Author Archives: carolyncustisjames

“God never envisioned a world where his image bearers would do life in low gear or be encouraged to hold back, especially when suffering is rampant, people are lost, and there is so much kingdom work to do. He wants … Continue reading →

  “Professional ambition is expected of men but is optional—or worse, sometimes even a negative—for women.” —Sheryl Sandberg We’re about to dive into chapter 1 in a series of online discussions through Sheryl Sandberg’s bestseller, Lean In: Women, Work and … Continue reading →

When my copy of Sheryl Sandberg’s new book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead arrived, I couldn’t help noticing how much her cover resembles the cover to my Half the Church. My first thought was: “Imitation is … Continue reading →

These women are my heroes! I’ve gone on so-called “moderate” hikes with them in Colorado. Obviously “moderate” is a relative term. But in anyone’s book, climbing to Mount Everest base camp is in a different category altogether. But they did … Continue reading →

Well, actually not so new. Both Amy Simpson and Sarah Thebarge have been writing a lot of blogs and articles—enough to build up the kind of head of steam it takes to write that first book. Both of them have … Continue reading →

Freedom Climb Visionary, Cathey Anderson This year’s Freedom Climb is tougher, if for no other reason than the cold. The climbers have taken a day for a scheduled rest to adjust to the altitude before moving forward. If they were … Continue reading →

“My life is a witness to vulgar grace—a grace that amazes as it offends. A grace that pays the eager beaver who works all day long the same wage as the grinning drunk who shows up at ten till five. … Continue reading →

Last year’s climb up Mount Kilimanjaro was a warm-up for this year’s Freedom Climb up to the Mount Everest Base Camp. Today, 45 women from around the world are in Nepal, beginning their trek up Mount Everest. Their purpose?  To … Continue reading →

“The resurrection of Jesus means that the present time is shot through with great significance….Acts of justice and mercy, the creation of beauty and the celebration of truth, deeds of love and the creation of communities of kindness and forgiveness—these … Continue reading →

No matter how hard we try, it’s difficult to dislodge Mary of Nazareth from her traditional December spot on the calendar or from our fairy tale notions of the halo-crowned woman on Christmas cards. Even though the Protestant Reformers maintained … Continue reading →