Miscellaneous, Writing & Publishing

He stood at the gallows and had the last laugh

Excerpted from my essay collection, Things You Can’t Un-see For as long as I can remember, every morning my father made my mother coffee. Contrary to stereotype, my mother was completely inept with everything in the kitchen, including the coffee maker as old as their marriage. That coffee pot symbolized to me everything a good… Continue reading He stood at the gallows and had the last laugh

Miscellaneous, Writing & Publishing

Becoming Sarahbeth

Excerpted from my essay collection, Things You Can't Un-see. My husband makes fun of me for my obsession with monograms. After he caught me looking at a rotating display case of silver letter charms at a local boutique, I told him, “If you had the opportunity to name yourself, you’d be obsessed with them, too.”   … Continue reading Becoming Sarahbeth

Writing & Publishing

Redeeming September 25th

September 25th is a dark day in my life. I was sitting at my father's hospital bed with my mom and brother, watching as his breathing grew more labored until, finally, he stopped altogether. David Joseph Caplin died at around 11am on the morning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, 2014. Not long before… Continue reading Redeeming September 25th

Writing & Publishing

Spinning Crap Into Fertilizer: cover reveal + foreword

I am thrilled to present to you the cover for my next book, Spinning Crap Into Fertilizer: How American Christianity has forgotten the necessity of suffering: When it comes to suffering, there are two kinds of people in this world… Those who say, “Crap happens,” and those who cry out, “Why is this crap happening… Continue reading Spinning Crap Into Fertilizer: cover reveal + foreword

Theology, Writing & Publishing

For the Christian whose testimony is “different”

There are a lot of articles out there for Christians whose testimonies are too "bland." For the person who grew up in a Christian home and answered an altar call at the age of four, who can't remember a time in their lives when they weren't Christian, they often wonder: how can I make an… Continue reading For the Christian whose testimony is “different”

Theology, Writing & Publishing

Jewish hair, Christian faith

My one-time experience at a Jewish sleepaway camp (I know, I know, don’t get me started on the absurdity of the phrase “Jewish camp”) was full of, shall we say, unique experiences: from a production of The Sound of Music featuring nuns with popsicle-stick Stars of David instead of crosses to lively debates about who… Continue reading Jewish hair, Christian faith

Theology

Why I’m not a Messianic Jew

It’s a struggle for some people to understand how “Christian with Jewish heritage” and “Messianic Jew” are not the same thing. I completely understand why; it wasn’t that long ago that I myself would have failed to see the difference. Friends in my college bible study group would ask me for the “insider’s scoop” on… Continue reading Why I’m not a Messianic Jew