by Emily Wierenga | Dec 16, 2013 | angry, candy, children, christmas, Jesus, mother, nativity, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, truth
The whole town is there, young and old, the children climbing onto the stage and playing the piano and dancing around the Christmas tree.Santa arrives at seven o’clock in his red suit and his white beard and long black boots. He’s jolly and he sits in his... by Emily Wierenga | Dec 4, 2013 | daughter, eating disorder, faith, identity, Jesus, name, womanhood
My coffee is cold. I sit at the kitchen table with my Bible, overlooking the deck and the barren branch of winter, the boys watching a show in their onesie pajamas. It’s winter, and the days are short and I miss the light. But when the sun shines on the... by Emily Wierenga | Dec 2, 2013 | boys, character, church, faith, fatherhood, integrity, Jesus, manhood, masculinity, men, MOB Society, motherhood, mothers of boys, Ron Swanson, Titanic
Dear Sons,Your father and I watched all six seasons of Parks and Rec over the past three months, and while Leslie Knope makes the show, Ron Swanson is its backbone.And boys? I like Ron. I like him, the same way I like your father because they’re not afraid to be... by Emily Wierenga | Nov 24, 2013 | bible, children, church, faith, family, feminism, Jesus, manhood, men, patriarchy, servanthood, single mothers, womanhood
The little girl was crying.She’d been sitting beside her grandma in church but when she turned sad her grandfather scooped her up, a big burly man who barely fit in the pew, and he held her so tender and she leaned her head against his chest and I broke, right... by Emily Wierenga | Nov 15, 2013 | abortion, babies, broken, children, faith, forgiveness, hope, Jesus, miscarriage, mothers, women
I used to hate my body for not holding onto my babies.I blamed myself for my miscarriages, for the way I bled out perfectly good sacs with healthy children.But the thing is, the Bible says we’re made from the earth. We’re dirt. And dirt is made from broken... by Emily Wierenga | Nov 8, 2013 | acceptance, compassion, deformed man, Jesus, love, love making, Pope Francis, redemption, sex, sleeping stranger subway picture
Trenton and I, married July 9, 2003Trent holds me in the hallway, my head against his chest and he tells me it’s going to be okay. Because I’m an author who struggles with anxiety, and Trent’s heartbeat is a promise through his shirt.And he tells me...