A Few of My Favorite Things

October: A Haiku

Hot soup’s simmering

Rain falls grey on the pumpkins

Where is my sweater?

Evening comes more swiftly now, and street lamps dot the misty corners of town. Can you hear the harsh crunch of maple leaves, smell the cloved oranges? A socially distanced autumn still has plenty of beauty to offer. All we have to do is seek it out.

Some October gifts to point you toward

Twitter Account: Beth Moore

Sure, she’s a major speaker and author. But guys, this woman is also one of the main reasons I haven’t left Twitter for good. Miss Beth is always full of grace, completely devoted to the Word, seriously in love with Jesus, and honestly just fun to read. I’ve followed her long enough to watch her respond to unwarranted criticism, and I’ve come away wanting to be like her when I grow up.

Fall Backgrounds: The Happy Planner

October calls for its own jewel-toned palette and a bit of sass. Want to add some (pumpkin) spice to your desktop or phone with fresh seasonal wallpaper? This collection is free and fun. (My favorite is the one that says, “I made a huge to-do list for today. I just can’t figure out who’s going to do it.”) #momlife #thestruggleisreal

Album: She Waits by The Gray Havens

With all of the election drama building around us, I long to set my sights on what’s ahead—not in November, but at the end of days. The husband and wife who make up The Gray Havens have concocted a phenomenal soundtrack for just such contemplations, revealing a tension between walking the world we know and anticipating the kingdom to come. This album will be October’s backdrop at my house.

Nonprofit: Innocence Project

It’s been a while since I read something that made me sick to my stomach. But learning that “to date, 375 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before exoneration and release” will do that to you. God’s heart for justice rises up against the staggering number of captives wrongly imprisoned. Donations help exonerate the innocent, improve the system, reform the law, support the freed, and educate the powers that be.

Blog Post: Psalms or Headlines? by Sarah Clarkson

Sarah’s writing is always so beautifully put and packed with depth. This particular piece seems especially poignant right now. “All the old truths gathered at the door of my thought. Things that are true, not as headlines are briefly, gaudily true, but as mountains are true; ancient, rooted, the granite stuff of which the very world is made. And I knew a deep urgency, a conviction that as the days become dark and difficult, I must cling to the older and ancient truths of Scripture, trusting that they tell a story larger than that told by the headlines.” Believe me, you need this. Just go read it.