Going through my journals recently, I ran across an entry from February 2020. I was scheduled for a total hip replacement surgery, quite nervous about how the whole process. Sometimes I let the Lord speak to me through my pen. The deeply comforting words I found myself writing were these: "Let Me mother you in this situation." When we see God only as a father, not as a mother, we are left feeling like spiritual orphans bereft of the nurturing comfort and support provided by a mother. Read my article on this here - and may you experience the entirety of God's love for Continue Reading
Why I long to see gender equality in the Church
It was a simple enough assignment—reflect on the last eight weeks of class and share how I’ve grown spiritually by studying Luke-Acts. Little did I know I’d need a box of tissues at the ready. After discussing what I learned from the three texts we had read, I began to articulate something that touched me deeply. Permit me to share a portion of my recent spiritual formation essay: "One thing that was emphasized in this class is Jesus’ intentional and constant outreach to the oppressed and excluded, particularly women. Addressing this topic has a two-fold effect on Continue Reading
How joy and celebration reveal what is sacred about human life
It’s been a perfect August vacation afternoon. The smoke and rain have cleared enough for my husband and I to enjoy a lakeside hike in Grand Teton National Park. The mountains’ jagged grey peaks jut high into the sky, ribbons of snow still clinging along north-facing crevices. A family of Canadian geese glide on jade-colored waters which mirror the mountains. A white-footed hare forages near the trail. It’s quiet. My soul drinks in the scene the way a thirsting desert wanderer gulps fresh water. Such beauty. Such magnificence. We’re still marveling at what we’ve seen as we make Continue Reading
One non-negotiable way for Christians to contrast the darkness of the world
We had just moved from a small town in Montana, where folks waved and smiled at strangers, to the brutal, anonymous environment of Las Vegas. Driving on a big boulevard, I changed traffic lanes without seeing the car in my blind spot. As the driver passed me, he yelled, his face a snarling mask of pure hatred. Shaken, I got home, flipped my Bible open for the day’s reading, and ran across Isaiah 3:9: “The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them!” These days, we could read the verse as, “Their social media Continue Reading