RECENT POSTS
How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse
The other day, I was talking with our son, William, who’s a junior in high school. He’s starting to think about where he might want
S8 E19 | The Cost of Ambition with Miroslav Volf, PhD
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Ambition is the air we breathe—but what is it costing us? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker and theologian Miroslav Volf
It’s Good to Have Fun!
As some of you know, my husband is the Head of School at a boarding school in Connecticut. Last week, we joined the senior class
How We Spend Our Money as a Nation Says A Lot
“Your checkbook is a spiritual document,” the priest said. Peter and I were young and newlywed. We had been invited to a fundraiser for our
COGNOSCENTI | For people with disabilities: Kindness is nice. Legal protections are necessary
Grateful to write today for Cognoscenti/WBUR, Boston’s NPR station (read the full essay here): President Trump’s domestic policy agenda, backed by Republicans, jeopardizes protections, research and
Delivered Into Rest: From Pharaoh to Peace
What happens when our identities emerge from resting in the love of God rather than obeying the demands of our cultural gods? Walter Brueggemann writes
How to Find Freedom From the Myth We Keep Chasing
If your family is anything like mine, you have some area in your house where holiday cards accumulate until we decide it is time to
Penny Told Me I Could Share This
Penny has given me permission to tell you that she has a boyfriend! And I finally got to see a picture of him. They go
S8 E18 | The Myth of the Perfect Family—and the Truth of Love with Emily Hunter McGowin, PhD
Apple YouTube Spotify More! What if the perfect family doesn’t exist—and never was supposed to? Theologian Emily McGowin, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore
Having a Disabled Child Doesn’t Doom a Marriage
I watched the viral video of Grace Clements embracing her dad, the President of Clemson University. They tumble onto the stage together and get up
May 2025 Favorites
Favorite books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I enjoyed in the month of May, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… For
Grief and Disability
Grief and Disability from Matthew Mooney on the podcast When a family receives a diagnosis—when they learn their child has a disability—grief often follows. Matthew
Does Disability Mean Tragedy?
Is disability a tragedy? Is it a gift? What place is there for grief and for joy in this story of disability so many of
Reimagining Family Life with Disability—In Person!
Not a tragedy. Not alone. Not without hope. These were the ideas I shared with the families at Walnut Hill Community Church in my first
Intergenerational and Interability Friendships
I feel like I should be too old to have camp friends, but I guess that’s one more gift of getting involved in Hope Heals.
S8 E17 | RFK Jr., Autism, and the Story We Need Instead with Matthew Mooney
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Is disability a tragedy? Is it a gift? What place is there for grief and for joy in this story
The Next Step Matters
I used to hate setting goals for Penny. It felt like I was measuring her worth based on how quickly she achieved something I arbitrarily
April 2025 Favorites
Favorite books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I enjoyed in the month of April, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… Books
Formation in the Wilderness
One of the things Cara and I talk about in this podcast episode is an oversimplified version of Christianity. I’ve been reading through Exodus lately, and I’ve realized
Church Camp: Belonging, Betrayal, and New Beginnings
Roasted marshmallows, campfire stories, shaving cream battles—for some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white
S8 E16 | Why I Haven’t Sent My Kids to Church Camp with Cara Meredith
Apple YouTube Spotify More! For some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white Evangelical church
