Fear not: there were many valuable reads out there this week that have nothing to do with the refugee crisis in the Middle East. If you are weary of the debate, give some of these a try:

Both Micha Boyett and Addie Zierman had oh-so-relatable pieces on the topics of faith and doubt in recent weeks. Both are well worth your time. As is anything by either of these women;  I pretty much read every word they write.

Hannah Kody wrote a beautiful (and heartbreaking) post about the loss of her first child to miscarriage. I have not experienced this particular grief, but many I know and love have, and I thought of them as I read it.

My friend Andy Gilmore has an article up at Off the Page this week, talking about those times when we feel spiritually fatigued. Bonus: he uses a running metaphor!

I found this article about the vows we make when we wed to be fascinating, informative, and valuable. I’d never associated the cultural trend of writing your own vows with a shift in attitude toward marriage, but spelled out in this way, it makes complete sense to me.

Sarah Bessey’s response to the Paris attacks is poignant and beautiful. (And rather similar to my own, and many others’ too, I suspect).

What about you? Read anything good this week?