Weekend Rummage
Posts I Saved to Share With You
I’m not on a schedule with Hope Remains. I’m not critical of those who are, I just think no one really notices. But every once in a while I raid the stack of posts I’ve saved and toss them into the mix. With NOTES being a constant flow of posts and ideas, it’s more important than ever to subscribe (if you want to see what any one particular person posts). So to those who subscribe to Hope Remains, thank you. You should consider subscribing to those listed below, just to check them out for a bit and see if they are of interest to you.
Before the posts I want to share, I want to thank you for handing me my new ‘most popular’ post, Gentle Reminders. It’s also my first foray into fiction short stories. I enjoyed writing it, and since it became the most popular post on my Substack, I’m terrified to post anything else. I’m kidding. Kind of.
Are You Running on Empty? Nedra Glover Tawwab is a therapist who always offers up something needful and practical in her posts. “We also have to make sure that when we offer help, that we are actually in a space to help. We have to take care of ourselves, and be honest with ourselves about whether we are in a space to be of service.”
Book Quest Impossible: Visiting Every Bookstore in NYC. Anne Kadet introduces us to Jacob Ready, who has a goal to visit every bookstore in NYC. I am already enjoying his posts, so thanks Anne! Anne writes, “In a time where one can instantly download any book to their phone, the fact that this city still supports so many bookstores feels miraculous.”
Leadership In Context. David Epstien makes an excellent point about what we perceive as leadership in this post. It’s a long interview post, but worth the time. I bought the book he recommends in this post (of course I did). I look forward to reading it - although it breaks my rule that I mostly read short books.
Why I Stopped Drinking Alcohol. Holly Rabalis lets us into her thinking and heart on this subject that is important to her journey and that of her family. “Today I’m 48 days sober. What have I noticed? I’m cooking more since we’re not going out for dinner and drinks, so that means healthier meals and a healthier bank account. I’m sleeping better, which isn’t just in my head because Fitbit data proves it! Cutting out alcohol and sugar and gluten has proven to make my body happier—fewer aches and pains.” She didn’t have to mention sugar, that’s meddling!
For the Wounded Former Pastor. Will Soto cut me to the heart with this post that came straight out of his painful journey. I could identify with so much of what he wrote, and I think everyone who has a ministry life can. “I’d preached before, the Gospel finds its tread in the mud of human suffering. There, in the darkest, deepest pit, we find the Lord already waiting. I desperately wanted to believe it, but my faith was limping, at best; and it felt like a bridge too far to trust when I was hurting so badly. I cried, yelled, and cursed. At times, I sobbed. Sometimes, I laughed to keep from crying. Other times, my silence spoke volumes. My prayers were scattered, unintelligible, and often filled with angry questions. The anxiety, stress, and trauma responses are real. So, too, are the Lord’s patience, kindness, and love.” Thanks for your honesty, Will. Though I never gave up, there are some ministry wounds I’ll never forget from my years of preaching. Maybe one day I’ll write a post…
Grief: It’s Not Just About Death. Dr. Becky Wellman continues to share thoughts about life with a loved one who has dementia. “It’s like the longer we live with dementia the more we lose and the more we have to grieve.” Such an important topic for our times.
Before Jackie Robinson, There Was Moses Fleetwood Walker. Subtitled by author Ronald Claiborne: Playing in the 1880s, Walker is recognized as the first Black major leaguer. A few years later, Black players were banned from the game. I am not much of a sports fan at all, but I enjoyed learning more about this story. I was unfamiliar with Walker. “Cap Anson was baseball's original superstar. A four-time batting champion, he hit .334 over his career and collected either slightly more or less than 3,000 hits — no one knows for sure. He played first base and was a tough, brusque character and loved baseball. He was a brilliant strategist and innovator. He was also as rabid a racist as ever played the game.” Check it out.
Listen to LeBron. Melissa Jacobs addresses something I’ve noticed, but I don’t have the background to say. “Who’s looking out for the kids? Certainly not the tourney directors who will pack in teams of all ages like sardines if it means upping the revenue. It’s not just basketball.” Parents of young athletes should at least consider what’s written here.
A Pound and a Half? Really? Why? Ok, some of those posts are pretty serious. Time to smile with Garrison Keillor as he reflects on Minnesota on the verge of legalizing marijuana for those over 21, up to a pound and a half! He hits on politics and a local visit to his ophthalmologist as well. With his typical wit comes some wisdom as well:
Clarity. I am grateful for it. I don’t need head trips or expansion of consciousness. The best minds of my generation were not destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked angelheaded hipsters looking for a fix, some of them became heart surgeons and ophthalmologists and thanks to them I walk in the park and look at the beautiful people and love America for the goodness and fascinating varieties of individualism all around. - Garrison Keillor
Well, that’s what I’ve been saving in my ‘saved posts’ file. There were more but this was getting way too long. As always I invite you to share your favorite post you’ve read lately. You probably know I have two substacks. This one, Hope Remains, is more my own personal reflections and photographs and (now) stories and such. Forsythe Sermons is the other. I’ll send out sermon notes, Bible class notes, devotional articles. If that' sounds appealing to you, please subscribe.
And hey, if you read this far, you should hit that heart just to congratulate yourself!
I’ll close with a picture I took today. Just for the fun of it.
Good stuff, I’ll be checking out some of this for sure. Thanks
Happy Sunday. I read the whole of your post. Congrats Me!