RECENT POSTS
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Returning to the Light (and the Lenten Devotional)
My husband Peter is one of the few people I know who celebrates the winter solstice. He even found the moment of “minimum declination”—the exact
![William and Amy Julia stand in a forest and are wearing winter coats and hats.](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ajb-wordle-spend-time-1600-x-628-px-1024x402.png)
The Shared Delight of Wordle
As a mom, I’ve found that I want one thing I share with each kid that is just for the two of us. With Penny,
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In Black History Month, 3 Ways to Change the Racial Wealth Gap
A friend of mine called the other day. She had Covid, so she decided to do some genealogical research to while away the hours in
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Heather Avis Endorses To Be Made Well
I am so grateful for the early readers who were willing to endorse To Be Made Well. Thank you, Heather Avis, for taking the time
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Delta Air Lines and Disability
Peter recently flew home and noticed that Delta Air Line’s opening safety video included an image of a man with Down syndrome sitting in the
![gradient blue podcast graphic with cutout pictures of Amy Julia and Lisa Sharon Harper and book cover of Fortune](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AJB-featured-1-1-1024x402.png)
S5 E12 | Racism: Can Learning History Bring Healing? with Lisa Sharon Harper
Learning the history of enslavement and racism illuminates the path to repentance and repair. Lisa Sharon Harper, leading faith and race activist and author
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God Gives Us More Than We Can Handle
In her book Suffer Strong, Katherine Wolf writes, “It seems that God does give us more than we can handle—sometimes much more. And yet He
![Marilee blows out candles on a birthday cake. Her young cousin stands next to her.](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ajb-marilee-bday-11-1600-x-628-px-1024x402.png)
Why a Failed Shopping Expedition Was Still a Great Birthday Present
Marilee turned 11 last Sunday. We drove to Brooklyn early to meet her new cousin, and we had already planned to see Wicked on Broadway
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We All Need Healing
Our need for healing is both universal and particular. We all need healing. And yet we carry particular wounds. Shame, guilt, fear. Pain, disease, hurt.
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A Few Things I Learned From Writing About Prenatal Testing
24 hours after my essay for the New York Times came out online, I learned it was also in the print edition! So that was
![screenshot of image that accompanies Amy Julia's prenatal testing article in the New York Times](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ajb-nyt-prenatal-testing-1600-x-628-px-1024x402.png)
New York Times: I’m Thankful Every Day for the Decision I Made After My Prenatal Tests
Gulp. I got to write an opinion piece for the New York Times about prenatal tests and Down syndrome. There are all sorts of problems
![Penny in her cheerleading uniform cheering at a basketball game](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ajb-responsive-parenting-penny-cheerleader-1600-x-628-px-1-1024x402.png)
Responsive Parenting
When Penny was three months old, and we were so very new to all things parenting and all things related to disability, we attended a
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Anticipating Joy
“Anxiety is anticipated terror. Hope is anticipated joy.” I heard theologian Jürgen Moltmann say this to fellow theologian Miroslav Volf on a podcast a long
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Receive Healing: Surrender
As we pay attention to pain and ask for help, we are already taking the third step toward healing. The third step is to, in
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Receive Healing: Ask for Help
After we pay attention to pain, the second step to healing is to ask for help. There are two ways we can ask for help.
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Receive Healing: Pay Attention to Pain
The first step in receiving God’s healing is to pay attention to pain. Whether it is the pain of an aching back or the pain
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How Can We Receive Healing?
How can we receive healing? Pay attention to pain. Ask for help. Surrender to healing. I had a chance to preach at our church last
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S5 E11 | Breaking Ground: Renewal in a Pandemic Year with Anne Snyder
In a society reeling from the pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, is it possible to create something new for our world? Anne