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
Out of the Depths
Church at Charlotte is doing a project this Easter season that brings together visual art, new music recordings, and devotional writing. Michelle Marsalis Coen’s devotional for this week is deep and full of hope for all those who have faced overwhelming despair.
- There are times when we ask God to just keep our head above the water. We dog paddle and strain through our struggles, but with His help are able to keep our eyes fixed on the steady horizon. It takes concentrated faith and effort, but we reach the safety of shore and life carries on…until the next inevitable wave knocks us back off our feet. There are other times allowed in our lives where dog paddling doesn’t cut it. You find yourself immersed in depths so consuming that a fully supplied scuba suit doesn’t provide enough oxygen and your finite heart is crushed by the relentless pressure.
Naked Love
Sasha reminds us at Mom Life Now that the mundane moments of parenting are rich.
- She woke up crying. I ran in to find her nose spilling blood everywhere. The couch cushion, the carpet, her dress. Quickly sweeping her into my arms I ran to the bathroom where we waited for it to end.Just the two of us, her stripped down to princess underwear, feet dipped in the sink as we quietly waited for the bleeding to stop. I took a warm washcloth to gently clean her naked body, the sound of only the faucet in our ears. She smiled at me.And then another sound. Ringing so loudly in my ears I could not help but weep.
“I was naked, and you clothed me.”
Not Living Up to My Own Song
Alison writes at Courage for a Better Story about the struggle to remain consistent with intentional internet use.
- I felt like I had grace wash over me as I read those words. Relapse is part of the program. Messing up is part of moving forward. Slipping up is part of what it means to change and work on a problem area.One item on my pact with the Lord is that I would spend time in my Bible before getting onto Instagram or Facebook. Sometimes I wouldn’t try to slip up here, but would find myself scrolling through photos and instantly feel shame as I hadn’t even meant to get on before spending time with the Lord. The thought that would flash through my head was, “I’ve already screwed up. What’s the point of even getting off now, if I’ve already messed up?” The lie that “once I’ve blown it, I should give up” is so loud for me in this area. But the truth is, that even after I’ve failed, it is never too late to get off that path and realign my heart.
How to Love Being a Mom
Betsy Moore shares how she has learned to love the job she has right now–being a mom.
- When my second daughter was born, I really struggled balancing it all and I desperately craved my independence and time alone. I always thought that I was doing something wrong because I didn’t love every moment of motherhood. It was like I was missing a piece of the “happy mommy” puzzle. Every time I talked to other moms I would hear them say, “Don’t you just love being a mom?” and “You must love being home all day!”I really struggled agreeing with them. Sometimes, I wanted to quit this motherhood job.
Around the Warren
Make it Beautiful
James Witmer dusts off a post reminding us to make life beautiful even in the drab end of winter.
- I graduated from a small liberal arts college, founded in 1876 by a man who took faith, freedom, and education very seriously. During the founding period, his mentor (also a serious, devout, and prosperous man) is said to have advised, “Make the College healthful, for that is essential. Make it beautiful, for that is an education.”
Mission is an Accomplished Family-Centered Study
Loren Eaton recommends Mission Accomplished, a two-week study for families as they prepare for Easter.
- Over the years, I’m sad to say that parts of my undergraduate experience have sloughed off, scoured away by the pressures of life. But I doubt I’ll ever forget Dr. Mark Talbot, my sophomore-year philosophy professor. He’d broken his back at the age of 13, which lent added weight to his assertions that 1) God was in control of the things that come to pass; and 2) we needed to stay in the Scriptures, because people believe that something is good and true the more they’re around it. As I’ve aged, I’ve come to see the wisdom in that council—and how challenging it is to follow it. Commitments to family and friends. Work and its associated activities. A never-ending tide of personal duties and chores. It’s devilishly difficult to get time with the Word and equally hard to find a little space to pique the interest of your children. Fortunately, parents don’t have to do it on their own. Right in time for Easter, Scott James has released Mission Accomplished, a two-week family Bible study focusing on Christ’s death and resurrection.
Something to Do with Your Kids
I’m feeling utterly uncreative as I try to find something good to recommend for you to do with your kids. So instead of determining what you should do, I’m going to give you a list and let you decide.
And Something to Watch
If you’ve ever read Mr. Popper’s Penguins then I know how much you want a penguin friend like this one. If you haven’t read Mr. Popper’s Penguins, I recommend getting a copy.
Thank you for reading. We’re on your side.
Carolyn Clare Givens is a displaced Northerner exploring the foreign ways of the South. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her literary cat, Lord Peter Wimsey. She's the author of The King's Messenger and Rosefire and in her free time helps run Bandersnatch Books.
You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.
You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.
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