Today I’m hosting Ann Duncan, a fabulous friend and current seminary student. She asks the question, “What is femininity?” and comes up with a non-boxy answer. Here’s her take. Every day I wake up to different voices on the tv, radio, ads online pulling me towards their style and type of woman, but what does it really mean to…
I did it again. I compared myself to her, and I lost. I lost big, and now I feel crappy. I innocently opened up a copy of the academic journal and saw that she just published another article. Rather than “Wow—I should read that,” my response was “She just had a baby, too—how did she have time to do another…
She told me of a sexual action she took that she knew was probably not the smartest decision. “But YOLO,” she said. I was reminded of ROLOs, that yummy caramel center wrapped with milk chocolate. I didn’t get how ROLOs helped her to come to this unwise decision. Suddenly needing chocolate and caramel, I asked, “YOLO?” “Yeah. . . You…
I’m standing in my yard, trying to figure out where to put a fire pit. I’ve walked the perimeter, surveyed the land, and I think I want it over by the fence, just beyond the shade of the pine tree. We probably won’t camp this summer, but if we can eat outside and cook some marshmallows over a fire, it…
Proverbs 31:15 has become a conundrum to me. The wife of noble character “. . . provides food for her family. . .” Wait. My Christian upbringing told me I needed a husband to be a provider—that’s not what a wife is supposed to do! Maybe the NIV is just getting it wrong, so I search other versions. . .…
I almost joined a sorority in college. I participated in “rush” in order to meet people, and then I dropped out right before pledging. I even received a “pref-bid” from a sorority, asking me to reconsider pledging. But I didn’t join, and I never looked back. But now, I’m part of an amazing sisterhood. We write. We share. We advise.…
My story of relationship failure is about to be published in the book Everbloom: Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it. Everbloom is a book containing the personal stories of female authors who form the group Redbud Writers Guild. It will be released on April 25. But, as a preview, Redbud has published an…
“When I was a kid, I impressed the neighborhood boys with my ability to lift cinderblocks, climb trees, and run fast; I was strong. But when I played dolls, house, or school with the girls, it was never about demonstrating strength. Strength was domination, force, or power, not cooperation, design, or instruction. So I became a strong woman as defined…
Tuesday morning, I had the fantastic opportunity to chat with Nyack College Alumnus, Zachariah Hummer and Ryan Baker, both dedicated youth ministers. They encourage youth ministers to not solely look at their jobs as stepping stones to be a “real” pastor later, but to invest in youth with all their hearts. They are really funny and relevant to many–I laughed…
It’s February 2nd, but it’s NOT Groundhog Day. It’s 40 days after Christmas, and though we’re looking around and wondering how much longer this winter will last, it’s NOT Groundhog Day. It’s February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, and it’s the Feast of the Presentation, when we celebrate the day Jesus was presented in the temple (Luke 2:22-40). It’s a day to…