When I heard my young son laughingly use the word “slut,” it was all I could do to keep from slamming on the brakes, and pulling him into the front seat for a lecture. Instead, I maintained my composure and calmly asked, “Where did you hear that word?” “On YouTube.” “In what context?” “A woman was dressed kinda like that… View Post
As I wound my way through Salem, Massachusetts, I noticed a number of churches displaying large banners; banners that I would be unlikely to see in my small, Midwestern community. “Immigrants and Refugees Welcome!” “Black Lives Matter: We acknowledge the history. We envision the future. We act today.” “Tabernacle Congregational Church: An open and affirming congregation.” The last was accompanied… View Post
Two years have passed since I purchased the journal. The soft, red, leather book called to me from the window of a quaint shop in a small, Italian village. It was my first international trip alone. I had spent my entire life ignoring my natural instincts. In the religion I had followed from childhood, human nature was discouraged. Indeed, we… View Post
I’m single. I’m a mom. But to some I am not a single mom. I don’t know why it surprised me to discover contention over who should use the single mom label. Women pit themselves against one another far more often than they rise up in support. It starts at a young age with girls devaluing others based on clothing,… View Post
Late last year, I discovered my very own online stalker. A woman with two fake Instagram accounts reached out to me as two different people. Both personas said they had found encouragement from my writing. I even talked to “one” of them on the phone. When I began noticing some unusual parallels in their stories, I asked a few key… View Post
I’ve been thinking on this for a while, and I invite you to think through it with me. I grew up in a strong, evangelical, Christian community, and continued in that faith tradition for most of my adult life. Then I had a major crisis that included my faith. So, I walked away and started over figuring things out for… View Post