Hey there,
Happy day-after-Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! Iβm most likely on a long morning walk with my family right now because Iβm currently writing this on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving β¦So letβs get right to it. Onward with the five quick things!
P.S. - Ohβone little item of business.1
5 Quick Things βοΈ
1.Β New episode of A Drink With a Friend! I'm flying solo in this short one, giving us all a brief 101 and no-pressure, low-key pep talk about Advent. Share this episode if you've got friends and family wanting to know more about this old tradition without feeling overwhelmed.
2. ICYMI, earlier this week I shared my super-simple, contemplative and slightly nerdy gift guide. Enjoy!
3.Β Speaking of: yes and amen to Haddon Turnerβs essay at
on the essential need for small businesses in our communities. So many good thoughts here, including, βThe big monopolies, especially βThe Dreaded Company Named After a Rainforestβ must be rubbing their hands with glee over the increased customers they will receive from the plethora of collapsed small businesses,β and βCommit to buying from your local small businesses and ethical producers. It is a form of giving ...Losing them should not an option, for if we do, we will lose local distinctions, local produce, and local traditions. In short, we lose a fundamental part of what brings joy into life.β4. Wednesday was the 60th anniversary of C.S. Lewis' death. Joel Miller at
wrote a lovely tribute to this man whose thoughts have shaped so many of us: ββAfter Iβve been dead five years,β he told his friend Owen Barfield, βno one will read anything Iβve written.ββ Joke's on him.5. And finally, I'm continually learning so much from
about the lesser-known bits about the liturgical calendarβI really enjoyed this piece about St. Clement's Day (as well as this): βI wonder if Clementing might be more important now than ever, in this age of the lament of disconnected communities.β
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening π
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
Quotable π¬
βOptimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that thingsβthe weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situationβwill get better. Hope is trust that God will fulfill Godβs promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom.β
- Henri Nouwen
What's the best food on the Thanksgiving table? π¦
See, I knew I had the smartest readers in the world because these are all in the exact right order. Iβm Team Stuffing all the way.
Stuffing: 37.3%
Pie: 23.9%
Potatoes: 19.4%
Green Beans: 5.2%
Turkey: 4.5%
Bread: 3.4%
Find this weekβs poll here.
Advent Countdown: 8 Days β¨
Advent is soonβit's a week from this Sunday! Listen to this week's episode of Drink as inspirationβhere are a few other things you can do to prepare:
Order your copy of Shadow & Light: A Journey Into Advent NOW so that youβre not scrambling the night before2. Itβs currently 30% off here.
Register for this upcoming webinar, which is next Saturday, December 2, from 1-3 pm EST. Iβll be speaking about Advent along with a few other folks!
Order your Advent candlesβhere's the kit we use every year, but here, here, and here are some already-made beeswax candles. (And here are some other lovely Advent items.)
Quick Links π
π¬π· Join Me in Greece: June 20-30, 2024
Question(s) For You to Ponderβ¦ π€
What are you grateful for happening since last yearβs holiday season?
Have a great weekend,
- Tsh
p.s. One masterpiece from each major movement of Western architecture. Stunning.
Yes, last weekβs issue went out all wonky, and I have no idea why because it was 100% complete the night before when I scheduled its publication. Thanks to the (literal hundreds) of you who emailed me (and a great many close friends and family members who texted me) to let me know of this. β¦The thing is, I realized it almost immediately after it was sent out, when I then fixed it on the back end and was thusly right-as-rain on the online version of things. β¦ This led me to realize that I believe there are a great many of you who simply read this email in your inbox, not realizing itβs a newsletter that can be clicked over and read on the Substack website. Which is fine! And in some ways, as it should be, because this is, after all a newsletter. But in future circumstances, should thisβor anything else where youβre wondering βIs this the entire gist of this newsletter?ββhappen again, freely click over to the newsletter itself, either via the title of the issues (5 Quick Things #X) or via the buttons provided within. Thanks! -the mgmt
However, been there, done that βΒ absolutely no shame in that game.
Just about to start "Practice of the Presence of God" for Advent -- as well as your gorgeous Advent book that has become a family tradition. Also picked up some mugs from Millet and Hammer for gifts last night! They do such lovely work.
Thank you for the item of business! I think somewhere way back I knew I could read over here, but sure didnβt think of that last week. So bonus for me...I have 2 x 5 Quick Things to read today. (And I would have voted for either stuffing or pie too!)