RECENT POSTS
July Introductions
Hi! For those of you who are new around here, I’m Amy Julia. This community grows almost daily, so here’s a short introduction. My husband,
Blessing | Life to the Full
Jesus made this famous set of odd statements about those who are blessed. He started out with these declarations: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
To Tell the Truth on the 4th of July
“He thought enough of this country to tell the truth,” writes Esau McCaulley about Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth
Happy 4th of July
Happy 4th of July! We’ve entered that phase of family life where we aren’t even all together on holidays anymore. Right now, Penny is at
What Breaking a Record Has To Do With Responsive Parenting
I love stories that remind me of the power of building on strengths rather than focusing on deficits. In disability circles, it’s really easy to
There Can Never Be Too Much Delight
Marilee and I were driving to soccer practice the other day (alternating between the Taylor Swift Eras Tour setlist and The Good Girl’s Guide to
No One Is Excluded | Life to the Full
America is supposed to be a “melting pot” or a “salad bowl” in which lots of different types of people live together and intermingle. Still,
Down Syndrome Is Not Like a Car Crash
I hear the comparison all the time. When people want to explain that the unexpected can happen to any of us, and to any of
S6 E22 | Why Stories of Hope Subvert Racism with John Blake
Is racism baked into our nation’s DNA? Is there any hope for change? John Blake, a CNN journalist and author of More Than I Imagined,
3 Ways to Find an Ordinary Church
We need to go back to church. I feel like a little old lady wagging a scolding finger when I write that, and the last
Saying Goodbye to their Childhood Home
On Monday, we said goodbye to our home. It was always on loan to us. Our house comes with Peter’s position as a Head of
Life to the Full Series
Who do you follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter? I follow a host of other writers, parents of kids with Down syndrome and other disabilities, social
Family Screen Time Practices for the Summer
Free Resource 5 screen time practices for Families | Summer Edition When it comes to family use of technology, I want to nudge our family,
Juneteenth and King: A Life
Today, people across the nation will celebrate Juneteenth—a holiday I only learned about in recent years. As Jemar Tisby writes, “Juneteenth may be the perfect
Father’s Day 2023
Peter and I both remember the dinner where we admitted to each other that we weren’t sure we ever wanted kids. We liked our little
Self-Care in Seasons of Stress
The past month has included three kids finishing the school year at three different schools, Peter coming to the end of his tenure at a
S6 E21 | A Good Life, A Good Death with Dr. Lydia Dugdale
How do we prepare now to die well? Can we reimagine care of the dying in all of its messiness as a gift? Dr. Lydia Dugdale,
The Ordinary Glory of Marriage
We were married 24 years ago today. It’s really hard to find words to convey the gratitude and wonder I feel, not only when I
