Weekly Links: some good reading from around the web

walk your way through the wilds of the Internet...

SOME INTERESTING LINKS FOR YOUR SUNDAY AFTERNOON, SET OUT IN MY USUAL CATEGORIES OF FAITH, FAMILY, AND FICTION...

Faith  

-"My 7 Tips to Better Self-Care": The author behind this wise article used to go to our church (and moved - sniff! we still miss you, Raven!), and she has some good words for all you busy people out there.

-"Lectio Divina and the Facebook Newsfeed": a call to read less and think about it more.

Family 

- "How Can I Get Rid of Belly Fat?" - okay, it's a clickbait title, but it chronicles an actually interesting little science experiment. (And, like most of my health links--indeed, this and the next, IIRC--I have to thank my friend Becca for sharing this one with me.)

-"Why One Neuroscientist Started Blasting His Core": and I thought this one was fascinating because it talks about the links between posture, the adrenal glands, and mental health. Turns out we're complicated, well-connected creatures.

Fiction 

-Brandon Sanderson (of Mistborn fame) has been putting up new recordings of his college-level speculative fiction writing class. I got a lot out of these last time they went up online, and have started watching this new batch. He's a such a good writer, but also a really good teacher. You can find them on YouTube, here.

-"There is no That": What's behind the work? The work. 

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

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Weekly Links - gospel, wine, matchmakers, movies, and more!

photo credit: Betsy Barber

I'm still counting this post as getting my links up on the weekend, because my kids are home from school today in honor of Lincoln's birthday. That said, here is your weekly (!) good reading from around the web:


On Faith:
"Why I Don't Share the Gospel" - it's all about joy.

"Our Prayer Instincts Are Backwards" - why we start in the wrong direction when we talk to God.

"Today Is Susanna Wesley's Birthday" - Susanna Wesley is one of my favorite saints. I love reading about her!

"What My Grandmother Taught Me About Church" - a moving memorial from Russell Moore - also good reading for parents and grandparents out there who want their children to grow up loving the house of the Lord.

"When God Writes Your Story" - this testimonial about books and faith is one of the most beautiful things I've read.

"Lord, You Said There Would Be Wine" - one last good piece of reading for Ordinary Time.



General Interest:
"Interview with a Former Professional Matchmaker"

"Fiber: the least sexy weight-loss tool" - my thanks to my friend Becca for this link!

"Old Movie Review: UNBREAKABLE" - this makes me want to watch this one, and ...

"Hail, Caesar!" - and this review really makes me want to watch this one!



I hope you have a good week, and especially a good beginning to Lent on Wednesday.

-Jessica Snell

Weekly Links: good rules for eating, superheroes, and more!

"Simple Rules for Healthy Eating":

It’s much easier, unfortunately, to tell you what not to do. But here at The Upshot, we don’t avoid the hard questions. So I’m going to put myself on the line. Below are the general rules I live by. They’re the ones I share with patients, with friends and with family. They’re the ones I support as a pediatrician and a health services researcher. But I acknowledge up front that they may apply only to healthy people without metabolic disorders (me, for instance, as far as I know).

"Why Comic Book Nerds Hate 'Batman vs. Superman'":

Zack Snyder thinks about comic books the way that Peter Jackson thinks about Tolkien. All he sees are the battles and the fights and is completely blind to the themes and characterization that make those bouts of violence mean anything. 

"In Love with Small Towns: Author Interview with Jill Kemerer": I love reading about the persistence it takes to make it as an author - I find it so encouraging!

"The Power of Confession":

The beautiful thing about testimonies at their best is they're not meant to establish the speaker in a power relationship with the listener. Rather, they're an act of humility. Here is my life, the testimony-giver says. Please find in it your own path toward assurance. And please know that after today, I will go on living; this is not the end of the story.

"80's Free Range Childhood Was Not the Sam as 50's Childhood":

Surely we’ve learned something from the scandals in the church and all the conversations about rape culture and bullies–that abuse thrives where there’s silence and lack of supervision, where popularity is currency, where might is right, where blackmail keeps what happens on the playground on the playground. Children really can be quite naughty left to their own devices. Almost as naughty as grownups.

This article: "Why I Haven't Spoken Out on Gay Marriage Till Now"  and its follow-up, "Why I haven't Spoken Up: More Thoughts", I value particularly because they are from a tradition that is not my own, and take an approach that is different than many I've seen, yet clearly a path taken in both charity and obedience. I don't think I agree with all of it, but I found a lot of food for thought in her words.


Finally, skip this if you don't want the earworm, but this guy definitely has the right idea on how to have fun with singing in your car (love the looks on his friend's face):


Have a great weekend!
Jessica Snell

Weekend Links: Prayer of the Hands, a good book review, and more!

Some good reading for your weekend:

"Why Women Make Blankets...and Prayer of the Hands":

I usually have work in my hands when I'm listening to speakers. I suspect that at least a few co-attendees think this is inappropriate. Busying one's hands can free up the mind to listen, though, and to pray. The repetitive rhythm of handwork has always been a conduit of prayer and of connection for me. You see, rosaries and prayer ropes are wonderful, but crochet works too! I always listen more attentively, and pray more deeply, when my hands are not calling me for something to do.  

"What 2,000 Calories Looks Like": a photo essay that was interesting not just for the restaurant food they show at the beginning but (what I really liked) the home-cooked meals at the end.

"The Legacy Journey": insightful review by Tim Challies of Dave Ramsey's latest book.

"How to Write Believable Children":  Useful stuff for my fellow authors.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

New Year’s Resolution #4: Love me

This is a new one for this year. But it’s along the lines of “love others as you love yourself.” Part of loving the ones God has given me to love is to make sure I’m well enough that I can love them and care for them.

Some of the specific ways I plan to do that:

1) Exercise 5X/week, when not sick. I’ve been putting on my workout clothes first thing in the morning, and that’s been working really well.

2) Do a modified No S, when it’s not feast time or fast time. (My modification is that I allow for fruit/veg and/or protein (e.g., milk, nuts) as snacks. I just do better when I snack!)  

3) Keep reading real books. The Web is wonderful and distracting, but I feel better when I read real books. I always keep track of my books read, but recently I've been keeping keep track of my reading time, and it’s helped me get back on track with my to-be-read list. I want to keep this up in the new year.

4) Be aware that lot of the things in the other categories help here, too. Like listening to the Bible, praying, writing, spending time with Adam, getting out of the house as a family, etc. All of those things keep me healthy and functioning.

What about you?

Talk about your self-care goals in the comments, or link to your post about your goals. I’ll add any links to the body of this post, so they’re easier for others to see and visit.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

p.s.  I really liked Jen's comment on my last blog:

I've heard of doing "high-lows" (what you're doing when you ask your kids for one bad thing and one good thing), doing the 3 J's (your junk, your joy, and your Jesus moment), and a modified examen (something you're thankful for, something you wish you hadn't done, and somewhere you saw God's work during the day.) 

I really want to try the 3 J idea!  and maybe the modified examen, too. Thanks, Jen!


This post contains Amazon affiliate links. (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)