Just for fun Archives - The Messy Middle

Book, Books I've read (or want to read), Just for fun, Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Reading Challenge 2022 is here!

Calling all readers!

It’s a day of rejoicing because the Summer Reading Challenge 2022 is here … or the Winter Reading Challenge for my Southern Hemisphere friends! If you can believe it, this is the seventh summer of the challenge.

If this is your first year, welcome! If you’ve been doing this challenge from the beginning, I bet you’ve felt this too . . . With the turning of April into May, I’ve begun to notice a low buzz of reading excitement. I think to myself, “It’s coming!”

Eight summers ago the primary emotion of my summer was resentment. I associated childhood summers with spaciousness, a bit of boredom, and reading. My adult summers felt the opposite—crowded, busy, and no leisurely reading. While there’s much I love about being an adult, I missed summer reading and decided something needed to change.

I also noticed that left to my own, I read the same kind of book over and over, always meaning to get to other types of books. I don’t make time to read certain kind of books because I have work, responsibilities, and intentions that, it turns out, are very weak intentions. So, thank you one and all of joining in and during this challenge we all become more well-rounded readers!

It will start on June 1 and run through August 12, 2022. To enter, read seven books from 25 categories.

What’s different?

I read Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen this spring and it is so fantastic that for the first time I’m choosing a book for us. (I’ll share more about it later.)
A few new categories
No COVID or Olympic focus this year

What’s the same?

Many categories will be similar because reading is reading. But you will notice a few new gems
Counting a book of more than 700 pages as two books.
Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the challenge. A penalty book or category is one you declare to yourself I will read or be penalized. The last four summers I’ve selected a penalty book and it worked! I read books I’d been meaning to read for ages and I am all the richer for reading them. This year Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reaga n by Edmund Morris is my penalty book. Can I tell you how many years I’ve meant to read this book?! I think the answer is 20 years. This is the summer!
Like previous years, if you do not read your “penalty” book, you will subtract two books from your total.

What’s in it for you?

All who comment between August 11-15th with the names of the books they read will be entered to win one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards.

Drumroll . . . here are the categories!

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen. This is a memoir told in Young Adult style. Not for young kids because parts of his childhood are shocking and heartbreaking, but the writing is so good. Keep reading when it gets hard, I don’t want to spoil it, so just keep reading!
A Biography or about history
A book you already own
A book you’ve been wanting to reread
A book a friend recommended
A Young Adult book (YA)
A book with a great cover
A book of poetry
A memoir or autobiography
A graphic novel
A book for professional development (loosely defined)
A book longer than 700 pages (counts as two books)
A book with a verb in the title
A play
A book about a country or culture you have never visited
A book with the number 7 in the title or subtitle (in honor of this being the 7th anniversary)
A book that won an award
A book by someone with a different view point than you recommended you read
A mystery
A classic
An audiobook
A book with an animal
A book less than 100 pages
A book you want to discuss with others
A book you read as a child

Download the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge

Download the Summer Reading Challenge 2022, print it off, and track your progress. But most of all, have fun and read books you might not read in other times of the year!

My penalty book is Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reaga n by Edmund Morris

~~~

In short: Read seven books from June 1 to August 12, 2022.

Are you in? What books are you looking forward to reading during the challenge?

Happy Reading, Amy

Faith, Holiday, Just for fun

Which gift do you have? (I may have made one up)

Next Tuesday evening a local writer’s group I am a part of—Writers on the Rock—will come to our house for a Christmas party. We meet monthly, and while there is a social aspect to our meetings—we are after all, people—the time is spent with the guest speaker and the topic for the evening.

We decided in December that we would rather have a party than a meeting.

All sounds good, yes? Yes! Emphatically yes.

But.

You sensed a but coming, right?

To explain my “but” a bit of background will help. One of the ba-ziillion aspects of living in community I miss from my life in China is the ability to be a part of a community without having to actually host out of my own space. For about ten years I lived in a building that was part apartments, part guest house, and part office space. While it was a lot to require of one space and at times, this part clashed with that part—oh say, when I just wanted to be home, and a guest needed to borrow something out of my kitchen and then did not pick up on my non-verbal cues to take the pan and GET OUT OF MY HOME :).

For asking so much of a building, really it held enough space for each of the callings.

Living in a space that holds three callings at once taught me a vital lesson about myself.

I do not have the gift of hospitality. I have the gift of gusetpitality.

I love being with people. I enjoy parties and movies and events. Want someone up for a meal? I’m your gal.

But I want to do it in your space, not mine.

Alas, the bible doesn’t list guestpitality as one of the revered gifts for the edification of the body, but I think it should. All those who host, need people like me to host.

Back to the party next Tuesday that will be at our house for people I hold dear—my fellow writers. In November’s meeting I shared that the party would be at my house, and that I don’t have the gift of hospitality, instead my gifts are more in the organizing realm (thankfully, the bible values people who lead and cast vision and organize! See 1 Timothy 3. So, I’m not total dead weight on the Body of Christ!).

Thankfully, they know. And when I said the space will be festive and I’ll provide something to drink, but if they want food, they need to bring it, they know I mean it :). It’s good when we can be honest about who we are and what we can offer to each other.

One of the activities we might do if chit chatting isn’t enough is to write the Christmas story in eight words. Here’s one of my attempts:

Hope born (by Amy Young)

The end is sure. The middle still messy.

Try your hand at one in the comments.

And whether you have the gift of hosting or the gift of guesting, may this month be one of connecting with people . . . even if you tell them they need to bring their own food!

Want to read more about my life in China? You can in Love, Amy: An Accidental Memoir Told in Newsletters From China

Faith, Just for fun

Marching Bands and Missionaries: Same-Same

(Hey friends! Robin Reads has the Kindle version of Looming Transitions on sale for .99 TODAY, so I put the Looming Transitions Workbook on sale for $1 for 24 hours. Amy)

~~~

This truth hit me smack between the eyes.

I didn’t see it coming. I’m not sure I like it. (Hello, one seems fun but maybe a bit shallow and the other purposeful, deep, you know, important.)

But the truth is marching bands and missionaries are basically the same.

It is marching band camp season in the US. With an oldest niece as the drum major and a second niece is in the percussion section (her first year), let’s just say that the insight marched up to me.

Here is how marching bands and missionaries are basically the same

1. Regional flavors exist. Here is the U.S. it turns out that band in Iowa, Colorado, and Texas are, um, not the same. Mission work in Ghana, Thailand, and Brazil are, um, not the same.

2. The whole is made up of parts. Like other bands, marching bands are divided into sections. So, sometimes the flutes are off by themselves practicing their little fluty hearts out. Other times, the entire band is together working on their show. You, dear missionary, may be a part of a team, a city team, a region, and maybe even a much larger organization. If you get together for annual or bi-annual meetings, it’s kind of like seeing the show that God is working out through your different efforts.

3. The work is same-same, but different. Every year the marching band learns a new show. They do not pull out the show from the year before and dust it off. No, they learn a completely new show. Now, they are, for the most part, playing the same instruments, wearing the same outfits, and marching with the same marching techniques. Here is where missions can learn from marching bands: are you working on a new show? Or are you pulling out last year’s show? Worse yet, have you been playing the same show for the last four years. If you are bored, of course check with the Holy Spirit, but perhaps, you’ve been putting new wine in old wine skins, so to speak.

4. New members come each year. The nature of a marching band is that the commitment is four years, so that means every year there are newbies in with oldies. There are those who are familiar with what they are doing with those who are just learning. There are those who have never marched before and learning to march is actually harder than it looks. We are in a season of welcoming folks new to the field. It is exciting but,

5. Getting everyone’s feet going up at the same time and height takes a lot of practice. You do about 10 steps over and over. Most common word heard in this phase? “Reset!” Oh that everyone just got it right away. Instead, you reset and do it again. Which leads me to . . .

6. It can be less glamorous than it appears. What do most people see? Your marching band performance. Costumes, props, music, precision. What do they not come to watch? The three hours you were out on the practice field where you might spend a whole morning on 20 seconds of the show. When it comes to missions, what do most people hear about? The dramatic, the annoying (hello visas, I’m talking about you), the moving. Which can perpetuate the myth that everything we do is so fascinating we are basically floating through life.

7. Growing pains. Bands do not stay the same size year after year. Three years ago, the band was made up of 40 members. (Side note: it is impressive that a small band can produce a show as impressive as a band with hundreds. Size isn’t the key factor, committed members is.) Obviously this is a small marching band. This year, there are 70 members. Exciting? Yes. But that means the majority haven’t been a part of the band for more than one year. In a few years it could grow back to 50 or so. Bands do not stay the same size, and chances are neither has your organization or the number in your country of service.

8. The curse of history. Want to know who gave my drum major niece the most problems a few days during band camp? The returning members.

Stop and pause on that one for a moment.

They have won state for five years in a row. They had a beloved band director retire over a year ago. Last year was the first year for the new (and talented) new director. There was a bit of bemoaning the good old days (“Why did you bring us out here to starve? We had it better in slavery in Egypt!.)

9. The blessing of history. With returning members and a history of state championships, the band isn’t starting from scratch every year. Instead they are standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before. They are adding to a story that started before them and will continue after they graduate.

10. In the end, it is worth it. Both marching bands and missions are about something bigger. Something that is living and dynamic. Something that pushes you to the limit physically without guarantees of glory. Something that offers a common purpose, fellow sojourners, and the chance to be a part of something that might not look like much on the ground, but the view from above? Now, that is something to behold.

Were you in a band? What did playing in a band teach you about missions? What instrument did you play?

This first appeared on A Life Overseas

Just for fun, Learning lessons

Guess Where Pi Showed Up This Year?

If you’re new around here, you’re in for a treat! If you’re a regular, you know what’s coming and you’re still in for a treat because that is what π does . . . treat us all!

My love of π started several years ago when I was working with English teachers new to China. Kind of a curveball, right? English teachers in China? What? I know. Throughout the three week orientation period I taught small modules on expectations based on Expectations And Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission. Sounds about as far away from math as you can get.

One of the areas we talked about involved our expectations about God. If you would like to hear overly optimistic, Sunday School answers about the nature of God, talk to a group of people who are just starting their adventure in service in a foreign land. Hey, I get it. When I first went to China, I was star-eyed and fairly unaware of how experiences I would have in China would maybe be confusing to what I thought I knew about God and how He operated.

The chapter on expectations of God is worth getting the book! I knew I ran the risk of either being too simplistic or sounded like a bitter “been there, done that” old-hand when it came to God. How could I lead a discussion on the amazingness of God from an angle that was unexpected.

Hit a group of English teachers with a math lesson, that’s how.

In case you’re a bit rusty on math, π comes from taking the circumference of a circle and dividing it by its diameter. Marvel in this π:

Never stops.
Never repeats.
Is irrational (in the mathematical sense, not emotionally)
You always see something different because it never repeats. No pattern exists. Even at about best attempts to be random, as limited humans we cannot help but have patterns.
It is quite mysterious.

What a beautiful description of God. Every single circle literally radiates the glory and majesty of God.

That lecture—those who heard it might have called it preaching because of how animated and passionate I became—was the start of my love affair with pi.

March 14th is π Day (3.14, get it?! Love it!?). Two years ago was the Ultimate π Day since Pi is 3.141592… and the date was 3.14.15. Last year was Well Rounded π as 3.14159 rounds up to 3.1416. What was the date last year? 3.14.16.

What more could be said about Pi? Have no fear, Pi is the gift that keeps on giving.

1. Like most of life, Pi is never the same two year in a row. Two years it might have been the Ultimate Pi day, last year it is Well Rounded Pi.

Of note this year, Niece #3 is at Outdoor Lab this week for school. Since π day is in the midst of when the 6th graders will be gone, they are having a contest to see who can say the most digits. Want to try it with your friends? Why not.

Might I recommend this song to learn as many digits of pi as you can. It is catchy! Enjoy.

A friend sent me a picture she took at a McDonalds in Chengdu (where I used to live many moons ago):

Can you believe it? I love it.

Which leads me to my next reason I love π.

2. Pi can be whimsical and fun. A friend asked me why I talk about math so much. Simple answer is so much beauty and fun exist in math. Unfortunately that is not the the message most (at least Americans) believe. Pi Day offers us a chance to challenge this message in the best way! Jokes. Songs. Cartoons. Food. Come on, you try and throw a better party.

3. Not only is Pi different each year, so am I. Pi doesn’t actually change, but I liked the sound of that sentence. What I mean is that my relationship and understanding of pi is dynamic. I also change each year. This year, for the first time, I won’t be able to eat pizza or pie. Sigh. Elizabeth kindly texted me saying, “I can’t stand the thought of you not having pie, I could make you a tart using almond flour.” You know you are in a mathy family when there is sadness over mathy fun. Here is hoping that next year I can at least eat a small piece of pizza.

For fun

Listen to these songs: Pi Songs 1 and Pi Songs 2 — be amazed at the relationship between music and math.
Tell of of these Pi jokes — who can you tell one to?
Laugh at the Pi cartoons — the cleverness just bowls me over!
Tap into your artsy side with Pi-ku
What it means to live Life vs. Life Ala Mode

Happy Pi Day! How are you different this π Day from other years? What are you doing to celebrate? Any other stores or businesses getting in on Pi this year?

Amy :)

P.S. The family is eating raspberry blackberry pie. Yum! What kinds of pie are your favorite?

Family, Just for fun

Try this at your next party

Tuesday was a family birthday. The day before I mentioned a website I learned about called 100 Word Story, where every month hundreds of people submit stories of just 100 words. I thought it would be fun to try and write a story in only 100 words. Why not, right? It’s not a whole novel, after all.

Because the birthday was for an 11 year old, we decided to each write a 111 word story, read them out loud, and then pick a winner.

Only one person balked. She’s eight, so we gave her a pass. Instead she wrote and illustrated an 11 word sentence.

We set the timer for 30 minutes, a hush fell over the room, and off we wrote. “We” involved a grandma, a mom, a dad, an aunt, and three under the age of 16. The only sound was an occasional clarification like, “Is ‘drive-up’ one word or two?”

Time was called and we took turns reading out stories. What was created went beyond any of our imaginations. People, this ended up being an awesome (though maybe a bit geeky) idea.

We had a story about

watching a hummingbird
a puppet finding his “forever family”
a kidnapped pet (by me?! Clearly fiction.)
a friendship between an old woman and a girl
orphan boys building a town (this child also wrote another story in the allotted time!)
and a boy who loved fireworks

I didn’t get permission from others, so I share my story, not because it is the best, but to give you a sense of an 111 word story.

The Champ (by Amy Young)

She was an unlikely champion. It had all started on a whim when her friend dared her to sign up for the arm wrestling club at school. At first Anna scoffed, but the offer of a bag of yogurt covered pretzels turned out to be too great a temptation to pass up. During the first club meeting, Anna assumed the fastest way to her beloved pretzels was to challenged the reigning champion, a sixth grader nicknamed The Ox. Anna planted her elbow on the table, waved toward him and said, “Ox, let’s get this over with.” No one paid much attention until a thunk was heard and Ox’s reign was over.

///

Truly, the stories were amazing and everyone could participate. Today, write a 100 word story and share in the comments just for fun. You can do it, you can. At your next family gathering, it might sound weird, but I can almost promise, magic will happen.

Try it :)!

Family, Just for fun, Learning lessons

Memories of Learning to Drive

Niece #1 is in driving school this week. What?! I know. I know.

You can guess the conversations that have gone on this spring building up to one of our clear, tangible, (and risky for parents) rights of passage.

Being middle-aged is like being in a movie with flashback scenes. It has been years since I thought about learning to drive, yet now the memories float to the forefront.

My first driving experience was in 7th grade. I had gone with my dad to a work site. I remember sitting in the car and reading Something About Joey as I waited for Dad to finish. When he did, he asked if I wanted to learn to drive. Sure! We drove around a big, empty, dirt site.

In my next driving memory, I was soon to get my driving permit and my family was driving to Southern Colorado to visit my grandparents. We were taking deserted, narrow highways and Dad thought it would be good to practice driving a large van with my entire family in it. Overall, a reasonable idea! As the oldest, two crucial life lessons emerged for my sisters and me:

1. Do not drive over a cattle grid at full speed. If you don’t slow down, you will bounce every passenger so hard they will hit the ceiling. And squawk.

2. When you want to stop a vehicle, do not stomp on the brake pedal or you will send your mother and two sisters flying off to the back bench (pre-mandatory seatbelt days). They will all remember it for the rest of their days and most likely will still be talking about it in the life to come. Instead, gently push on the brake.

The final driving memory I’ll share also involves my dad (I think we practiced driving as much with Mom as with Dad, so I’m not sure why all of my memories are with Dad.). In addition to the big Dodge van, we had some small car with the emergency brake being a pull-up handle between the drivers. Dad would ride in the passenger seat with his hand on the brake, ready to pull it up at a moments notice. Really, was that necessary? Had I not already demonstrated my amazing braking ability?!

Let’s stop talking about driving here, because it was shortly after I got my license that I totaled two cars in one early morning adventure.

Were you a reluctant driver, or maybe a little over eager?What memories do you have of learning to drive?

P.S. Having lived for years in a country where I didn’t drive, it was alway weird to see American friends driving in America for the first time. I know you can … but it’s still weird!

Book, Just for fun, Messy Middle

Summer 2016 Reading Challenge

I love summer reading. When I lived in China I looked forward to summer reading by requesting about 10 books from the library to be ready when I returned to the US. I loved picking up the stack of books and seeing what gems (and duds) I had. Mom would eagerly ask what books I’d gotten. Such fun!

The last few summers I’ve joined the summer reading challenge at my local library. But I have to admit I’ve failed at them because you need to have a user name, password, and then daily (or weekly) log your reading. Turns out it is a few too many steps for me.

Enter Plan B. I googled summer reading challenges I could join it turns out most results were suggestions for libraries to host a reading program. Exit Plan B.

As I was gardening I decided, why not hold the reading challenge I was looking for?! Thus was born the Summer 2016 Reading Challenge!

It will start now, June 1, and run through August 19, 2016. To enter, from the list of 15 categories read at least one book in seven different categories. Along the way I’ll have encouraging posts (for example, you may not know any teenagers to get a recommendation from, so I’ll interview a few and get recommendations for you).

What’s in it for you? All who leave a comment on August 19th telling us the names of the books they read will be entered to win one of five $10 Amazon gift cards.

Sound like fun?!

Here is the challenge and I’ll link to a document where you can print it out and keep track of your reading:

A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted).

A book that helps you understand part of history better.

A book placed in a country you’re not familiar with OR about a country you’re not familiar with.

A YA book. Here are 37 YA Books You Need To Add To Your Reading List.

A book recommended by a friend.

A graphic novel.

A book you’ve been meaning to read.

A book published more than 100 years ago.

A book recommended by a teenager. Several years ago my teenage teammate Gabe handed me Ender’s Game and said, “Amy, read this.” I never would have chosen it, but I love Gabe so I read it and LOVED it.

A biography.

A play (Do it! 12 Angry Men or Our Town are good places to start if this scares you).

A memoir.

A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with.

A book that won an award.

A book you read years ago and have meant to reread.

Download the challenge as a document here or as a PDF here.

~~~

In short: Seven books from June 1 to August 19.

Are you in? Pick a couple of categories and share a recommendation or a book you plan to read for that category.

Feel free to share this reading challenge with fellow readers.Feel free to share this reading challenge with fellow readers. Why should the kids have all the fun!

Faith, Just for fun, Learning lessons

Are you ready for Monday?!

I’m writing to you before the weekend so you have time to plan for Monday. Why? What is special about Monday?

I’m glad you asked.

4/4/16!

Get it? 4 x 4 = 16. Monday will be square root day!

Thanks to my friend Suzanne who sent me a link to this tshirt saying, “It is some mathy thing. I thought of you,” we can all be ready and excited to celebrate.

In case you’re wondering, “Wait, what? I’m confused.” A square is made when you take a number times itself.

1 x 1 = 1 (January 1, 2001 was the first of this century)

2 x 2 = 4 (February 2, 2004)

3 x 3 = 9 (March 3, 2009 and we begin to realize this isn’t going to happen every year!)

4 x 4 = 16 (Monday!!)

While we get to celebrate Pi day every year, we won’t have another Root Day for nine more years on May, 5, 2025—which seems forever away, doesn’t it?

So, let’s make this day count. You might wonder why? Why talk about these mathy things? Because math has gotten a bad rap. Too many boring math teachers, I’m guessing, who didn’t embrace the playful side of math.

This is what I love about life: mystery and playfulness are all around us. Let’s cheer each other on in noticing.

I will admit, a holiday that encourages eating pie is a bit easier for people to get on board that one where the food is . . . root vegetables. But we are up for the challenge, aren’t we? Here are four ideas I’ve got four ideas for you (get it, 4 is a perfect square! Moving on.)

1. Eat root vegetables. Okay, our family may be a bit geeky because we have had several conversation about what is root vegetables and what is not really a root vegetable. I was very excited that I could eat French Fries in the name of math fun, until we learned potatoes are technically tubers. Next idea we had was to eat candied ginger and ginger snaps. Yum. Only problem is ginger is a rhizome. I know, I know. Root Day, you are NOT helping by having so many rules :)! Both are considered in the “Storage Root Family” according to Wikipedia, so I think you can eat potatoes and ginger and be squarely within the spirit of the law, if not the letter of it.

You cannot go wrong with: carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, dandelion (what?!), radishes, bush potatoes (close enough of me, even though I don’t know what it is), and jicama. Here is a root vegetable soup that looks good.

2. Use square things. Do you have square napkins, plates, mugs, glasses? Use them. How about square cards to wish loves one Happy Root Day? Square bars of soap? I’ve been known to give them as gifts on someone’s square birthday. Be creative!

3. Share your roots. One of my favorite quirky parts of living in China was when a Chinese person would see my name before they met me. Without fail, when we met, there was a look of shock and more than once, “But you’re not Chinese, why do you have a Chinese name?” Young/Yang, is not only Chinese, it’s also Scot-Irish. Top of the morning to you :). Ask 1, 4, 9, or 16 people what their roots are and tell them you are asking because it is Root Day.

4. Be a little mathy. This video will teach you some square root tricks! Get ready for your next party.

At the very least, be amazed at how God has woven mystery and playfulness into most nooks and crannies of this world. Days like Monday let us pause in the midst of the messy middle of life.

What are you going to do on Monday for Root Day? I’d love to hear about your roots in the comments :)!

Amy

Book, Faith, Just for fun

A new party game for you {and a book giveaway}

I love hearing stories about how someone heard about a book. I think I first saw a picture of Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons by Christie Purifoy reading some blog (I know, very specific). But when it really caught my eye was when I read about it in Ed Cyzewski’s newsletter. He mentioned that Christie’s first book was coming out the beginning of February and around that time her brother-in-law Shawn, a Marine pilot, was on board one of the helicopters that crashed off the coast in Hawaii. Leaving her sister a young widow and her nieces and nephews, fatherless.

The longed for launch of a book, suddenly no longer the focus. Ed asked in light of this reality if any bloggers would be willing to read a copy of her book and blog about it.

Guess what didn’t happen the week my book launched.

Nobody in my family died. None of my friends died. Instead, we got to celebrate without sorrow mixed in.

I do not know Christie, and if she (or Ed) had asked for someone to sign up and bring her food, I would have deleted that message in a hot minute. But read a book and share my opinion? Could God T it up any better for me? So, last week after telling Ed sure, Christie’s publisher contacted me and last weekend doing something useful with my time before I could watch football with my family, I read Roots and Sky. It turns out to be the perfect book for February.

Here I’ll share three reasons to entice you to read it:

1. Who in the midst of February’s cold, dark days doesn’t wonder about life? In this memoir, instead of tackling a large chunk of time, Christie shares about the first year she moved with her young family to a farm house in Pennsylvania. Seeing the four seasons pass in a weekend reminded me to be present in my life, in the ordinary, because that is where God works.

2. It introduced me to the Christian version of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” which I’m calling Six Degrees of Kimberlee Conway Ireton.

For reals.

Imagine my shock when I read, “My friend Kimberlee once reminded me that Epiphany has traditionally been a day for saying a blessing over one’s house. . . And by the light of the candle, we read the words of the prayer Kimberlee gave me.” Look at how Kimberlee spells her name! It’s our Kimberlee! She’s friends with Christie too.

This book is titled Roots and Sky. This is the roots part. We are all far more connected than we might imagine.

3. The sky part is the beautiful language.

“No matter the season, we privilege balance and moderation. But creation scoffs. If we would listen, she would tell us to save our moderation for long summer days or lingering winter nights. Spring, especially, is for the extravagant. This season is for those willing to go all in.”

“I sometimes think that every good gift I’ve been given has its roots in emptiness. I cannot separate the blessing of these four children from the years of infertility and longing. I cannot distinguish this hilltop from the restless wandering that brought me here. Even summer is a gift we receive only on the far side of winter.”

///

Roots and Sky is a February kind of book. I’m glad I read it squeezed between the anniversary of Dad’s death and the Broncos victory. This February it needs to be added to your reading list. And by leaving a comment, you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of this book. I was given my copy to read, but I want to buy a copy for one of you.

So we can all increase our connectedness with the world, who is a famous or “famous” person you have met? Impress us :) . . . or make us laugh! I’ll share mine in the comments . . .

Community, Faith, Just for fun

3 {More} Headlines You Might Have Missed

The headlines of late are sobering and saddening.

And though certainly worthy of being given space and time and attention and prayers, they are not the only news.

I repeat. THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY NEWS. I don’t want to be the kind of person who lives in denial of the pain and suffering around me. But I also fear we (at least ‘we’ Americans) are so prone to dichotomist thinking that we don’t make enough space to hold more than one truth. The world is either a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad place OR it is a all rainbows and kittens.

Living in the messy middle is about being able to name the pain and suffering and look for ways to help AND being able to name the joys and successes and look for ways to enjoy life.

You know the headlines that crossed your path this week, but they were not the complete truth. We did this over a year ago and I thought it would be fun to see a few you might have missed this week.

Mother has not one, not two, but three home vomiting

Family of six (well, eight if you include Grandma and Aunt) had six out of the eight share a bug. At least three of the four under 15 years of age vomited … repeatedly. At what point does a tragedy become a comedy? Mother reports, when the hamster who got out staggers out from under the couch.

In other news, and better yet, fun was also had attending the district marching band competition on a day when no one vomited. I repeat, no one! It was a marching band miracle.

When Two Hours Of Pain Become 40 Seconds of Joy

Combining sports and entertainment, Star Wars influenced the NFL in this most epic ending. If you can’t see the video in your email, click here.

May the force be with you.

Strangers Meet, Leave As Friends

This week editor Amy Young of Velvet Ashes, on an line community for women serving overseas, got to meet community member and Connection Group Mentor Marie. Unbeknownst to Marie, Amy always wished her middle name was Marie so her initials could be A. M. Y. Three hours and 53,491 words later, the two left having covered over 20 years of personal history. It was a fairly raucous and lively encounter.

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There are other headlines in our lives too (there was a two-year-old killed near us), but if all we share are these kind of headlines, it’s not a balanced diet for our souls. If there is anything we learn from hanging around Jesus in the Gospels, it’s that he dined from all tables and didn’t fed himself with just one kind of food. Our minds and souls need to be fed a balanced diet too.

Please share a headline from your week in the comments and help to feed my soul :) — all headlines welcome! (Ok, most, welcome :))