My latest thoughts on
faith, family, disability,
privilege, and healing
A Glimpse of Hope for Healing the Wounds of Racism
I’ve struggled a bit this past week to understand how much the Buffalo shooting should be understood in a wider context of racism in the
The Promise of Jesus’ Resurrected Body
If you ever need a good ice breaker, you can say, “Tell me the story of one of your scars.” People will tell you about
The Problem of Insidious White Supremacy
At church on Sunday, we prayed for the families of the victims of last weekend’s horrific and racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, NY. In our
S5 E19 | Resting in a Restless World with Kate Rademacher
What does rest in a restless world look like? Kate Rademacher, public health expert and author of Reclaiming Rest, talks with Amy Julia Becker about
The Kaleid Project and To Be Made Well
I’ve started hearing from groups around the country that are using To Be Made Well for discussion and teaching. Some of these groups are a
The IEP Meeting Every Child With a Disability Deserves
Peter and I both cried at Penny’s annual meeting to discuss her IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals. We cried because we were so overwhelmed with
Teaching Our Children What We Are FOR
Eboo Patel’s essay for the New York Times Tuesday reminded me that I want to teach our kids what we are FOR as a family.
Vivian Mabuni Endorses To Be Made Well
I’m so struck by Vivian Mabuni’s description of our world: “weary, splintered, and hurting.” And I’m so grateful that she sees To Be Made Well
God Would Make a Real Bad Farmer
I am not a gardener. I love beautiful flowers and I welcome farm-to-table vegetables. But I do not provide such things for myself. And even
Abortion and People With Disabilities
Last week’s leak of a draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade has people talking (yelling?) about abortion all over
A Mom’s Circles of Grace
On Thursday, I got in the car at 3:20 to pick Penny up at school and take her to dance. Then I came home to
Anxiety Has Served and Failed Me
Anxiety has served me as a fuel for achievement, but it has failed me as a guide to getting well. –To Be Made Well Worry
Hope Heals: Partnership of Hope and Healing
Last week, I had the honor of spending 24 hours with the board and staff and co-founders of Hope Heals. The time reminded me of
Roe v. Wade: Questions to Ask About the Supreme Court’s Draft
I find myself conflicted when it comes to the politics of abortion and Roe v. Wade. I’m like most Americans—I know I disagree with the
S5 E18 | Living as a Person in a Technological World with Andy Crouch
How do we reclaim personhood and relationships in a technological world? Andy Crouch, author of The Life We’re Looking For, talks with me about technology
Trapped by “Able”
“Human beings need to be rescued from seeing themselves as fundamentally ‘able.’” “It is the experience of one’s self as ‘able’ in comparison to others
A Prayer for Healing
“I believe. Help my unbelief.” “Lord, save us!” “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she might
Talking About To Be Made Well on Podcasts
So grateful for the insightful, thoughtful podcast hosts who have interviewed me about To Be Made Well! The Lucky Few: What a wonderful conversation about
Life Is Story Review of To Be Made Well
I’m so grateful for this recent review on Life Is Story of To Be Made Well: “To Be Made Well is reflective, personal story of
A Place for Extravagant Beauty
Flowers serve a purpose, I know, evolutionarily. But I’ve been gazing at this arrangement of flowers leftover from Sunday’s party and thinking how absurd it
Book Launch Party
It’s so much better in person. I forgot. I forgot that Zoom and Instagram and Marco Polo and all the other ways I can (thankfully!)
Healing Is Slow
As some of you already know, I had my own bout with Covid last week. I felt miserable for a full two days, and I
Why Did I Get Covid?
I’ve now been in bed with Covid for a few days. Sneezing, coughing, sniffling, cycling through chills and fever. I haven’t been sick like this
I’m Speaking at the Writing for Your Life Conference
For those of you who are writers, or for those of you who are interested in how and why I write about the things I
Liuan Huska Endorses To Be Made Well
I’m so grateful for the women and men who endorsed To Be Made Well. Liuan Huska’s words are especially meaningful because she has written her
The Link-Up (March/April 2022)
My top 5 recommendations of what to read, watch, or listen to from the past month that I shared in my monthly update (you can
Easter 2022: Sweatpants, Social Distancing, Sickness, and Hope
I tested positive for Covid on Sunday morning. Penny had tested positive a few days before. Forty-five people were planning to come for lunch after
S5 E17 | The Role and the Limits of Medicine with Dr. Matthew Loftus
When we need healing, is medicine the only solution? Dr. Matthew Loftus talks with Amy Julia Becker about both the limits and the role
Can Disability and Blessing Go Hand in Hand?
Can disability and blessing go hand in hand? For a long time, I didn’t think so. And I still don’t understand how and when
TIME: How Disability Changed What Easter Means to My Family
I wrote an essay for TIME that came out today: How Disability Changed What Easter Means to My Family. As I write in this essay,
