Hello, friends!
Hope you’re enduring the apocalyptic winter weather. If you live in San Diego, may you get boils like Job.
The kids have celebrated multiple snow days, the parents not so much. I celebrated the stomach flu, which apparently I’ve passed onto my son. You’re welcome, my boy.
Well, we’re back after a couple weeks hiatus. It’s 7 PM, let’s get to the seven things I paid attention to this week:
1. The pop culture's portrayal of the end of the world fascinates me. I spent my flu watching The Stand based on the Stephen King book. Here is a little piece I wrote about the apocalypse and fresh starts.
2. Sports are magic. I’m not sure how sports transcend gender, ethnicity, and communities- but they do. I wrote about it.
3. We celebrated Martin Luther King Day last week. Here’s a quote I’ve been mulling on of late:
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
4. We all look to varying places of refuge and strength, when things aren’t going well, or when things are great. This Psalm from the Bible has been helpful to reframe my refuge:
“God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.” -Psalm 46:1-2 (The Message)
5. Do we have an awe and wonder problem in our world? This book is a helpful guide. I’ve also been enjoying a book about one of my heroes of the faith, Dr. Timothy Keller.
6. Did you hear I made a thing… a writing thing? I was honored to be part of a creative take on the Saints of old (Modern Saints), and wrote a reflection on Saint Paul.
7. Need a little joy? Try these pandas on a Snow Day in China.
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Grace + Peace,
Ryan