Like so many others, I watched in horror yesterday as domestic terrorists seized the US Capitol.

I’ve been in the Capitol building.

As a child, I visited it with passes from my Illinois senator. As an adult, I availed myself of my rights and went...

As news of the vaccine began to spread and more and more people began taking it, like so many other youth workers, I began wondering what implications this would have for my summer ministry, which until now, has largely been on hold.

While my...

In the doctor’s office, when Hope writhed in pain,
God was with us.

Through Hope’s pediatrician, who called ahead to the ER to pave the way,
God was with us.

In the emergency room, when we waited for answers,
God was with us.

Through the Linus...

I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Kelley Nikondeha speak a couple of times, first at the women’s’ retreat she mentions often in Defiant, and more recently at Evolving Faith. Having heard Kelley in person and experienced first-hand her heart for the...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a fan of Matthew Paul Turner’s children’s books. Matthew's most recent book, All the Colors of Christmas did not disappoint. 

There are four reasons I loved this book:

1. It rhymes…...

I’m type A.

I have an engineering degree.

I’m also an introvert.

All of these things contribute to the ways in which I overanalyze EVERYTHING. (And I do mean everything!) Why make a decision in 5 minutes when you can take 5 weeks?

My desire to...

I’m a fan of lists. Always have been, always will be.

I even have a Christmas spreadsheet tracking what gifts we’ve purchased, what gifts we still need to buy, etc. In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, I unhealthily obsess over my list,...

I am extraordinarily thankful for the work I get to do with young people.

Even so, I wholeheartedly believe that the primary spiritual influencer in a young person’s life is their parents. As Kenda Creasy Dean says in Almost Christian, “When it...

This morning, I’ve been thinking a lot about the story of the Walk to Emmaus, which Luke tells at the end of his Gospel. The line I find most compelling in this story is when two disciples tell Jesus (whom they do not yet recognize) about Jesus'...

Twice, I’ve had the privilege of leading mission trips to Rwanda. On both occasions, well-meaning people commented, “How great that you’re going to save the Rwandans!” or “It’s so awesome that you’re bringing God to Rwanda!”

How disappointed those...

Yesterday, my student leaders and I were talking about a chapter from Bob Goff’s Everybody Always and wrestling with how we can spread hope & courage within our ministry – now, during a time when we’re meeting virtually, in a season when...

If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. – 1 Corinthians 12:26

I’ve been thinking about these words of Paul a lot lately, as COVID continues to spread throughout our country...

I’m a fan of Kristen Welch – both her writing and her ministry. My husband gifted me with a subscription to Fair Trade Friday Earrings several years ago and I LOVE it. It’s one of my most favorite gifts EVER. Because of my familiarity with Kristen...

Many congregations, including mine, bless teachers at the start of the school year. This year, we did so during live Zoom worship. Since it worked well and we heard many good things about it, I'm posting it below in case you're looking for...

As a children and youth minister, I’m often sought as the “expert” on parenting. I lead the classes, refer parents to other professionals in times of crisis, and share parenting stories in my sermons. As much as I try to share parenting failures,...

In this strangest of back to school seasons, my congregation wanted to offer a blessing for college students - regardless of whether they're going or staying, in-person or virtual. 

Because we are not gathering in person, we offered this as...

The first author book signing I ever went to was for Ann M. Martin – author of The Babysitters Club. To say I was in love with this series as a kid is an understatement. It fostered my love of reading AND contributed to my desire to become an ...

My congregation held virtual VBS a couple of weeks ago. As I’ve continued to reflect on the experience, I keep returning to these six things I learned from virtual VBS:

1. The problem isn’t Zoom. Four months into this pandemic, you’ve no doubt...

In late April and early May, my VBS leaders and I began wrestling with what to do with VBS this year. We felt skeptical that things would be open enough for us to offer in-person VBS. We felt even more skeptical that people would come if we did...

I was supposed to be on a mission trip last week.

With the exception of the two summers I was on maternity leave, this is the first time since 2003 that I haven’t spent my summers leading mission trips.

Mission trips are – for so many junior...