The water coloring sounds great! I had mixed feelings on the Konstantin article though and was surprised you shared it given your awareness of the with at large. While some of the explanation is sort of useful, I felt (as a Brit who knows America well and follows US politics in nerdy detail) that he generalised about both Americans and even more so about Europeans. We're from 3 dozen different countries, even more cultures and very many political outlooks. Few of us are socialists, even if we believe that health care should be a human right. What does unite a majority of a Europeans is concerns that "drill, baby, drill" will raise temperatures for the whole planet which we all share and that were not keen on anyone right now who seems so friendly with Putin when we're sitting a heck of a lot closer to him than you all are. The anxiety about your election is not going away on this side of the pond any time soon, even if we do understand some of what Konstantin says. We knew DJT could win. We just hoped he wouldn't.
Thanks Becky. Same. I suggest you don't even go near the comments then!!! Blessings on you, your country and ALL your fellow citizens, regardless of how they voted. I'm glad it was at least quick and decisive but many folks will need time to grieve. We had a similarly close election in 2016 with Brexit (my side lost) and it's brutal. Praying for our world.
Maybe the issue was that, although I find your writing challenging and stimulating, TSH, you rarely share anything about politics. Like many, I suspect, I save your newsletter for an end of Friday treat. To suddenly find something so unexpected at the end of that particular week was just very jarring. Happy to respectfully disagree on any number of issues and won't abandon your writing on that basis but, especially as it had no contextual pre-amble, it landed hard and painfully in that moment when everyone needed an exhale. Hope that is constructive feedback.
I agree. It doesn't feel like something so easy to move along from with many liberties at stake. There definitely wasn't a lightness to my step as Project 25 looms on the horizon. I know the majority of this online community supports homeschooling, but so many of our nation's children depend heavily on the Department of Education. I am still grieving.
Relief? Lightness? Those sure aren’t sure what I felt this week, and the fact that there is no real acknowledgment of the pain and fear that so many folks are feeling right now says a lot, Tsh. Add to that the Konstantin article you seem to agree with tells me so much more. I’ve been a fan of your for over a decade now and have a lot of respect for what you have taught me about looking for the beauty and sacred. But clearly you are not recognizing, (or maybe don’t even care?) what some of your readers are going through right now. For me, I am spending my week worried about my transgender daughter and her partner’s safety and my neighbors and students, many who are undocumented. And those are just the top two on my mind.
I absolutely do care. TRULY. My faith in Jesus compels me to because he's taught me my entire belief system hinges on loving God + loving my neighbor, and that true religion is caring for widows and orphans. If I'm not doing that, then I have some talking with Jesus to do.
However, in the 15+ years I've been writing online, I've come to learn the need for boundaries in my writing and publishing — that it's not my job to be all things to all people, to make sure everyone feels exactly how I do, nor to apologize or be dishonest about how I'm doing or what I'm thinking, etc. I'd argue that the idea of expecting certain folks to share my perspective — and that if I don't, that means XYZ about all sorts of other things they probably believe — is a hugely concerning issue with our culture's discourse right now. It is okay to disagree with our neighbors, and that coming to different conclusions about the right policy for governance does not make them evil. It also reminds me to consider every source I get my information from, and to make sure I'm not hearing a partial story or hearing only one side.
Konstantin's brief list is for those who are genuinely surprised at the results, not for those who aren't. I think it's insightful and potentially helpful for some folks. If not, THAT'S OKAY. It also doesn't mean I agree with it 100%. This is by far not the first thing I've ever shared in my writing that I don't entirely agree with. We can and should learn from folks with different perspectives from us.
Thank you for being a longstanding reader, Becca, and I appreciate your willingness to hear multiple viewpoints. Pray for my — and all of our — ability to do so as well. 💛
Three small things I'm thankful for. 1. A visit with friends who live in the country. 2. A walk on their property watching deer and birds and looking at the beautiful fall leaves on the trees. 3. I'm enjoying cooler temperatures.
oh my goodness, leisurely watercoloring with your husband, squirreled away in a coffee shop, with nowhere else to go and no one else to be with.
sheer bliss!
It was the best!
The water coloring sounds great! I had mixed feelings on the Konstantin article though and was surprised you shared it given your awareness of the with at large. While some of the explanation is sort of useful, I felt (as a Brit who knows America well and follows US politics in nerdy detail) that he generalised about both Americans and even more so about Europeans. We're from 3 dozen different countries, even more cultures and very many political outlooks. Few of us are socialists, even if we believe that health care should be a human right. What does unite a majority of a Europeans is concerns that "drill, baby, drill" will raise temperatures for the whole planet which we all share and that were not keen on anyone right now who seems so friendly with Putin when we're sitting a heck of a lot closer to him than you all are. The anxiety about your election is not going away on this side of the pond any time soon, even if we do understand some of what Konstantin says. We knew DJT could win. We just hoped he wouldn't.
Thank you for saying this. I have great respect for Tsh, but rarely have I felt so gaslit as by these articles.
Thanks Becky. Same. I suggest you don't even go near the comments then!!! Blessings on you, your country and ALL your fellow citizens, regardless of how they voted. I'm glad it was at least quick and decisive but many folks will need time to grieve. We had a similarly close election in 2016 with Brexit (my side lost) and it's brutal. Praying for our world.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, ladies!
Maybe the issue was that, although I find your writing challenging and stimulating, TSH, you rarely share anything about politics. Like many, I suspect, I save your newsletter for an end of Friday treat. To suddenly find something so unexpected at the end of that particular week was just very jarring. Happy to respectfully disagree on any number of issues and won't abandon your writing on that basis but, especially as it had no contextual pre-amble, it landed hard and painfully in that moment when everyone needed an exhale. Hope that is constructive feedback.
I agree. It doesn't feel like something so easy to move along from with many liberties at stake. There definitely wasn't a lightness to my step as Project 25 looms on the horizon. I know the majority of this online community supports homeschooling, but so many of our nation's children depend heavily on the Department of Education. I am still grieving.
Yay for anniversary watercoloring!! (Are those Emily's workbooks? Love them!)
They are! They’re delightful.
Relief? Lightness? Those sure aren’t sure what I felt this week, and the fact that there is no real acknowledgment of the pain and fear that so many folks are feeling right now says a lot, Tsh. Add to that the Konstantin article you seem to agree with tells me so much more. I’ve been a fan of your for over a decade now and have a lot of respect for what you have taught me about looking for the beauty and sacred. But clearly you are not recognizing, (or maybe don’t even care?) what some of your readers are going through right now. For me, I am spending my week worried about my transgender daughter and her partner’s safety and my neighbors and students, many who are undocumented. And those are just the top two on my mind.
I absolutely do care. TRULY. My faith in Jesus compels me to because he's taught me my entire belief system hinges on loving God + loving my neighbor, and that true religion is caring for widows and orphans. If I'm not doing that, then I have some talking with Jesus to do.
However, in the 15+ years I've been writing online, I've come to learn the need for boundaries in my writing and publishing — that it's not my job to be all things to all people, to make sure everyone feels exactly how I do, nor to apologize or be dishonest about how I'm doing or what I'm thinking, etc. I'd argue that the idea of expecting certain folks to share my perspective — and that if I don't, that means XYZ about all sorts of other things they probably believe — is a hugely concerning issue with our culture's discourse right now. It is okay to disagree with our neighbors, and that coming to different conclusions about the right policy for governance does not make them evil. It also reminds me to consider every source I get my information from, and to make sure I'm not hearing a partial story or hearing only one side.
Konstantin's brief list is for those who are genuinely surprised at the results, not for those who aren't. I think it's insightful and potentially helpful for some folks. If not, THAT'S OKAY. It also doesn't mean I agree with it 100%. This is by far not the first thing I've ever shared in my writing that I don't entirely agree with. We can and should learn from folks with different perspectives from us.
Thank you for being a longstanding reader, Becca, and I appreciate your willingness to hear multiple viewpoints. Pray for my — and all of our — ability to do so as well. 💛
Three small things I'm thankful for. 1. A visit with friends who live in the country. 2. A walk on their property watching deer and birds and looking at the beautiful fall leaves on the trees. 3. I'm enjoying cooler temperatures.
I am so, so surprised that this is your response to the election results, Tsh. It feels profoundly disappointing.
I'm sorry to hear you're disappointed, Kelly. I'm grateful to have a wide swath of readers who see life in a variety of ways.