Our Thursday walk

and now, let’s give some link love

This Kid Just Died. What He Did Was Wondertacular. at UpWorthy

Her Way by Kelley Nikondeha for SheLoves Magazine

We Need Thicker Skin by Zack Hunt of The American Jesus

When I See Your Face by Megan Gahan

Adventure Stories by Dulcé Chale for A Deeper Family

Affiliation, Certainty & Conformity to Freedom, Diversity, & Mystery by Kathy Escobar

Grey Days, Always, and Never by Ashleigh Baker

To Carry Hope by Settle Monroe for SheLoves Magazine

God is Not a Belief System by Jim Palmer

Why Some Evangelicals Are Trying to Stop Obsessing Over Pre-marital Sex by Abigail Rine for The Atlantic (and yes, it’s a bit of a turn to see my name and story referenced in this great article)

The Justice Side of Porn by Marney McNall for Relevant

Be, Still. by Hilary Sherratt of The Wild Love

25 Things Every New, Middle, and Graduating Parent and Their Grad Need to Know by Ann Voskamp

2013 Summer Reading Guide by Anne of Modern Mrs. Darcy

5 Ways to Keep Literacy Skills Sharp Over the Summer Break by Kara Fleck of Simple Kids

Don’t forget to enter to win this tote from tukula! Entries still open.

Mother Shuns Disney Princesses: Dresses Daughter Up As Female Heroes at Daily Mail

50 Things Only 80s Kids Can Understand at Buzzfeed

Me and the Internet (language warning) by Jenny Lawson of The Bloggess

Oklahoma

I lived in Oklahoma for four years of my life: the kindest, warmest people & such beautiful land. Heavy heart because of the tornado this past week. I have no doubt that if anyone can show the rest of us how to take care of each other, and rebuild, and press on, it’s Oklahoma.

And Together as One, We Groan by Megan Tietz

Photos: Tornadoes wreak havoc in US at The Big Picture

Oklahoma Relief Efforts by Laura of Hollywood Housewife

favourite instagram

Wendy’s fast food + Wonder Pets on the computer = how I rock the solo parenting when Brian is travelling for a week

my own most-read post

In which words like “real” and “true” mean things ::

Critical thinking is one of the better habits I picked up in higher education, along with an awareness of my own ignorance, an appreciation for the humanities, and the ability to cook an entire meal using only a hot pot and the expired contents of a communal fridge. My critical thinking went into overdrive in that bookshop because there is actually no such thing as true womanhood or real femininity. We only have our culturally and contextually conditioned versions of those words, they are not clear.

We use words like “true” and “real” in reference to womanhood or motherhood or marriage, and I think it’s wrong to do this.

weekend meditation

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” – Barbara Kingsolver (from Animal Dreams)

and finally

Click here and enter your email address to receive new posts in your email inbox. Or subscribe using your favorite news/blog reader.

You can “like” me on Facebook for links to all my posts or wade in on the discussions in your FB news stream. I’m also over on Twitter.

 Have a lovely weekend!

image source

link love

The Problem of Evil is Hanging in Your Closet by Zack Hunt for Deeper Story’s monthly The Politics of Faith column

The Full Circle by Andrea Levendusky for A Deeper Story

Is God’s Presence Limited to Scripture? by Rachel Held Evans

You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to be Loved by Danielle of From Two to One

Be the Nosy Neighbour by Shayne Moore for Her.Meneutics, Christianity Today’s blog for women

Examining Adoption Ethics by Jen Hatmaker

Heather by Heather Kopp for Momastery

Dear Mrs. James… by Carolyn Custis James

Where Have All the Women Gone in Movies? by Rebecca Keegan for The LA Times

Jada and Jon Swanson: “One of the greatest gifts we have given each other is the gift of dreaming BIG!” by Jada Swanson

The Anonymous Project with Jennifer Luitweiler

Beyond a Single Story by Idelette McVicker for J.R. Goudeau

Now is the Springtime of My Discontent by Bill Kinnon

12 Things Your Daughter Needs You to Say by Emily P. Freeman

Deciphering Missions by Jamie the Very Worst Missionary

Greatest Moments of “The Office” in 2 Minutes at Mashable

38 Reasons Everything is Way Better in Canada at Buzzfeed (a bit off-colour)

50 Tattoos Inspired by Books at Buzzfeed

When I think I’m done editing at What Should We Call A First (Christian) Book

my favourite instagram (@sarahbessey)

This is pretty much my idea of the perfect evening.

my own most-read post

In which “Jesus Feminist” has an official cover! :: (+ announcing who is writing the Foreword!)

But you know what? I haven’t ever been here before and I don’t know if I’ll be here again and so I’m just going to let myself be happy and dorky about the fact that my name is on the cover of a book and I wrote that book and I love that book so much and I’m excited about people actually reading it. So there may be more flailing freak-outs along the way, avert your eyes if you must.

weekend meditation

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” – Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet

and finally

Click here and enter your email address to receive new posts in your email inbox. Or subscribe using your favorite news/blog reader.

You can “like” me on Facebook for links to all my posts or wade in on the discussions in your FB news stream. I’m also over on Twitter.

 Have a lovely weekend!

image source

link love

Therefore by John Blase

Seasons by Rachel Held Evans

Simple Stories: An Invitation to Old Fashioned Blogging by Ashleigh Baker

A Personal Revival by Nish Weiseth

Shame-Based Sex Education: We Can Do Better by Kristen Howerton of Rage Against the Minivan

A Christianity Too Difficult by Jamie Arpin-Ricci for Out of Ur

20 Things Every Parent Should Hear by Beth Woolsey

An open letter to pastors (a non-mom speaks out about Mother’s Day) by Amy of The Messy Middle

Bad for the Game: Women, Work, and Hockey by Anne Bogel

Dallas Willard: A Man From Another Time Zone by John Orberg for Christianity Today

Cartoon Tribute to Dallas Willard by David Hayward of Naked Pastor

Wherever It Rises by Jen Hatmaker

The Heretical Meditating Father by Ed Cyzewski

My Avatar, My Self by Dani Shapiro

Where Have All the Women Leaders Gone? by Halee Grey Scott for Christianity Today’s Her.menutics

Why Mother’s Day is for the Birds by Ann Voskamp

When our exceptions cannot be our rules by Preston Yancey

Depression Part Two at Hyperbole and a Half (Language warning)

Rules for Life by Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess (Language warning)

My favourite new Tumblr: What Should We Call A First (Christian) Book

Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski Lip-Synch Off 

my favourite instagram (@sarahbessey)

Iced tea, 25 cents, rituals for sunny days

my own most-read post

In which I’ve got a song to sing ::

So I’d rather write a better and real story than a point-by-point defense, and I long to really see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I want to live out an embodiment of the Love I’ve experienced and know. I can’t live – let alone write – a better story if I’m being swept up in a million comments and expectations and Twitter mock-fests and Facebook debates and frustrations and whirlwinds of offense.

weekend meditation

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”
— Ray Bradbury

and finally

Click here and enter your email address to receive new posts in your email inbox. Or subscribe using your favorite news/blog reader.

You can “like” me on Facebook for links to all my posts or wade in on the discussions in your FB news stream. I’m also over on Twitter.

 Have a lovely weekend!

image source (download your own, too!)

I’m spending the weekend at one of my heart-homes: the SheLoves Conference. Every year, I gather with this amazing group of women. This has become consecrated ground and a consecrated time for me. Every year, it seems, God meets me here. This year is no different. Words won’t suffice. I look forward to processing it a bit more here later but right now, well, I’m just trying to keep my hands open.

So enjoy your weekend, friends. Settle in with a cup of coffee and catch up with a few things that caught my eye this week.

link love

Love Poem No. 10 by John Blasé at The Beautiful Due

Why Progressive Christians Should Care About Abortion by Rachel Held Evans

I had a great idea…. by Anne Lamott in a Facebook status

Principal fires security guard to hire art teachers – and transforms elementary school by Katy Tur at NBC Daily Nightly

Dear Teachers Everywhere by Jen Hatmaker

A Senate in the Gun Lobby’s Grip by Gabrielle Giffords for the New York Times

Dear Hilary: Why We Pray by Hilary Sherratt at This Wild Love

The NBA Reacts to its First Openly Gay Player by Keith Wagstaff for The Week

When I Say I’m a Feminist by Aaron J. Smith of Cultural Savage

Hey John Piper, is my femininity showing? The implications of allowing women to teach “indirectly” by Rachel Pietka

Why My Children Have No Right to Privacy by  Jen Piwtpitt of People I Want to Punch in the Throat

The Gift of a Long Life by Diana Trautwein for A Deeper Family

ShePonders: Apologies by Kelley Nikondeha for SheLoves Magazine

Week with Walter by Luke Harms

A Haitian School Worthy of Its Name by Lamar Stockton for Help One Now (An update on the school in Haiti!)

Capturing Your Kids: The Photographer’s Basics by Angie for Simple Mom

Stellar Hockey Night Promo Might Actually Get you Into Hockey at Mashable

The Pros and Cons of Abandoning the Word “Feminist” by Abigail Rine for The Atlantic

Tweeting Pastor Destroys Wise Reputation at Lark News

my own most-read post

In which I geek-out over Doctor Who

Behind the scenes, as I was working on this post, my husband made a lot of fun of me. He was convinced no one cared and I would be standing out here, freak flag waving in the wind, alone. I assured him that the Whovians would show up. He bet me an entire season of Doctor Who viewing that I wouldn’t get 100 comments on it. Before suppertime that day, I had cashed in.

Brian even commented on the post (which, as you know,  he pretty much NEVER comments).

Lesson learned?

Don’t underestimate the geeks.

weekend meditation

“The point of the resurrection…is that the present bodily life is not valueless just because it will die…What you do with your body in the present matters because God has a great future in store for it…What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbor as yourself—will last into God’s future. These activities are not simply ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether (as the hymn so mistakenly puts it…). They are part of what we may call building for God’s kingdom.”  — N.T. Wright

and finally

Click here and enter your email address to receive new posts in your email inbox. Or subscribe using your favorite news/blog reader.

You can “like” me on Facebook for links to all my posts or wade in on the discussions in your FB news stream. I’m also over on Twitter.

 Have a lovely weekend!