A Few of My Favorite Things

What a weird time to be alive! While blooms unfurl in the gardens outside, headlines pollinate our hearts with anxiety. COVID-19 has masked more than faces in the last few weeks—it’s clouded our entire outlook. I’ve noticed the resurrection of my own tendency toward orphan thinking, and it’s not pretty. Why do I assume shadows must yield despair? Especially when my Rescuer burst forth out of them with victory in His freshly scarred fists? As we turn our gazes to the cross this month, let’s encourage one another to hold firmly to the hope that won’t let us go.

Some April gifts to point you toward

Sanity Saver: Things to Do When Bored at Home to Survive This Quarantine by The Dating Divas

Need to bust some boredom? This hefty resource encompasses three key aspects of life at home: activities for kids, ideas for couples, and self-care tips. Browse the treasure trove of brilliance they’ve assembled, and print off the adorable indoor bucket list designed for such a time as this!

Peace Infuser: The Gospel Coalition’s Songs of Comfort for Anxious Souls

Due to the never-ending onslaught of news coverage, it’s crucial to be pouring truth and beauty back into our hearts through our ears during this season. I was completely oblivious to the fact that The Gospel Coalition has a Spotify music account but happily stumbled upon it in recent days. Though all of their carefully curated playlists are phenomenal, this one seems particularly suitable for the current situation. (Upbeat Songs for Quarantined Kids might also come in especially handy. You’re welcome.)

Growth Facilitator: Online Courses by The Simeon Trust Foundation

Why not squeeze every ounce of potential from these hours of isolation? The STF offers amazing $9 tracks through basic hermeneutics (reading Scripture so that you really grasp its meaning), theology, and teaching others. You could become a biblical scholar by the time we re-emerge from our caves! The time will pass anyway, right? Make the most of it!

Gospel Storyteller: The Biggest Story Film by Crossway

“Created to show kids how all those classic stories in the Bible connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem His rebellious people,” this animated rendition of the beloved book spills color and life wherever it goes. And it’s going lots of places it’s never been thanks to free streaming until April 12. Gather your little ones and have a short Holy Week movie night (it only runs 26 minutes).

Community Encourager: Shannon Evans’ Held in the Mire

Believe it or not, the Church hasn’t been splintered through this crisis. We are still the body, still family, even with walls between us keeping love safe. Shannon gives a beautiful reminder that Christians are so much more than appearances despite our own wreckage. My favorite line? “What I love about the God-Man is that He doesn’t care as much about erasing our broken places as He does about putting skin on and sitting down in the shards with us.” Oh, how my heart needs to hear that as the gloom presses close! We’re never not held.