A Few of My Favorite Things
We’re well into May now. For some schools, summer breaks have already begun and the weather is steadily getting on the same page. We’ve jumped into the pool twice so far this month and I’ve also, unexpectedly, jumped into a deep well of mesmerizing books, stories, and music.
It is said, “when it rains and pours” and that’s definitely the case for me when it comes to art. On some months, it’s drier than a desert and I’m desperate for book and show recommendations.
Something about this month, the floodgates have opened and I want to share my favorites with you. There’s nothing like compelling stories and music that nourishes our souls. That’s what good art does for us—it nourishes our souls. It’s more effective than a day at the spa or expensive new clothes.
I’ll move clockwise starting from the top left of the image above. Okay, when I first read Maggie Smith’s poem, “Good Bones,” it resonated with me immediately. I gulped, shared it on facebook, and was surprised that so many of my friends already knew about it because it had gone viral. This author was clearly not just a wizard with words but of the human condition as well.
So when her memoir, You Can Make This Place Beautiful, was released last month, I sat on my hands for a few weeks and waited for my library copy. Eventually, I could wait no longer and bought it online, overnight shipping.
It’s been a long while since I’ve read a book that I literally could not put down. Her memoir describes her separation process from her husband while they had two young children. It is so honest and reflective, an intimate peek into somebody going through this crazy, chaotic, heartbreaking experience. But it’s also funny and heartwarming. Her writing style is truly unique and gorgeous. It made me want to throw away my book manuscript and start all over again.
Next up, I’ve finally gotten on the Katherine May bandwagon. I didn’t read her first New York Times bestseller, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, which I saw everywhere during the early months of the pandemic. Then, when her recent book was released, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in An Anxious Age, I decided to see what she was all about and what she is all about, my friends, is no wonder she is a bestselling author.
Her writing is so warm and evokes such vivid imagery of the natural world around us. It makes me want to hike more and drink from rivers. It does what it seeks out to do, which is orient us towards enchantment. The pages took me back to my childhood years when I could spend entire days making flower crowns at a park and building miniature houses with sticks. Just after reading the first two chapters, I committed to passing on this enchanting natural world to my kids when they’re always lured by screens and more screens.
Alright, this next one couldn’t be more different than the first two but brought me just as much excitement. I’m a big fan of Shonda Rhimes and have been watching all the Bridgerton series. I was a bit weary of her newest series, Queen Charlotte, which tells the backstory of the Queen in the first two Bridgerton series. Boy, was I mistaken, it is the best of all three series.
The scenery and costumes live up to the beauty of the first two series but the storyline of Queen Charlotte is even more intriguing. And the sex. WOW. Watch it. If you don’t have time in the evenings because you’re like me and about to pass out as soon as you put the kids to bed, watch it in 20 minute increments during your lunch breaks. It’ll spice up the rest of your day!
Finally, I had heard a handful of Porter’s Gate songs in the past but I didn’t know exactly who they were. For years, I searched far and wide for contemporary Christian music that was also theologically progressive and substantive. Having grown up in the evangelical Christian tradition, I was seduced by that kind of guitar-based contemporary and emotionally moving music but turned off by the lyrics and theology. On the other end, I loved the theologically rich content of traditional hymns but saw it wasn’t connecting with the younger generations.
I found a little of what I was looking for through musicians like Mark Miller and John Bell but not much else. That is, until Porter’s Gate, my friends. Porter’s Gate. And now, I’m angry at my friends who’ve known about them for years and didn’t expose them to me earlier. All those lost years I could have been sharing their music with my congregations!
Listen to them. When you’re driving, cooking, on a walk, or just wanting to be spiritually moved. My two favorite songs so far are “Nothing to Fear” and “Your Labor is Not in Vain.” No joke, I’ve listened to those two songs on repeat for hours.
Alright friends, now go. Feed your creative spirits with this decadent food.