Oh, dear friends. What a week. WHAT A WEEK. A few days ago we mentioned to our seven-year-old who was (understandably) saddened about the cancellation of, well, everything, that we are living in historic times. That someday his kids and grandkids will ask him where he was and what life was like during the coronavirus … More Into the Unknown
Originally published May 12, 2016. How often do you feel afraid? Back in college I played hockey, rock climbed, and regularly took solo trips to less-than-stellar neighborhoods. I knew how to take a hit on the ice rink. I rarely looked over my shoulder downtown. I loved the exhilaration of finishing a tough lead climb–of almost … More God’s 911 * 10 Minute Devotional
Almost Holy comes into the world on June 3, less than a month from today! In honor of Mother’s Day and all moms everywhere, I wanted to share the first chapter of the book with you today. From my heart to yours. Happy Mother’s Day! Almost Holy Mama: Life-Giving Spiritual Practices for Weary Parents Chapter 1 … More A Mother’s Day Gift for You
I spent time as a hospital chaplain-in-training while in seminary, and I was blessed with this incredibly thoughtful supervisor named Eileen. She served as a chaplain for decades, and had an unsettling amount of wisdom, strength, and gravitas for someone who wore flared skirts and flowered cardigans. During our weekly supervisory meetings I would inevitably start crying … More Death, Good Friday, and All the Feels
Book. Launch. News. … More Want to Help Launch a Book with Me?
Lent starts this Wednesday. Are you ready? … More So You Want to Give Something Up for Lent?
Because sometimes what we ask for and what we really need are verrrrry different things. … More 5 Prayers I’m Glad God Said “No” To
It was 1985 and Joe Simpson was in big trouble. He’d fallen, his leg was broken, and he was high in the Peruvian Andes. After a freak mountaineering accident, he landed deep in an icy crevasse. At that altitude, in blizzard conditions, a broken leg was basically a death sentence, never mind the fact that he … More You Gotta Go Down * 10 Minute Devotional
Back when I trained as a hospice chaplain, I was often surprised at how much our team–doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains–laughed together. It wasn’t that we didn’t cry, too. We cried a lot. We cried plenty. Watching people die, supporting them at the end of life, ministering to their families and friends, it made each of us … More A Gospel Paradox * 10 Minute Devotion
I have no real roots in Lent. My childhood evangelical church didn’t celebrate it. My Catholic grandmother did, but I just chalked it up to the other stuff she practiced that I didn’t understand, like wearing long underwear in July. (“I’m cold,” she’d tell us on an 85-degree day.) Yet in college, amidst papers and … More Why I Do Lent * 10 Minute Devotional
Courtney Ellis 