I haven’t been consistent in posting these, and it’s been a few months since I’ve done one. But here are a few recommendations for you!
Articles:
The Meaning of ‘Weird’ by Jake Meador
If the other side of the political spectrum seems “weird” to you, this article helps to explain how both sides interpret the meaning of that word differently. I once wrote, “People act in a way that makes sense to them. Find out why it makes sense.” Read this.
Confessions of a Loner by Sophia Lee. I hope you can access this piece–such a poignant exploration of the loss of community and how to find it. I resonated with much of what she wrote.
The Dutiful Introvert by Tim Challies “A dutiful introvert is one who….will not allow his personality to excuse any failure to fulfill the opportunities God presents to him.”
Emptying the Nest in Hope, Not Fear by Gretchen Ronnevik, who is rapidly becoming my favorite parenting writer.
“After launching two of our six kids into adulthood, I’ve been astounded at the things other adult Christians have said to my children as they left our house to pursue the vocations God had prepared for them. There’s a consistent theme of fear and discouragement: If you go to that college or move to this place or aren’t super careful, you’ll lose your faith.
These statements come from a place of genuine and justified concern. Many young Christians go to college and never return to church. We’ve all heard of a young person who’s moved out of the house, begun dating an unbeliever, and rejected their faith to live a different life. We know the data. We know the stories. And we are filled with fear. So we impress that fear on our children, urging them to draw their apologetic swords. But however good the intent, these warnings communicated something more to my kids: Have fear, not hope. Your faith is delicate. It’s fragile. It’s glass. At any moment, it could shatter forever. Talking with my kids, I found I had to push back on that implicit teaching—because it pushed them toward a false and lesser understanding of God, his mission for each of them, and his role in preserving their faith.”
Movies:
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things on Amazon video. Grace and I watched this movie recently and found ourselves surprisingly moved by it. It starts out seeming to be a teen version of Groundhog Day, but ends with a meaningful twist that had both of us crying happy tears. Great movie for older teens.
The Pod Generation. I watched this on the plane to Tanzania but looks like it’s available on Hulu. It’s a super thought-provoking movie on what it means to be human and turns out to be (probably unintentionally) quite pro-life. I found this so ironic since the female lead (Emilia Clarke) also stars in Me Before You, which is the most (deceptively) pro-death film I’ve seen. I don’t think there’s anything objectionable in this one, but since I watched it on a Muslim airline, I could have seen an edited version. This movie would be another great discussion starter for older teens.
Books:
God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World by Andrew Wilson
I love how this delightful, fascinating book helped me to see God in all sorts of ordinary things.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
I may write more about this one at some point, but for now I’ll just say that this is a must-read for everyone who interacts with children, which is, probably, just about everyone.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I wrote about this one here. If you’ve never read it and you are looking for a riveting but also thought-provoking novel, you’ll want to pick this one up.
The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up by Cathy LaGrow
The subtitle tells it all–and doesn’t disappoint. If you want a heartbreaking but redemptive, extraordinary story, this one is for you.
