Happy weekend, all! We're headed to a retreat center with a small band of people, and with lots of ideas about quietly befriending the lonely. (I'll also get to walk that labyrinth in my header photo again.^^^ ) What are your plans?
Here's some food for thought for the conversations you have this weekend over brunch, at the kids' ball practice or on a little road trip. And if you and I happen to bump into each other in the next couple of days, I'd love to hear what you think after these reads! (or, you could always leave me a comment below!)
• from the archives: Six years ago this week, Brian visited a small village in West Africa that changed our perspective on God and the Church forever. Here's the post I share excerpts from a few of his breathless emails.
• from the archives: Six years ago this week, Brian visited a small village in West Africa that changed our perspective on God and the Church forever. Here's the post I share excerpts from a few of his breathless emails.
• A quietly stunning piece of culture-making and hospitality into grief: That Dragon Cancer, and finding grace in grief via Think Christian
• A question to ponder: "But how can I write about any of this, how can I try and truss up the life we live half on purpose half by necessity? How do I explain how spare and unique this post-white-flight in-between city is? What the new face of poverty in America looks like, spread-out and scattered and lonely?" via D. L. Mayfield
• 51 Of The Most Beautiful Sentences In Literature Which is your favorite? What would you add? (full disclosure: I am terrible at remembering exact words of anything. My kids and husband can pull quotes from every sort of movie, tv show, song, book out of thin air. If you try to start this conversation with me about your favorite literary sentences, and you happen to ask mine I will probably respond something like this: "OH! What was it? It was so powerful, but understated and it made me feel a bit nostalgic. It's in that book by that guy with the Swedish name. I think there's a horse on the cover?" This, friends, is why I blog.)
• And I quote: "I think that those who find Pinterest useless are using it all wrong." Just another reason I love this blog. Also, read helpful ideas for a reasonably organized life. via Like Mother, Like Daughter
• Have you missed your life calling? Probably not. My friend Katie Fox wrote a beautiful essay on the subject of calling. She and I have had several conversations about this, as we encourage and commiserate with each other along the way. I could not agree more wholeheartedly with her very real and still hopeful conclusions. via The Art of Simple
* For those wishing to embark on robust conversations about the intersection of feminist principles and pro-life convictions: Roe won the day, and sooner or later that day will end. via Frederica Mathewes-Green at The National Review
If you're looking for a happy playlist to kick off your weekend morning, may I suggest my Morning playlist on Spotify? What songs do you think I should add?
