The Warren & the World Vol 3, Issue 34

The Warren & the World is Story Warren’s weekly newsletter, providing a round-up of our favorite things from around the web as well as a review of what was on our site over the past week. We’re glad you’re here!

Around the Web

Wonderful Wonder

Ginny Owens writes at her blog about the wonder of discovering the world through the eyes of someone else.

One of the unspoken gifts of being blind is the chance to see the world through the eyes of other people. The folks in my space help me paint my mental picture of the universe. And some of the verbal brush strokes they use are brilliant from where I sit.From their eyes I learn which celebrities are most attractive, what Emojis actually look like, how to make the “OK” hand gesture, and what kind of elements make a restaurant’s décor hip. Fun stuff, huh?
A lot of what I get to “see” happening around me lately is through my peeps, my crew—my amazing band mates. It may surprise you but my band mates and I only spend about five percent of our time together actually playing concerts. During the rest of our waking hours, we’re eating, driving, eating, flying, eating, laughing, eating—you get the picture.

Saying goodbye to my child, the youngster

Michael Gerson of the Washington Post dropped off his eldest son at college a few weeks ago–and shares his grief and joy in learning that as his son continues to go through life, he himself must decrease.

Eventually, the cosmologists assure us, our sun and all suns will consume their fuel, violently explode and then become cold and dark. Matter itself will evaporate into the void and the universe will become desolate for the rest of time.This was the general drift of my thoughts as my wife and I dropped off my eldest son as a freshman at college. I put on my best face. But it is the worst thing that time has done to me so far. That moment at the dorm is implied at the kindergarten door, at the gates of summer camp, at every ritual of parting and independence. But it comes as surprising as a thief, taking what you value most.

25 Ways to Ask Your Kids ‘So How Was School Today?’ Without Asking Them ‘So How Was School Today?’

Schools in my area are starting up again and my coworkers’ kids are all coming home with their daily reports. One friend whose son is in his first year of school asked him at the end of the day what he’d learned. “Pretty much everything,” the boy replied. Liz Evans shares a list of ways to engage with our kids and learn more about their days without asking the same old question over and over.

This year, Simon is in fourth grade and Grace is in first grade, and I find myself asking them every day after school, “So how was school today?”
And every day I get an answer like “fine” or “good,” which doesn’t tell me a whole lot.

Life’s Knots Need Jesus

Jon Bloom writes at Desiring God Blog about Gordian Knots and the places in our lives where we need the light of Jesus.

In the kingdom of our souls, we each have our Gordian Knots, don’t we? Some of them are impenetrable intellectual quandaries over God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, the nature of suffering, the origin of evil, God’s eternality, the Trinity, and so on. We press on these and discover our limits and hopefully learn to exult with Paul in saying,Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33)
The more painful knots are the complex spiritual, emotional, and psychological entanglements of indwelling sin or the temperamental weakness, disability, circumstantial adversity, and traumatic past experiences. Combined together, these often shape how we think and what we do in ways that confound us.

Around the Warren

The (New) Best Part of Back-to-School

Julie Silander shares a new tradition in her back-to-school routine–one that reminds us to slow down and take time with the children entrusted to our care.

As we began to chip away at the rocky boulder standing between summer and a smooth start to September, I was struck with ambivalence. I’m grateful for the fullness and richness of our life. Every task to be completed represents a good and precious gift. Every permission slip promises experience. Every notebook filled with paper nods to new discoveries.We are grateful.
Yet we are busy.

And all too easily, busy eclipses grateful. Activity overrides relationship. As I plan and purchase and plot out carpools, I can miss the very hearts of the growing persons who’ve been entrusted to my care.

“Keep Reading…”

Lloyd Alexander and Paul Boekell. Good combo.

Sticking With It

As her son reads through The Two Towers for the first time, Liz Cottrill remembers the value of sticking through to the end of the book–even when it’s hard.

I remember toiling through Lassie Come Home as a young reader, despairing that I would ever get through Scotland and back home with her. A few years later, I was wrestling with giving up on DavidCopperfield and Jane Eyre, impatient with the wordiness, yet intrigued by the twists and turns of those fateful plots enough to continue. I was learning a skill for life. I was learning to endure. I was learning a lesson of faith.

Smudge and Daisy

James Witmer has a rabbit tale for us today.

Something to Do with Your Kids

Back to school may not be the easiest thing for everyone in your family, so maybe it’s time to lighten the mood a little with some good jokes.

And Something to Watch

Okay, so this is seriously cool. Not only are these guys finally figuring out whether it’s true that water swirls one way north of the equator and another way south of it, but they’re doing it in synchronized videos–one produced in Alabama and one in Australia. They give you instructions for setting up the synch at the beginning of each video, so I’ll just link you to Smarter Everyday and let you catch the link there to Veritasium.