by Elizabeth McBride 2015 was a year that had positive events and heartbreaking ones. There was joy and celebration and grief and sadness. During 2015, Cafe, Women of the ELCA’s on-line magazine written mostly by young adult women, published 19 articles. Here are Cafe’s top 3 most-read articles in 2015. Do you have a […]
by Amanda J. Garcia “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). I am a planner. I like checklists, maps and itineraries. I am not good at waiting, and my greatest […]
by Joy McDonald Coltvet After 18 years of marriage, my husband and I found ourselves pregnant for the first time. To describe this as shocking is an understatement. It took us a month to tell anyone beyond health professionals. When they asked, “Is this good news?” I said, “Well… it’s definitely surprising.” I […]
by Emma Crossen I was relieved to turn 30. In my 20s, I worried that older colleagues would dismiss me as young and naïve or assume that I was just like other 20-somethings, many of whom I found to be immature and naïve. The 30s seemed to invite fewer assumptions. My 30-something friends […]
by Michelle Terry When I reflect on God’s love, I think of my parents’ warm hugs or my husband’s unwavering support. When I imagine God’s goodness, I see members of my congregation showing up (before we could even think to ask) with groceries and helping hands when my newborn son was hospitalized. When I think […]
by Jennifer Hackbarth As I write this, I’m missing my daughter’s gymnastics practice. She left the house before I did this morning with a chipper goodbye, her chest puffing proudly in her sparkly bright red leotard as she gave me a noisy kiss from my husband’s arms. This morning, he’s the one sitting on the […]
by Angela T. Khabeb Perhaps you’re familiar with the recent conversations about women and our tendency to apologize more than men. There have been articles and blog posts on the topic, not to mention skits by Amy Schumer and a Pantene commercial. The commercial depicted women apologizing in various situations. One woman apologized before asking […]
by Grace Heyne Life and all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets have a lot in common. Both are places of wonder and opportunity where you can sample new things, experience the familiar and best of all, have all you want. But if you go too far, you can feel exhausted and sluggish and lose all desire for anything […]
by Jennifer Hackbarth “All the time and energy I spend in keeping some kind of balance and preventing myself from being tipped over and drowning shows that my life is mostly a struggle for survival: not a holy struggle, but an anxious struggle resulting from the mistaken idea that it is the world that defines […]
by Lindsay Mack La risa de Sarah no me cae bien en estos días. Me imagino estando sentada frente al personaje bíblico, Sarah, en un café, tomando un té y ella me dice: “Después de todos estos años !Abraham y yo, por fin estamos embarazados! ¿Pueden creerlo? “Ella se ríe con alegría y aplaude […]