OMG, JEFF GOINS FOLLOWED ME ON TWITTER.
(It’s the little things.)
Also – I am (finally!!) no longer unemployed! I started training this week for a job as a virtual assistant, and so far it’s been really fun. There’s a lot to learn, but the challenge is part of the fun in it for me. Best part: no commute, and time to write in the evenings. 🙂
I took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and submitted an article to an online magazine. I’ve been checking on its status almost daily, and it still says “in-progress.” Oh, the waiting!!
Love, love, love this article that a friend of mine shared on Facebook this week. Crazy-long title: I Got Hurt By Christians: Here’s Why I Didn’t Give Up On The Church And You Shouldn’t Either – but Erica Willis has it exactly right when she wraps up her article this way:
We are the scarred, the hurting, the mistake-makers, the ones who gather together in a unified symphony of second-chances and try-agains. We are the problem and we are the solution.
We are the church.
Indeed. If you’ve ever experienced “church hurt” of any sort, this article shares some good perspective.
Also worth your time: a post from Kathy Escobar on what we’re for. It’s almost become the norm to have an opinion about everything and to share it publicly – and as Kathy points out, there’s definitely a place for having an honest opinion and discussing it. But what if we were less quick to judge and more quick to focus on the positives? The church is always going to get things wrong, because she’s comprised of people, and we get things wrong. But we get a lot right, too. Kathy’s list resonates with me so much, especially her emphasis on authentic community, equality, and justice.
Confused about what you want to be when you grow up? Apparently it’s normal. This video about how to find fulfilling work has some fairly practical advice on how to discern a direction:
Though I will say that “make sure you don’t regret your career” is a maybe an odd criterion, there’s something to be said for making sure that we spend our days on things that matter. 😉
On a somewhat related thought… wouldn’t it be awesome if artistic patronage was still a thing? Jeff Goins, in his book, The Art of Work, writes about Ellen Frank, an artist in New York who runs the Illumination Atelier, a studio in which she trains interns and apprentices in the art of illumination, and her story got me thinking about all the great renaissance artists who were pretty much supported by wealthy benefactors.
If anyone wants to buy me a house on Lake Tahoe and provide me with a weekly stipend to cover my expenses so I can hole up and write for the rest of my life, be sure to let me know. I’d happily include you in the dedications to all my books…
And speaking of great artists… This is brilliant:
Best. Ending. Ever.
For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain’t The Lyceum!
Have a great weekend!
