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
Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and the Gift of Limitations
Russ Ramsey’s piece on Michelangelo’s “David” and what it can remind us of the gift of being limited is up at The Gospel Coalition.
- We live in a world of limits. We all run up against them. We all have them. If you’re like me, you wish this weren’t the case. But limits are a fact of life, part of God’s design. Even our first parent, Adam, looked around and said, “I need help. I need another.”
Eve didn’t solve the problem of Adam’s limitations. God didn’t put the man to sleep and then put into him what he lacked. Instead, God took something out of the man and made a partner to come alongside him—helpful but distinct. The gift of Eve confirmed that this was how things were going to be moving forward—how they were meant to be. We wouldn’t merely help ourselves. We’d be given help—and we would be given to help.
if I could just…
Mandy at life. faithful. has a piece on that pesky little word “just” and how it keeps us from rest.
- Just. Such a little word with such a big impact in my life.
If I could just get more done during the day…
If my kids would just do what I ask…
If I could just get my kids at school to understand that math doesn’t have to be terrible…
Those are the minor “just” statements, though they aren’t really minor things. The bigger ones, the ones that keep my awake at night and keep my mind jumping from one thought to another during the day, cause a lot more anxiety for me.
Picture Books About Books, Words, and Storytelling
I’ve been a storyteller since before I could write, and in part, that was shaped by the stories I was told and read as a young child. Over at Imagination Soup, Melissa Taylor has a booklist for us on the topic.
- Reading picture books about books, words, and storytelling builds more literally a child’s understanding of all three concepts. Of course, reading in general builds a child’s understanding of these in a more abstract sense. Both are foundational.
It’s helpful to introduce these kinds of books to children so they start to think about the person behind the stories (the author) as well as how to play around with language and invent stories.
It’s Never a Good Time to Invite Kids In
At For Every Mom, Tammie Haveman considers how biblical hospitality plays itself out in the day to day of inviting our kids friends in the door.
- Two little girls stood staring across the screen door. Curious. Hesitant. Surveying each-other.
Both wore ridiculous dresses adorned with miles of ruffles. Both had disheveled blonde hair and cheeks flushed red from exertion. They could have been looking in the mirror.
The moms stood back, allowing this introduction to play out. One girl absentmindedly swirled, enjoying her skirt’s impressive radius. The other smiled in admiration. She knew a good twirly skirt when she saw one.
In a flash, the girls linked arms and dashed down the hall, disappearing into the playroom in a sea of giggles and shrieks.
A friendship was born.
Around the Warren
Give Me Your Face
Helena Sorensen challenges us to bear the full weight of presence.
- There are languages in the world in which the word for “hello” most closely translates as “I see you.” The ancient Hebrews in particular were a people who could not embrace anything so abstract as “Hi.” For them, a promise wasn’t something that existed only as sound waves, spoken and heard by two people. The Hebrews divided animals and walked between the bloody halves. Promises were about flesh and blood. They didn’t “remember” by drawing up mental images. If a Hebrew man wanted to remember his wedding day, he had another wedding—invited guests, dressed in fine clothing, arranged a ceremony, prepared a feast. Weddings were about people and celebration. Even their concept of eternity was more concrete, like the view from horizon to horizon. They needed to see it, touch it, taste it, to understand it. It seems strange, perhaps even a little backward, to our heady Western culture. But there’s a certain beauty to this active, physical language, and a fullness we often miss.
Mice that speak and the language of imagination
Andrew Mackay reminds us that suspending disbelief isn’t as hard as we grown ups sometimes think it is.
- Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle was one of the most memorable reading experiences of my young life. It stuck out to me, I think, because it was the first time I was aware of suspending disbelief. And I was glad to. Here’s why:
The Mouse and the Motorcycle features a mouse named Ralph. Ralph lives in a hotel. Early in the book, a new family comes to visit. One of the family members is Keith, a little boy who has among his possessions a toy motorcycle. It’s exactly the right size for Ralph. And Ralph decides he wants to ride the motorcycle.
Something to Do with Your Kids
Over at Artful Parent, they’ve got some tips on how to make the most of a splatter painting session for the whole family.
And Something to Watch
If you’re anywhere near the path of the August 21 solar eclipse, I hope you’ll be able to get out to see it. If you want some tips on the best way to do so, here’s a video from Smarter Every Day.
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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