Two and a half years ago, I transitioned out of a 10-year call that I loved.
The decision to leave was NOT an easy one. It’s one I struggled with a lot… And along the way, I did what I always do: I turned to books for guidance.
I dutifully read...
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'...