My latest thoughts on
faith, family, disability,
privilege, and healing

AJB Recommends: Three Podcast Episodes About Addressing Racism
This week, I’ll recommend three podcast episodes about racism that challenged me, brought hope, and brought clarity this week: CHALLENGE The challenge: A podcast about

White Picket Fences Turns Two {And a Giveaway!}
White Picket Fences turns two today! Yes, this book that almost-never-was—not only did it get published, but it has stayed “alive” for two years because

My Daughter With Down Syndrome Helped Me Understand Racism
How did disability help me understand racism? I am white, married, educated, and affluent. Our daughter Penny was born into many of these same categories,

Three Harms of Privilege
The harm of privilege is exclusion, injustice, and isolation. When I say the word privilege, I’m talking about a set of unearned social advantages given

S3 Bonus | What Is Privilege?
What is privilege? What is it not? How does privilege cause harm? In this bonus episode, Amy Julia describes her working definition of privilege, the

God Is Always Doing a New Thing
“There is nothing new under the sun.” It’s such a depressing line from Ecclesiastes, and it reads as depressingly true right now. Futility of Life

AJB Recommends: Resource to Learn More About Prison Reform
What do you know about the prisons and prison reform in your local community? After I interviewed Dominique Gilliard for the podcast, I was struck

Blessed Are Those Who Thirst for Justice
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice.” I’ve always heard this verse from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount translated as “Blessed are those

Faith Is Trusting in the End of the Story
How do we have faith that a good ending is coming? I know lots of people in pain right now. Some are in physical pain—my

S3 E13 | Privilege, Wealth, and the Christ-Shaped Life with Paul Miller
How does the pattern of Jesus’ life reshape privilege, wealth, and community? Paul Miller, author of “J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life,” talks

Entrusting vs. Letting Go
I used to think about “giving over” parts of my life to God as letting go. I saw my hand clutching tightly to various aspects

AJB Recommends: Resources to Learn More About Criminal Justice
Anyone paying attention to the news in recent months will know there’s a huge debate raging over the role of the police in society. This

The Spiritual Problem of Racism Calls for a Spiritual Solution
When I look at the history of social divisions and inequities within our nation, I see at least three different ways people have tried to

Breaking Ground: Is God Antiracist?
I first heard the word “antiracism” a few years ago. At first, I didn’t know what it meant. And I wondered why a new term

S3 E12 | What Is Unjust About the Criminal Justice System with Dominique Gilliard
What would it mean for the criminal justice system to be unjust? And if it is, what should Christians do about it? Dominique Gilliard, author

Privilege and Planning
Today, all three of our children are going to school, in person, for a full day. (Last week, they had a variety of half days

AJB Recommends: The Sun Does Shine
I have gone to bed late every night this week because I stay up to read more of Anthony Ray Hinton’s new memoir, “The Sun

S3 E11 | The Black Church’s Gift to Christianity with Esau McCaulley
The Black church has a gift for American Christianity. Are we all willing to receive it? New Testament scholar Esau McCaulley, author of “Reading While

When Grace Runs Dry
For our family, summer has been a relief. Marilee played softball and William played baseball and Penny went to summer school, in person. We spent

In Her Own Words: Penny on Being a Bridesmaid
Penny and I got to be bridesmaids together last weekend in my sister’s wedding. I’m going to let Penny tell you about it in her

William Recommends: Books About Racial Injustice for Middle Schoolers
Anyone looking for great books for middle schoolers that address issues of racial injustice? I asked William to share a few recommendations for books for

Finding Freedom From the Condemnation of Comparison
A few weeks ago, I found myself in a swirl of self-righteousness and self-condemnation and comparison. It happened like this. I was heading into my

S3 E10 | Anxiety, Affluence, and Identity with Niro Feliciano
In an achievement-oriented culture, how do we risk vulnerability in order to move toward personal and racial healing? Cognitive therapist Niro Feliciano talks with Amy

AJB Recommends: The Best of What I Read, Watched, and Listened To on Vacation
I took 10 days of vacation at the beginning of August, and I had a chance to read and listen and watch a lot. Here

Anxiety and the Peace of God
I spent a few hours awake in the middle of the night. It was the first time in a long time that anxiety pushed aside

Four Spiritual Practices That Help Social Justice Stay Grounded in Love
As individual human beings, the scope of the brokenness in our society is impossible to comprehend, much less to address. It is easy to get

S3 E9 | How Jesus Overcomes the Barrier of Wealth with Marlena Graves
Fear often inhabits both wealth and poverty. How does viewing money and self-sacrifice through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus bring freedom and joy?

Questions About Justice: Talking With Everybody’s Church
What are two practical things I can do this week to respond to racial injustice? What if in trying to say something welcoming I instead

Welcome! Let Me Introduce Myself
Hello friends! I’ve been writing blog posts, teaching, speaking, and writing books for years, but I wanted to pause for a minute and introduce myself

Rectifying Educational Injustice: My Bumbling Journey
In mid-April, the disparity between my kids’ experience of education and the kids in neighboring towns and cities began to feel unconscionable. Yes, the pandemic