Two nights ago, while sorting through old pictures, I found some folded up sheets of paper tucked into a box. I grabbed the stack and unfolded them, figuring it was a poem my sister or I had written for Mother’s Day (there were a lot of Mother’s Day poems in those boxes.) Instead of a child’s scribbled poem, I was looking at a stack of…
Murderous Theology
When I was eighteen years old, I broke the law and was condemned to a violent death. I would burn for my sin. I wasn’t a time-traveling witch or heretic. I was just a church girl from rural Arkansas. How could this happen, and in a Mennonite-Brethren church of all places? I’ve been trying to figure that out for a long time, and I’ve found…
Strong People
People say I’m strong. Like it’s a rare quality that I have and others don’t. They say I’m strong because I put my life back together. They say I’m strong because I still have a sense of humor. They say I’m strong because I don’t impose my emotions on others. They say I’m strong because I still believe most people are good-hearted and kind. I…
Review: Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty
I just read Tanya Marlow’s Coming Back to God When You Feel Empty: Whispers of Restoration From the Book of Ruth. I’d seen a reference to it fly through my feed the other day and I’m so glad I clicked on that link. Tanya writes about her experiences with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) while pulling inspiration from the book of Ruth. I wasn’t expecting something that…
A Halfway House for Post-traumatic Church Disorder Survivors
I haven’t had a “home church” for about 15 years. I’ve sporadically visited several different churches during that time. So far, I’ve been to: Normal Mennonite churches A hippie Mennonite church Non-denominational evangelical churches A Non-denominational evangelical coffee house church Lutheran churches A Catholic church I’m not even going to lie. Every one of those visits was painful. I think I have post-traumatic church disorder…
I’ve Got a Bible…Now What? Day 30
Read Psalm 23 NIV Translation ESV Translation Genre: Song / Poetry Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (ESV) What is important about this passage? This is one of the most well known psalms. I’ve Got a Bible…Now What?…
J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes
J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorite authors. (Like Tolkien, I think of myself as a very tall hobbit.) Since today is his birthday, I’ve pulled some of my favorite Tolkien quotes out of my quote collection. “I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but…
I’ve Got a Bible…Now What? Day 29
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13 NIV Translation ESV Translation Genre: Narrative But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) Who is Samuel? Samuel was…
I’ve Got a Bible…Now What? Day 28
Read Exodus 20:1-21 NIV Translation ESV Translation Genre: Narrative You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 (ESV) What is important about this passage? These are the Ten Commandments. God gave these commandments (along with other instructions) to the Israelite people just after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. This is one of the most well known passages of scripture. …
I’ve Got a Bible…Now What? Day 27
Read Exodus 3 NIV Translation ESV Translation Genre: Narrative And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. Exodus 3:2 (ESV) Who is Moses? Moses was born to Hebrew (Israelite) parents while they were slaves in Egypt. He was adopted…