Evening Magic Podcast
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I’ve always wanted to chat with Robert McCready since I met him on X. I finally got to as a guest on his podcast Evening Magic.
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Five Faith-filled Books for Under the Tree
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Perhaps because I write for Christian publications or perhaps it is because I have a million books of my own, people are often asking me for Christian book recommendations for children.
These are some of my favorites. I have picked up a few for my favorite little people and I hope you will too.
Read MoreThe Scandal of Reading Podcast
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Honored to talk to Jessica Hooten Wilson on The Scandal of Reading Podcast. We spoke about joy and Christian Wiman's collection of Joy Poetry. I would have talked to Jessica if no one listens to this podcast. She is that special of a woman.
Read MorePerformance Anxiety Podcast
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Pleased to share this conversation I had with Marc Shea of Performance Anxiety Podcast. We chat about writing, God, being included in Pope Francis’ Sharing the Wisdom of Time by Loyola Press, staying at monasteries and an Abbot’s questions about the Night Stalker, happiness vs joy, depression and my fear of capybaras. Basically, just a regular conversation with me.
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Waiting in Liminal Space
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Liminal space, a place of transition, is the moment in time caught between then and now, the past and the not yet. These places can make you feel uncomfortable, like airports or waiting rooms. Or, as an engaged couple or a pregnant woman, they remind you that you are not who you have been and neither are you who you will become.
Read MoreThe Annunciation
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The splash of paint begins to take form and I make out wings. No, this is not an abstract painting or ink blot test. I am standing before an angel.
Read MoreAttuning to God's Voice Within
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Among the many questions that surface is, “How will I know which voice is God?” This is not an easy question to answer.
Read MoreReview: Katy Carl's Fragile Objects
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It has been a while since I read a collection of short stories as captivating as Fragile Objects by Katy Carl.
Read MoreReview: Jody L. Collins Mining the Bright Birds: Poems of Longing for Home.
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In Mining the Bright Birds: Poems of Longing for Home, Jody L. Collins invites the reader into a moment, a minute of quotidian life, to witness. These poems reflect both in outward revelation of God’s glory in creation but also inward, the secret space within a heart attuned to His love.
Read MoreAndrew Wyeth's Snow Hill and the Subjects of Art
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At first glance, it’s a peculiar scene: a maypole in the middle of winter.
Read MoreZoom: Poetry of Faith and Doubt
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Like David called out to the Lord in Psalms, so too, modern psalmists wrestle with doubt and faith in the language of poetry. From Pádraig Ó Tuama’s popular podcast Poetry Unbound to Douglas Murray’s weekend poetry reflection Things Worth Remembering for The Free Press, there has been a resurgence in finding meaning and solace through the doorway of poetry. Spend three luscious hours reading and discussing 20th and 21st century poetry and how these words can hold us as we struggle with faith and doubt.
Read MoreFirst Art Love: Van Gogh's Mulberry Tree
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I don’t think any of us had grown up feeling like art was something we could approach. Graffiti, silkscreen and maybe Disney were for the likes of us. But the stuff in museums, that was for kids in John Hughes movies or people who lived in New York. Not us.
Read MoreA Luminous Invitation: On the transformational art of Barbara Earl Thomas
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There is an audible gasp as each person walks into the room. Conversations started are now cut off. Footsteps soften. Although it is not a church, there is a sense of reverence in this space. In this room there is sanctuary.
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My Daily Walk with a Person for Others
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One morning, when I returned to my car after my workout, the parking attendant told me he was taking a walk in his neighborhood and saw a building with James’s name on it. “Is it our James?” he asked. Yes, it is. I told him a story James told me long ago. He was an alcoholic, made a mess out of everything, and found himself in prison, at rock bottom. It was there in prison, as he got clean, that he could hear God’s voice more clearly. He knew he was loved by God, and he wanted others to know that love.
Read MoreMy Name is Shemaiah
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Rhymes with papaya. This is what I tell strangers when they ask how to pronounce my name. I know my name is different. It is difficult to remember. I tell people that it does not hurt my feelings if you ask for the 2nd, 10th or 100th time.
Read MoreDisappointing Photo
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I cringe now even thinking of it. Even the seconds after I asked, I cringed inside. Because how could I have cheapened the moment like that?
I was really excited to meet him. I wanted to share the moment online and with a friend who respects him too.
And snap.
I ruined it all.
Read MoreSubscribe to Undaunted Joy
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Thank you to all the support I have received lately. Consider supporting me with a free or paid subscription to my Substack, Undaunted Joy, where I explore Christ's presence through Joy in the world--and ultimately how Joy is an act of Defiance in the face of evil. Paid Subscriptions pay my bills.
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