Podcast appearances and mentions of amy julia becker

Ambition is the air we breathe—but what is it costing us? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker and theologian Miroslav Volf discuss his latest book, The Cost of Ambition. They unpack the hidden damage of a culture obsessed with competition and invite us to imagine a new way of being, for ourselves and our society, rooted not in achievement, but in love, mutuality, and genuine abundance. They explore:  Striving for superiority in American cultureThe dark side of competitionLonging for what we haveStriving for excellence vs. striving for superiorityThe illusion of individual achievementPractices for embracing love and generosityReimagining human relationships beyond superiority__MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse by Miroslav VolfAbundance by Ezra KleinThe Sabbath by Abraham HeschelLuke 18:9-14, Philippians 2, 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, Mark 10:35-45The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)Works of Love by Søren KierkegaardSubscribe to Amy Julia's newsletter_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Miroslav Volf (DrTheol, University of Tübingen) is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and founding director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture in New Haven, Connecticut. He has written or edited more than two dozen books, including the New York Times bestseller Life Worth Living, A Public Faith, Public Faith in Action, and Exclusion and Embrace (winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion and selected as among the 100 best religious books of the 20th century by Christianity Today). Educated in his native Croatia, the United States, and Germany, Volf regularly lectures around the world. CONNECT with Miroslav Volf on X at @miroslavvolf.Photo Credit: © Christopher Capozziello___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

What if the perfect family doesn't exist—and never was supposed to? Theologian Emily McGowin, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore family life in America and what the Bible really says (and doesn't say) about family life. They discuss:the idealized version of the American familythe misconceptions surrounding a biblical blueprint for familycreating a home centered on love, not expectationsapprenticing ourselves to love through daily household practices___MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Households of Faith: Practicing Family in the Kingdom of God by Emily Hunter McGowin, PhDAmy Julia's episode with Matthew Mooney about families, disability, suffering, and "the good life'Small Talk: Learning from my Children about What Matters Most by Amy Julia Becker__WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Emily Hunter McGowin (PhD, University of Dayton) is associate professor of theology at Wheaton College. She is the author of Quivering Families and Christmas, and coeditor of God and Wonder. Her articles have appeared in Christianity Today and The Week. She is a priest and canon theologian in the Anglican diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others. She and her husband, Ron, also a priest, live in Chicagoland with their three children. Follow her on Twitter: @EmilyMcgowin and visit her website at: emilymcgowin.com.___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Is disability a tragedy? Is it a gift? What place is there for grief and for joy in this story of disability so many of us are living within our families? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently portrayed disability as tragic, as something that needs to be fixed, in his comments about autism. In response, Matthew Mooney, co-founder of 99 Balloons, joins Amy Julia Becker to share a better and truer story of disability. They explore: Societal perceptions of disabilityHow relationships change the story of disabilityRecognizing the inherent worth of every individualNavigating grief, loss, and sufferingCultivating the beauty found in communityMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:99 BalloonsAmy Julia's Vox essay: My daughter has Down syndrome. Would I “cure” her if I could?NYT Essay by Emily May: Kennedy Described My Daughter's RealityI Corinthians 12, Exodus 4, and John 9:3Hans ReindersRFK Jr.'s statements about autism_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:When Matthew and his wife Ginny were 30 weeks pregnant, they learned their son Eliot had trisomy 18. Eliot was born eight weeks later and lived for 99 days. The Mooneys founded 99 Balloons, a nonprofit supporting individuals with disabilities locally and globally. Matthew now serves on the 99 Balloons Board and lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with Ginny and their three children—Hazel, Anders, and Lena. A writer, speaker, and consultant on disability and inclusion, Matthew is also an attorney and a PhD candidate in Theological Ethics at Aberdeen University. His work has taken him to Haiti, Mexico, Ukraine, Uganda, India, and beyond.Websites: 99 Balloons :: matthewlylemooney  Social: insta ___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone mWe want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

For some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular, camp was also often the place to inherit an image of God—and of each other—that was incomplete at best and toxic at worst. Author Cara Meredith joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to explore belonging, betrayal, and new beginnings as they talk about Cara's latest book, Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation. They examine:Personal experiences of church camp, including joy, exclusion, and betrayalComplexities of faith and belongingEmotional manipulationReconstructing faithDeciding if church camp is right for your child_MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Amy Julia's Live, In-Person Workshop on May 3: Reimagining Family Life with DisabilityFree resource: 5 Ways to Experience God's Love and Practice PeaceSurprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Cara Meredith is a speaker, public theologian, and development director who found home at a church camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. After serving in various roles, she continued as a speaker for two decades at camps up and down the West Coast. With a master of theology (Fuller Seminary) and a background in education and nonprofit work, she is also the author of The Color of Life. Her writing has been featured in national media outlets such as The Oregonian, The New York Times, The Christian Century, and Christianity Today, among others. She lives with her family in Oakland, California. CONNECT with Cara on her website (carameredith.com) or on Facebook and Instagram. ___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

How do we redefine success, community, and family when parenting a child with disabilities? In this conversation, Amy Julia Becker and Adrian Wood, PhD, creator of the vlog Tales of an Educated Debutante and co-author of Autism Out Loud, discuss community, belonging, autism, and the ways they have grown up with their children. They explore:Cultural perceptions of family life with disabilityNavigating family dynamicsCommunication Building community connectionsCollaborating with schools for better outcomesRedefining success_MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Autism Out Loud: Life with a Child on the Spectrum, from Diagnosis to Young Adulthood by Kate Swenson, Carrie Cariello, Adrian WoodAmy Julia's Reimagining Family Life with Disability workshopAmy Julia's Live, In-Person Workshop on May 3_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Adrian Wood is the creator of the vlog Tales of an Educated Debutante. She has a PhD in Educational Research and contributes to Today Parents, The Today Show, and the Love What Matters blog. She lives in rural eastern North Carolina with her family.CONNECT with Adrian on her website (talesofaneducateddebutante.com), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.___We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

How does language, both careless and careful, shape our world? What's the connection between social status and the words we choose? How does technology influence our understanding of culture and control? Amy Julia Becker and special guest Andy Crouch examine these questions in a conversation about language, culture, and culture making. They also ask:What does the recent rise of the r-word tell us about our culture?  In what ways are technology and vulnerability interconnected?  How can we show up with care in our relationships and creative endeavors?_MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's weekly emailPraxisCulture Making by Andy Crouch“Where the Magic Doesn't Happen” by Andy Crouch“The Trump administration's rhetoric about disability diminishes us all” by Amy Julia Becker“Embracing the Mystery (more than the magic) of Christmas” by Amy Julia BeckerBreaking Ground essay | “Wrestling with Sovereignty in a Kairos Year” by Amy Julia BeckerKen Myers and Mars Hill AudioPlaying God by Andy CrouchStrong and Weak by Andy CrouchThe Tech-Wise Family by Andy CrouchPhilippians 2: 5-8Marc Andreessen: The Techno-Optimist Manifesto_CONNECT with Andy Crouch on his website: https://andy-crouch.com/_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. He is the author of five books (plus another with his daughter, Amy Crouch).___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

What happens when we step into silence? Author Pico Iyer joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his book Aflame: Learning from Silence. He reflects on his time spent in monasteries and how he grounds the ethereal idea of silence in the very earthy realities of everyday life—filled with deadlines, relationships, and the unexpected, like the wildfire that consumed his home in southern California. Pico and Amy Julia examine:the profound lessons that arise from moments of crisishow practices of silence transform lives and relationshipsthe importance of community and servicethe essence of a good life_Women's Conference 2025 | Greenwich, CTMeet Amy Julia in person!_Free Resource/PDF Download:5 Ways to Experience God's Love and Practice Peace_MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Aflame: Learning from Silence by Pico IyerIyer's 1990 Time essay: "California: In The Blazing Eye of the Inferno"_CONNECT with Pico Iyer on his website (www.picoiyerjourneys.com)._WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Pico Iyer is the author of fifteen books, translated into twenty-three languages, and has been a constant contributor for more than thirty years to Time, The New York Times, Harper's Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and more than 250 other periodicals worldwide. His four recent talks for TED have received more than eleven million views. ___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Writer and podcaster Amy Julia Becker talks about the need for caring in this world, and how caring helps not only those being cared for, but those doing the caring as well.

Amy Julia Becker on caring - for others, ourselves and the world

When U.S. foreign aid is frozen, what happens to the people who depend on it? In this episode, Dr. Matthew Loftus and Amy Julia Becker dive into the effects of USAID cuts, including:The life-or-death consequences for HIV patientsThe difficult choices clinics and hospitals now faceThe political and religious divisions driving the debateWhat it means to be pro-lifeHow concerned Americans can respondMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Amy Julia's Substack email newsletter about USAID: Caring for Humans is Slow, Messy, and BeautifulNYT opinion essay by Leah Libresco Sargeant, Matthew Loftus, Kristin M. Collier, and Kathryn Jean Lopez: “As Fellow Pro-Lifers, We Are Begging Marco Rubio to Save Foreign Aid”ProPublica article:"The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway."Washington Post articleMatt's thesis: Discipline and FlourishAfrican Mission HealthcareSubscribe to Amy Julia's weekly email_WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. READ the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Matthew Loftus lives with his family in East Africa, where he has taught and practiced Family Medicine since 2015. He is especially passionate about Family Medicine education and mental health care in mission hospitals. He grew up in a family of 15 children and did all of his medical training in Baltimore. He also holds an M.A. in Theology from St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute in Baltimore and has written for several publications, including Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, First Things, and The New York Times. You can learn more about his work and writing at www.matthewandmaggie.org___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Listen over the next two weeks as experts deliver the facts.

In the work of reimagining, religion can play a significant part. What does it mean to be human? Does God exist? Is the universe good? Is there order and purpose to human life? These are the types of questions that help to shape our imagination about our individual lives and our life together. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. They explore:the current cultural landscape of religion in Americathe rise of secularism and the existential angst many face in a post-religious worldthe importance of engaging with religious questionsthe relationship between religion and politicshow individuals can begin their journey of seeking meaning and purpose__RESOURCES:Amy Julia's Lenten Daily DevotionalAmy Julia's To Be Made Well Lenten Bible Study—Small Group Video Series__MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious by Ross DouthatMere Christianity by C.S. LewisThe Weight of Glory by C.S. LewisPaul KingsnorthJ.R.R. TolkienLooking for Faith? Here's a Guide to Choosing a Religion. by Ross Douthat__CONNECT with Ross on X (@DouthatNYT).__Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast.__ABOUT:Ross Douthat has been a New York Times Opinion columnist since April 2009. Previously, he was a senior editor at the Atlantic. He is the author of The Deep Places; The Decadent Society; To Change the Church; Bad Religion; Privilege; and, with Reihan Salam, Grand New Party. He is the film critic for National Review. He lives with his wife and five children in New Haven, Connecticut.___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a textRecent political changes and executive orders have polarized the complex conversation around diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). David M. Bailey, the Founder and CEO of Arrabon, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss: the consequences of dismantling DEIA initiativesthe implications of colorblindness and meritocracythe role of the church in advocating for justicethe importance of maintaining hope and engagement amidst societal polarizationthe need for critical thinking and compassionpractical steps for hope and community involvement_Amy Julia's Lenten Daily DevotionalAmy Julia's To Be Made Well Lenten Bible Study—Small Group Video SeriesArrabon Lenten Resources: available soon at arrabon.com__MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Arrabon: a spiritual formation ministry that equips Christ-followers to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. David Bailey previously on the podcast: S6 E12 | How to Cultivate Racial HealingS3 E1 | Waking Up to PrivilegeS3 E19 | Loving Our Enemies in a Nation DividedS5 E4 | What's So Controversial About Critical Race Theory? President Trump's Executive OrderBarbara Newman_CONNECT with David Bailey at @wearearrabon and @davidmbailey on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn._MORE: Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culturemaker, and catalyst focused on cultivating reconciling communities. David is the Founder and CEO of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society. David is an ordained minister rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.___Let's stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive weekly reflections that challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging where everyone matters.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Perfectly Human with Amy Julia BeckerWe live in a time when our value is often assessed and affirmed largely in terms of our productivity. Entire industries are built around pushing us to optimize our output, maximize our results, unlock our potential, break barriers and records, and perform perpetually at peak. Often drowned out by the din of such appeals is the simple truth that to be human is to be limited, vulnerable, and mortal. And for many of us, such limitations are impossible to ignore. Today's episode features our recent conversation with award winning writer and speaker, Amy Julia Becker, who addresses questions about what it means to be perfectly human, and what understanding disability reveals to us:"To see disability in terms of brokenness is to really misunderstand, I think, this idea of human limitation. [And] also to misunderstand ourselves as beloved, as ones who do not need to produce or perform in order to be acceptable to God, for certain, but even to one another. But instead to be able to actually start from a place of belovedness and move into the world from that place with our limitations but also with an assumption that we have gifts to offer, which might look really, really different from one person to the next.” - Amy Julia BeckerWe hope this conversation helps you wrestle with questions of human limitations, perfection, and our belovedness before God, as we consider anew what constitutes the good life.This podcast is an edited version of an online conversation recorded in March of 2024. Watch the full video of the conversation here, and learn more about Amy Julia Becker.Authors and books mentioned in the conversation:To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, by Amy Julia BeckerRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Babette's Feast by Isak DinesenBright Evening Star by Madeleine L'EngleWrestling with God by Simone WeilBulletins from Immortality poems by Emily DickinsonLetters from Vincent Van GoghRelated Conversations:A Life Worth Living with Miroslav VolfWhat Really Matters with Charlie Peacock and Andi AshworthLife, Death, Poetry & Peace with Philip YanceyWords Against Despair with Christian WimanTo listen to this or any of our episodes in full, visit ttf.org/podcast and to help make content like this possible, join the Trinity Forum SocietySpecial thanks to Ned Bustard for our podcast artwork.

Send us a text"Just try harder. Work harder. Think harder." But what if the key to creativity, whether that's in our art or in the art of our daily lives, isn't more effort but surrender? Carey Wallace, artist and author of The Discipline of Inspiration, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about:How discipline and spiritual practices nurture inspirationThe role of surrender in the creative processHow all humans can explore their creative potential and embrace the joy of creationArt as a communal experienceHow the discipline of inspiration empowers meaningful change in our world that is good and mutually beneficial_REIMAGINING FAMILY LIFE WITH DISABILITY WORKSHOP_ON THE PODCAST:The Discipline of Inspiration by Carey WallaceImage Seminar: The Discipline of Inspiration (a five-week craft workshop)Slow Productivity by Cal NewportJon Batiste interview on Fresh AirOnce a Queen: A Novel by Sarah ArthurOnce a Castle by Sarah Arthur _CONNECT with Carey Wallace on her website (disciplineofinspiration.org), Instagram (@disciplineofinspiration), or Facebook (@disciplineofinspiration)._WATCH this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT THE GUEST:Carey Wallace is the author of The Discipline of Inspiration (Eerdmans), The Blind Contessa's New Machine (Penguin), and The Ghost In The Glass House (Clarion). She works to help people from all walks of life find inspiration and build strong creative habits to sustain a lifetime of creation. She performs as a songwriter, exhibits her own fine art, and has spoken on art, faith, and justice with students at Princeton, Julliard, Emory, Pratt, and Yale. Her articles and poems have appeared in Time, Detroit's Metro Times, and America. She is the founder of a retreat for artists in Michigan, and the Discipline of Inspiration creative habit formation program, which has been in operation for over a decade across the US and internationally. She grew up in small towns in Michigan, and lives and works in Brooklyn. _Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Happy New Year friends! Join us as we welcome back Amy Julia Becker and her daughter Penny for an inspiring conversation on redefining resolutions for growth instead of perfection. We're talking about the power of celebrating small wins, how caregivers and families can support loved ones with Down syndrome in setting and achieving goals, and the transformative lessons we've learned from goal-setting with our children. Penny also offers her perspective on staying motivated, what success looks like to her, and what she hopes to accomplish in the year ahead. Whether you're setting goals for yourself or alongside your loved one with Down syndrome, this conversation will leave you ready to embrace every step of the journey. This is an episode you don't want to miss! SHOW NOTES Instagram: @amyjuliabecker Facebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriter YouTube Channel Threads: @amyjuliabecker X: @amyjuliabecker amyjuliabecker.com  Our Previous Episodes with Amy Julia:  247. The Transition To Adulthood: Fostering Independence, Dignity Of Risk, & Supporting Decision-Making (w/ Amy Julia Becker) 158. Faith, Healing, & Disability, ft. Amy Julia Becker (Mother/Autho 26. Owning Your Influence By Using Your Words with Amy Julia Becker Thank you, NDSS for sponsoring this episode! Register today for the 2025 Down Syndrome Advocacy Conference! Early bird registration is now open! JOIN THE MOVEMENT Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Your support makes a difference in our ability to create meaningful content, enable us to cover production costs, and explore additional opportunities to expand our resources. Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!  DISCOUNT CODE Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code LUCKY for 21% off! HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/support

Send us a textHow do we attend to diverse voices in our churches and society without silencing or patronizing each other? Author and professor Esau McCaulley, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary. They talk about:the importance of connecting church and culturethe insights provided by scholars from diverse backgrounds and ethnicitiesthe harm caused by limiting biblical interpretation to a Western-centric lensthe role of the church in today's societythe transformative power of listening and learning from each other_AMY JULIA'S Books_ON THE PODCAST:NYT essays by Esau McCaulleyThe Esau McCaulley PodcastReading While Black: book; podcast episodeHow Far to the Promised Land: book; podcast episode_CONNECT with Dr. McCaulley on his website (esaumccaulley.com) and on social media (@esaumccaulley)_Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._ABOUT:Esau McCaulley, PhD, is an author and The Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College. His writing and speaking focus on New Testament Exegesis, African American Biblical Interpretation, and Public Theology. He has authored numerous books including, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, which won numerous awards including Christianity Today's Book of the Year. Esau also served as the editor of New Testament in Color: A Multi-Ethnic Commentary on the New Testament.On the popular level, Esau's recent memoir, How Far to the Promised Land, was named by Amazon as a top five non-fiction book of 2023. He has also penned works for children, including Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit and Andy Johnson and the March for Justice. Esau is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and senior editor for Holy Post Media as well as the host of a new podcast with the Holy Post. His writings have appeared in places such as The Atlantic, Washington Post, and Christianity Today._Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

We have been waiting for this conversation for so long. We have multiple friends who have told us how much they adore Amy Julia Becker for years and it was a delight to get to sit down with her recently. She shares so much wisdom and hope on what it looks like to reimagine family life with disability. You're going to want to listen, share, and take notes on this episode. Reimagining the Good Life Podcast How to Become a Worry-Free Parent with Sissy Goff IG: @amyjuliabecker To Be Made Well White Picket Fences Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr. If you enjoyed this episode, check out Ep 34: Parenting with Unconditional Love with Gabe and Rebekah Lyons. . . . . . Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textHow do we decide who has a life worth living? Author and professor emerita Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss what it means to:be humanlive in communitycare for one anothernavigate the complicated ethics of selective abortionfind the language and stories to talk about a life worth living_ADVENT DEVOTIONAL: Prepare Him Room: Advent Reflections on What Happens When God Shows Up_ON THE PODCAST:Plough essay: “The Body She Had” by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson Book: About Us: Essays from the New York Times about Disability by People with Disabilities Sara Hendren's episode: “Who Belongs? Disability and the Built World”_CONNECT with Dr. Garland-Thomson on her website: rosemariegarlandthomson.com_Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._About:Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is professor emerita of English and bioethics at Emory University. She works in disability culture, bioethics, and health humanities. She is a Hastings Center Senior Advisor and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is co-editor of About Us: Essays from the New York Times about Disability by People with Disabilities and author of Staring: How We Look and several other books._Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a textPolitical divides don't just disappear after elections. If you long for a hopeful way forward, this conversation is for you. Pastor Corey Widmer talks with Amy Julia Becker about how to navigate political polarization with humility, love, and a commitment to Jesus' way of life.Corey and Amy Julia discuss:Political engagement and identity formationThe dangers of political idolatry and hyperindividualism How to embody love and curiosity in political discourseLiving out the way of Jesus in a polarized worldHow to respond to the election results _FREE DOWNLOAD: 5 Ways to Experience God's Love and Practice Peace_ON THE PODCAST:Sermon on the MountThe BeatitudesRich Villodas on the podcastThe AND CampaignHow to Be Christian in the Election | White PaperHow to Be Christian in the Election | Sunday School seriesThe Good Life of the Kingdom | Sermon_Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast._Guest Bio:Rev. Corey Widmer is Senior Pastor of Third Church, a Presbyterian congregation in Richmond, VA. A graduate of University of Virginia and Princeton Theological Seminary, he also has a Ph.D. in theology from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Corey is married to Sarah, a public health nurse, and they have 4 teenage daughters.  Corey loves reading, exploring the outdoors, and pickleball! -Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a textWhat freedom could we offer one another as humans if we weren't so stuck on the treadmill of achievement and quantified learning? Pepper Stetler, PhD, is the author of A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother's Reckoning with the IQ Test. She joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to share her personal journey navigating the world of IQ testing with her daughter Louisa, who has Down syndrome. Amy Julia and Dr. Stetler explore: the historical roots of these intelligence assessmentsIQ testing's societal implicationsthe ethical dilemmas the tests present for parents and educatorshow IQ tests shape our understanding of intelligence and the pursuit of a fulfilling lifeways to challenge conventional notions of achievement and success_Noonday Lucky Few bracelet (in celebration of Down Syndrome Awareness month): https://noondaycollection.com/products/lucky-few-bracelet_On the Podcast:A Measure of Intelligence: One Mother's Reckoning with the IQ Test by Pepper Stetler Alfred BinetDSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)Henry Goddard_Connect with Dr. Stetler on her website (pepperstetler.com) or X (@PepperStetler)._Watch this conversation on YouTube by clicking here. Read the full transcript and access detailed show notes by clicking here or visiting amyjuliabecker.com/podcast.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a textThe way we tell the stories of our past plays a crucial role in shaping our imagination for the future. Author and historian Jemar Tisby, Ph.D., insists in his work that we tell a fuller story of our past, especially when it comes to the history of race and justice within the United States. Jemar joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss his latest book, The Spirit of Justice. Their conversation includes:The persistent spirit of justice in the Black Christian experience in AmericaThe historical and ongoing struggles against racismHow faith and storytelling fuel resilience and hopeAmy Julia's book: White Picket Fences: Turning toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege_Guest Bio:Jemar Tisby, PhD, is the author of new book The Spirit of Justice, and he also wrote the New York Times bestselling The Color of Compromise, and the award-winning How to Fight Racism. He is a historian who studies race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century and serves as a professor at Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college. _Connect Online with Dr. Tisby:Website: https://jemartisby.com/ | Instagram | Facebook | Substack/Newsletter_On the Podcast:The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jemar TisbyThe Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar TisbyMississippi Civil Rights MuseumAmy Julia's previous conversations with Jemar: S5 E10 | How Kids Can Fight Racism with Jemar Tisby, PhD S4 E1 | How Do We Fight Racism? with Jemar TisbyS3 E6 | Now Is the Time for Justice with Jemar Tisby_TRANSCRIPT here_YouTube video here with closed captions_Let's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

The world offers many misleading messages about disability. Host Curtis Chang and author Amy Julia Becker challenge these misconceptions, especially around what makes a life "valuable." Drawing from her journey raising a daughter with Down Syndrome, Becker highlights the profound differences between pity, compassion, and a curiosity that honors the intrinsic worth of every person. They discuss how faith communities can more meaningfully welcome and support families of children with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. Becker also offers practical questions to help Jesus followers engage with and better understand the experiences of families walking a path similar to her own.   Join the Redeeming Babel Team: Marketing Manager Job Opening   Listen to Songs For the After Party, get sheet music, lyrics, and prayers for your church.   Bring The After Party course to your church or small group!    Join Curtis Chang in Texas! Details Here   Referenced in this Episode Read Galation 5:22-26 HERE Learn more about Down Syndrome in the United States  Read about The impact of implicit and explicit bias about disabilities on parent experiences and information provided during prenatal screening and testing   Explore Amy Julia Becker's work: Listen to Reimagining The Good Life podcast Read Amy Julia's blog Check out Amy Julia's website Buy & Read Amy Julia's books (amazon)  

Friends, we're coming to you with a BONUS episode this week. Over the years we've worked hard to provide you with topics that are helpful resources, to be sources of encouragement, and never shy away from difficult conversations. Today, we're coming to you with a difficult, yet important conversation. This one is taken directly from comments by one of the Presidential candidates. We want to be clear we're not endorsing either candidate but as a platform that promises to shout worth and work to shift narratives for people with Down syndrome each week, we feel this is an important conversation we need to have with all of you. We hope you'll join us in this unfiltered and honest conversation. - - - SHOW NOTES No Pity: People With Disabilities Forging A New Civil Rights Movement by Joseph R. Shapiro Listen to Amy Julia Becker's podcast Reimagining The Good Life Listen to Amy Julia Becker's episode with Anthropologist Tom Pearson  Articles about the comments: New York Times article Disability Scoop article Some helpful links on this topic: National Center on Disability and Journalism Terms to Avoid When Talking About Disability Words Matter! Disability Language Etiquette by the National Education Association How Ableism Affects People With Disabilities National Institute of Health article: Implications of internalised ableism for the health and wellbeing of disabled young people   Previous Episodes Like This: 88. (Un)learning the Advocacy Language 172. Defining Ableism, Allyship & Advocacy + Redefining "Inclusion" - ft. Dr. Priya Lalvani 197. Exposing The Roots (Racism, Ableism, Microagressions, + More) 208. Growing Through Uncomfortable Conversations (w/Ashley - TLFP Producer & Self-Advocate) 217. The Things People Say 250. Who Has The Right To Use Down Syndrome Or Disability As A Punch Line? JOIN THE MOVEMENT Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Your support makes a difference in our ability to create meaningful content, enable us to cover production costs, and explore additional opportunities to expand our resources. Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!  DISCOUNT CODE Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off! HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information! LET'S CHAT Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/support

Send us a textThe ways we have envisioned success—whether it's more wealth, social media followers, recognition, or power—might actually lead us away from an abundant, spacious life. Pastor Rich Villodas, author of The Narrow Way, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to examine how the Sermon on the Mount challenges prevailing notions of success and the good life and invites us to reimagine faithfulness to Jesus. Amy Julia and Rich discuss:Reimagining success, morality, and individualismInterior examination and the integration of loveThe paradox of the narrow path and the spacious life in Jesus' wordsPractices for reimagining the good life in a world of distractionsEmbracing grace and seeking transformationCheck out Amy Julia's live, online WORKSHOP: Reimagining Family Life with Disability. Use code FAMILY24 at checkout and take 30% off!Guest Bio:Rich Villodas is the author of 4 books, including his latest The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls. He is the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than 75 countries represented, in Elmhurst, Queens, and Long Island, New York. He is the co-host of the Resilient Pastor podcast. He's been married to Rosie since 2006, and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan.Connect Online with Rich: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TwitterOn the Podcast:Matthew 5-7BibleProject Podcast: Sermon on the Mount seriesHope Heals CampMatthew: A Commentary, Volume 1 by Dale BrunerPete ScazzeroTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/rich-villodas-2024/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Amy Julia Becker How do our churches and groups become communities of belonging? Our guest speaker, Amy Julia Becker, describes herself, "Through my writing and speaking, I desire to challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and help us envision a world of belonging where everyone matters." Amy is the author of To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, Small Talk, and A Good and Perfect Gift. In this conversation Amy Julia joins Kay Daigle to talk about ways that churches can become communities of belonging for people with disabilities. You can link to a video of this conversation if you prefer. Don't miss BOW's many other resources on caring well for our neighbors. Resources Amy Julia has suggested some resources that work for groups that include people with disabilities. Two ministries, With Ministry and Bethesda, have created resources for groups that include people of all abilities. Also Erik Carter's Wheel of Belonging that provides a visual picture of the things people with disabilities need in order to feel that they belong. All of these resources can help churches and their groups become communities of belonging. Timestamps: 0:33 –Welcome & introductions 03:37 - How are churches unwelcoming and how can we change that? 08:51 - Include the disabled in conversations about making the church more accessible and welcoming. 10:53 - Programs for those with disabilities & how to staff them 12:44 - Welcoming those with intellectual disabilities 15:05 - Resources to help churches 15:48 - Congregations who welcome disruptive people 21:23 - The church as a place of belonging 28:06 - Helping the parents and the disabled themselves 31:35 – Amy Julia's books 38:03 – What we all can do to incorporate people with disabilities TranscriptKay >> I'm Kay Daigle and I'd like to welcome you to this episode of the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast and Video Series. Our special guest today is Amy Julia Becker. Welcome, Amy Julia. Amy Julia >> Thank you for having me, Kay. I'm really glad to be here. Kay >> We are so excited to have you. Amy Julia is a writer, and I would call her a deep thinker. She's a disability advocate. She's a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Seminary, where she earned a master of divinity degree. She's an author of a number of books, including A Good and Perfect Gift, White Picket Fences, Small Talk, and her latest book, To Be Made Well. So, Amy Julia, let's begin by telling our audience what happened in your life that really caused you to see the world differently and become an advocate for those with disabilities? Amy Julia >> Sure. Yeah. Well, again, thank you for having me. And I would say it's interesting because if I look back on my whole life, there have been multiple moments that have caused me to see the world differently. But the one that really changed my perspective or began a change in perspective in terms of disability came when I was 28 years old. And my husband I had been married for a number of years actually. At that point we got married pretty young and we were having our first baby. And when I gave birth on December 30th, 2005, two hours later, actually, the nurse called my husband out of the room. He came back into the room and told me that the doctors suspected our daughter had Down syndrome. I knew very little about Down syndrome at that time, or even anything related to disability and especially intellectual disability. And so I would not say that my perspective changed immediately, but that was the beginning of a really big shift in the way I thought about disability. But honestly, ultimately, it was a shift in how I thought about our humanity, not just in terms of my daughter, but in terms of all of us. Kay >> I read your book that tells that story, and I so appreciated just your honesty about your feelings and the journey that you went through in that time.

Send us a textHow do we envision the good life in a way that is hopeful and human and freeing and good? My name is Amy Julia Becker. I help people reimagine the good life through my writing and speaking on disability, faith, and culture.My hope for the work I do, and for this show, is that we would:–Challenge the assumptions about what makes life good–Proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being–And envision a world of belonging–Where everyone mattersDiscover captivating conversations with leading authors, professors, and experts who delve into what it truly means to be human and what makes life good. If you're ready to explore helpful, beautiful perspectives on belonging and belovedness and mattering, now is the perfect time to join.Subscribe today to catch new episodes every other week, beginning September 10. Let's reimagine the good life together. Mark your calendar, and make sure you're subscribed. You won't want to miss this.REIMAGINING THE GOOD LIFE is available wherever you get your podcasts.Also, check out my live, online WORKSHOP: Reimagining Family Life with Disability. Use code FAMILY24 to take 30% off registration! It begins September 18th!YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a Text Message.What does it mean to live a good life? How do we find meaning and happiness in our everyday lives? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker sits down with Meghan Sullivan, co-author of The Good Life Method and philosophy professor at Notre Dame, to explore:The narrow American understanding of the good lifeHow to help students (and all of us) explore the big questions about life, purpose, and meaningHow individuals with intellectual disabilities contribute to our understanding of humanityThe relationship between love, attention, and the good lifeExpanding our conceptions of work and vocation _SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Reimagining the Good Life newsletter._Guest Bio:Meghan Sullivan is the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. She serves as Director of the University-wide Ethics Initiative and is the founding director of Notre Dame's Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, which will launch in the summer of 2024. In 2022, Sullivan published The Good Life Method with Penguin Press (co-authored with her teaching collaborator Paul Blaschko) based on a wildly popular introductory philosophy course she developed at Notre Dame called “God and the Good Life.” Sullivan has degrees from the University of Virginia, Oxford University, and Rutgers University, where she earned a PhD in philosophy. She studied at Balliol College, Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar._Connect Online:Website: meghansullivan.orgFacebook: @sullivan.meghan_On the Podcast:The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning by Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D. and Paul BlaschkoQuestions for a Life Worth Living with Matt Croasmun (Yale)Young Minds in Critical Condition by Michael Roth _TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/meghan-sullivan/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Let's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Bruce, Shay, and Janie sat down with Amy Julia Becker for the second time, this time joined by her daughter Penny. Penny is a student, a dancer, and she talked to us about many things including her experience with having Down Syndrome. Penny's input, as well as Amy's, is invaluable, and taught us much about disabilities and love. We hope this conversation helps you love others with more fullness and understanding, just as it helped us.

Send us a Text Message.In a society often obsessed with intelligence, can we reimagine a good life that encompasses joy, meaning, and respect for all? What does it mean to respect and support individuals with profound intellectual disabilities? What role do those most intimately involved in providing care have in advocacy? Professor Amy Lutz, Ph.D., author of Chasing the Intact Mind, joins Amy Julia Becker to discuss:How the severely autistic and intellectually disabled were excluded from the debates that affect them mostControversy and misconceptions about sheltered workshops/14(c) programsThe importance of meaningful relationships and communityBuilding a caring and committed workforce of caregiversListening to caregivers and families_FREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_GUEST BIOProfessor Amy Lutz, Ph.D., is a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research locates at the intersection of disability history and bioethics. She is a founding board member of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) and the author of Chasing the Intact Mind and several other books. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, including Jonah, her 25-year-old son with profound autism. _CONNECT ONLINEWebsite: amysflutz.com/_ON THE PODCASTChasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded from the Debates That Affect Them Most by Amy Lutz, Ph.D.The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autismSection 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards ActUnited States Commission on Civil Rights 2020John SwintonAmy Julia's essay about the spiritual lives of people with intellectual disabilities_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/amy-lutz/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com and subscribe here to receive my weekly thoughts and reflections.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Send us a Text Message.How do you hold onto hope in the midst of suffering? How can we trust in the goodness of God in a world of pain? What does the good life look like in the midst of disability and uncertainty? Katherine Wolf, author with Alex Wolf of Treasures in the Dark, survived a catastrophic stroke at the age of 26 and continues her recovery to this day. She offers thoughtful answers to these questions as she talks with Amy Julia Becker about: Her personal journey of suffering and hopePractices and habits of hopeCaring for others in painDifferences between hope and toxic positivityThe non-linear journey and unexpected realities of healingFREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_Guest Bio:Katherine & Jay Wolf are communicators and advocates. They married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers in law and the entertainment industry. Their son, James was born in 2007, and six months later Katherine's life nearly ended with a catastrophic stroke. Miraculously, she survived and continues her recovery to this day, including having a miracle baby, John in 2015. Katherine and Jay have shared their journey of steadfast hope through their books and at speaking events. Together, they founded Hope Heals camp, a community for families with disabilities like them. Katherine, Jay and their two sons live in the Atlanta area._Connect Online:Website: hopeheals.comInstagramFacebook_On the Podcast:The GoodHard Story podcastTreasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf, with Alex Wolf (+ more of Katherine's books)Hope Heals CampMend Coffee & Goods in AtlantaSara Groves' Open My HandsMike Foster | People of the Second ChancePsalm 84:11John 16:33John 9Isaiah 45:3FREE RESOURCE: 10 Ways to Move Toward a Good Future (especially for families affected by disability)_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/katherine-wolf/_Watch on YouTube_Let's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

We are heading into another contentious Presidential election. For people of faith, for people who care about character and gentleness and values, for people who are inclined to disengage from politics altogether, what are we to do? Michael Wear, author of The Spirit of Our Politics, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about:His work as a staffer in the Obama White House (Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships)How political anger and polarization malform individuals, families, churches, and communitiesHabits and practices for gentle, hopeful political engagementStewarding political influence for the good of our neighborsPolitics and identityA new imagination for political engagementWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_Guest Bio:“Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer. He is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, a paradigm-shifting book that advances a vision for spiritual formation in the context of political life, and the author and co-author of several other books.”_Connect Online:Website: www.michaelwear.comInstagramFacebookTwitter_On the Podcast:Dallas WillardThe Center for Christianity and Public LifeThe Divine Conspiracy by Dallas WillardThe Great Omission by Dallas WillardEitan HershActs 8Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/michael-wear/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Let's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Amy Julia was a high-achieving, religiously devout Princeton grad who lived with the nagging feeling that there must something *more* to life than what she had experienced so far. Then her first child was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and Amy Julia began her journey into a version of “the good life” that she never expected. Amy Julia joins Katherine for a deeply vulnerable conversation about the theological reckoning that took place in her heart and mind when she became a parent to a child with intellectual disabilities. She emerged with a new understanding of God's love and her own inherent value. Today, eighteen years later, she's inviting us all to re-imagine what belonging and belovedness really looks like for people with AND without disabilities.  What We'll Cover: How to determine if you're settling for a lesser version of the good life The one place in the Bible where we get an “equation” for God and what it means about how we see ourselves and other people Why there are no such things as “special needs,” only human needs https://amyjuliabecker.com/ https://www.instagram.com/amyjuliabecker/ Reimagining the Good Life Podcast: https://amyjuliabecker.com/podcast/ Hope Heals Camp: https://hopeheals.com/camp/ “The Blurring Is Part of the Beauty”: https://comment.org/the-blurring-is-part-of-the-beauty/ Andrew Leland: https://www.andrewleland.org/ Mend Coffee & Goods: https://www.mendcoffee.org/ “Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” - Philip Yancey  Scriptures referenced in this episode:  Luke 14:15-24 *** Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet's most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

What's the difference between limitations and brokenness? What does it mean to be blessed? How can a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism be a part of a flourishing life? Micha Boyett, a writer, poet, and mom, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about her new book Blessed Are the Rest of Us. They explore the intersection of blessing, limits, and longing within the context of the Beatitudes, including:The meaning of 'blessed' and how it relates to the gifts and challenges of being humanFlourishing in the midst of grief and hardshipThe importance of insisting on presence and inclusion for people with disabilitiesHow to recognize and accept limitations without equating them with brokennessUsing our imaginations, minds, and bodies to move toward a new vision of the good lifeWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityGuest Bio:Micha Boyett is the author of Blessed Are the Rest of Us: How Limits and Longing Make Us Whole. She is cohost of the award-winning The Lucky Few podcast, creator of The Slow Way podcast and newsletter, and has written for publications such as the Washington Post and Christianity Today. Micha lives with her husband and three children in northern New Jersey and works part-time as a youth pastor at Good Shepherd Church in New York City.Connect Online:Website: michaboyett.comInstagram: @michaboyettThreads: @michaboyettOn the Podcast:{The Transition to Adulthood} Amy Julia on the Lucky Few Podcast{Living into the Really Real} Micha on Amy Julia's podcastThe BeatitudesThe Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan T. PenningtonNick Cave on Krista Tippett's On Being podcastAmy Julia's book White Picket FencesThe Slow Way podcast and newsletterWorkshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/micha-boyett/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsLet's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

{Please note that we discuss abuse in this episode.}How do we love people across our political and social divides? What are the costs and gifts of loving our political neighbor? Nancy French, author of Ghosted: An American Story, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Her experiences as a ghostwriter for GOP politicians and her decision to leave the industryPolarization within the church and the political landscapeInadequate responses to abuse from both the church and the cultureThe cost of speaking outFinding hope and connection in surprising waysNew Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With Disability_GUEST BIO:Nancy French has collaborated on multiple books for celebrities - five of which made the New York Times best seller list - and written books under her own name.  She has conducted a multi-year journalistic investigation, written commentary, and published for the nation's most prominent newspapers and magazines. Her memoir, Ghosted, is a story of poverty, success and the rise and fall of political influence. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband – journalist David French – and family._CONNECT ONLINEWebsite: nancyfrench.comInstagram: @nancyjanefrenchFacebook: @NancyAndersonFrenchTwitter: @NancyAFrench_ON THE PODCAST:New Workshop with Amy Julia: Reimagining Family Life With DisabilityGhosted: An American Story by Nancy FrenchThe Washington Post: What it's like to experience the 2016 election as both a conservative and a sex abuse survivor by Nancy FrenchNancy's Kanakuk Kamp investigationDavid French at the New York Times_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/nancy-french/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Let's Reimagine the Good Life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com._Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Peace often feels elusive, but is there a way to experience it more consistently even when life is chaotic, uncertain and confusing?  My dear friend and author Amy Julia Becker sheds some light on living a life marked by peace even when life is far from peaceful. 

For nearly 250 episodes we've had educational, encouraging, and meaningful conversations amplifying voices and shifting narratives for individuals with Down syndrome. Over the last 6 years, we've tackled topics on education, health & wellness, accessibility, stereotypes, legal rights, media representation, advocacy, and so much more! We were even recognized with the 2023 Media Award at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention! We've had so many great moments but the best part of this podcast is being part of this one-in-a-million community! March 8th we got to celebrate LIVE in San Diego, California! It was so special getting to meet our listeners, play some trivia, chat about the many ways we've learned, advocated, and celebrated over the last six years, and have a special guest share their good news!!  On March 14, 2024, we marked our MILLIONTH DOWNLOAD, we're so grateful to every one of you, for listening, sharing, and being part of The Lucky Few community. We look forward to a million more laughs and reasons to learn, advocate, and celebrate alongside this incredible community. Thanks for your support narrative shifters, cheers to a million more!!! SHOW NOTES Trivia Links: 17. Self Advocacy - Down Syndrome in DC with Kayla McKeon! 92. Politics & Down Syndrome w/Kayla McKeon & Ashley Helsing 204. Self-Advocates On Capitol Hill w/Kayla McKeon, Matthew Schwab, & Charlotte Woodward  57. Shelley Gottsagen On Her Son Zack Gottsagen's Fame, The Oscars, + More! 10. Inclusion - An Educator's Perspective with Kristin Enriquez Pt. 1 85. Is Inclusion Always The Best Option? 198. The Best We Can: An Unscripted Conversation on Inclusion In Our Schools 218. Creating Inclusion For All Learners (w/Tim Villegas)  Ways we've learned, advocated, and celebrated: 26. Owning Your Influence By Using Your Words with Amy Julia Becker 88. (Un)learning the Advocacy Language 172. Defining Ableism, Allyship & Advocacy + Redefining "Inclusion" - ft. Dr. Priya Lalvani 117. Discussing "Dignity Beyond Accomplishment," An Article by Justin Hawkins (ft. author, Justin Hawkins) 163. What does success mean to you? 160. Organ Transplant Discrimination Against People with Disabilities (ft. incredible advocates!)  217. The Things People Say 16. Live From the Dear Mom Conference! 225. NYC Buddy Walk Highlights  150. Cole Sibus on Being An Actor w/Down Syndrome, Moving Away From Home, + SO Much More!  227. French Fries, Modeling, & Meeting the Vice President (w/Ronnie "The Fry Guy" and Sister LaTasha) 229. Poet, Author, "Levitator of Language" Sid Gosh (w/Mom Dr. Vaish Sarathy)  Thank you to our event sponsors and vendors: ARCC Center Respite Inclusive Education Project Functional Nutrition For Kids Weaver & Associates San Diego Regional Center Path-Now Resounding Joy  Amanda's Adaptive Martial Arts Includ(Ed) San Diego Grace Place Art Special thanks to our partner: GiGi's San Diego Special thanks to Haven by Communal, Jen Byard, Jen & Addie Jones JOIN THE MOVEMENT Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Your support makes a difference in our ability to create meaningful content, enable us to cover production costs, and explore additional opportunities to expand our resources. Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!  DISCOUNT CODE Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off! HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information! LET'S CHAT Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/support

For nearly 250 episodes we've had educational, encouraging, and meaningful conversations amplifying voices and shifting narratives for individuals with Down syndrome. Over the last 6 years, we've tackled topics on education, health & wellness, accessibility, stereotypes, legal rights, media representation, advocacy, and so much more! We were even recognized with the 2023 Media Award at the National Down Syndrome Congress Convention! We've had so many great moments but the best part of this podcast is being part of this one-in-a-million community! March 8th we got to celebrate LIVE in San Diego, California! It was so special getting to meet our listeners, play some trivia, chat about the many ways we've learned, advocated, and celebrated over the last six years, and have a special guest share their good news!!  On March 14, 2024, we marked our MILLIONTH DOWNLOAD, we're so grateful to every one of you, for listening, sharing, and being part of The Lucky Few community.  We look forward to a million more laughs and reasons to learn, advocate, and celebrate alongside this incredible community. Thanks for your support narrative shifters, cheers to a million more!!! SHOW NOTES Trivia Links: 17. Self Advocacy - Down Syndrome in DC with Kayla McKeon! 92. Politics & Down Syndrome w/Kayla McKeon & Ashley Helsing 204. Self-Advocates On Capitol Hill w/Kayla McKeon, Matthew Schwab, & Charlotte Woodward  57. Shelley Gottsagen On Her Son Zack Gottsagen's Fame, The Oscars, + More! 10. Inclusion - An Educator's Perspective with Kristin Enriquez Pt. 1 85. Is Inclusion Always The Best Option? 198. The Best We Can: An Unscripted Conversation on Inclusion In Our Schools 218. Creating Inclusion For All Learners (w/Tim Villegas)  Ways we've learned, advocated, and celebrated: 26. Owning Your Influence By Using Your Words with Amy Julia Becker 88. (Un)learning the Advocacy Language 172. Defining Ableism, Allyship & Advocacy + Redefining "Inclusion" - ft. Dr. Priya Lalvani 117. Discussing "Dignity Beyond Accomplishment," An Article by Justin Hawkins (ft. author,  Justin Hawkins) 163. What does success mean to you? 160. Organ Transplant Discrimination Against People with Disabilities (ft. incredible advocates!)  217. The Things People Say 16. Live From the Dear Mom Conference! 225. NYC Buddy Walk Highlights  150. Cole Sibus on Being An Actor w/Down Syndrome, Moving Away From Home, + SO Much More!  227. French Fries, Modeling, & Meeting the Vice President (w/Ronnie "The Fry Guy" and Sister LaTasha) 229. Poet, Author, "Levitator of Language" Sid Gosh (w/Mom Dr. Vaish Sarathy)  Thank you to our event sponsors and vendors: ARCC Center Respite Inclusive Education Project Functional Nutrition For Kids Weaver & Associates San Diego Regional Center Path-Now Resounding Joy  Amanda's Adaptive Martial Arts Includ(Ed) San Diego Grace Place Art Special thanks to our partner: GiGi's San Diego Special thanks to Haven by Communal, Jen Byard, Jen & Addie Jones JOIN THE MOVEMENT Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Your support makes a difference in our ability to create meaningful content, enable us to cover production costs, and explore additional opportunities to expand our resources. Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!  DISCOUNT CODE Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off! HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information! LET'S CHAT Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/support

Why does it matter that most churches don't welcome people with disabilities in leadership? If a church excludes people with disabilities, is it really a church? Rev. Dr. Andrew Draper, coauthor of Disabling Leadership, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Ways in which churches exclude and marginalize people with disabilitiesWhy it's essential to centralize people with disabilities in church life and leadershipHow disability inclusion benefits the whole congregationReimagining church employment practices to create opportunities for people with disabilitiesWhy churches are tempted to pursue efficiency and productivity, and the invitation to a different wayHow to minister in the midst of humannessSUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's weekly emails (Registration coming soon for Reimagining Family Life With Disability workshop)EVENT: Festival of Faith & Writing__Guest Bio:Rev. Dr. Andrew T. Draper (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is founding teaching pastor at Urban Light Community Church in Muncie, Indiana, and adjunct theology faculty at Anderson School of Theology and Winebrenner Seminary. He is the author of A Theology of Race and Place, Christian Mission and Poverty, and numerous articles on race, disability, and the church. He is the coauthor of Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ._Connect Online:Read Andrew's blog.Follow him on Twitter: @AndrewTDraper_On the Podcast:Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ by Andrew T. Draper, Jody Michele, and Andrea MaeBrian BrockI Corinthians 12Friendship House (Western Theological Seminary)Friendship House (Aberdeen)_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/andrew-draper/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Let's reimagine the good life together. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

Friends, we're so excited to have award-winning writer, speaker, podcaster, disability advocate, and Mom of three, Amy Julia Becker, joining us for a third time today! She's here to chat about what the journey with her daughter Penny has looked like after turning 18 and entering adulthood. She's been in the process of making decisions about education, employment, guardianship, independent living, and so much more! We chat about navigating new services, and agencies, and Teresa from Social Security. What's been the decision that has felt like the weightiest part of the transition into adulthood so far. How she's included Penny in the decision-making process, her thoughts on guardianship, and so much more. Turning 18 brings on a whirlwind of decisions, Amy reflects on how it's paralleled the early years and shares advice to consider in your child's middle and high school years. This is an episode you not only don't want to miss, but you'll want to bookmark and take notes on!! --- SHOW NOTES Check out Amy Julia's post about Penny's nails Instagram: @amyjuliabecker Facebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriter YouTube Channel Threads: @amyjuliabeckerX: @amyjuliabecker amyjuliabecker.com  Our Previous Episodes w/ Amy Julia:  26. Owning Your Influence By Using Your Words with Amy Julia Becker 158. Faith, Healing, & Disability, ft. Amy Julia Becker (Mother/Author) Episode mentioned: 214. Guardianship, Conservatorship, & Supportive Decision-Making DISCOUNT CODE Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR: Thank you, Enable SNP for sponsoring this episode! 47. Planning for the Future w/Phillip Clark from Enable SNP 191. Future Planning for the WHOLE Family - ft. Phillip Clark, Enable SNP HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information! LET'S CHAT Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theluckyfewpod/support

Why would a Christian author immerse her stories in darkness? Why would she use violent imagery that directly relates to Christianity, race, class, disability, and illness? And how can this darkness guide us toward the importance of love in the flesh, of personal connection and vulnerability? In this conversation, Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, author of Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, and Amy Julia Becker explore:Flannery O'Connor's unique perspective on faith and darknessThe portrayal of disability in O'Connor's storiesLove in the abstract versus love in the fleshChallenges of publishing an unfinished manuscriptHow the prophetic imagination in O'Connor's work confronts the dominant culture's illusions about the good lifeRegister for the Festival of Faith & Writing__Guest Bio:Jessica Hooten Wilson (PhD, Baylor University) is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She is the author or editor of eight books, including Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress, Reading for the Love of God, The Scandal of Holiness (winner of a Christianity Today 2023 Award of Merit), and Giving the Devil His Due: Demonic Authority in the Fiction of Flannery O'Connor and Fyodor Dostoevsky (winner of a 2018 Christianity Today Book of the Year Award). Wilson speaks around the world on topics as varied as Russian novelists, Catholic thinkers, and Christian ways of reading. __Connect Online:Website: https://jessicahootenwilson.com/Instagram: @drjessicahootenwilsonFacebook: @JessicaHootenWilsonTwitter: @HootenWilsonOn the Podcast:Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in ProgressRegister for the Festival of Faith & WritingTRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/jessica-hooten-wilson__Let's Reimagine the Good Life together through the lens of disability, faith, and culture. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

Is blindness an incidental characteristic, like hair color? Or is it an identity? What language should we use to talk about disability, and why does it matter? Andrew Leland, author of The Country of the Blind, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast for a conversation examining:Blindness and identityThe importance of language and the use of metaphors in relation to disabilityHow the experience of disability can involve beauty, power, and lossThe role of allies in advocating with disabled individualsHow Andrew has reimagined the good life_Amy Julia's upcoming events_Guest Bio:Andrew Leland is a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher living in Western Massachusetts. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. You can find links to order a copy here._Connect Online:Website: www.andrewleland.orgInstagram: @quailty_On the Podcast:Amy Julia's upcoming eventsLeland's New Yorker essay “How to Be Blind”National Federation of the BlindSara Hendren's book and podcast episode with Amy JuliaAmy S. F. Lutz's Chasing the Intact MindDeath Panel podcastJohn McWhorter's NYT essay: “When We Do, and Don't, Need a New Phrase to Describe Reality”Disability Language Style Guide TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/andrew-leland/_YouTube: video with closed captions_Reimagine the Good Life with me through the lens of disability, faith, and culture as we challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and envision a world of belonging. Find out more at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

Is faith something that should always stay the same? Or is it something that evolves by necessity? Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes for the Wilderness, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:Her evolving faith journeyHow to adapt and thrive in an evolving faithMaking room for change, in ourselves and othersNavigating the intersection of anger and joyHow to discover what we're hoping for, not just what we're againstHow to embrace the gifts of an evolving faith__MY LENTEN RESOURCES:LENTEN DAILY DEVOTIONALLenten Small Group Guide & Video Series_Guest Bio:Sarah Bessey is the author or editor of five books, including the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer. Her latest book is Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith.. She also leads Evolving Faith, a conference and online community for people who are reimagining their faith with hope. Bessey lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with her husband and their four children._Connect Online:Website: sarahbessey.comInstagram: @sarahbesseyFacebook:@sarah.styles.bessey_On the Podcast:Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women_TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/sarah-bessey/_YouTube Channel: video with closed captions_Season 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

Amy Julia Becker reflects on her personal journey, recognising the detrimental impacts of her rigorous striving and pursuit of success during high school and college. While she effectually acquired commendable achievements, she confesses to falling into unhealthy practices that led to a severe eating disorder. Even while suffering, the pressure to perform made her overlook her own health. She discusses how this experience enabled her to understand her need to slow down and relinquish her persistent compulsion to achieve, acknowledging this as a necessary part of her personal wellbeing. Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on disability, family, culture, and faith. She is the author of four books, including To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, a guest opinion writer for national publications, and the host of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut. SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: @amyjuliabeckerFacebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriterTwitter: @amyjuliabecker Website: amyjuliabecker.com BOOKS: ·       To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope ·       White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege ·       Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most ·       A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny  

Amy Julia Becker reflects on her personal journey, recognising the detrimental impacts of her rigorous striving and pursuit of success during high school and college. While she effectually acquired commendable achievements, she confesses to falling into unhealthy practices that led to a severe eating disorder. Even while suffering, the pressure to perform made her overlook her own health. She discusses how this experience enabled her to understand her need to slow down and relinquish her persistent compulsion to achieve, acknowledging this as a necessary part of her personal wellbeing. Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on disability, family, culture, and faith. She is the author of four books, including To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, a guest opinion writer for national publications, and the host of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut. SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: @amyjuliabeckerFacebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriterTwitter: @amyjuliabecker Website: amyjuliabecker.com BOOKS: ·       To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope ·       White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege ·       Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most ·       A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny  

Holiday culture wars and consumerism bring more chaos than joy to the world. But there's hope. The countercultural season of Advent offers a different way to prepare for Christmas. Tish Harrison Warren, former New York Times columnist and author, talks with Amy Julia Becker about:How the practices of Advent disarm the culture warsWays that Advent helps us grieve and hopeWhy waiting to celebrate Christmas mattersPLUS why Tish chose to leave the New York TimesGive a book for Christmas!__Guest Bio:Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is a former New York Times columnist the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year) and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep (Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year). Her latest book is Advent: The Season of Hope. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. She lives with her husband and three children in Austin, Texas.__Connect Online:Visit Tish's website at tishharrisonwarren.comFollow Tish on Instagram: @tishharrisonwarren__On the Podcast:Advent: The Season of HopeMore of Tish's booksTish's final essay at the TimesAmy Julia's books__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com//tish-harrison-warren/__YouTube Channel: video with closed captions__Season 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

Anxious parents. Anxious families. Anxiety is contagious. How do I know if I'm an anxious parent? And if I am one, how is that affecting my kids? What can I do about it—for their sake and for mine? Therapist and author Sissy Goff, LPC-MHSP, joins Amy Julia Becker on the podcast to talk about:How to identify and stop anxiety loopsWhy failure is good for parents and kidsCommon parenting strategies that DON'T workPractical tools for changing thought and behavior patternsPLUS you get to listen in to Amy Julia's own parenting therapy session when she tells Sissy the hardest thing for her as a parent right now! Advent Devotional: Prepare Him Room is available now!__GUEST BIO:“Sissy Goff, LPC-MHSP, has worked as the director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries since 1993. She speaks to parents and children's ministers across the country, is a frequent guest on media outlets, and is the author of 13 books including her latest, The Worry-Free Parent. She also co-hosts the chart-topping Raising Boys and Girls podcast, with fellow Daystar Counselor David Thomas.”__Connect Online:Website: www.raisingboysandgirls.comInstagram: @RaisingBoysandGirls and @sissygoffFacebook: @raisingboysandgirlsYouTube: @raisingboysandgirls__On the Podcast:The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence so Your Kids Can Too (Bethany House)The Worry-Free Parent Workbook__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/sissy-goff/__YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsSeason 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

How do we show up for each other in the midst of pain? Is it possible to hope when we're suffering? Psychiatrist Curt Thompson, author of The Deepest Place, joins Amy Julia Becker to talk about:How to identify the denial and shame we've connected to sufferingHow to form durable hope in the darkest placesHow to help a friend in the midst of suffering__Guest Bio:“Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, psychiatrist Curt Thompson shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known. He helps people process their longings, grief, identity, purpose, perspective of God, and perspective of humanity, inviting them to engage more authentically with their own stories and their relationships. Only then can they feel truly known and connected and live into the meaningful reality they desire to create. Curt and his wife, Phyllis, live outside of Washington DC and have two adult children.”__Connect Online:Website: curtthompsonmd.comInstagram: @curtthompsonmdFacebook: @CurtThompsonMDTwitter: @curt_thompsonmd__On the Podcast:The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of HopeAmy Julia's book: To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and HopeHope Heals CampHebrews 12:1-3The Bible ProjectGenesis 2Genesis: The Story We Haven't Heard by Paul Borgman__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/curt-thompson/__YouTube Channel (interview video with closed captions)__Season 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!

Join Katherine for a new segment she is calling “Ask Amy Julia” with one of her dear friends and Hope Heals Camp alum, Amy Julia Becker! Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on faith, disability, and family. She is the author of four books, including To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope, a guest opinion writer for national publications, and the host of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut. Notes:  5 Things I Wish I Had Known When Our Daughter Was Diagnosed with Down Syndrome - Free Download from Amy Julia  Doctor's Still Don't Know How to Talk About Down Syndrome  Want some hope in your inbox? Sign up for our semi-monthly Hope Note for a little dose of hope and encouragement along the way. Learn more about us here: Hope Heals Hope Heals Camp Mend Coffee Find us on Instagram

What happens when women receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome? How does that diagnosis affect those women and their families? How does it affect our whole society?  Stephanie Meredith joins Amy Julia Becker for a conversation about her new report on the bias doctors have when giving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, including:The landscape of prenatal testingHow doctors approach it and what they could do betterWhy these conversations matter outside the Down syndrome space__FREE DOWNLOAD: ​​5 THINGS I WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN OUR DAUGHTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DOWN SYNDROME__Guest Bio:Stephanie Meredith is the Director of the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources at the University of Kentucky's Human Development Institute and co-author and lead author of numerous studies, including “The impact of implicit and explicit bias about disabilities on parent experiences and information provided during prenatal screening and testing” in the Disability and Health Journal. In addition, she is a 4th-year doctoral student at Georgia State University with a focus on disability and health and the mother of a 23-year-old with Down syndrome and two younger daughters.__Connect Online:www.lettercase.orgInstagram: @lettercaseorgFacebook: @lettercaseorg__On the Podcast:Report in the Disability and Health JournalTIME: Doctors Don't Know How to Talk About Down SyndromeLettercaseHHS and Disability DiscriminationNYT: When They Warn of Rare Disorders, These Prenatal Tests Are Usually WrongS7 E3 | Netflix's Down for Love with Robyn Paterson__TRANSCRIPT: amyjuliabecker.com/stephanie-meredith/YouTube Channel: video with closed captionsSeason 7 of the Love Is Stronger Than Fear podcast connects to themes in my latest book, To Be Made Well, which you can order here! Learn more about my writing and speaking at amyjuliabecker.com.Connect with me: Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Thanks for listening!