In 2023, I read 140 books, not including most of the picture books I read to the girls. The vast majority were physical books, but I also listened to a fair amount of audiobooks (for the first year ever.) Doing so upped the volume of books I...
Last Sunday during worship, I sat in the comfort room with my two-year old, Kendall, in tears.
To be clear, I was the one in tears, not her.
We’d gone into the cry room to nurse. When we returned to the sanctuary, she started chattering. A LOT...
NBC news has recently been airing a series of reports about the mental health toll of the pandemic on young people. As a youth pastor, I’m well aware of these. I’ve seen the toll this pandemic has taken on the young people in my ministry. I’ve...
It’s school enrollment season and as the parent of a kindergartener, I’ve been thinking about education a lot.
A few weeks ago, I listened to a podcast by The Mom Hour in which they reflected on their school priorities. That got me thinking about...
I have fond memories from my childhood of curling up in my mom’s lap, in her big (ugly) green recliner and reading the Berenstain Bears’ books. They were classics that every kid my age loved.
I’ve loved introducing these books to my own girls,...
I’m an introverted youth pastor who has, for years, considered myself to be a pretty good listener. Sadly, I fear that I sometimes listen BETTER to other people’s kids than I do my own. Having recognized this in myself, I was excited to read Becky...
Two and a half years ago, I transitioned out of a 10-year call that I loved.
The decision to leave was NOT an easy one. It’s one I struggled with a lot… And along the way, I did what I always do: I turned to books for guidance.
I dutifully read...
I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Kelley Nikondeha speak a couple of times, first at the women’s’ retreat she mentions often in Defiant, and more recently at Evolving Faith. Having heard Kelley in person and experienced first-hand her heart for the...
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a fan of Matthew Paul Turner’s children’s books. Matthew's most recent book, All the Colors of Christmas did not disappoint.
There are four reasons I loved this book:
1. It rhymes…...
I’m type A.
I have an engineering degree.
I’m also an introvert.
All of these things contribute to the ways in which I overanalyze EVERYTHING. (And I do mean everything!) Why make a decision in 5 minutes when you can take 5 weeks?
My desire to...