Recently, my husband persuaded me to watch the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe in chronological sequence. That’s twenty-two movies (roughly fifty hours—or three thousand minutes—of superhero cinema), in case you’re wondering. Thor became my favorite storyline, and as a lifelong nerd, I loved the super intelligence of Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. But it wasn’t until…
I spent part of my twenties in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, just a block or two from Wrigley Field. After a childhood in rural Wisconsin, downtown city life seemed exciting, fast-paced, and a little bit dangerous. When my iPod disappeared from the outer pocket of my backpack, I learned to keep my valuables close and my…
Joshua was Moses’s loyal assistant for most of the years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Joshua was a firsthand witness to the special relationship between Moses and God. He saw Moses at his best as well as in his weakest moments. Here are a few of the key moments in Scripture when we see…
If I’m fortunate this morning, I’m sitting on my deck in a bright yellow Adirondack chair, beginning my day with a cup of Earl Grey. I’m hearing the cardinal’s quick, cheerful chirp. If I’m exceptionally lucky, I see the flash of a ruby chest triangle on a rose-breasted grosbeak at my feeder. I look out…
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NLT) My daughter taught me the courage to try again in a high school gym. Sophomore year, as the defending champion at her high school conference gymnastics meet, my daughter jumped…
I grew up in a world with a lot of theological certainty and rigidity. We had rules and labels for everything. We were Reformed Christians who believed in purity, patriarchy, and the proper way to dress on Sundays. People who weren’t like us were pagans or heathens or liberals or misled or, of course, feminists….