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Six Words That Changed My Life
I am Sandra—daughter of Ann, of Velma, of Ella…all the way back to Eve. But the genetic line stops with me. Although I went to college, I had no intention of pursuing a career. I dated my high-school sweetheart, and I knew even in my freshman year that I would marry this guy. My main vocational goal was to be a mommy. It was my only aspiration. When we married at ages 21 and 20, Gary and I wanted at least three children. It never dawned on me that we might face the prospect of no kids at all. If anything, I figured we’d have nineteen like Susannah Wesley and…
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Women of the Bible: “Remember Lot’s Wife”
Jesus’s “Exhibit A” to illustrate “Whoever tries to keep one’s life will lose it, but whoever loses one’s life will preserve it” (Luke 17:30–32) is Lot’s wife. We find the tragic end of this woman, married to Abraham’s nephew, in Genesis 19. As the story goes, two angels arrive at evening in Sodom, where Lot is sitting at the city gate—doubtless because he holds judicial office there. In Proverbs 31 we see a similar reference, as the “husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land” (Prov 31:23). This detail about Lot suggests he is deeply embedded in Sodom and fully…
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The Bent-Over Woman Jesus Healed
Recently, I dug deeply into a story about one of the lesser-known women of the Bible—the woman Luke describes as “bent over.” And I loved learning more about Jesus’s interaction with her. But first, the backstory: Jesus and his disciples are walking somewhere on a Sabbath, and they feed themselves by taking some heads of grain in a field. And what do the religious leaders do? They object, because Jesus and his team have done “work.” When this happens, Jesus reminds his listeners of a story in the Scriptures about how a priest gave David and his hungry men leftover consecrated bread on the Sabbath. And Jesus concludes by declaring…
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How to Become a Better Dad: A Daughter’s Perspective
Last August, I received this message from a former student who wanted to become a better dad: I’m reaching out because I have a daughter who’s about to start kindergarten. I’m also realizing more and more that I’m going to play a huge role in how she views men for the rest of her life (#nopressure). This is a huge responsibility, but it’s also an awesome opportunity, so I’m asking for some help. What is something you learned from your dad that helped shape who you are today? Kudos to this wise man for studying how to become a better dad—and for looking to both men and women for insight!…
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Mental Health Challenges: Remove the Stigma
How has COVID affected you, your family, your church, your job, your neighborhood, your world? If you’re like about half of all Americans, the pandemic has taken its toll on your mental health—and if not yours, that of someone (or many someones) you love. Various studies have revealed that about 47 percent of US adults say pandemic stress alone has had a negative effect on their mental health. That rings true, doesn’t it? Most of the public school teachers I know suspect the percentage is higher, expecting to see a pandemic of depression as young people return to school and compare notes about their lives for the past year. The pandemic has definitely…
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Saying “Masculinity Is Toxic” vs. “Fight Masculinity That Is Toxic”
“Toxic Behavior Versus Toxic Masculinity.” That was a title I read on a press release in my in-box. And, normally I hit “delete” on email ads. But this one grabbed my attention, because I saw in it two things contrasted that were actually the same thing—because toxic masculinity is toxic behavior. And we should oppose that. So, I read further and found the release contained information about a new book by a well-known Christian author. “No doubt, men’s behavior can be toxic, or sinful if you want to put it another way,” the release said. I agreed. But then it went south: “Society’s answer to this dilemma has been to…
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Plan Ahead for Mothering Day
In less than two weeks North Americans will celebrate Mother’s Day, a holiday that is not part of the historical church liturgy. It’s a great day for Hallmark and for restaurants. And for a lot of families. But it’s also often the worst day of the year for infertile women. For them going to a house of worship on this holiday can feel more like going to the house of mourning. During the decade in which my husband and I experienced infertility treatment, lost multiple pregnancies, and endured three failed adoptions, I found it difficult enough to see all the corsages on M-Day. But then, as if to shine the…
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Ministries: How to Prevent and Respond to Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minors
Today I’m happy to host guest blogger Suzanne Keffer Wipplinger, a student in Biblical Counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary: When considering what guidelines to follow if a minor who has attended a church or para-church ministry reports sexual abuse, it is important for churches and ministries to remember that their first priority is to focus on protecting minors before potential abuse occurs and continue to protect the abused minor, should abuse happen. The focus of church and para-church organizations must be on protecting the minor reporting the abuse before shielding the alleged abuser or the organization itself. Since sexual abuse is a crime, the person who receives the initial report should…
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How Do We Love God with Our Whole Minds?
Today, I’m happy to feature as my guest columnist Ver-lee Cheneweth, my intern for the past year. You might remember meeting her last August when she shared about her journey relating to racism. During Texas’s February 2021 snowmageddon, all schools, including the seminary I attend, closed for a week. Doing schoolwork in subzero weather was ridiculous, so I chucked it for some recreational reading. Obviously, enjoying a compelling book snuggled beneath a downy comforter was the only sane way to pass the time unvexed. After reading Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, however, I fumed, saying, “Dang it! What the heck is wrong with us? Why can’t evangelicals think…
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The Most Woman-Friendly Book in the Hebrew Bible
Several weeks ago, someone asked why we don’t see more women in the Bible. My exploration of the answer launched me on a multi-part series which just happens to coincide nicely with Women’s History Month. You can find the first two posts here and here. Today I want to continue looking at how we miss some of the women in or behind the text—contributing to it—when they’re actually present. My friend and colleague, seminary professor Dr. Ronald B. Allen, teaches through the Bible’s Poetical books. And he loves to help students see and celebrate the emphasis on women in the Book of Proverbs. He notes, “Because the addressee of wisdom in Proverbs…
