Something Beautiful for You {Links and a Giveaway}
Today I will make the phone call to Expedia to see about getting a refund or credit for two roundtrip tickets. I’m sure this will take h o u r s. I’m certain I’ll need heaps of grace. I’m hopeful we’ll have a good solution.
Then I will figure out the technology that will make my tutoring possible online this week, before we head into spring break and breathe a sigh of relief and hope that April will bring us better news.
I will walk my favorite road with a favorite friend and our best dogs this morning. We’ll catch up on life and work and kids, because it’s been weeks since we’ve done that.
Later I will watch some Facebook Live readings from some of my favorite writers, right from the comfort of my own home. I’ll do some school, find some science videos to share with my classes, and sanitize some surfaces just because. I’ll be thankful for all the free gifts available for us to read and watch and listen to, and I’ll open up some real books and prep some real food for my family tonight.
Life is almost normal for us.
I was going to give you a list of wonderful places to find beauty right now, if you’re quarantined with kids or simply stuck home more than normal. Thankfully the internet has already done a great job of sharing so much beauty over the weekend. IF YOU ARE ONLY SEEING PANIC AND FEAR ONLINE OR ON YOUR TELEVISION, I’m sorry for using all caps but YOU have the power and responsibility to look elsewhere. Seriously. It’s amazing how much our responses are dictated by our consumption of information, and we each have to curate our input accordingly.
If you are on Instagram, the simplest thing for me to tell you is to look at who I follow. My feed has been full of hope and encouragement, along with balanced precaution. I only use Facebook for groups these days—find a group there that encourages you and avoid the news feed if you need to. I installed News Feed Eradicator years ago and am so happy I did.
In case you are not on social media (good for you, literally) or don’t know where to look, here are just a few ideas:
PODCASTS
This Cultural Moment - the two latest episodes are a Part 1 and 2 live from Australia. It was recorded pre-COVID-19, but it’s relevant today. The insights about the network of Roman roads that enabled Paul to travel and send his letters, and how that relates to our global network today, were fascinating. This podcast will give you some hope.
FREE AUDIOBOOKS
Add the Librivox app to your phone and you can access hundreds of books free, in the public domain.
OTHER RESOURCES
Ann Voskamp always has an enormous list of goodness available weekly, in her Multivitamins for Your Weekend posts. I mean…puppies, worship, a 104 year-old athlete, nature, Scripture. It’s all so good.
Erin Moon has made a document listing good stuff to do with your kids, and it’s fully shareable/editable so you can add your own recommendations (also be aware she’s doing this for free and can’t possibly vet every link the public adds!).
Two places close to my heart are The Cultivating Project and Joyful Life Magazine. Cultivating will come out with new content for spring soon, but there is currently so much goodness there from the winter issue.
Joyful Life Magazine just released the spring issue and I am giving one blog subscriber a free gift of beauty in the Awaken bundle. This includes the magazine, corresponding Awaken Journal (5.5 x 8.5 Saddlestich Journal with 48 interior pages) and bookmark.
I’ll draw a winner from my blog subscriber list on Tuesday, March 24th, and get your bundle shipped to you right away. Enter your email here to be sure you’re on the list!
I can’t think of a better time to freely share the good stuff from our lives, as well as the truth of the hardships we’re all going through together—big and small. We live in a big world made up of small communities, and now is the time to appreciate the place God has put you.
