My latest thoughts on
faith, family, disability,
privilege, and healing
I graduated from Princeton, but my daughter taught me what matters | Hartford Courant
I wrote a piece for the Hartford Courant connecting the recent college admission cheating scandal, education, expectations, privilege, disability, and Down syndrome in honor of
World Down Syndrome Day 2019
Today we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day and the lives of millions of people with Down syndrome around the globe. (It’s March 21, 3/21, and
Digging Up Old Wounds
It often seems like talking about the wounds of our past—whether our family’s past or our nation’s past—is an exercise in self-flagellation. Why revisit pain
What I Learned: How Diversity Benefits Privileged People Like Me | Princeton Alumni Weekly
I was recently asked to write a piece for the Princeton Alumni Weekly. In it, I share a bit about my experience as an undergraduate
The Call of Lent (And the Temptation)
You know that empty container inside the back door where you throw your keys? And maybe also your sunglasses and earbuds and a hair-tie and
4 Books About Our Common Humanity
Societies have drawn dividing lines throughout all of human history that demonstrate who is “in” and who is “out.” In Western culture, we’ve seen those
The Problem with “Noblesse Oblige”
After George H.W. Bush died, we heard a lot about how he modeled the idea of “noblesse oblige.” It’s a French term that translates as
Love That Never Fails
On Valentine’s Day, it’s easy to think of love as a weak and meaningless force symbolized by pink candy hearts and carnations. But for people
Invitation to Discuss White Picket Fences
I have put together several discussion guides that I hope and pray will help you to gather people together and equip you for a great
Guest Post: Cara Meredith – Author of Color of Life
Cara Meredith’s new book, The Color of Life, is a memoir about race, justice, and love. I so appreciated Cara’s story—her marriage to James Meredith,
White Picket Fences Discussion Guides Are Here!
“Are you going to tell me I have to sell my house?” “How should I respond when people tell me I am a burden to
Guest Post: Brian Allain – Why I Started Publishing in Color
Many people are troubled by the social divisions in our nation, and many people want ways to respond to these divisions. I’ve written about the
Can My Little Efforts Make Any Difference in an Angry and Divided World?
January brings with it the promise of change: all those New Year’s resolutions and 365 days to implement plans and hopes and dreams of a
Five Memoirs to Read Alongside White Picket Fences
Last night, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, author of A Sojourner’s Truth: Choosing Freedom and Courage in a Divided World, and I read passages from our respective
Silence, Solitude, Stillness, and…Sickness
I usually love Sunday mornings. I sleep until I wake up, and then I make a cup of tea and sit in front of the
‘Tis the Season for Stress
I woke up at 4:32 this morning. I had set the alarm for 5:30, but my body seemed to think that would not do. There
Jesus Came From A Dysfunctional Family
We had Marilee’s parent/teacher conference yesterday morning. We heard about her leadership in the classroom and the play she is writing with her friend Nathan.
A Note on the Terms in White Picket Fences
White Picket Fences addresses the topic of privilege, giving particular attention to race, class, and disability. I chose to use the term “African American” most
Hope for Healing: Engaging with the Problem of Privilege
Hope for Healing When I started to really engage with the problem of privilege, I wanted to figure out how to fix it. I studied
Revisiting: Deep Calls Out To Deep, But I Long To Stay Shallow
Candy, mindless scrolling through my phone, checking email instead of working on something of substance, avoiding exercise and time outside, keeping conversation light instead of
On Political Correctness and Learning the Language of Love
On Political Correctness and Learning the Language of Love Today was Halloween, and Halloween is now a holiday, like many others, that brings up the
7 Non-Fiction Books I Recommend for (White) People Who Want to Understand Our Racial Divides
Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about books that I recommend for people who want to further understand our racial divides, and
For Those Who Worry
For Those Who Worry I used to have a hard time calling myself a sinner. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in sin. Conceptually, I’m
An Erroneous S and the Power of Language: Why My Book Had to be Reprinted at the Last Second
For the past few years, I’ve been working on a memoir about race, class and disability called White Picket Fences: Turning toward Love in a
Why I Wrote White Picket Fences
One of the questions I get asked a lot about White Picket Fences: Turning toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege is why
When Serving Others Means Letting Yourself Be Served
So there’s this famous verse in the Bible where Jesus says he came “not to be served but to serve.” It’s a verse that crept
Why Instagram?
A few years ago, I stopped blogging. I had never been great on social media. I like to take time to think about things. (Which
Penny, Seventh Grade
Everyone told me that seventh grade is just the worst. The nadir of self-consciousness and social awkwardness and everything horrible about tween-dom. And it
What Our Summer Vacation Taught Me
Over the summer we took a family vacation in Europe. It was a wonderful trip where we met up with old friends in a simple
The Invitation to Confess
I shared this short thought on Facebook over the summer, but also wanted to share it here…. Historically speaking, I am not good at confessing
