RECENT POSTS
Assumptions Without Curiosity
We just returned from two weeks in Italy as a family. It held all the things we had hoped for. We peeked into churches with
The Big, Beautiful Bill?
As we return from vacation and I get back up to speed on the news, I’m trying to wrap my head around the implications of
Kids, Disability, and Relationships
Here’s what I wish parents of typically developing kids knew about disability and relationships: Disability isn’t a completely different experience. It’s often a magnified version of
When the Eye Twitch Comes Back—And What That Has to Do With Hope
As those of you who have read White Picket Fences may remember, I developed an eye twitch when I was working on that book. So maybe I
When the parenting to-do list feels like a flood and I catastrophize
I get overwhelmed pretty regularly by all the things I could be doing to support our kids. Marilee is heading to a new school in
True Friendship Isn’t Built on Pity
Years ago, one of our kids came home from preschool and said, “She cries a lot and doesn’t share her toys.” Our child were talking
Enjoying June
June has been full of gifts! We are enjoying 8th grade graduation, family parties, trips to the shore, our anniversary, Camp PALS, and more! 8th
“You are a human. You belong here.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about belonging—what it feels like, where we find it, and how we create spaces that nurture it, spaces that say,
June 2025 | Things Worth Your Time
Books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… FILMS/MOVIES/DOCUMENTARIES TEDxAtlanta: Cash,
Supreme Court Sides With Student With Disabilities
I was encouraged to see that the Supreme Court ruled unanimously to protect the rights of kids with disabilities and their parents. In this case, a family
S8 E20 | The Lucky Few: Finding Delight and Belonging in Disability with Heather Avis
Apple YouTube Spotify More!  When Heather Avis says she’s one of “the lucky few,” she means it. In this episode, we talk about growing
Cinderella Syndrome
Cinderella syndrome. I coined this phrase in conversation with my counselor a few years ago. I suffer from Cinderella syndrome every time I feel like
Sparkle Show
Penny decided to participate in our new church’s Sparkle Show with a friend by singing along to Taylor Swift’s Fearless. It’s no small thing that
Parents and Caregivers of Kids With Disabilities, I Need Your Help!
I’ve had a few different book ideas percolating for a while now, and I would love your help as I work to bring the next
Staying Present
The other day, I was stranded in a small town just waiting for William to finish up an exam, pack his dorm room, and summon
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
