Some of you may already know about The Work of the People and the interesting and beautiful material they have. Interviews, visual liturgies, and all kinds of other awesomeness abound on their site. If you don’t subscribe yet, it’s so worth it. There is so much beauty and hope packed in there! My personal favorites are the Jean […]
Read More
Yes, I call out unhealthy church systems all the time. Yes, I rant and rave about equality. Yes, I believe sometimes people need to leave church-as-they-knew-it to save their souls. Yes, I am deeply disturbed by how power and control has hurt so many. But I also still do love the “church.” I believe in […]
Read MoreCan you say “vulnerability hangover?” Brene Brown talks about them and at The Refuge we joke about them, and let me just tell you–I have a big fat one right now. When I first saw the clip online from my conversation on The Work of the People, I could feel it in my stomach. That […]
Read More
Yes, finally! Whew! After months and months of forming the project, gathering stories, writing, editing, re-editing, and production, Faith Shift: Finding Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe is Coming Part is out! It’s a messy & surreal process, especially on top of a lot of kids & the refuge & our crazy life. But […]
Read More
When I was last visiting my daughter in New York she started getting cranky because we hadn’t eaten and been walking all over town forever. She said, “Mommmmm, Feed me! I’m getting hangry!” I get angry sometimes, too, when I’m hungry. It’s that desperate feeling like I better get some food now before I go […]
Read MoreI don’t usually wake up thinking of the word “power”, but I do often wake up thinking about: My friends living on the fringe. Those who are trying to leave or heal from abusive relationships. People I know from all over the place who are healing from “church”. The realities of mental illness. The women I […]
Read MoreI have been fringe-following the whole Mark Driscoll thing for years. In fact, over 8 years ago when we were starting The Refuge, some random person told my partner-in-this-crazy-endeavor about the Acts 29 Network and that “we should consider joining because they might have planting money for us.” He had no idea what Acts 29 […]
Read More
it’s july 1st. we just got back from dropping our #3 off at college on the east coast for his summer-start and we are tired & sad & happy & proud & missing him already. as i mentioned last week, after a wild and full week of grief, i am going to be taking 2 […]
Read Moredenial, anger, bargaining, depression. the first four stages of grief are filled with raw and real feelings and many “i don’t knows.” as i said earlier, these stages are so not linear and we cycle through them over and over again throughout time. i like to think we bump into them at a difference place […]
Read Morein his book a grief observed CS lewis says this about grief: “no one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. i am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. the same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. i keep on swallowing. at other times it feels like […]
Read More