I had the absolute pleasure of being the guest speaker at my church’s ladies brunch on Saturday, May 2. This is an annual event where the women of the congregation gather for brunch, fellowship, and prayer. As an author, I communicate best through the written word, so I wrote an essay to share with the group. Here’s the full text of that essay: Our story starts in everyone's favorite place: the Department of Motor Vehicles. For the past couple years, my little sister-in-law h

Content Warning: This article discusses: Sexual assault and coercion Abuse of power Infant loss Murder and state-sanctioned violence When you hear the name Bathsheba, what comes to mind? Seductress? Adulteress? It wasn’t until recently that I began to associate Bathsheba with terms like victim and victor. In the Bible, 2 Samuel 11 and 12 tell the story of David and Bathsheba. Bathsheba was an Israelite woman, likely of noble birth, who lived during the reign of King David.

If you search online for a place called Judson, you’ll find a city in Arkansas, unincorporated communities in Indiana, Minnesota, and...