Gracious, it’s been a while since I Around/Abouted. Some of these links have been sitting in a browser tab for longer than I’m willing to tell you (their publish dates might tattletale, though….). All are worthy of a click, and I hope you’ll go through the list and then share something you’ve seen on the webulars you’d like to share with moi :).
Half the Sky – Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. One of two book recommendations today I strongly believe everyone in America MUST read. Pulitzer Prise-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn have penned a comprehensive account of women’s oppression that is eye-popping, disturbing and unbelievable in this day and time. “One of the great failings of the American education system (in our view) is that young people can graduate from university without any understanding of poverty at home or abroad.” They volley between intimate, personal stories and global statistics that will slam your jaw to the floor. When you finish reading, you’ll be compelled to action, I just know it!
The Ultimate Food Guide You’re Not Going To Use But You Feel Healthier Just By Reading It. This isn’t good, it’s great. Don’t let the title fool you–you WILL remember AND use some of what you learn here. I’ve wanted to publish an Around/About forEVER just because of this link alone…!
Emotional blackmail? This short observation by John Piper puts words to something I’ve felt but couldn’t describe. If you’re one who has been false-guilted by others in the past (not shamed), this will help you understand its imbalance and irrational logic. Don’t miss.
As a fan of the art form of Haiku, I loved this How to Write a Haiku Infographic published at tweetspeakpoetry.com. Dynamite, I tell ya!
25 Expressions You Should Have in Your Vocabulary. Erlebnisse? Meliorism? Here, let me try one: “Living in Germany created a fernweh in my heart, mind and soul that can only be satisfied with more of the same.” A list of words that describe things you’d love to describe in fewer words. Educational and fascinating.
I Have a Problem. Do you use a coffee shop/cafe/bakery as an office? An honest response by a local owner. I kinda love ’em.
5 reasons why young people are seeking old ways of doing church. Interesting and something I’ve observed under my own roof. I’ve wondered “why?” and this piece speaks to a few reasons.
Find out what your name would be if you were born today. Robin was the 25th most popular name in 1963; today it’s 745th on the list. If I were born today, Lillian apparently would be my name. Surprising to see this on Time’s website.
The Irresistible Revolution – Living as an Ordinary Radical. I read this book 10 years ago, on a family trip to Disney World. Talk about God-awful timing–the book rattled my bones and my heart and my soul while I walked around one of the most materialistic places on the universe. A decade later Shane Claiborne’s words are still haunting me, things like “I had come to see that the great tragedy of the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.” Oy…it hurts, doesn’t it? Read it, definitely, weep, perhaps, but then let it accomplish a work in you to DO something important.
Why a pool party fight in Texas can help us all consider who we call ‘my people’. A friend of mine had a powerful piece in the Washington Post this week; Deidra Riggs is someone you need to be following.
If you’re a creative (and I believe everyone is) who has been discouraged, Ira Glass has a strong word of encouragement for you. Take one minute to change the way you see your gifts and calling.
I loved Jennifer Dukes Lee’s, The Principle of Good Enough. She’s smart and articulate but her warm humor and transparency make her incredibly approachable. If you have perfectionistic tendencies, this one’s for you.
Your turn:
DO share something you’ve written or read recently–
I’d love to see your recommendations!
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Fun! And if you ever feel like exploring other poetry forms besides haiku, check out the right sidebar at Tweetspeak and scroll down to “Learn to Write Form Poems” (for the article plus infographic) and down a bit further to “Featured Infographics.” 🙂
Ahhh, yes, Monica! Great to include that little extra about Tweetspeak :). Thank you. Also? Once, when I was writing a little more poetry, I invented a new form. True story. It didn’t catch on, but I loved it :).
Books and other things I have read/written… Well the World Magazine Annual Book Issue for 2015 is out and there is too much for me to even begin to choose something to recommend. I do recommend reading it… on line or on paper as you wish. I wish I had kept every old issue of it because it makes a great reading list. Also, things that I keep reading over and over because they are really making sense right now are… The Art of Work by Jeff Goins which is a recent release or anyone looking for purpose and direction (at any stage of life… I gave it to a friend who turned 60 and to her children and to my children ranging in age from 17 to 24)…Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara (from which the movie was made and Gettysburg from another Shaara novel)… every year I read books from the early history of the US to the present… usually war related novels because they tell a lot about a people and the times and biographies of several of the people involved…I love Stonewall Jackson as he is portrayed in the book and movie… being a Northerner (I refuse to call myself a Yankee as I am a Red Sox fan)… we really did not know much about the Civil War. Our country as a whole does a real disservice because it dose not teach us true history or any history in many schools. I also watch Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers and Schindler’s List every year to remind myself how precious our freedoms are, how we cannot allow ourselves to continue in the direction we are headed, and what can happen when chaos reigns and people depend too much on the government which then begins to control them and to do things that are not only immoral, but abhorrent and unimaginable… think Ancient Rome… Berlin in the 1930’s… God can be our only true leader… (also the books of the above where available… always better than the movie)… Jesus Calling by Sarah Young… just a taste of what we need to dive deeply into every day… Thirty One Days of Prayer for the Dreamer and the Doer by Jenn Sprinkle and Kelly Rucker (and friends) after the Art of Work… it is exactly what I needed… and finally, for now… One Thousand Gifts… over and over again… by Ann Voskamp. Keeping my own gift list and soaking in her words from the book and her blog/newsletter… helps you to live with grace in the real world. I also loved Jennifer Dukes Lee’s piece on The Principle of Good Enough. And there is a great Peach Cobbler recipe on The Chew website from last week !!!