Weekend Daybook: joy in the tension edition
Seven days of collecting what I've been up to lately: places, people, books, podcasts, music, links & more for your weekend downtime.
(1) photo from the week
A homey scene from this past week. I love this little bookish candle and really wish someone would enroll me in Frostbeard’s candle-of-the-month club. (Christmas is like 3 months away now, right?)
(2) new posts in the Work Stories series
Work Stories: Amy Willers' calling in a life transition (I’ve been enjoying hearing from many of you on how much you’re appreciating this series!)
5 Of My Favorite Authors on Discovering & Honoring Our Calling (Little booster shots of hope that our calling matters in ways that bring joy to us and goodness to those around us.)
(3) things I enjoyed watching in the last couple of months
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (There’s been quite a buzz around this beautiful documentary, and all of it well-earned. See this film. I’m afraid to mention that I bawled right in the movie theatre in case you’re the type of person scared away by feelings. Go anyway.)
The Assets (This series based on the true story of CIA officers in the 1980s look for a mole to save the lives of Soviet agents working for the U.S. is eerily timely again. The story of Aldrich Ames is unbelievable, but true. The women who devote years of their work lives to catch him are unbelievable, but real. Also, Jodie Whittaker is one of my favorite actresses even when she’s acting with an American accent.)
Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (Loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed the movie!)
(4) links that felt helpful to me during this week in the news
A screenshot from what I shared on Instagram this week inspired by the way someone reached out to me.
There’s a time and place for each one of us to dive deep into a particular news story in order to engage with the realities surrounding us and to steward our relationships with our neighbors. There’s a time and place for each of us to unplug from the stream of news in order to steward our own hearts, minds, and souls. Most of the time, I’ve found myself somewhere in the middle. These links represent what I chose to engage during the news spectacle of the Ford-Kavanaugh hearings.
Click on this link to hear the healing experience that happened to me this week.
Pantsuit Politics and Left, Right, and Center episodes (I have given up on televised news, and find these resources and a few others helpful to represent a collection of voices on current events.)
Believing Women in an Age of Narcissism by Chuck DeGroat
Between Brock Turner and Brett Kavanaugh, when do girls matter? by Simcha Fisher
12 Motivations Victims of Abuse Might Have for NOT Telling Their Story by Wade Mullen (Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for sharing this link.)
(5) of my favorite books on the subject of vocation / work / calling
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer
Finding Livelihood: A Progress of Work and Leisure by Nancy J. Nordenson (Also: Check out Nancy’s Finding Livelihood playlist on Spotify!)
Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy L. Sherman
The Stories We Live: Finding God’s Calling All Around Us by Kathleen A. Cahalan
Work Songs: The Porter's Gate Worship Project Vol 1 (Not a book, but if one can "read" songs, this album is a gorgeous theological treatise on the goodness of work.)
(6) photos from this week
(7) blog posts from this week in the archives
2006 - Back in the Book of Matthew (follow-up to The Death of Alone & Unprotected )
2009 - As Through A Glass: Trying to Imagine Myself a Young Widow
2011 - Becoming Forgiven [imperfect prose]
2014 - A Theology of Billboards [sharing at Think Christian]
2015 - Waiting For Our Next Step
May your weekend include meaningful personal interactions, celebration, and rest. Peace...
p.s. This post may contain affiliate links because I'm trying to be a good steward, and when you buy something through one of these links you don't pay more money, but in some magical twist of capitalism we get a little pocket change. Thanks!