Faith and Doubt
When Your One Beauty Goes Gray ~ #LifeUnmasked
When I found the first one, I cried. Me, the woman who has gone through awful breakups without tears. Who has officiated countless funerals and weddings without so much as water in the eyes. Me, who prides herself on her ability to contain her composure. Sobbed. It was my 23rd birthday. And there it was, in the midst of my…
Read More“The Evangelical Protestant mind has never relished complexity.”
I’ve been thinking about thinking lately. How do I think differently from a woman living 100 years ago? 1000 years ago? Before the time of Christ? What categories am I lacking? How does that limit my ability to really grasp what is being said in old and ancient writing? What are my blind spots and…
Read MoreIt’s Okay To Stop Praying ~ Life Unmasked
I stood slowly after the closing prayer. The long sit on hard wooden pews had stiffened my muscles. I rubbed my back as I slid sideways into the aisle. My mother-in-law motioned me to stay put. “I’ll go get the kids.” As I gathered up Bibles, papers, and bags, an older lady approached. “Joy, I…
Read MoreHow To Stay Together When Faith Takes You Down Different Roads ~ Marriage Letters
Dear Scott, Used to be that when I heard the phrase “equally yoked,” I didn’t hear any patience undertones. I do now, and I’m not just thinking of all the time you spend waiting for me to finish in the bathroom. We’re approaching 14 years of marriage, and we’ve both discovered just how much work…
Read MoreI Am Not My Holy Spirit
Stale cigarette smoke dripped off every surface in the dimly-lit trailer, its yellow tinted even deeper by the sun filtering through the curtains. She shuffled slowly back to her bedroom as I settled my little ones on the floor with some toys. “Stay here and play, ok? Mommy will be down the hall for a…
Read More“The Evolution of Adam”: In Which Science and Faith Are Allies, Not Enemies
(This post is much longer than is usual for me. Any conversation about science and faith is emotionally-charged and prone to misunderstanding. I felt it necessary to devote extended space to this book review, including a lengthy set-up and numerous quotations to avoid pulling things out of context. I pray that my efforts to address…
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