with me. I recognized that, for parents, protection is not preparation...
A couple of weeks ago, on March 29, as I was driving with my sons, I realized, Today is my seventeenth Jesus-versary. Seventeen years ago, a very young twenty-one-year-old, I went on a weeklong retreat where I studied the book of Mark for 8-10 hours a day and had a very intense...