A few reasonable words to start your weekend conversations. 01

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.

• 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? 

The gift I finally have permission to share with you

Back in the fall, when our kids asked Brian and me what we wanted for our 25th Anniversary, I said "I want every single one of you in the same room. And I'd love it to be a Once party."

A Once party is our code name for a dinner in which everyone at the table brings some form of art to share with everyone else.  It can be original, performed, made, found, or a shared favorite.  The idea comes from one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies of all time, and we first experimented with the idea for my 38th birthday party years ago.

Our kids blew us away.  Andrew wrote and performed jokes in his ingenious stand-up comic way (and what better time to tell jokes then one's Silver Anniversary?), Amber & Elayna painted a sweet canvas, Rebekah read (and gave us) a beautifully-framed prayer for marriage from Tertullian, Alex and Natalie played and sang a gorgeous version of Forever Young (this gorgeous version) and Kendra wrote and performed an original song for us. 

I wish I could have brought you all into the room with us for a few minutes, but maybe I'm a bit biased at the beauty of these "four(+) wild hearts" we've been charged with and now send out into the world.  Like every musician I know, Kendra was hesitant for us to share her song publicly.  I think we all understand that phone video work is not the most conducive quality to translate beautiful music.  I think it's worth the risk, and you'll find this beautiful anyway. 

Here's Kendra's song for a gorgeous taste of the entire celebration.

The song Kendra wrote and sang for her parents as a gift on their 25th Wedding Anniversary - 11/2015 from Tamara Hill Murphy on Vimeo.

If no other record of our lives is preserved, this one would tell the world everything I'd like them to know.  It would tell God our Father how very grateful we are for the finished work of His Son and the energizing life of His Holy Spirit.  May the gift move outward from us into this beautiful, broken world through our children's children's children.

Amen.

7 quick takes on (not-the-headlines) links actually interesting me right now

Ballycumber

(n.) One of six half-read books lying in your bed  (see the 8 other Words About Reading That Book Nerds Need to Know at Bustle)

| 1 | How a Bloody Railroad Strike Paved the Way for Labor Day at Time

"It's little more than a day off for shopping now, but when Labor Day was first observed, it wasn't all fun and back-to-school sales. Its passage as a federal holiday, in 1894, was a sort of peace offering from President Grover Cleveland for the killing of a dozen or more striking railway workers." am no superhero. Neither is my wife. But we have a bond that somehow enables us to save each other from basic human weakness. This is its own kind of superpower."

The history of Labor Day is sort of a caricature of the daily injustices or annoyances of the working life.  I spend a lot of time listening to my young co-workers anguish over the gap between what is and what they wish it would be.  There's a depth in our human longing for work that is valuable and valued. May the Church nurture excellent employers, employees and workplaces in gratitude for the Creator of work.

| 2 | Rectify and the question we're all asking by Josh Pease at Think Christian

"But this is not moral ambiguity for moral ambiguity’s sake. What Rectify reveals is that this question – “Am I good?” – is one that all of humanity is asking. And in the show’s world, there is a deep nobility in the asking. Rectify is humanist in the best way, in that it’s rooting for all its characters and sees true beauty in their struggle to find peace. 

The show’s naturalistic photography grounds the characters’ existential struggle in something hopeful. As we watch we see the world as a beautiful place, even as horribly unjust things happen. In this Rectify captures the duality of a Christian theology of humanity, which recognizes both the beauty of our imago dei and the insecurity of our exile from the garden. We are all asking, “Am I good?” and waiting for the one whose image we’re created in to give us the answer."

I've mentioned this program a few times, and I plan to keep mentioning it until at least a few of you watch it for yourselves and tell me what you think.  In the meantime, Josh Pease has some good insight.  (Seasons 1 & 2 are streaming on Netflix now.  You can purchase Season 3 on Amazon Instant Video.)

| 3 | It's pics from the past of hometown Austin, TX at Gee Mail 

"WELCOME TO AUSTIN - Most of us think of it as it is today, a modern large city. Well I thought I'd show some pics of the way it was!"

This post from a mass email a couple of old Austin natives sent around contains an intriguing collection of historic Austin photographs.  I found a couple of our groceries (just outside of neighborhood for the bulk of our weekly groceries at Texas-beloved HEB and then a couple of blocks walk for the daily essentials & odds 'n ends).

Shopping Center with HEB, Allandale Village. February, 1950

Crestview Minimax on Woodrow, 1956

It's a new experience for us living in a city that's never seen a decrease in population since its founding.  Some historical population numbers:

Year  Pop.      Increase %
1850 629
1860 3,494     +455.5%
1900 22,258
1950 132,459
1960 186,545 +40.8%
1970 251,808 +35.0%
1980 345,496 +37.2%
1990 472,020 +36.6%
2000 656,562 +39.1%
2010 790,390 +20.4%

2015 projected population of Austin-Round Rock metro area is 1,990,437.

The intersection of Burnet & Koenig/2222, across the street from the HEB in the photo above. 

 The neighborhood we live in now is to the top and right of the corner in this photo. 

There's still a 7-11 here, by the way!  Every once in awhile we go in for a slushie!

Oftentimes, it feels like we live in a big city that wants to think of itself as small which has benefits (friendly people, emphasis on local business) and its detriments (poor road planning, poor transit system, various forms of segregation).  We sure are glad that Austin embraced our family in 2011, and that a few of the locations in these photos are still recognizable (and enjoyed) by our family today!

There are so many more great photos in the post!  Austin friends, I'd love to hear what memories they spark.

Also, here's a lovely, illustrated map of Austin by neighborhood.

| 4 | In Defense of Air Conditioning by Caroline Langston at Image Journal 

"I sometimes play a game with myself -- which of the world's greatest cultural treasures would be worth getting rid of it meant you could not have air conditioning. I am an ardent (if screwed up) Christian, and I have taught classical literature, and I would still be willing to get rid of the Sistine Chapel."

Ha!  Yes, yes, yes.  I talk to octogenarian native Texans who mourn the gain of central air because in the old days people cooled off on their front porch in the evenings.  Now we all hide like animals in the darkest, coolest corners of our home until about November.  And, everyone knows by now, that September only means Texas gets hotter-er, and we add fans to the a/c.  

Yes, Caroline Langston, we are kindred spirits. Michelangelo, you're outta here.

Fans with A/C means it's "summer-er" in Texas.

A photo posted by Tamara Murphy (@tamarahillmurphy) on Aug 23, 2015 at 4:55pm PDT

| 5 | The Hidden Art of Homemaking Reading Group  by Erica Jarrett at Liturgy of Life

I've been enjoying getting to know Erica and the lovely community she's cultivating at her blog.  This month I joined them re-reading one of the foundational books of my life, The Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer.  You can read some of what Mrs. Schaeffer has inspired in my own life in a few of my previous posts:

• Upside-down Hospitality
• Parenting Unrehearsed: It does take a village
• Monday Mixtape: books, music, art, films and more from March 2010

| 6 |  45 ways to avoid using the word 'very' at Writers Write

"Substitute damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." - Mark Twain

| 7 | A Look at the Painstaking, Intricate Art of Globemaking at Citylab &  A Visit Inside One of the Only Hand-crafted Globe Studios In the World at This Is Colossal

Globes are beautiful, don't you think?  I didn't realize that only a few artisanal globemakers left in the world. If money were no object I'd buy one each from Bellerby & Co.'s collections.  See for yourself...

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Hoping for a good and contented weekend for us all, friends.

Peace....

*Linking up with other 7 Quick Takers.*

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

| a weekly capturing the contentment in everyday life |

| pretty |

Texas skies

I've been going on and on about the beauty of summertime in the Northeast. And it's true.  Summertime is not particularly pretty in Texas. About mid-July the sun sort of picks up an offense against us and glares it's high beams day and night. If you happen to have Texan facebook friends, scroll through a few of their recent photos and you'll see exactly what I mean.  We meet friends for dinner at some hip place and, naturally, want to record the moment.  We rummage around for about 15 minutes trying to figure out how to angle the camera so that the sun isn't obliterating the image of our faces.  In the end, we just smile and make the best of it, squinting into the camera like we're studying the surface of the sun.  Which, in fact, we are.  

To be fair, June was quite lovely.  For that I'm thankful.  This moment of the gorgeous puffy white clouds is a great example.  I risked my life to take the photo, driving up the expressway but it was just one of those moments I wanted to notice my new homeland and be grateful.

| happy |

carpooling to work on a summer morning

It's the first morning after returning from vacation and our vehicle just quit working (thankfully that happened AFTER we finished our 3,500 mile drive).  And we had to go to work and share one vehicle.  Don't we look happy?  

Truth is, I'm trying to enjoy these moments of having Alex and Kendra home for the summer.  It'll be Alex's last summer home before he gets married to the beautiful Rebekah.  So, actually, in spite of the goofy faces, we are all actually quite happy.  (Ignore the giant box labelled Fragile for now.  Maybe I'll show you the contents in an upcoming post.)

| fun(ny) |

my first karaoke experience

Somehow I've managed to make it 44 years in this world without ever entering a karaoke room.  Mind you, we've held our own private parties with some sort of electronic contraption when the kids were little.  And there was one fantastic story of Brian bringing down the house dedicating a song to me on a Caribbean cruise ship.  

Saturday night I was invited to join this fabulous group of women celebrating the dear Eva's upcoming marriage.  I spent half the time sitting in a corner laughing (and wondering what the heck they were singing since I missed about a decade of popular music when all we did was watch Barney all day long.

I managed to belt out a few tunes, though.  And, man, it was fun.

| real |

Jay Walker Studio street art comes to Austin

I met Jay at a Laity Lodge retreat years ago, but since he lives and works in Philadelphia I've never been able to see any of his work in real life.  A fun surprise, then, when he posted he'd make a quick stop in town to leave his mark on Austin's street art.  Alex and I stopped by on our way home from work and decided to have a bit of interactive fun.  (That is colored tape, not paint!) 

If you live in Austin, you can find this sweet photo opp on the corner of E. 6th and Brushy.

You can see the real reason Jay came to Texas by following @jaywalkerstudio and @laitylodge on Instagram (tag #seeingthroughitall).

Have you captured any contentment this week? 

 I'd love to hear about it!

| Join in at P,H,F,R to see other wonderful people practicing contentment. |

WALKING EPIPHANY in Mueller, ATX: neighborhood notes from Stephen Henderson

Welcome to a special Epiphany series of guest posts.  I've asked a few friends who live (literally) around the world to take a walk through their neighborhoods and share some of what they see through photos, videos and words.  Each one has selected from a variety of thoughtful prompts to consider the ways the Light has moved into their neighborhoods.  Will you join us?

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Stephen Henderson

Mueller Neighborhood, Austin

Prompt: Local ground

The likeliest path to the ultimate ground leads through my local ground. I mean the land itself, with its creeks and rivers, its weather, seasons, stone outcroppings, and all the plants and animals that share it. I cannot have a spiritual center without having a geographical one; I cannot live a grounded life without being grounded in a place.

Scott Russell Sanders

Staying Put

Around the block in my specific east Austin neighborhood of Mueller, built on the old airport.

Around the "block" of my wider neighborhood of Austin, TX

North Lamar, Cesar Chavez, 24th Street

Out my back window you would see this.

"All this is one thing. All this is Weather. It may seem unlike, but it is the same. It is the big laughter of silent torrential blizzards, deep green fields with gray skies, with blue skies, and the shooting stars of summer. They are all the fruit of one mood, and the arranged contrivances of a sphere traveling around a sphere, balanced at a constant angle, always pointing to Polaris, making fruit grow and die, water freeze and melt, billions of hand-crafted crystals bury my world. These are the many moods, the many mood, of God."  -N.D Wilson

Prompt: Dim light and shadow

How much more mysterious and inviting is the street of an old town with its alternating realms of darkness and light than are the brightly and evenly lit streets of today! The imagination and daydreaming are stimulated by dim light and shadow. In order to think clearly, the sharpness of vision has to be suppressed, for thoughts travel with an absent-minded and unfocused gaze. Homogenous bright light paralyses the imagination in the same way that homogenisation of space weakens the experience of being, and wipes away the sense of place. The human eye is most perfectly tuned for twilight rather than bright daylight. Mist and twilight awaken the imagination by making visual images unclear and ambiguous.

Juhani Pallasmaa

The Eyes of the Skin

As a photographer & cinematographer I've come to love light in all its many forms. 

It is the visible glory of the Trinity that bathes the universe, spilling all around and overflowing like grace, reflecting and refracting and bouncing everywhere, like the shining glory of the Triune God who is Love! It can be blinding if you look right at it, so for now, like Moses shielding his eyes, as Emily Dickinson said:

 "The Truth must dazzle gradually/ Or every man be blind-"

Here's a quote from a favorite writer Peter Leithart:

"Light keeps time. The rhythm of light and darkness marks out days. The movements of sun, moon, and stars mark months, seasons, years. 

Light is the future. The pattern of creation is darkness to light, first darkness broods over the deed, then the fiat lux. Days begin with evening, and history begins in the dusk of the old creation. Light comes last, and if God is light, He is the God of future, the light that glows ahead and shines back to illumine all that comes before."

"Light is glorious; it dazzles. It is glory. It also glorifies because it enables other things to emerge in the fullness of their own glory. Since God is light, God is the glory and the glorifier of all things. The Father is the Light that makes the Son radiant in the Spirit. The Triune communion is an eternal, mutual, exchange of light." -Peter Leithart

Prompt: Imaginative act

What I see behind my eyes changes what I see in front of them; my imagination shapes my perception so that I must look not once but twice at the world to see it whole. Walking down the street, I see a wild-looking character sitting on the steps of the library. His gray hair is matted. His dense beard covers the slogan on his grimy T-shirt. His small darting eyes are as volatile as a hawk's. I look once and think "drifter." I look twice and think "John the Baptist," and in that imaginative act my relationship to the man is changed.

Barbara Brown Taylor

The Preaching Life

"I looked up and saw sparrows landing on a sign. Suddenly, the whole scene became completely abstract, as though I were seeing it through nascent eyes. I realized I could remove all preconceptions about these birds. That ability was very exciting." -Richard Vander Wende

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods or goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to might one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you might be strongly tempted to worship...There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Next to the blessed sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses." C.S. Lewis

 I've found that drawing & photography, by forcing me to see what is, has helped me see my neighbors as the glorious images of God that they are, and my city and neighborhood as part of God's good world where his kingdom is already breaking out.

"I am not ashamed to own that I believe that the whole universe, heaven and earth, air and seas, be full of images of divine things, as full as language is of words." -Jonathan Edwards

Stephen Henderson is the husband of the beautiful, wise Whitney Elizabeth; the son of a mother and father who lovingly taught him to read, to sail, and to love life and God wholeheartedly; brother to five amazing sisters and one intrepid (and long-awaited) brother. Originally from Rockport (Texas), he now lives in Austin with his wife, where he makes a living as a freelance imagemaker and storyteller under the moniker The Habit of Seeing, creating videos for schools, start-ups, entrepreneurs, writers and makers. (Also, Stephen's the talented photographer who captured those gorgeous senior photos of our daughter Kendra!)

...

What about your neighborhood?

• If we walked around the block in your neighborhood, what would we see?
• What does the light look like at different times of day in your neighborhood?

• Look at your neighborhood as an "imaginative act" the way Barbara Brown Taylor describes her encounter with the wild-looking character sitting on the steps of the library in the quotation above. How does this change your view of the people and places in your neighborhood?

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**Each of guest post in the WALKING EPIPHANY series selected a few prompts from an overflowing folder of quotations I've saved from the Daily Asterisk.  Thank you *culture is not optional for all of your good work. **