Spending time with Rosie Molinary is one of my favorite ways to get inspired, organized, and on the path to creating the life I most desire. Read More
Advocacy
Silent Night, Holy Night: Reflections on Mother and Child
Advent is a season of expectation, hope, and preparation for the miracle of God’s entry into our world as a vulnerable infant. But do we pause often enough to ponder the birth itself? The nativity stories found in our sacred texts tell us little about it, though what we know is Mary was a relatively young woman, she was pregnant at an unexpected Read More
Coming Soon: Online Course Offering on Advocacy
I love teaching people about how to do advocacy, so this February I'll be partnering with Drew Theological Seminary to offer an three-part webinar series on advocacy for clergy and congregations. Here's the course overview: From food pantries to global missions, faith communities are known for their acts of mercy and charity that benefit their Read More
Let’s Get Frank About Faith and Family Planning
Sex. Religion. Politics. The unholy trinity of impolite conversation, right? So what happens when we talk about all three of the them at the same time? "Let's Get Frank About Faith and Family Planning" is the title of talk I gave at the second annual Triangle Global Health Consortium conference on November 5, 2015 in Durham, North Carolina. Read More
Why I’m Not Watching
I'm grateful to Feminism and Religion for allowing me to guest post today on the decision not to watch--and what I've gained by doing so. Read More
Tips for Advocates Who Hate the Phone
I hate talking on the phone. Specifically, I really hate the act of calling people. Will the person pick up? What if I repeat my name several times and they still don't understand me? Am I calling at a bad time? I'm not sure why something this innocuous causes me such anxiety, but I'm not alone. Sometimes I wonder if technology like texting and Read More
Lessons Learned in Advocacy and Organizing
Last week I spoke at the United Methodist Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. The event was hosted by the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, the Conference Board of Church & Society, and the Commission on Christian Unity and Interfaith Relationships. I was asked to speak about how to build ecumenical, diverse teams for justice. Here Read More
Turning Guilt into Compassion: My Story of No Maternity Leave
The day after my two-week postpartum check-up I went back to work. This was an especially difficult thing to accept because I’m an advocate for health. For maternal health, to be precise. And yet there I was in a sleep-deprived daze, still bleeding from the birth while I sat on a conference call focused on achieving better health outcomes for Read More
Nepal, Israel, and Surrogacy
Newborn pictures usually evoke tenderness and joy, but the ones circulating of Israeli families holding their rescued infants born to surrogate Nepalese women have caused me great pause. I've been following the horrific aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal that, according to the latest official count has claimed more than 5,000 lives, but some are Read More
Reclaiming Birth with Sacred Worth
This post was originally published on the Healthy Families, Healthy Planet blog. In most instances when U.S. media portrays the birth of a baby, the storyline typically goes something like this: The woman’s water breaks in the grocery store. Her awestruck partner starts panicking that they need to rush to the hospital immediately. When they Read More