by Kate
Happy Fall! And by fall I mean we skipped fall here in the Midwest, and it feels like winter already, but I know it's only going to get worse (thanks February) so - happy fall! Here are some links, videos, thoughts, and randomness that caught my eye over the past few months. Enjoy!
Heart-Warming
As the holiday season gears up I've been thinking again about the sadness of giving up shopping...there are so many wonderful holiday markets and bazaars happening in town these days and I just can't get motivated to go when I know I won't buy anything. 😞 But this article about the "Life-Changing Magic of Making-Do" helped me regain some perspective and also helped me see some of my own belongings in a new light. Similarly, this article on gratitude was a good reminder about finding contentment in my own life.
Peace Lutheran Church "staved off death by taking 'love thy neighbor' to a radical extreme." (I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING)
In this new world that loves to love Mister Rogers - this article about Mister Rogers' anti-consumerist stance from author D.L. Mayfield made me stand up and cheer.
Over on the Frugalwoods blog, Mrs. Frugalwoods details her own personal approach to spending her values - it's always helpful to hear someone articulate their values and priorities.
Craziness
This woman saved $100,000 before she was 25. Yes, she's a little bit crazy and a lot big on hustle. And yes, her attitude to life and money is fascinating.
This woman is an "extreme minimalist." I would never ever want to live like her, but I am also completed fascinated that she decided to live this way - and her viewpoint helps me explore my own lifestyle boundaries and think outside the box. Her voice is mesmerizing and her cat definitely has more stuff than she does.
And then there is this hilariously deadpan woman who is also an extreme minimalist. Again, not my speed - but I found her video on "self-discipline with minimal effort" to be fantastic.
[If you are interested in much less crazy and more welcoming minimalism, then I highly recommend the following blogs:]
Nourishing Minimalism (particularly the home tours)
Miss Minimalist (she doesn't write much any more, but her series on Real-Life Minimalists is great)
Advent Resources
We're already a week into Advent but I'm just now getting around to paying attention to this season of the church year (thanks really late Thanksgiving!). I loved this short promo video from The Work of the People about the meaning of Advent to get me focused on the season. I am also interested to start following the Advent Word Global Advent Calendar this year - with bite-size meditations on a different word each day (offered in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and ASL!).
Best Books of Fall
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown.
Brown is a new voice in American evangelicalism and she has entered with strength, vulnerability, and passion. She is an excellent writer and speaker and her first book is an absolute gift. As a white person, it's my own job to interrogate my own underlying biases about race and racism, and Brown's book is a fantastic place to start learning thinking about the legacy of racism in the church. She has a particularly valuable perspective on the real-life expressions of diversity in evangelical non-profits. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Brown also recently started a video web series called "The Next Question," that imagines "how expansive racial justice can be." The guests in the first season (Nikole Hannah-Jones! Brene Brown! Jasmine Guillory!) are particularly intriguing.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Acevedo is a slam poet and I highly recommend listening to this one on audiobook. I'm not a big fan of the YA coming-of-age genre and I had little in common with Xiomara, the main character. And yet - I was completely immersed in Xiomara's exploration of life, faith, family, giftedness, and the spoken word.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
A quick, delightful, and fun little story about the Queen of England discovering a love of reading late in life. A perfect book for a blustery afternoon.
What have you been reading, thinking about, discovering, or being delighted in this fall?