Porch #147 ⛵ 13 Remarkable Bookmarkables

Sarah Bessey, Susan Cain, Karen Swallow Prior, Shauna Niequist, Kendra Adachi, & other gifted communicators (+ a ☑️ on my bucket list + maybe a book club?)

Aug 22, 2024

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‘Reading outside … takes the particular pleasures of literature and heightens them. The proximity of trees or of other human beings, or the sight of a page illuminated by the sun, can make a character’s search for connection, or a writer’s emotion recollected in tranquility, feel more visceral and alive. And whether you’re reading on a front stoop or on a train station’s bench, being alone yet somehow with others creates a kind of openness to the world.’
- Chelsea Leu

Good weekend to y’all!

Last Saturday, I shared 12 wedding day snapshots and you guys graciously celebrated the joy with me. My heart was already full to overflowing and your sweet words were like luscious icing on the cake. Actually, connecting with you ended up being a kindness as I moved through one of those weird ‘out of body experience’ adjustment periods that so many of us go through after a tremendous emotional event, whether of joy or sorrow.

Sarah Bessey put it so well, ‘it will be too much joy, all of a sudden. Too much richness, all of a sudden. Too much gratitude, all of a sudden. And you won’t be able to catch your breath for all the thankfulness & sadness & happiness & longing & satisfaction colliding in you.’

What can I say. Bless you for being here. This is what we do for each other.

It’s been some time since I pulled together a bunch of link love for you, so here’s a smorgasbord of 13 assorted goodies well worth your time. And a bonus, too. So much richness here. I can’t help but believe that there’ll be some gems that will meet you right where you find yourself as we slowly sail ⛵ forward toward the sunset of what has been the fastest moving summer in memory.

Grab a lemonade, put your feet up, and let’s go.

And then dance
Sarah Bessey
I’ve never danced a day in my life. Never ever never. But for some reason, this post stirred something deep inside and I swore that if that special maid of honor tried to drag me out on the dance floor during the reception, I’d shimmy on out there without making a single excuse.

She did. And I kept my promise. I’m sure it was quite the sight, but between you and me? It was the most awesome fun I’ve had in forever, even if only for a few very brief minutes. If I had a bucket list, there’d be ☑️ on this one.

I Tried the “Wheel of Chores” to Declutter & Now I’ll Use It Every Weekend
Lizzy Francis
’No one is forcing me to do the tasks on it except me, & yet, it helped me get over that first round of inertia where I kept putting off these tasks for way too long. Plus, the randomness of it makes me shed the habit I have of thinking chronologically about chores ...’

People who were bookworms as children often display these 7 unique traits
Ethan Sterling
’Each characteristic, developed in the quiet moments spent between the pages of a book, is a strength waiting to be leveraged. Now is the time to consciously integrate these traits into your daily life …’

A guide for teachers of quiet or shy students
Susan Cain
’A guide that teachers can use for report cards & parent-teacher conferences, to describe their thoughtful, reflective students in the positive light they deserve … but you could equally apply these ideas to managers giving feedback …’

and then He said, be an artist
Emily Lex
’Being an artist felt silly, unimportant, less-than. What really mattered, especially in this online business that I run, was consistency & growth & strategy. And all of that – while super important for running a business – became who I was trying to be & the work I was trying to do &, honestly, it just wasn’t working …’

Old Age Syndromes to Avoid
Barbara Harper
’Old always seems twenty to thirty years beyond my current age. But I am older, & I don’t know that I am yet the kind of older lady I want to be or should be. We’re all a work in progress, no matter how long we’ve lived. But as I have been around the block a few times, I’ve seen some behaviors I want to avoid …’

When childless becomes grandchildless
Karen Swallow Prior
’You realize you will never know what kind of grandparent you would have been, what kind of birthday parties you would have hosted, special outings you would have planned, spoiling you would have done & dreams you’d have helped fund …’

Try to Talk Before You Go
James Roberson
’It can be overwhelming to talk through our feelings and confusion, yet it’s important that we follow this command with a posture of openness. We must be ready to ask & wrestle with hard questions ...’

Ten Thousand Small Trials: How God Fits Us For Glory
Scott Hubbard
’On the one hand, we can count it all woe. We can comfortably nurse our self-pity, or silently rage against our circumstances, or inflict the next listening ear with our tale of misery. This path will feel gratifying at first …’

When There Are No Words
Aimee Byrd
’For the unnamed concubines. For the genocide. For the racism. For the classism. The constant wars. For sickness and death. And abandonment. Betrayal. For the sexual abuse & cover up in church. He sees. With inexpressible groaning ...’

Sacred Tears: How to be with others as they cry
Christine Vaughan Davies
’There are different types of tears, representing the varieties of the human experience. The tears I see are typically those of sorrow, shame & self-realization. And occasionally, there are tears of joy. Sometimes all those types of tears are shed at the same time ...’

My #4 piece of writing advice
Shauna Niequist
’All those diverse worlds & ideas & stories become like a really good soup, nourishing you & bringing depth & interest to your writing. They make your writing richer & more flavorful …’

#294 How to Celebrate Your Own Birthday
Kendra Adachi
If you’ve ever ended up feeling let down, disappointed, or abandoned on your milestone day, please take this 24 minute pep talk to heart, ok?

✨

Kendra’s next book, The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius, hits the shelves in October. I’m a big fan of her work and already pre-ordered the book, signed up to be on her Low-Key Launch Team (which is super exciting because you get The PLAN in digital format now as well as weekly email Pep Talks and other goodies.)

I’m toying with the idea of doing something with The PLAN (another book club like this one?) Let me know if that’d appeal to you.
✨

What’s the absolute finest thing you wrote or read this summer?
Linda ⛵

Porch #147 ⛵ 13 Remarkable Bookmarkables

Sarah Bessey, Susan Cain, Karen Swallow Prior, Shauna Niequist, Kendra Adachi, & other gifted communicators (+ a ☑️ on my bucket list + maybe a book club?)

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