My latest thoughts on
faith, family, disability,
privilege, and healing
The Link-Up (March/April 2022)
My top 5 recommendations of what to read, watch, or listen to from the past month that I shared in my monthly update (you can
Easter 2022: Sweatpants, Social Distancing, Sickness, and Hope
I tested positive for Covid on Sunday morning. Penny had tested positive a few days before. Forty-five people were planning to come for lunch after
S5 E17 | The Role and the Limits of Medicine with Dr. Matthew Loftus
When we need healing, is medicine the only solution? Dr. Matthew Loftus talks with Amy Julia Becker about both the limits and the role
Can Disability and Blessing Go Hand in Hand?
Can disability and blessing go hand in hand? For a long time, I didn’t think so. And I still don’t understand how and when
TIME: How Disability Changed What Easter Means to My Family
I wrote an essay for TIME that came out today: How Disability Changed What Easter Means to My Family. As I write in this essay,
Waiting on Easter Saturday
I never know what to do with myself on Holy Saturday. Saturday comes, and I’m getting ready for people to come over for Easter. I’m
To Be Made Well: Justice
I used to think that justice was about law courts and whether or not people should be fined or go to jail or not. My
Holy Week Is About Unmet Expectations
When I have unmet expectations for God, I begin to spiral into shame and fear. I don’t doubt God in general. I doubt myself. I
Knowing Full Well
“Your works are wonderful. I know that full well.” These words from Psalm 139 sound like a typical statement of praise stating that God’s creation
Down Syndrome Community…16 Years After Penny Was Born
When Penny was three weeks old, we got a call from a woman in town who had a teenager with Down syndrome. She was the
To Be Made Well for Your Church
I just got the most encouraging news. My pastor called and told me that she and our associate pastor had talked about what they wanted
Welcome to My Online Community!
Welcome to my online community! I wanted to pause for a moment and introduce myself to those of you who are new to this space.
Why You Should Watch CODA
Penny was the first person in our family to watch CODA, the Best-Picture winning film which doubles as a coming-of-age story and a reflection on
Mere Orthodoxy Review of To Be Made Well
“This isn’t a simplistic mind-over-matter equation, and part of the genius of To Be Made Well is how Becker carefully unpacks holistic healing and wholeness in
Believe Your Belovedness
The center of healing is belovedness. I’ve been thinking about three steps to healing: acknowledge harm, ask for help, and participate in healing. All three
S5 E16 | How to Cultivate Contentment with Niro Feliciano
In a society that pursues happiness at all costs, how do we cultivate contentment? Niro Feliciano, psychotherapist and author of This Book Won’t Make You
Asking for Help Is Hard
It sounds like a simple formula: Acknowledge your need. Ask for help. Participate in healing. I noticed this pattern in Jesus’ healings a while ago,
To Be Made Well Is Going to Be an Audiobook!
For the first time ever, I got to record myself reading my own book! A Good and Perfect Gift and White Picket Fences are both available
“I Don’t Want Anyone to ‘Fix’ My Kid”
I listened to Heather Kirn Lanier and Bishop Curry in a beautiful conversation about disability and parenting and what it means to believe that we
David Swanson Endorses To Be Made Well
One of the riskiest messages of To Be Made Well is that healing is available for everyone. Every single person. In every body and every
Waking Up Disappointed With Myself
I woke up feeling despondent about the second glass of wine from the night before. Feeling worried about the tightness in my jeans. Feeling disappointed
Alcohol-Related Deaths Are Up
Alcohol-related deaths were up 25 percent (compared to an average annual increase of 3-5 percent) during the pandemic, the New York Times reported. That’s a
“I’m Not Enough” and “I’m Too Much” Are Both Catch Phrases for Shame
I’m not enough. I’m too much. It took me a LONG time to realize that both of these statements are catch-phrases for shame. It also
Overcoming Perfectionism for Us and for Our Kids
Overcoming perfectionism is hard. Our kids all struggle with perfectionism of different kinds. I won’t go into all the details, but it’s hard for all
To Be Made Well | Discussion Guide
Do you want to be made well? Jesus asks this question of a man who has been lying by a pool with supposed healing powers.
Ted Cruz and KBJ and MLK and Colorblindness
Ted Cruz interrogated Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson earlier this week, and before he did so he called upon Martin Luther King’s “I Have
Lent Is Not About Sacrifice. It Is About Desire.
I’m starting to understand Lent as a time to notice my surface desires and say no to them, just for a moment. I “gave up”
5-Book Giveaway: Contentment and Wholeness
This bundle of books in the 5-book giveaway is a multi-faceted look at how we can live with greater contentment and wholeness as parents, as
S5 E15 | To Be Made Well Conversation with Katherine Wolf, David Bailey, and Amy Julia
What if I feel disappointed with God? Does grief play a role in healing? Is racial reconciliation a work of healing? Katherine Wolf
Interview With Penny for World Down Syndrome Day
Penny, March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. It’s a day to celebrate the lives of people like you, who were born with Down syndrome.
