⚓️ Anchored: Defying Despair
Parenting with hope when news is bad & we're scared
It’s difficult not to get pulled under by the latest headlines. Every headline, every notification, seems to carry the weight of the world. It’s poetic that the day we set aside to explore our fears (Halloween) is just a few days before a day that fuels the fire of what we’re afraid of (Election Day in the US).
What does God have for us in these moments when it all feels way too much? Can our faith buoy us and our families?
I don’t want to be ignorant or isolated from suffering—Jesus modeled a way that moved toward the pain instead of away from it. But while we have access to news at our fingertips 24/7, we also weren’t made to absorb the world’s worst suffering minute by minute, breath by breath.
After a particularly awful stretch of national and global news, I talked with a friend and shared that my work as a writer can feel futile. Does naming the beautiful and making space for the pain matter? She told me that while it might feel that way, this work matters because it’s defiant against cynicism and despair.
Naming beauty, noticing pain, and creating space for reflection matters because it’s an act of defiance. Holding space for beauty and grief in the same breath is resistance against despair.
It’s tempting to shut down and name systemic sin too far gone. But deep inside, I’m pulled to a Jesus who had compassion for the suffering, wept with the grieving, and not just listened to the outsiders but invited them in and wanted them. I want to introduce this Jesus to my children—this Jesus who spurned violence and welcomed the little children.
I want my children to know this Jesus. Not the Jesus of oversimplified soundbites or political debates, but the Jesus who knows us and shows us God's deep, abiding love.
Take a Breath
To all our new readers who came through the Fall Every Season Sacred playlist: Welcome! I hope these emails feel like a deep breath—a moment of peace that makes space for both beauty and struggle.
These weekly emails are part of the “Year of Breath” series because they offer space to pause—a sacred exhale amid life’s noise. In a world that can feel overwhelming, I hope these reflections help you anchor yourself in peace, if only for a moment.
Each week, we journey together through breath prayers, curated weekly playlists, phone lock screens, and reflective questions to keep us grounded. It’s an honor to walk with you in this way.
I’m offering a fall discount to join our extended newsletter community—30% off your first year if you sign up before October 31!
And, as always, if finances are a barrier, please reach out—scholarships are available.
If you’re already a member and feel moved to support, becoming a founding member helps make these free offerings sustainable for others.
It means the world to have you here. If this your first email or you’ve been journeying with us from the start, know that your presence matters. I’m grateful to share this space with you.
Tender & Complicated
I want my kids to develop a genuine relationship with God, living into the people they were made to be. I want to call out the wonderful truth that they reflect the very image of God. I want them to know they can hold joy and grief in the same hands. I want them to know Christ and to flourish as they embody a love of God and neighbor.
I think a lot of us want that.
I write in faith spaces, am training at seminary to become a spiritual director, and I’m married to a pastor, but I’m not immune to doubt or disillusionment.
Churches and faith spaces, like people, are messy. They can be places of beauty and grace but also hurt and exclusion. The more I’ve listened to the experiences of others (and reflected on a few myself), I’ve come to understand that while the Christian community can be beautiful, it’s also true that churches haven’t always been safe places for people.
Whether you attend church every Sunday or haven’t stepped foot in one for years, I hope these newsletters help you feel less alone.
Whatever your faith background, experiencing highs and lows in your spiritual journey is normal. It’s normal for your kids, too.
As an adult, I find myself working to untangle fact from fiction, truth from culture war, Jesus from political party. As I talk with friends and listen to fellow parents in similar stages of life, it’s clear that we’re working through our faithful wonderings in real time as we raise these complex, glorious, heartbreaking children of ours. We want to raise them to know God, and we want to raise them to be awake to the world, loving their neighbor as they love themselves.
In a time when everything seems like too much, what if our faith—and breath—could help us stay grounded?
This Week
Following Halloween (which used to be known as All Hallows' Eve) on October 31, many Christians around the world observe All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2.
These holy days beckon us to remember Christ followers who have died, honor those who have passed, and reflect on our own mortality-not in fear but in reverence to the Creator and Sustainer of life.
Sometimes this stretch between October 31 and November 2 is referred to as Allhallowtide. (I share about this in Every Season Sacred.)
ICYMI: Here’s the October reading plan PDF. We’ll be sending out the November one next week!
Pray this With Your Kids
This is from the “Our Hauntings” chapter of my book Every Season Sacred: Reflections, Prayers, and Invitations to Nourish Your Soul and Nurture Your Family throughout the Year.
Jesus, You are the Light of the World. Your goodness has the final say.
While bad things exist in this world, the darkness will not win. You are bigger than anything that scares us. Even though we can't see You, we trust that You are with us.
Help us to choose courage when we're scared. Comfort us when we're afraid. Thank You for being there every time we pray. We love You. Amen.
Borrow this Prayer
This is from A Prayer for When Your Child Sees Something Scary on the News from my book To Light Their Way.
O God, You hold the world in Your hands,
So You know when we hurt
And when we ache.
You feel it too—
The beat of
Our heaving hearts,
Reverberating into You.
How do we see You in these headlines?
How do we pray when we don't have words?
Let Your love be a raft
When we feel like we're sinking.
O God, You are constant
In turbulent times.
You are unchanging,
And we can trust You To be with us
Even when we feel
Like we're reaching out for You in the dark.
God, give us wisdom to know
How to parent our child
As they metabolize the pain of our world.
Help us tend to their heart
And hold them with care,
Just as You do for us.
(PS: I just noticed that To Light Their Way has 436 ratings and the average review is 4.9 stars — thank you!)
Breath Prayer
These breath prayers offer a way to pause and reset when life feels overwhelming.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Liturgies for Parents to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.