Blog - Amy Julia Becker

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s the shape of a cross on her hands. He is leaning in slightly. Both are wearing light blue Hope Heals T-shirts. In the background, other people can be seen in a room with tables, creating a warm, communal atmosphere. The mood of the scene is caring and supportive.

You Don’t Need to Be Afraid

October 18, 2024

“God is with you and for you.” That line comes directly from our time at Hope Heals Camp in the summer, when campers make the

Using Our Strength to Lift Up

October 14, 2024

“The strength that we each have is to lift one another up, not to push people down.” Vice President Kamala Harris spoke these words to

The image shows a surreal scene where an open book lies on a grassy hill, with its pages forming a winding path that stretches into the distance, disappearing into the horizon where the sun is setting over an ocean. The path, which consists of text from the book, connects the open book to a small house on one side and a large tree on the other. The landscape is lush, with green fields, trees, and a calm, deep-blue ocean. The overall atmosphere evokes a sense of journey, knowledge, and adventure, blending nature and literature.

How the Stories of Our Past Shape Our Future

October 11, 2024

These days, I think many of us feel weary. Weary in advocacy, weary of politics, weary and wondering if the change we hope for is

desk with a laptop and cup of coffee and an ipad. On the ipad screen is an image. The image shows a combination of a news article and Amy Julia addressing the camera in a split-screen format. The upper part displays a New York Times headline titled "Today's Parents: 'Exhausted, Burned Out and Perpetually Behind'" with a brief summary: "The surgeon general is warning about parents' stress, a sign that intensive parenting may have become too intense for parents.”

Embracing Belovedness: A New Approach to Parenting and Mental Health

October 10, 2024

Today is World Mental Health Day. The Surgeon General recently issued a warning about the mental health of parents. Parents are stressed out about everything.

How Stories of Hope Empower Justice

October 8, 2024

Apple YouTube Spotify More! The way we tell the stories of our past plays a crucial role in shaping our imagination for the future. Author

Penny and Amy Julia walking side by side on a dirt path, holding hands. One is wearing a pink top with dark blue jeans, and the other is wearing a blue top with white pants. Both are wearing sandals, and the image captures them mid-step.

The Beautiful Thing About Offering Attention

October 4, 2024

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. According to the dictionary, awareness is “knowledge or perception of a situation or a fact.” Nearly two decades into

an ipad with a screenshot of a cutout video of Amy Julia talking is over two news headlines: "Trump repeats insults about Harris' mental state as some GOP allies urge him to stick to issues" The second headline reads "Trump Calls Harris 'Mentally Impaired' After her Trip to the Border”

The Problem with Calling Kamala Harris “Mentally Disabled”

October 3, 2024

Former president Donald Trump recently insulted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris by calling them “mentally impaired” and then “mentally disabled.” (more from CNN

Penny and Amy Julia are walking hand in hand outdoors on a sunny day. Amy Julia is looking down at Penny and smiling warmly as they share a moment. They are walking along a dirt path with green grass and tall plants in the background, under a clear blue sky

Down Syndrome Awareness Month 2024

October 1, 2024

Today is the beginning of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. In a world of distraction, I’m thinking about what happens when we pay attention to the

What’s Normal? The Anthropology of Disability

September 24, 2024

Apple YouTube Spotify More! What does it mean to be human? Who counts as a human being and why? Anthropologist Tom Pearson has been asking

Questions Every College Freshman Should Ask | Penny in Her Own Words

September 23, 2024

Questions from Penny that every college freshman needs to ask: ✏️Are there any students who know the campus, and is their role a mentor? ✏️Are

laptop with the Plough essay Simple Ways to Combat Smartphone addiction on the screen

September Favorites {2024}

September 22, 2024

Favorites from September 2024: Cultures of Growth by Mary C. Murphy. For anyone interested in how the idea of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets affect communities

Amy Julia's family stands at the front of the church facing the congregation. The pastor stands next to them reading

Saying Goodbye to Our Church

September 19, 2024

Before I write anything else, I do want to thank those of you who have decided, voluntarily, to support the work I do through a

Penny sits in a chair by a window. She is talking to Amy Julia about her first weeks of college.

Penny’s First Year of College Three Weeks In

September 11, 2024

After three weeks of college, here’s how Penny thinks it’s going (scroll down for her video)! How was your first week of college?!? The first

Narrow Path, Spacious Life

September 10, 2024

Apple YouTube Spotify More! The ways we have envisioned success—whether it’s more wealth, social media followers, recognition, or power—might actually lead us away from an