by Karen Craigo It’s conventional wisdom that men marry a version of their mothers. Like most conventional wisdom, this piece is probably partially true about half the time. Still, the notion lodges in our brain and keeps us looking sidelong at our spouse’s parents, trying to spot the resemblance. I’ve been blessed […]
by Victoria Contreras They say you become an adult when you turn 18, but I disagree. Adulthood is not some scheduled event that automatically fills you with knowledge of taxes and paying bills. It’s an idea, an abstract one at that, different for each individual. To me, adulthood is encapsulated in the serenity prayer: […]
by Sonia C. Solomonson February, with Valentine’s Day set smack in the middle of it, is a good time to think about what it means to love yourself. Did those words make you cringe just a little? Perhaps you grew up believing that self-love was selfish and narcissistic—that your life is about loving […]
by Dianha Ortega-Ehreth, Tiffany Lynn Tibbs and Karris Golden Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. This is the day when retailers want you to be part of a twosome and enjoy everything that they can sell: cards, flowers—especially roses—and chocolates. Your local restaurant wants to book your favorite cozy table for two. But if […]
by Jeni Grangaard “You know what we love about you, pastor?” says one of my faithful 80-year-olds. “You share who you are, for better and for worse. It helps us tell our stories, whether they are good or bad.” She said this in reference to my public confession of being pulled over for speeding […]
by Rachel Bass Guennewig I feel a small sense of dread when I think about Valentine’s Day. I seem to sabotage myself with dreams of sweetness and romance that do not often correspond with my husband’s plans for the day. It has taken me a while to peel off the layers of self-inflicted […]
by Mary Button The first six months after graduating from college, I wandered the streets of New York City listening to anything and everything ever sung by Levon Helm. I had loaded onto my iPod all of The Band’s albums and all of Levon’s solo work. Levon’s plaintive timbre accompanied me to and from my […]
by Erin Clausen Just over a year ago, I watched the pregnancy test stick carefully as two blue lines appeared. My stomach churned in some combination of butterflies and morning sickness. I knew that life would change in extraordinary ways, and it has. Parenting challenges even the most able, grounded people I know. We added […]
by Kelly Faulstich As a first-call pastor in Ohio, I was thankful for colleagues who helped me remember these short phrases when a “woe-is-me” or “wow-is-me” would sneak into any of my monologues. Hopefully, I provided the same helpful reminder to them. I think it can be all too tempting to isolate or elevate ourselves […]
by Stacey Jutila Recently I wrote to some friends and family and asked them to share insights on living more deeply into their marriage or partnership. It was amazing to discover all of the great messages that filled my inbox. Now I share this advice with you and I also invite you to turn to […]