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As Halloween approaches, I was asked to contribute to another “Patheos challenge” and, in 100-words or less, answer the question, “Are Demons Real?” My answer is as follows:  In our “enlightened” society, demons are the stuff of Halloween costumes and horror movies. But any glimpse at a newspaper leads me to concur that evil exists.…

A number of articles caught my attention this week that might be of interest to those who read this blog: First, there’s Joni Eareckson Tada’s interview with Time.com: “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” Joni is a quadriplegic with chronic pain and a recent diagnosis of breast cancer. She is also an evangelical Christian and a…

We are a talkative family. Peter and I find ourselves narrating our lives with statements most people find superfluous: “I am going to get the mail,” or, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get a glass of water,” and so forth. Our kids have taken on the same pattern. “Look, Mom, it is a…

They were there this morning as I sat in my favorite chair. The one I sit in when the house is still and the day is just about to break with activity. Little hand prints on the mirror, hung way too low for fashion decor, but just the right height for the little girl who…

I’ve written a lot about the problems I find with the prenatal testing industry in general, and prenatal screening for Down syndrome in particular. Much as I hope things will change, I do not hold doctors solely responsible for the high rates of abortion (estimated at 85-90%) for women whose babies have a prenatal diagnosis…

We talk about giving birth a lot in our household. As our children watch my belly grow, Penny in particular asks for the details of my other childbirth experiences. “Tell me the story of when I was born…of when William was born,” she says. By now, she can recount many of the details–the trip to…

I have a new post over at her.meneutics. It begins: Abortion Case: Womb vs. Egg Ethical issues abound in case of British Columbia couple who wanted surrogate mom to terminate pregnancy after baby was found to have Down Syndrome. Amy Julia Becker A British Columbia couple creates an embryo using in vitro fertilization (IVF). They…

I had five roommates my freshman year of college. Three of them were Jewish. And one was more involved in Jewish student life than the rest. So one night, I asked her if she’d be interested in a conversation to compare our religious beliefs. I was cross-legged on the bed. She pulled the chair out…

It’s Down Syndrome Awareness Month, so I’ve devoted more space than usual to all things Down Syndrome. There’s more to come. First, may I alert you to the premier of Monica and David, a love story about two young people with Down syndrome who get married. It airs on HBO tonight at 8 pm. From…

“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making? Or “Your work has no handles?”  Isaiah 45:9 Maggie is a 17 year-old girl with Down syndrome, who loves life, adores food, and can’t live without music.…
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