By Rachel Meier A note from Rachel’s mother: My daughter is Congolese-Canadian. She is 12 1/2 years old and has been deeply affected by recent events in the United States. She was frustrated that we couldn’t attend the protest in Vancouver last night, but we watched the news footage of it and other protests around […]
Meeting Jesus in my Period: A Candid Conversation
by on April 29, 2020 Leave a Comment
Sometimes I get mad at Jesus for not having experienced menstruation. This is usually around the time when I get my period. Easy for you, I say to Jesus. You never had to deal with the feeling of being balled up in pain every month, like clockwork. You never had to run to the nearest […]
What Strong Women Do
by on March 25, 2020 1 Comment
None of the ladies in my family shrink back. Distinctly southern, full voices fill the room when we enter. We’re known for our loud laughs and warm embraces. We aren’t afraid to speak our minds and take the lead. We see a space and fill it. We see a need and fill it. I never […]
Reframing My Ugly Photos
by on January 20, 2020 Leave a Comment
Last fall while I was in Southeast India for four months launching an academic initiative in collaboration with a women’s college, I got to speak several times at various conferences and events. My first engagement was five days after I arrived in the coastal town of Chennai. I was jet lagged, tired, and emotional from […]
She Is Enough, She is Perfect
by on November 17, 2019 Leave a Comment
Trigger Warning: Mention of sexual assault and suicidal ideation *** I was born needing to be fixed. They didn’t have the fancy ultrasounds forty-some years ago, so I came out bloody and ready to breathe life into the world—except I could barely breathe. I was born disfigured; my lip was attached to the bottom of […]
