“People will let you down, but your Father God will never let you down.” At first, the idea wraps my soul in a warm blanket and I sink happily into its warm folds. Until I think about the two brothers I wrote about at work. The younger one has cerebral palsy, and since they live…

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I enjoy talking with other writers and authors so much, and I love encouraging people to use their gifts. So when Beacon Hill Press asked if I’d be willing to facilitate a conversation with the authors of the new book, Reclaiming Eve: The Identity and Calling of Women in the Kingdom of God, I jumped at…

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The last time I felt the I-did-this-wrong guilt this heavy was the day your big sister died. That day and for weeks (months?) after, I agonized over every minute of her last day, wondering what if she died because of my mistake? Today, I fight back tears and the urge to rend my clothes and…

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I turned 38 in February. I feel like I’ve earned every one of those 38 years. But it’s strange to look back at those years and see a Joy I barely recognize. I’ve been changing all my life. You’d think I’d know how to do it by now. I think I should, anyway. You and I…

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Suspicious skepticism: “Can you join them in good conscience?” Surprise: “We’d love to have you, but will you be happy here?” Confusion: “It’s so uncomfortable to hear so many much with which I disagree, but should I only go where I’m comfortable?” The odd ball. The ugly duckling. The round peg surrounded by square holes.…

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Yesterday, a friend and colleague of mine wrote a response to my post on A Deeper Story about being ordained in Sri Lanka. She, as a traditionally-ordained Baptist minister, is very interested in continuing the conversation about varying ways to view ordination and how the church can better reflect the kingdom of God. I appreciated…

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