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

The Importance of Diverse Friendships
Friendships that cut across social dividing lines matter more than almost anything else in helping people move from one social class to another, according to

William Is 14!!!
Happy birthday to William, who turned fourteen yesterday! This morning, I read a blessing from the book of Numbers. It’s a blessing that has been

The Most Important Thing We Do as a Married Couple
I used to think it was simply a gift that Peter and I still like each other after twenty-plus years of marriage. That we got

Our Calendars Are Spiritual Documents
Our calendars are spiritual documents. In our modern world, time is a precious commodity. And how we use/spend/give that time tells us what and who

Video Series for Your Small Group This Fall
I got a fun DM earlier this week from a woman in California who just received a box of 50 copies of To Be Made

Camp PALS | Penny in Her Own Words
Penny had a chance to go to Camp PALS with her friend Rachel after two years of waiting due to Covid. PALS is one of

Upcoming Speaking Opportunities
I used to say that I’m a writer who sometimes speaks. What I meant by that was that I didn’t feel super confident while speaking.

Criticism: General Condemnation or Specific Conviction
One tell-tale sign of an Enneagram One is what’s called an “inner-critic,” a relentless voice inside my head that questions my decisions and makes sweeping

Healing Meals
As if it wasn’t enough for us to experience abundant love and goodness at Hope Heals Camp last week, we also got to visit a

Penny’s Take on Hope Heals
Okay, this is my final (for now) post about Hope Heals Camp last week. I started out planning to tell you all about it in

Hope Heals Camp: When We’re Seen
Seen. That was the word written underneath my plate at the Hope Heals banquet. Other people had words like beloved, cherished, known. All three of

Hope Heals Camp: Believing Something Good
I went into last week with a hard, seemingly hopeless situation, even as I was invited to teach the kids about hope each day at

Hope Heals Camp: Belovedness and Belonging
Hope Heals Camp exists as a place where families affected by disability can receive rest, resources, and relationships. As Jay and Katherine Wolf, co-founders, say,

To Be Made Well at Hope Heals Camp
Last week at Hope Heals Camp was incredible, and it was so beautiful to see To Be Made Well there inside all the welcome bags

Screen Guidelines for the Summer
Last summer I wanted to show our kids that we weren’t against screens. Rather, we were for activity and nature and friendship and learning. So