by Kendra Broekhuis | Jan 1, 2023 | Relationship, Writing
The same wave of nerves that walked me into middle school somehow made their way back from 2001 to accompany me to the Redbud Writers Retreat. New to the guild, I felt jittery walking into the first whole-group gathering of the weekend. The expansive room was peppered...
by Marie Chan | Jan 1, 2023 | Relationship, Writing
As a woman of color, whenever I enter a new environment, I often first listen, observe, and then evaluate whether it is safe to reveal my full, authentic self. Should I shrink back and be careful about how much I share about my cultural identity? Initially, the...
by Stephanie Reeves | Dec 1, 2022 | Writing
Dear Readers, It’s been a year, hasn’t it? We’re still dealing with Covid. We’ve lost some notable people like Loretta Lynn and Queen Elizabeth, and many of us have lost people only notable to us. And we feel their loss deeply. But we’ve also experienced some amazing...
by Stephanie Reeves | Feb 1, 2022 | Writing
Dear Reader, What’s so holy about going to the grocery store? Or doing laundry? Or taking a meal to a sick friend? Or changing a diaper? You might think of sacraments as things like the Eucharist (Communion) or Baptism, or Marriage. But when we do all that we do for...
by Michele Morin | Dec 1, 2017 | Literature, Writing
In the month of December, the Christmas story often stands alone, lifted with huge parentheses out of the New Testament—maybe delivered in Linus’s hushed boy soprano, and then tucked away with the durable resin Nativity set and the twinkly white lights until next...
by Lindsey Smallwood | Jul 1, 2016 | Leadership, Parenting, Writing
I love to lead and teach. It’s a part of my natural gifting, the way I’m wired. These traits have been evident from an early age. My mom recalls with fondness the authority with which I lined up my stuffed animals in my bedroom after school, demanding their attention...