[As published by Patheos. Don’t miss my Pondering Purple podcast, available on your favorite platform or from this Anchor page.] I was leaving a conference room after a lengthy presentation when a woman I’d never met—I’ll call her Judy—came up to me and said, “God chose you for this storm. He knew it would give […]

  My new novel, The Space Between Words, launches today! Here’s a flurry of related materials to introduce you to this new baby. Video Trailer – a short visual teaser The Making of Space – a look into the adventure that birthed this story. There are both written and video versions below! Want to check out […]

  THE MK HARBOR PROJECT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE Though hosts around the globe volunteered in droves to participate in this service, MKs in general were hesitant to reach out—which I completely understand! At a stage of their lives when they want to establish their independence, being “paired” with a stranger, usually because Mom and […]

I’m sure you’ve experienced it too. That moment when you meet someone in a mono-cultural setting—say an office party—and she says, “This is the most fun I’ve had in my life” with that intonation that really says, “This party is worse than having my fingernails ripped off.” You absorb the double-entendre and stare squinty-brained at […]

There was a time not long ago When Mother’s Day felt like a wound Pulled open and exposed on that one Sunday every year When childless lives felt second-rate Shoved to the side to make more room for Those with fulfilled womanhood I tried to blame society Men or myself —or Christianity— For the affront […]

  [If you’re receiving this blog via email, you may need to click THIS LINK to see the embedded video.] Every year, in this season of “endings,” my inbox overflows with correspondence from missionaries and MKs about the imminent changes they’re facing. Their messages range from “mild” to “frantic” on the Freak Out Scale—a spectrum […]

As someone who has spent a lifetime in the world of Christian ministry, I understand some of the criticism regarding The Shack’s theology. It’s that same lifetime in Christian ministry that prompted me to make this short video to offer a different perspective on the novel — not because it stands as a complete iteration of the […]

I wasn’t prepared for the email I received from a friend yesterday, after I’d written about a minor health setback in my recovery from the surgery and cancer diagnosis that turned my world upside down. The email said, “I am not your counselor, your mentor or your doctor — but perhaps God is trying to slow you […]

[Prefer viewing to reading? Scroll to bottom for a brief video supplement to this post.] I am a single woman. It’s not an affliction and it certainly isn’t a curse. It’s a relational status, one that seems to cause a bit of discomfort among married peers who wonder whether condolences or congratulations are in order. It’s hard […]

This is the first time I’ve shared someone else’s content on this blog, but it’s good and useful enough to warrant an exception. As faithful as many churches and supporters are with praying for their missionaries, MKs often get lumped in with the parents, yet the way these children and teens experience living “between worlds” […]