Hi my darlings! I have found a spiritual director, who is great, and also practices Lectio Divina, amongst other contemplative forms of spiritual formation, and she worked through Psalm 62 with me, while I just silently cried, as is my way of connecting with the Divine, and I went in like “oh no when we get to the part where I ask God what God is trying to say to me, I BET it’s gonna be ‘get off Twitter for the summer’” and, of course, it was.
But God did NOT tell me to stop newslettering, so things here will stay just as they have been, except definitely send me things you write/loved, bc I may miss them, not being on Twitter.
Hey Nicole, hey everyone! First time commenting here, I think. Just wanted to share that after years of feeling a need for *something* and not knowing what exactly it was...I sort of got a calling these past months that made it so clear. Sooo....yesterday I made an appointment to go through the first steps of the admissions process to get a masters in clinical psychology. I want to be a (great) therapist! Please pray for me, send good vibes, or wish me luck. 🙏🏼🙌🏼🍀
I am just in terrible debt and I get sooooo frustrated with myself because I suck at managing money even though I'm very competent in most other ways. SO this week I actually took some steps to restructuring what I owe so I can actually pay things off and I have felt so much lighter since then. I hope everyone can do something that makes them feel lighter this weekend :-)
I just took my first dose of an SSRI, sertraline, last night! I am very, very excited. Not looking forward to the first few weeks of side effects, especially since I'm going on vacation in a week, but I sat with my boyfriend last night and talked, really talked, about what this will do for me and us and we both cried and it was so lovely.
Can I just say how much I appreciate your newsletter? I have been off twitter for some months now thanks mostly to the in-progress master's degree, and also working full time, and just overall realizing that I needed to read more books instead of tweets for my general sanity, but your tweets were always my favorite part and I am so glad to keep experiencing your general wonderfulness. :)
I bought a new car on Wednesday and feel very proud. I did follow Nicole's car buying advice somewhat, which made the process much less stressful. When I went to the dealership to pick it up and sign the paperwork, one person commented on how impressed they were that I was in and out so quickly. Total face to face interaction time: under 90 minutes between 3 different people. I love my car and will be joy riding all weekend, windows down and music up!
Frankly, I'm selfishly relieved that you're off twitter, since I am edging toward a permanent separation with that platform but I really need that Gold Nicole Content.
Everyone on this thread is so kind and amazing, it made me want to pop in my own comment.
I just got the most glowing job performance of my career, from the best manager I've ever had -- but the company is refusing to give me a raise (even cost-of-living) for the 3rd year in a row, and also refusing to hire the help that they promised to hire.
I (and my team) have spent the past year working overwhelming hours, with an unsustainable work load. We're about to lose one agent on the team to retirement, and they're now refusing to replace her, which means it is going to get worse, not better. I've reached burn out.
So I'm officially looking for a new job.
I'm a Travel Agent, with 8 years experience, working with both corporate and luxury travelers - and I'm great at what I do. If anyone knows of any company that has a position even vaguely travel related, please post it so I can put in an application!
Happy Friday! We’ve been wrestling with the idea of another baby for a few months now, so finally I was like “hey God, should we have another kid.” And God said “here’s a job for your husband where he can travel way less and work from home, go forth and make babies”
Did anyone else read the Care and Feeding about the mom who's husband told her she was neglecting her two year old because she was spending too much time taking care of her new one month old baby? Rumaan had a really compassionate response, but as a mom of a 4 month old and three year old I was FUMING. My immediate response was "Girl, you need to put that man on the street because he is GARBAGE". Like, I'm still mad for that woman.
I wasn't going to mention skincare but then Preston did so I just wanted to brag that today my boyfriend referred to camellia oil as "magic" and he also said CosRx Blackhead Power Liquid helps his face heal a lot faster and his skin is much softer and I know it's a very minimal skincare regimen but so was his last one (of using ivory soap on a damn DISH BRUSH to scour the skin off his face and MAYBE put a little coconut oil on it) and I feel I have made a measurable contribution to his quality of life. Maybe one day we'll get to sunscreen! Who knows!
I went to a group (which is now a podcast) where we practiced reading secular texts (cough*Harry Potter) as if they were sacred texts to see what they could give to us if we put that kind of attention to them. Lectio Divina is my faaaaavorite and I highly recommend everyone try it with whatever your favorite book is! My favorite method is to randomly flip to a page, put my finger down, and choose a nearby sentence to work through the four stages with.
I'm off Twitter myself (less God reasons, more explosive friendship breakup reasons that were definitely, looking back, engineered by God) and I have found it has really helped me be more.. I hate to say present, because that word is used a lot and rather pretentiously, but I really do feel like I live more fully in the world now instead of screaming in horror at everything.
Also THANK YOU NICOLE FOR RECOMMENDING SCHITT'S CREEK. Mr Livi and I love it.
Nicole, would you be willing to share how you found your spiritual director? I've felt this pull myself, but everything I've read online is very unhelpful practically about finding the right person. Would love your insights! :)
Yesterday I got two "suspicious" moles taken off my back. Throughout August I'll have 5 more taken off the rest of my body. Good vibes appreciated that they're all benign! I'm blonde and pale as winter snow, so my actual sun damage levels are quite low, but just in case, I've decided that the only swimming I'm going to do this summer is in a vat of sunscreen.
double-dipping. I think I may just refresh this page for an hour or so as a respite from an avalanche of bureaucratic misfires. And it's a healthy Twitter alternative.
My brain and I have finally reached an agreement where I’m allowed to work on writing a book??? And I’m trying to hold myself accountable to at least 1000 words a day! It’s exciting and also terrifying as even though I love writing, I’ve always been embarrassed or weirded out about letting myself think of....myself as a writer. Anyway. Celebrating this today!
Nicole, although I'll miss your tweets and the community they inspire, I should follow your example on Twitter. What demoralizes me is that apparently I've been cancelled and no one's told me. It feels like a popularity contest which, as an autist who doesn't socialize gracefully at all, I will inevitably lose. That being said, given that corporate behemoths hate RSS, I get a lot of critical lefty news and local event updates from Twitter that I used to get from Google Reader. So it's impractical to leave. People like my posts better on Instagram and Mastodon, so maybe I'll save my posting energy for those sites.
Good vibes requested: I am forming an LLC, applying for trademark protection, buying domains, all for a writing business that may or may not prosper. I'm also sending out my first "you should hire me" email today.
After those vents/complaints, please do enjoy this brief video of a Brazilian-style banda (dance and drum corps) at last night's humongous abortion rights march in Santiago. Chilean organizers know how to get people out on the streets. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RYpUVmMkerFbv3L59
I find myself visiting twitter less and less simply because of your newsletter! It usually has the highlights of my corner of the Internet! So...thank you!
Hi! It's my birthday weekend so for once I'm able to participate in the Friday chat as I've taken a long weekend to celebrate me. Mostly so far that has involved sleeping in, hanging with my cat, and doing laundry. The glamour never stops! Anyway, I very much enjoy this newsletter and community and appreciate it very much. Thanks, Nicole, for creating this space.
Heading out of town to spend time with college roommates and celebrate two dear friends getting married! Hoping the weather holds out as it is outdoors!
Also, I will soon have a surgical consult appointment so I can get a bagel sized uterine fibroid out of my body and I am so excited!!! From reading about it it looks like things will be less than ideal while I'm healing (strong chance of spotting and more irregular bleeding for a month or so (i'm so tired of bleeding) and general abdominal healing) but I cannot wait to be on the other side of it!
Very happy for you! I will say that I was forced to stay off Twitter for a few weeks due to a concussion, and it was kind of amazing. So I’m sure it will be great!
Outside of that, I am getting a PUPPY tomorrow and I am EXCITED. How does one sign up to become a featured pet???
i finished another chapter of my novel second draft yesterday! i think i'll have it in submit-to-agents form before the end of the year and i'm excited/scared.
I also have gotten off Twitter, and I don't know about being closer to God, but it has brought so much peace to my life that I honestly didn't know that I was missing. I didn't know how much Twitter was messing with my general headspace until suddenly... it wasn't. I hope you find a similar feeling of "Oh. OH. Yeah, this is a lot better now."
Ugh ive been job hunting for 3 months and hundreds of jobs. Everything is so locked up where I live and very competitive. I just want there to be a day where I don't have to apply to a new job! So if anybody knows of a remote marketing/editing/writing full-time llama groomer or whatever job that has healthcare please just give it to me. I'm so very tired 😆 or give me Jedi hugs or something. I'm sooo over it all.
Today is my work bff's last day and I'm happy for her because her new job is way closer to home for her and our company was recently restructured in a way that left her in a really bad position. She was looking even before that but it really was good timing that she found something not long after So it's exciting for her but it'll be sad for a bunch of us who are in a few groups like book club together. Plus she was my go to for "I was never introduced to anyone when I started over a year ago so I still don't know who some important people are who is that" because she always seems to know everyone and everything going on.
Lectio Divina is one of the sacred reading practices they use on the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and it's always seemed very lovely. Hope your summer off Twitter goes well!
I know that too much Twitter is probably not great for my mental health, but I can't quite pull myself away from the ambient community and/or flow of distraction and micro-validations. But the other day I managed to get into a coding flow state that kept me off Twitter all day, and I'm still feeling the afterglow.
Oh, your reference to Lectio Divina (such a beautiful way to interpret scripture) gave me the opportunity to think about Origen of Alexandra. I’ve long been fascinated with him, and not just the story of his alleged castration—but the theory that he wanted to be castrated in order to be seen as a more trustworthy tutor for women is almost refreshing.
I think this will be an excellent reset for you! I'm off FB (although I <3 U, Twitter) and my brain feels much less anxious and cluttered without everyone else's opinions in there. Plus, think of all the time you'll now have for more divine pursuits!
Can I ask for a prayer request? My best friend is having a absolutely difficult time right now parenting. Her 8 year old is having mental health issues that are manifesting in dangerous behavior (being violent to her mom, jumping out of cars that are moving and so on). She was in all day outpatient therapy and received a diagnosis that doesn't seem quite right to my friend and they're getting a second opinion and have moved to do therapy somewhere closer (the previous place was an hour away, so driving that 4 days a week roundtrip in the traffic of a major city was horrific). Both my friend and her beloved daughter need so much love and support right now and I live on the other side of the country. I love them so much and I'm worried for their safety and am praying they receive all the help they need. In addition my friend's mom died two years ago and she has a difficult relationship with her dad. So no mom to help her through this. My own mom lives close and has been helping, but losing her mom suddenly was a terrible blow. Good thoughts and energy and prayers are all appreciated!
I just handed off a humongous and annoying work project that has been on my back for a month! I also get to start a new project on Monday that is completely in my wheelhouse and an Important Thing and I am going to drink SO MUCH WINE tonight.
Ooh, congratulations on connecting with your spiritual advisor! You sound thrilled and I am thrilled for you. I'll miss you on Twitter but am thankful you're still doing the lovely newsletter and comments!
I'm a Quaker (I found Quakerism in college/as an adult after growing up in a non-religious household) and one of my favorite books is a book called 'Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity' by Catherine Whitmire. It is deep and full of light and lovely. It is quotes gathered by topic and I've found it wonderful to slowly work through the quotes, especially on a theme that feels particularly relevant right now (sample topics include inward simplicity; integrity; money and resources; parenting and mentoring; humor, joy, and gratitude; despair; everyday mysticism, and decision-making.)
I realize you're starting your Lectio Divina practice with, you know, the Bible, but recommend this as an additional book I think you'd love!
Here's one of my favorite quotes I found in this book:
"In prayer, the seeds of concern have a way of appearing. Often enough, a concern beings in a feeling of being personally liable, personally responsible, for someone or some event. With it there may come an intimation that one should do some little thing: speak to some person, send some money, send a book...But this seed is given to us to follow, and if we do not follow it, we cannot expect to see what may grow from it. Seeds, not fruit, are given in prayer, but they are given for planting." -- Douglas Steere, 1962
I’m loving all the talk of spiritual directors! My grandmother went through a program to become one about 5 years ago now, and it was such a great experience for her! I got to go to her graduation from her program and it was so warm and wonderful and so I always think of her when people are talking about them. I wish I could send everyone to her because she is just the best.
Oh hey, I abandoned ship there after Lectio, too. One of my favorite things about Spiritual Direction, like (but not the same as, because everybody ought go to both) clinical counseling, is how often you already know "the good you ought to do" even before you arrive at it. A space of confirmation, not conference.
I don't know what the fuck I am doing when it comes to skin care. I'm emailing you.
I just started a new job to tide me over before I graduate and it is going well so far! I read when there’s no customers and I’ve finished 2.5 books in the last three days! It’s actually been pretty nice to get out of a loud, tension-filled house with 6 roommates. Right now, I’m reading Longbourn, a spin off of Pride and Prejudice from the perspectives of the servants and I’m enjoying it thus far.
Also, all this talk about going off of Twitter is making me consider a hiatus. I’ve been off of Instagram for about a month now, since it took up too much brain space, but it might be a good idea to get off of Twitter as well!
Hey Nicole, hey everyone! First time commenting here, I think. Just wanted to share that after years of feeling a need for *something* and not knowing what exactly it was...I sort of got a calling these past months that made it so clear. Sooo....yesterday I made an appointment to go through the first steps of the admissions process to get a masters in clinical psychology. I want to be a (great) therapist! Please pray for me, send good vibes, or wish me luck. 🙏🏼🙌🏼🍀
I am just in terrible debt and I get sooooo frustrated with myself because I suck at managing money even though I'm very competent in most other ways. SO this week I actually took some steps to restructuring what I owe so I can actually pay things off and I have felt so much lighter since then. I hope everyone can do something that makes them feel lighter this weekend :-)
I just took my first dose of an SSRI, sertraline, last night! I am very, very excited. Not looking forward to the first few weeks of side effects, especially since I'm going on vacation in a week, but I sat with my boyfriend last night and talked, really talked, about what this will do for me and us and we both cried and it was so lovely.
Can I just say how much I appreciate your newsletter? I have been off twitter for some months now thanks mostly to the in-progress master's degree, and also working full time, and just overall realizing that I needed to read more books instead of tweets for my general sanity, but your tweets were always my favorite part and I am so glad to keep experiencing your general wonderfulness. :)
I bought a new car on Wednesday and feel very proud. I did follow Nicole's car buying advice somewhat, which made the process much less stressful. When I went to the dealership to pick it up and sign the paperwork, one person commented on how impressed they were that I was in and out so quickly. Total face to face interaction time: under 90 minutes between 3 different people. I love my car and will be joy riding all weekend, windows down and music up!
Frankly, I'm selfishly relieved that you're off twitter, since I am edging toward a permanent separation with that platform but I really need that Gold Nicole Content.
Everyone on this thread is so kind and amazing, it made me want to pop in my own comment.
I just got the most glowing job performance of my career, from the best manager I've ever had -- but the company is refusing to give me a raise (even cost-of-living) for the 3rd year in a row, and also refusing to hire the help that they promised to hire.
I (and my team) have spent the past year working overwhelming hours, with an unsustainable work load. We're about to lose one agent on the team to retirement, and they're now refusing to replace her, which means it is going to get worse, not better. I've reached burn out.
So I'm officially looking for a new job.
I'm a Travel Agent, with 8 years experience, working with both corporate and luxury travelers - and I'm great at what I do. If anyone knows of any company that has a position even vaguely travel related, please post it so I can put in an application!
Happy Friday! We’ve been wrestling with the idea of another baby for a few months now, so finally I was like “hey God, should we have another kid.” And God said “here’s a job for your husband where he can travel way less and work from home, go forth and make babies”
So here we are, workin’ on kid 3!
Nicole, please tell me you saw the BIGGER THAN BEFORE blue egg before you logged off twitter.
Did anyone else read the Care and Feeding about the mom who's husband told her she was neglecting her two year old because she was spending too much time taking care of her new one month old baby? Rumaan had a really compassionate response, but as a mom of a 4 month old and three year old I was FUMING. My immediate response was "Girl, you need to put that man on the street because he is GARBAGE". Like, I'm still mad for that woman.
I wasn't going to mention skincare but then Preston did so I just wanted to brag that today my boyfriend referred to camellia oil as "magic" and he also said CosRx Blackhead Power Liquid helps his face heal a lot faster and his skin is much softer and I know it's a very minimal skincare regimen but so was his last one (of using ivory soap on a damn DISH BRUSH to scour the skin off his face and MAYBE put a little coconut oil on it) and I feel I have made a measurable contribution to his quality of life. Maybe one day we'll get to sunscreen! Who knows!
Lectio divina is a great band name
I went to a group (which is now a podcast) where we practiced reading secular texts (cough*Harry Potter) as if they were sacred texts to see what they could give to us if we put that kind of attention to them. Lectio Divina is my faaaaavorite and I highly recommend everyone try it with whatever your favorite book is! My favorite method is to randomly flip to a page, put my finger down, and choose a nearby sentence to work through the four stages with.
I'm off Twitter myself (less God reasons, more explosive friendship breakup reasons that were definitely, looking back, engineered by God) and I have found it has really helped me be more.. I hate to say present, because that word is used a lot and rather pretentiously, but I really do feel like I live more fully in the world now instead of screaming in horror at everything.
Also THANK YOU NICOLE FOR RECOMMENDING SCHITT'S CREEK. Mr Livi and I love it.
Nicole I am so glad you found Marianne!!
Nicole, would you be willing to share how you found your spiritual director? I've felt this pull myself, but everything I've read online is very unhelpful practically about finding the right person. Would love your insights! :)
Yesterday I got two "suspicious" moles taken off my back. Throughout August I'll have 5 more taken off the rest of my body. Good vibes appreciated that they're all benign! I'm blonde and pale as winter snow, so my actual sun damage levels are quite low, but just in case, I've decided that the only swimming I'm going to do this summer is in a vat of sunscreen.
double-dipping. I think I may just refresh this page for an hour or so as a respite from an avalanche of bureaucratic misfires. And it's a healthy Twitter alternative.
I wish I could be away from twitter, but unfortunately it is my mainline to my queer and trans friends, and so I shall stay.
Nicole, I read the complete collection of Alistair MacLeod's short stories and it was HOLY SHIT good. Thanks so much for the rec.
My brain and I have finally reached an agreement where I’m allowed to work on writing a book??? And I’m trying to hold myself accountable to at least 1000 words a day! It’s exciting and also terrifying as even though I love writing, I’ve always been embarrassed or weirded out about letting myself think of....myself as a writer. Anyway. Celebrating this today!
I think so many people just do not understand that God actually WANTS to interact with us. I need to get still today with a psalm or something myself.
Psalm 62 is powerful stuff.
Nicole, although I'll miss your tweets and the community they inspire, I should follow your example on Twitter. What demoralizes me is that apparently I've been cancelled and no one's told me. It feels like a popularity contest which, as an autist who doesn't socialize gracefully at all, I will inevitably lose. That being said, given that corporate behemoths hate RSS, I get a lot of critical lefty news and local event updates from Twitter that I used to get from Google Reader. So it's impractical to leave. People like my posts better on Instagram and Mastodon, so maybe I'll save my posting energy for those sites.
Good vibes requested: I am forming an LLC, applying for trademark protection, buying domains, all for a writing business that may or may not prosper. I'm also sending out my first "you should hire me" email today.
After those vents/complaints, please do enjoy this brief video of a Brazilian-style banda (dance and drum corps) at last night's humongous abortion rights march in Santiago. Chilean organizers know how to get people out on the streets. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RYpUVmMkerFbv3L59
I find myself visiting twitter less and less simply because of your newsletter! It usually has the highlights of my corner of the Internet! So...thank you!
Hi! It's my birthday weekend so for once I'm able to participate in the Friday chat as I've taken a long weekend to celebrate me. Mostly so far that has involved sleeping in, hanging with my cat, and doing laundry. The glamour never stops! Anyway, I very much enjoy this newsletter and community and appreciate it very much. Thanks, Nicole, for creating this space.
Heading out of town to spend time with college roommates and celebrate two dear friends getting married! Hoping the weather holds out as it is outdoors!
Also, I will soon have a surgical consult appointment so I can get a bagel sized uterine fibroid out of my body and I am so excited!!! From reading about it it looks like things will be less than ideal while I'm healing (strong chance of spotting and more irregular bleeding for a month or so (i'm so tired of bleeding) and general abdominal healing) but I cannot wait to be on the other side of it!
Very happy for you! I will say that I was forced to stay off Twitter for a few weeks due to a concussion, and it was kind of amazing. So I’m sure it will be great!
Outside of that, I am getting a PUPPY tomorrow and I am EXCITED. How does one sign up to become a featured pet???
I uh think I'm going to church for the first time as an adult this Sunday and am slightly panicky? Please send good vibes/thoughts/prayers
i finished another chapter of my novel second draft yesterday! i think i'll have it in submit-to-agents form before the end of the year and i'm excited/scared.
Planning a weekend getaway with just me and the baby to Vermont.... and it's set to rain all weekend. Which will still be nice, right?
I also have gotten off Twitter, and I don't know about being closer to God, but it has brought so much peace to my life that I honestly didn't know that I was missing. I didn't know how much Twitter was messing with my general headspace until suddenly... it wasn't. I hope you find a similar feeling of "Oh. OH. Yeah, this is a lot better now."
You guys, Big Mouth just got three more seasons.
PLEASE PLEASE NICOLE CAN WE PLEASE GET A COPY OF THE CHILD LOVE LETTER POST CARD PLEASE PLEASE
Ugh ive been job hunting for 3 months and hundreds of jobs. Everything is so locked up where I live and very competitive. I just want there to be a day where I don't have to apply to a new job! So if anybody knows of a remote marketing/editing/writing full-time llama groomer or whatever job that has healthcare please just give it to me. I'm so very tired 😆 or give me Jedi hugs or something. I'm sooo over it all.
Today is my work bff's last day and I'm happy for her because her new job is way closer to home for her and our company was recently restructured in a way that left her in a really bad position. She was looking even before that but it really was good timing that she found something not long after So it's exciting for her but it'll be sad for a bunch of us who are in a few groups like book club together. Plus she was my go to for "I was never introduced to anyone when I started over a year ago so I still don't know who some important people are who is that" because she always seems to know everyone and everything going on.
Lectio Divina is one of the sacred reading practices they use on the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and it's always seemed very lovely. Hope your summer off Twitter goes well!
I know that too much Twitter is probably not great for my mental health, but I can't quite pull myself away from the ambient community and/or flow of distraction and micro-validations. But the other day I managed to get into a coding flow state that kept me off Twitter all day, and I'm still feeling the afterglow.
Oh, your reference to Lectio Divina (such a beautiful way to interpret scripture) gave me the opportunity to think about Origen of Alexandra. I’ve long been fascinated with him, and not just the story of his alleged castration—but the theory that he wanted to be castrated in order to be seen as a more trustworthy tutor for women is almost refreshing.
How can you tell what God is trying to say to you? How do you feel it?
If anyone is interested in Learned League (online trivia thingy) I have a referral for the next season, which starts at the end of August.
I think this will be an excellent reset for you! I'm off FB (although I <3 U, Twitter) and my brain feels much less anxious and cluttered without everyone else's opinions in there. Plus, think of all the time you'll now have for more divine pursuits!
Armie Hammer trending the day after you leave twitter is almost definitely a test from the Lord.
Can I ask for a prayer request? My best friend is having a absolutely difficult time right now parenting. Her 8 year old is having mental health issues that are manifesting in dangerous behavior (being violent to her mom, jumping out of cars that are moving and so on). She was in all day outpatient therapy and received a diagnosis that doesn't seem quite right to my friend and they're getting a second opinion and have moved to do therapy somewhere closer (the previous place was an hour away, so driving that 4 days a week roundtrip in the traffic of a major city was horrific). Both my friend and her beloved daughter need so much love and support right now and I live on the other side of the country. I love them so much and I'm worried for their safety and am praying they receive all the help they need. In addition my friend's mom died two years ago and she has a difficult relationship with her dad. So no mom to help her through this. My own mom lives close and has been helping, but losing her mom suddenly was a terrible blow. Good thoughts and energy and prayers are all appreciated!
I just handed off a humongous and annoying work project that has been on my back for a month! I also get to start a new project on Monday that is completely in my wheelhouse and an Important Thing and I am going to drink SO MUCH WINE tonight.
What's everyone celebrating?
Ooh, congratulations on connecting with your spiritual advisor! You sound thrilled and I am thrilled for you. I'll miss you on Twitter but am thankful you're still doing the lovely newsletter and comments!
I'm a Quaker (I found Quakerism in college/as an adult after growing up in a non-religious household) and one of my favorite books is a book called 'Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity' by Catherine Whitmire. It is deep and full of light and lovely. It is quotes gathered by topic and I've found it wonderful to slowly work through the quotes, especially on a theme that feels particularly relevant right now (sample topics include inward simplicity; integrity; money and resources; parenting and mentoring; humor, joy, and gratitude; despair; everyday mysticism, and decision-making.)
I realize you're starting your Lectio Divina practice with, you know, the Bible, but recommend this as an additional book I think you'd love!
Here's one of my favorite quotes I found in this book:
"In prayer, the seeds of concern have a way of appearing. Often enough, a concern beings in a feeling of being personally liable, personally responsible, for someone or some event. With it there may come an intimation that one should do some little thing: speak to some person, send some money, send a book...But this seed is given to us to follow, and if we do not follow it, we cannot expect to see what may grow from it. Seeds, not fruit, are given in prayer, but they are given for planting." -- Douglas Steere, 1962
I mean, boom.
so what you're saying is that now I have to email you cat pictures instead of waiting for you to like them
I’m loving all the talk of spiritual directors! My grandmother went through a program to become one about 5 years ago now, and it was such a great experience for her! I got to go to her graduation from her program and it was so warm and wonderful and so I always think of her when people are talking about them. I wish I could send everyone to her because she is just the best.
Oh hey, I abandoned ship there after Lectio, too. One of my favorite things about Spiritual Direction, like (but not the same as, because everybody ought go to both) clinical counseling, is how often you already know "the good you ought to do" even before you arrive at it. A space of confirmation, not conference.
I don't know what the fuck I am doing when it comes to skin care. I'm emailing you.
I just started a new job to tide me over before I graduate and it is going well so far! I read when there’s no customers and I’ve finished 2.5 books in the last three days! It’s actually been pretty nice to get out of a loud, tension-filled house with 6 roommates. Right now, I’m reading Longbourn, a spin off of Pride and Prejudice from the perspectives of the servants and I’m enjoying it thus far.
Also, all this talk about going off of Twitter is making me consider a hiatus. I’ve been off of Instagram for about a month now, since it took up too much brain space, but it might be a good idea to get off of Twitter as well!