Articles By: Kristen Bennett Marble

Kristen Marble - seminarian at George Fox, pastor, homeschooling mom of 10 children including 7 internationally adopted, and wife of 17+ years - is passionate about hope. She loves to share that hope through the written and spoken word as a speaker and writer. Kristen blogs (almost) daily at www.KristenMarble.com. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experiment with new recipes. She and her family live in eastern Montana in a 100+ year old former Scandinavian Lutheran brick church that was converted to a residence in the 1970's.

Punxsutawney Phil and Seasons of Life

Just one week ago the world watched in eager anticipation. Predictions were made, bets wagered, crowds gathered, and the media readied itself to catch the moment. All eyes focused on a little brown object. Little else mattered. Finally the hero emerged, seemingly unphased by the hype. And within minutes,...

April 1st, 2013 | Featured | Read More

Of Stuffing and Godly Motherhood

As a kid, making stuffing at my house was a major production. The old-fashioned, metal hand grinder was attached to the counter and we all would take turns, through tears and laughter, grinding the onion, celery, dried bread, giblets and more. Each ingredient was dumped into a super-size Tupperware container...

December 25th, 2012 | Featured | Read More

The Post No One Will Ever Read

Here it is, the eve of the end of the world, December 20, 2012. It’s mysterious to me why I sit, yet again in front of this computer screen, attempting to coalesce a few hundred words together into a coherent essay. Why bother on this night, for surely this will be the post no one will ever...

December 21st, 2012 | Featured | Read More

Where Science & Faith Intersect

Increasingly, faith and science are exploring ways they can learn from each other. Daniel Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind, shares an example of the Dalai Lama engaging with MIT scientists at the “Investigating the Mind” conference. Pink suggests the two seemingly divergent disciplines...

October 10th, 2012 | Essays, Featured | Read More

Embraced by Mother God

With the advent of the holiday season drawing near, many of us will be spending a little extra time with family. Depending on your background and situation, this family time may be a joyous occasion filled with many happy memories, or one choked with dread and despair. Perhaps you find little reason...

October 4th, 2012 | Essays, Featured | Read More

Finding Faith Along the Shores of a Lake

The cool Minnesota lake, just one among ten thousands, laps at the shore, its waters pulled imperceptibly, drawn mysteriously, beckoned silently in a single direction. I imagine my life, just one among ten thousands, being imperceptibly pulled, mysteriously drawn, silently beckoned. “Come forth and...

June 18th, 2012 | Essays, Featured | Read More

Being S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D: The Way to Success

With her blue cotton tights puddled at her ankles, giving the impression she had chosen them from my closet instead of her own, I just had to ask. ”Anabella, what’s wrong with your tights?” Sighing she grumbled, “Mariyana wore them and stretched them out!” Looking at...

June 14th, 2012 | Essays, Part of the Solution | Read More

Lessons from Henry

Have you ever been given a gift whose meaning and significance have blown you away? The gift might not really be worth all that much from an economic perspective, but its value is indeed great. That happened to me today, this gray, cloudy Monday morning. Still in my pajamas, and bemoaning a stomach...

June 11th, 2012 | Essays, Social Justice | Read More

Today I Said Goodbye

Today I said goodbye. Goodbye to a dream to which the Lord led me. Goodbye to the hopes of being a world changer. Goodbye to stubborn insistence that love is enough. Today I said goodbye. Goodbye to prideful refusal to ask for help. Goodbye to long-term denial that something needed to change. Goodbye...

June 5th, 2012 | Essays, Featured | Read More

Picnic on Sunday: When Life Interrupts

The minutes were ticking by faster than I was making progress. It was Sunday afternoon and my planned day of final sermon prep, studying and co-rec volleyball games overwhelmed the remaining hours. With the sun shining in the windows and rare 70F spring temperatures, focusing on the undone work...

May 17th, 2012 | Essays, Social Justice | Read More