I was only five years old when my cousin Ben was born. I do not remember exactly how I was told that he has Down Syndrome or what that really meant. I think my mom explained that "things are just going to be harder for Ben," or something to that effect. All I knew was that he ...

Yesterday two packages arrived. The first was a small box with five "Advanced Reading Copies" of my upcoming book, A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations and a Little Girl Named Penny. The second were the "galleys" for that book, which is to say the final final draft. ...

Most nights before our kids go to bed, we have a family prayer time. It usually begins with William prostrate on the floor (who knows how he decided that the best way to pray is face to the ground and eyes closed). He usually says, "Thank you for our day. Thank you for our family." ...

For Mother's Day this year, my husband gave me one of those priceless gifts: the gift of time. The idea was that I would go away for two days and night to a retreat center. I'd have endless hours to think and pray and journal and get my spiritual house in order. Then the reality ...

Penny asks repetitive questions. So when, for instance, her dad was out of town last week, she persisted, "Where's Dad?"

"Pen, you know the answer to that."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"Richmond."

"Right."

A few moments pass. "Mom, where's Dad?"

I finally figured out that she wasn't ...

Last week I was interviewed on the John and Kathy Show of Word FM, a Christian radio station in Pittsburgh. The interview came as a follow up to the award I received (along with my friend Ellen Painter Dollar) from the Evangelical Press Association in response to my article, ...

I was changing Marilee's diaper today and I remembered that I had meant to try cloth diapers this time around. I had the same lofty thoughts when William was born. I did some research and talked with my friend Michelle who uses cloth diapers and thought about all the economic ...

Is it possible to have sex without having a relationship?

Dannah Gresh, writing for CNN's belief blog, says no. I recommend reading her entire essay, "There's Nothing Brief About a Hookup." To quote her at length:

[Oxytocin] is released during sexual expression. A tiny dose is ...

We were sitting around the dinner table and Peter reached over and rubbed Penny's arm.

"Why you do that, Dad?" she asked.

"It's a way of saying I love you," he said.

She nodded. A moment later, she reached over to Marilee and rubbed Marilee's arm. "I love you, Marilee."

The same ...

When I was little, my big sister Katey carried, snuggled, cooed at, tickled, and pushed me on the swing. She bickered with me over food, toys, attention, and pets. As a toddler, I looked up to Katey, fifteen years my senior. I wanted to wear her retainer and her big purple dress ...

Theoretically, I'm a big believer in "observing the Sabbath." I've read books about it, written articles about it ("No Shopping on Sundays") and tried to implement various practices such as not using our household appliances on Sundays. I believe the Sabbath is a gift and a ...

For most of my life, I attended private schools. I grew up taking a bus to a cinder block building 30 minutes away from our 5,000 person town. The bus stopped at a trailer park to pick up students along the way. Not exactly elitism, but still a school where tuition was required. ...

Is she ready?

Penny is five years old. She is starting to sound out simple words. She can identify all her letters and numbers. She can write her name and a few words. She loves school. And she has Down syndrome.

Is she ready?

I am planning to register her for kindergarten today. ...

"Sex Trafficking of Americans: The Girls Next Door" is a disturbing article in Vanity Fair about the young (very young) girls who are bought and sold for sex. And this isn't just happening overseas. The article focuses on two girls in Connecticut who found themselves trapped ...

As you may have noticed, the title of this blog is Thin Places, and the subtitle reads, "Amy Julia Becker on faith, family, and disability." You could use the Venn diagram to place most of my posts in at least one of those categories– every week I try to make sure that at least ...