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 […]
Is This Renovation? Beatitudes and New Diagnoses
by on September 2, 2019 2 Comments
In January, I went to my gynecologist mildly concerned about some itchiness and pain in my nether regions. I expected a simple diagnosis—some kind of weird bacterial infection or an allergic reaction. Instead, I learned that I have a chronic condition called lichen sclerosus (LS), which is believed to be an auto-immune disorder. Basically, my […]
Sisters in Mental Illness: Shaley Hoogendoorn Talks to Jessica Birak of Mint & Birch
by on June 26, 2019 Leave a Comment
[ Trigger Warning: Mention of abuse, as well as an eating disorder.] This month, Shaley Hoogendoorn talks to Jessica Birak, founder of the jewelry company Mint & Birch, who is also a vulnerable and honest advocate for mental health. They talk about topics related to anxiety, depression, postpartum, hypochondria, eating disorders and healing from childhood […]
Still Learning Patience—A Letter to My Dad
by on June 13, 2019 Leave a Comment
Dear Dad, A few months ago, I pulled out the bible you gave me when I graduated high school. It was a hard cover, mottled brown NIV, the pages tearing away at the spine. It’s well-worn. It travelled with me from those first months of Bible college in the UK, through college and university days, […]
Grief: Living with Unanswerable Questions
by on May 2, 2019 Leave a Comment
by Tabitha Terlunen [Trigger warning: Loss of a child] I have both witnessed and been the recipient of miracles. I have felt God catch me when I stepped out onto the churning waters of faith. I believe in miracles, I know the theology, I can grasp the concept of divine will vs. a fallen world. […]
