RECENT POSTS
What Does It Mean to Say “Life Is a Gift”?
When I was lying in the hospital bed a few hours after Penny was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, a nurse told me, “I
S6 E20 | Strong Like Water with Aundi Kolber
Do you feel like you have to stay strong to survive? Aundi Kolber, a licensed professional counselor and author, talks with Amy Julia Becker about
What Would You Say to Your Teenage Self?
People ask me all the time what I would say to my teenage self. I was a hyper-driven achiever with a severe eating disorder that
Faithfulness Is Love Over Time
Faithfulness is love over time. Steady, loyal, consistent love. Even when we don’t believe that love exists.Even when we reject that love. Even when we
Seats That Money Can’t Buy at the Taylor Swift Concert
We ended up in seats that money can’t buy at the Taylor Swift concert last Saturday night. It started in March when we received two
Why a Superbloom Is an Image of Hope for Us
I just learned the word superbloom. According to Dana Goodyear, writing for the New Yorker (in a GORGEOUS photo essay), a superbloom happens when there
Thank You, Tim Keller, for Confounding Us All
I’m joining the ranks of countless others when I write a word of thanks for the life and ministry of Timothy Keller, who died on
I Want Our Kids to Accomplish Things, Not Achieve Them
I don’t want our kids to achieve much. I want them to accomplish a lot. At least, according to the way Adam Gopnik distinguishes accomplishment
What Story Are You Telling Yourself?
What if there are two true stories about your life? And what if they contradict each other? Recently, I’ve realized I can tell myself two
The Vulnerable Power of Ted Lasso
Last week’s episode of Ted Lasso was really good (spoiler alert). Yes, it was funny and clever and involved men running around and kicking a
S6 E19 | Deconstruction and Rebuilding with Yolanda Pierce
In an environment of deconstruction, how do we identify what needs to be torn down? And in the midst of the rubble, what are we
The Power of Typical High School Kids
“Do you want to eat lunch with us?” Those might be the most powerful words in the vocabulary of high school. I had a chance
When We Talk for 20 Minutes
Here’s what happens on a sunny afternoon when I insist on Marilee taking twenty minutes to talk with me about her day. She tries on
Falling Off the May Treadmill
Before the Boston Marathon last month, I saw a video of people running on a treadmill at a marathon-winning pace. They would sprint for a
Our Daughter Doesn’t “Just Happen” to Have Down Syndrome
I used to describe Penny as a girl with light brown hair and big green eyes, who loved reading and dancing. And then I would
Once Upon a Time With the Evangelicals
I used to call myself an evangelical Christian. It was supposed to be a welcoming term, a term that spread across denominations and included people
3 Things I’m Grateful For
3 things I’m grateful for… Penny’s desire to attend every sporting event her siblings ever have so that she can cheer them on The fun
America’s Chronic Pain Problem
What if your individual experience of pain is connected to a wider and deeper collective wounding? Is this connected to America’s chronic pain problem? Nicholas
The Significance of Our Social Worlds
I’m taking a class right now where I’m learning all sorts of things about transitioning from high school to college or the workforce and beyond.
Awakened Attention and Achievement Attention
It’s getting harder for me to set goals. I used to look ahead and plot out the course for how to achieve the next big
S6 E18 | Join the Work of Justice with Michelle Ferrigno Warren
How do we step into the good work of kingdom justice? In this episode: hear the story of Michelle Ferrigno Warren, a faith-rooted justice advocate and activist
