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Weekend Grace, Love Edition

February 16, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 5 Comments

It seems like a good time to mention this coffee. The coffee connoisseur in me was so sad to come to the end of the bag. Just Love Coffee! It’s SO GOOD. I’m loving the Costa Rican medium roast.

Thank you for linking up with our real marriage love stories this week!

Here are a few highlights!

Erica from Let Why Lead on The Marriage Diaries (great blog design, too!)

Jennifer is so funny, from Farm Girl Follies. And I’m a sucker for cows and farms!

Jen at Being Confident at This—How to Love When You Feel Unloved

The gift of a reading room, I love it!

I am the restored one, by my friend Amy.

And Melissa’s Your Beard is Good from One Thing Blog! I’m a sucker for beards, too!

Here’s an awesome podcast on the incarnation, children and abortion by Dr. David Scaer and Todd Wilken.

Survey Results, Winners, and FAQ

February 14, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 21 Comments

We are enjoying the briefest and most beautiful of snow days—one that actually has snow, which is always nice. I made chili and am contemplating starting some mocha cupcakes for Valentine’s Day. I’m worried that I might be snowed in with them, which is not good for my thighs. Who I am kidding? It’s gonna 60 here tomorrow. Gotta love the South and its snow “storms”. I thought we’d take care of some business, while we’re on semi-vacation.

First of all, THANK Y’ALL so much for filling out the blog survey. Over 1800 of you lovelies left me encouraging notes, great suggestions, and helpful criticism. I mean it when I say that I LOVED reading what you had to say, which was mostly keep doing what you’re doing, but was also full of great ideas. Your questions and comments gave me a plethora of writing prompts for future blog posts, so for that, I also thank you.

Here’s what you had to say and a few of my answers/comments:

I’d like to address a few things specifically, but mostly be on the lookout for your questions to be answered on the blog in the form of posts. The ones I have written down so far are How I Do My Messy Bun, What My Typical Day Looks Like, How to Raise Kids in the Faith, Why I’m Lutheran, How the girls are adjusting to school and about 10 more posts that you’ve inspired me to write.
You are almost all women (no surprise there!) in your 30’s and 40’s.
So many of you asked for me to write the next installment in my Feminism series and I’m working on it as we speak.
You wanted more recipes and an easier way to print them. I listened and have posted 2 since the survey (soup and cookies!) and made them easy to print. I will slowly be going back and making them all easy to print. Thanks for the nudge!
Sometimes I worry the stark contrast of topics around here is too jolting, but by overwhelming majority, you love the variety. THANK you, because I don’t think I could write any other way.
Many of you talked about the slow loading time and oh do I know. JUST yesterday I switched to a new hosting site! Let me know if you feel like the loading is faster.
Many of you mentioned that you love the faith posts, but that sometimes they are lengthy and hard to get through. I know. They’re hard to write, too. I’ll try to think of ways I can break up lengthier posts, but often it’s hard to articulate something important with brevity. Thank you for your patience. Maybe you could bookmark those posts and come back when you have time!
So many of you asked for more posts on marriage, kids, and family. I’ve added it in as a regular category so that when I’m planning content for the next month, I’ll remember.
I am just amazed at how many of you have been influenced by my posts on books. Books were THE most commonly mentioned topic in the comments. Sometimes I worry you’ll get tired of hearing about my bookish obsession, but you only ask for more. I’ll keep writing about what I’m reading and what I’m learning. So glad you care and so glad you love the written word as much as I do.
Many of you requested more in depth devotional/bible study type posts. I’m working on something for Lent that you might like.
More of my backstory? Hopefully, in book form someday.
Poor performance of my blog on mobile devices? You are so right. We’re working on an app!
So many of you asked for more photos per post, just casual photos from around the house, etc. Yes, I will! I just get lazy. But 22,000 photos on my computer in 3 years should tell you that there’s no shortage of photos around here. And um, here’s one of my lemon scone making to prove I’m listening, dear ones! That recipe may soon pass the test kitchens difficult review process.

I’m starting a FAQ page on my blog, but for now I’ll answer a few right here.

Do I ever read modern authors/books that aren’t so deep/trendy Christian books?

Well. Not that often, but I do. Some of my dearest friends are writers and I love their books and their willingness to be brave and write. Good writing is about telling the truth and that’s a lot harder to do than it looks. But, I try to make sure that the bulk of my reading diet is the best literature I can read—the best writers/thinkers/theologians. I just read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, a brilliant book on writing and here’s what she had to say about books.

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of all the things you don’t get in real life, like wonderful, lyrical language. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention, and this is a great gift. My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean.

To which I say YES! So, when the world is so full of great writing, I’m pretty choosy about how I spend the precious little time there is to read. I wouldn’t say that I read “for fun” but all my reading is fun to me. I do occasionally choose badly and if I do, I don’t feel obliged to keep reading. I spent ten years reading C.S. Lewis and every author he referenced. I’ve since branched out, but I stay close to the classics.

Do you buy every book you read/do you read on kindle?

I buy most of the books I read. Because, I mostly read books that I will want to re-read, so I want my own copy. And I’m SO hard on books. I live with them, take them to bed, spill coffee on them, always break the spines, etc. Often, if it’s a more modern book, especially something that I know I won’t reread, I’ll look for a kindle deal. I have lots of books/ebooks on my kindle and have the kindle app on my phone, so that there will NEVER come a time when I don’t have a book to read on my person. For the last few years, I use the Amazon credits that I earn for my blog as my book budget. I buy books every month and have my own little library in my office. ALL of our kids are in the habit of reading books from our shelves. So, in a way, I’m not just choosing what I read, but I’m giving good choices for us all. I read a study from the NYT a few years ago that the single most important factor that determines the education level of kids is not socioeconomic/race/culture but the NUMBER of books in the house. I find that pretty amazing. But, then it was C.S. Lewis who said your book bill should be your greatest extravagance. I wholeheartedly agree.

Why is there no longer a book club?

Great question. I miss it as much as you do. When I originally set it up, I loaded a forum onto my site so that we would be able to discuss what we were reading. That forum caused my site to be hacked in the worst of ways. It took me hiring professional help to get it fixed and it took months to undo all the damage. That and the fact that spring came and I didn’t feel like I had time to properly prepare for the discussions was the demise of our precious book club. Side note:: I was taking online courses for every book we read, so that I’d be adequately prepared to lead discussion. Overzealous much? I know, but it’s just the way I am. I would love your suggestions/interest level on resurrecting it, but I’m not sure how to do it, without having a forum or a place for us to discuss it. I’m all ears!

Okay, now for the winners!!

I sent an email to the person who won the AMAZON gift card, but if I don’t hear back from her, I’ll pick another winner.

First, let me say congratulations to Melanie, for making the NYT best seller list this week!! I couldn’t be happier for her.

The book winners from Antelope in the Living Room are::

17- Jackie

128- Terry A

156- Tomi Cheeks (her comment was hilarious!)

13- Jamie

19- Jen

Okay, email me ladies with you address, and I’ll send you a copy of Melanie’s book!

Hope your love day is wonderful! Follow me on FB by “liking” the page and I’ll be sharing some of my favorite LOVE quotes and songs.

Here’s my new favorite song from my new favorite album (by Noah Gundersen) now available in iTunes and Amazon.

Italian Wedding Soup

February 12, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 24 Comments

Well. First of all, let me say that I love weddings. EVERY last thing about them. I get all teary eyed for the bride and groom. I always imagine that I’m the photographer, looking for those candid moments that can’t be missed. I love the wedding liturgy, the familiar words, the dancing, all of it. I love shopping for wedding gifts and remembering what’s it’s like to be newly married. I want to remind the bride and groom (they all look 12 to me now) not to take themselves too seriously and that marriage is hard. But, mostly, I want to eat cake. I’ve got no lies to tell. I’m a wedding crasher in search of cake.

And wedding soup was one of the first foods Stevie and I learned to love together. There was a fly by night hole in the wall italian restaurant near the hospital where we worked and we’d meet there for lunch and eat wedding soup. I’ve had a soft spot for it ever since. If you’ve never tried it, you’re in for a treat!

I’m sure you thought that surely there had to be an end to the soups I make and love. But then you would be forgetting that I call myself the Soup Whisperer. I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to soups. And speaking of Pinterest, I confess to having a wedding board. FOR A FRIEND, y’all. I’m kinda relieved I had my wedding before Pinterest because OH THE PRESSURE. I created the board way before Adriane ever found her husband. They recently married and are the most adorable two people on the planet. She’s a writer/editor (with a book coming out soon) and he’s a dairy farmer. I DIE!

(via Ashley Lowry Photography)

I know I keep digressing, but I love soups and I love people in love. This one is a keeper. It marries the worlds of men (beef) and women (vegetables) and uses the flavor and stability of parmesan cheese to bind all hearts together. But, I digress.

Make it this weekend for you sweetie pie. And? Invite me to all your weddings. Amen.

What You’ll Need:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1 egg
4 cloves minced garlic (Add half of it to the meatballs and half to the soup)
1 large onion (half of it grated into the meatballs, the other half chopped and sauteed in the soup.)
1 tsp salt and pepper
1 cup small pasta (stellate or acini de pepe is what I normally use but basically find the smallest pasta you can)
3 boxes of good chicken stock (I use Kitchen Basics in the yellow box, which CANNOT be beat. Each box is 32 oz)
1 bag of fresh spinach (Or as much as you like. I use alot, maybe 3 big handfuls, but it will wilt down and you’ll wish you had added more)
2 egg yolks
Good freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish (the green can stuff is okay in a pinch, but freshly grated parmesan is almost as good as wedding cake. I said almost.)

What You’ll Do:

For the meatballs—

Mix the raw beef, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper.
Combine until mixed well and form into small (about 1 inch) meatballs that you will drop into the hot broth.

For the soup—

Chop and saute the leftover half of the onion in 2 T. olive oil over medium high heat for 3-4 min
Add salt and pepper to the onion at this stage so you don’t have to correct the seasoning so much at the end (maybe a teaspoon of salt)
Add chopped garlic and saute another minute or two.
Add the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a near boil
Begin to drop the meatballs into the hot broth
After all the meatballs are added, let them cook for a few minutes until the meatballs begin to rise to the surface
Turn the heat down to low and add the pasta and the spinach
Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking
Uncover and check the flavor. It will likely need more salt and pepper and I often add a teaspoon or two of honey
Beat the two egg yolks well and ladle a little of the soup into the eggs and mix well
Add the egg/soup mixture back to the soup and stir.
Serve with crusty bread, grated parmesan cheese and smooches!

Italian Wedding Soup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1 egg
4 cloves minced garlic Add half of it to the meatballs and half to the soup
1 large onion half of it grated into the meatballs, the other half chopped and sauteed in the soup.
1 tsp salt and pepper
1 cup small pasta stellate or acini de pepe is what I normally use but basically find the smallest pasta you can
3 boxes of good chicken stock I use Kitchen Basics in the yellow box, which CANNOT be beat. Each box is 32 oz
1 bag of fresh spinach Or as much as you like. I use alot, maybe 3 big handfuls, but it will wilt down and you'll wish you had added more
2 egg yolks
Good freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish the green can stuff is okay in a pinch, but freshly grated parmesan is almost as good as wedding cake. I said almost.

Instructions

Chop and saute the leftover half of the onion in 2 T. olive oil over medium high heat for 3-4 min
Add salt and pepper to the onion at this stage so you don't have to correct the seasoning so much at the end (maybe a teaspoon of salt)
Add chopped garlic and saute another minute or two.
Add the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a near boil
Begin to drop the meatballs into the hot broth
After all the meatballs are added, let them cook for a few minutes until the meatballs begin to rise to the surface
Turn the heat down to low and add the pasta and the spinach
Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking
Uncover and check the flavor. It will likely need more salt and pepper and I often add a teaspoon or two of honey
Beat the two egg yolks well and ladle a little of the soup into the eggs and mix well
Add the egg/soup mixture back to the soup and stir.
Serve with crusty bread, grated parmesan cheese and smooches!

Ode to Emotional Support

February 10, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 51 Comments

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(photo via Life in Balance )

I started 2012 off with a bang. And by that I mean, I had emergency surgery on my gallbladder. I woke up on the morning of my birthday completely out of my head and asking for cookie cake.(So, in retrospect I guess I wasn’t completely out of my head.) My girls brought cookie cake to the hospital, we sang Happy Birthday, and I wore yoga pants tucked into my new birthday boots as I hobbled right out of the hospital.

Oh, and one little tidbit I left out: I made Stevie call my pastor to see if he’d come pray with me before my surgery because it would be JUST LIKE ME to die on the operating table. I did not. But I wasn’t taking any chances.

My mom and sister decided to stay with me for a few days to help with the kids and my recovery. I love the women in my life. They know what needs to be done and they do ten times more than that. I can only imagine the relief Stevie felt, knowing that my women were here to care for me—to look after the kids, to make the food, the fold the laundry, to keep things running like a machine. I saw the relief in his eyes when he collapsed in to his man-cliner and tilted back to watch a few football games. Now, don’t get me wrong, he made the obligatory trip to the bedroom every few hours to check on me, to see if I needed anything, to see how I was feeling. He rested knowing that all my needs were cared for and those ballgames weren’t gonna watch themselves, so back to the man-cliner he’d go, with a song in his heart and a spring in his step.

After 3 days of this routine, I came unglued.

You can blame it on anesthesia or the pain meds wearing off or my general tendency to come unglued every six months, but I was on the warpath and I had the man-cliner in my crosshairs. Now, before you go envisioning an all out scream fest, you should know this about me. I can get steaming mad. For exactly 12 seconds. Then, I collapse into a weepy mess and the words I’m wailing can barely be understood.

What I tried to say was, “I CAN’T LIVE ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT YOUR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT!”

What it sounded like was the high pitched yelp of a coyote in the grips of a mountain lion.

Either way, I was ALL CAPS and Stevie’s worst nightmare was about to begin.

The words were so mutilated and mangled by my tears that he asked me to repeat them. To say it again.

So, I yelped it out louder.

At which point, he took his iPhone out of his pocket and started surfing the internet.

Oh, yes he did.

Do you understand the gravity of this situation? Did he? I think not.

I briefly composed myself and did the angry snivel and then spit out the words, “What. Are. You. DOING?”

He glanced at me above his readers and answered me like he was answering a question about Adrian Peterson, “I just googled emotional support. What does that even mean?”

Um. Okay, if you need to google emotional support, mister, then we’ve got a problem. And we’ve got a problem that could possibly be too big even for Google.

THEN. He proceeded to read aloud from a list on a random page on the internet the 10 Ways To Emotionally Support Your Spouse. There were things like always acknowledge your spouse when she walks in the room, touch each other often, listen deeply to your partner, speak in a loving tone and remember to smile.

Halfway through the list, I started to sob BECAUSE, why has my life come to this? I’m on the brink of an emotional break down here and all we’ve got are ten cheesy ideas from Google. Is that what we’ve come to? I’d even take Dr. Phil over Google on this one. The drama in my head was at an all time fever pitch.

All I could do was sob uncontrollably.

And, he did what he always does when I come apart. He held me close and told me how much he loved me and that he was sorry if he wasn’t giving me what I needed and that all I needed to do was tell him and he’d do it. He said all he ever wanted was to make me happy. He said, “Don’t you know how much I love you?”

All the anger and hurt melted away. The sun streamed through the cold January air into the bedroom window and I remembered what is so easy to forget. This man loves me. He walked through fire for us. He is strong like an oak tree and faithful like the seasons. The only thing that predictably makes him smile is babies and he tears up at EVERY baptism. He would fight for me to the death. And he lives his life for us in the most heroic and ordinary of ways. Sometimes, I have to come apart in order to remember.

Over the next few days, he upped his emotional support game LIKE A BOSS. Every time I passed through the living room— like, I don’t know, 750 times a day—he made eye contact and gave me a little two finger wave. As in, I see you. No, really, I SEE YOU.

Then, when we talked, I could tell he was trying hard to listen deeply and gaze into my eyes. His efforts were valiant and flawless.

I think it was the pleasant tone of voice and frequent smiling that finally pushed me over the edge.

I cried UNCLE. Okay, you’re off the hook. No more emotional support. It’s driving me crazy. It’s not even you. You never smile like that. Smiling is my job. Why don’t you go back to stone face glancing over your readers with mischief brewing under the surface, because that’s the you I know and love.

Yeah, that you.

what love sounds like

No, more like that one.

See how fake smiling could totally ruin that handsome face?

So, the moral of the story is this. Life is hard and there are so many things to grieve over and cry for. But, there are also SO very many reasons to laugh. Sometimes, there’s even a reason to completely lose your stuff and howl like a coyote.

But, whatever you do, don’t take yourself too seriously. Marriage is hard because we’re all so darn self-centered. The key is confession, forgiveness, dying to self, giving the benefit of the doubt, and plenty of good old fashioned laughter.

I’m learning to let Stevie be who he is, even if Google searched emotional support is not his game.

He reminds me how much I am loved.

And for that, I am so grateful.

****************************

FYI: My spiritual memoir, All the Pretty Things, is now available for preorder. Keep your receipt number to claim your preorder bonuses once they are released!

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Weekend Grace

February 8, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 10 Comments

First, let me remind you that in honor of real marriage (or Valentine’s Day?) and my friend, Melanie’s, book on marriage, we’re linking up our funny or tender (or anything in between) marriage stories on Monday, here on the blog. I can’t wait to tell you mine. I’m writing about the time I asked Stevie for more emotional support. You don’t wanna miss it. I want to see you there! If you have trouble thinking of something to write, just do a list like this—so much fun!

Another thank you to all who supported the Instagram Sale for Taylor’s mission trip. He looks like he may have found his calling! I’m so jealous I’m not there, but at least my almost twin sister is there to document all the preciousness!

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photo via Nester

I had the privilege of attending a writer’s workshop yesterday with my friend, Patty. (Also? Taught by Amy Greene, so I was in heaven!) We spent the day together learning, chatting about blogs and life, and enjoying the fellowship of kindred spirits. I’m so thankful for her and so blessed that she’s lives right down the lake! Also? This quote on her blog makes my week!

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I love this printable and am thinking of printing it, framing it, and adding it to my spring mantel!

Miracles Printables

Darlene did an awesome little post on 5 free things you can do now to create a gorgeous room! She used a photo of my guest room. So thankful! (It was from our BHG shoot!)

plates-free

I love this post from Nester last Valentine’s Day on a few easy, awesome crafties! Also? I must make David a heart-shaped eyepatch. Amen.

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My precious friend, Sibi, wrote a post on the New Church Lady went viral like nobody’s business. I can see why. She’s a doll.

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photo via

My most visited post this week? This one from last year where I give tips on dressing yourself in your 30’s and 40’s. You can ignore as much of it as you want, but please do two things for me. 1. Try the $12 tank top that I wear EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. of my life. 2. Watch the Sally O’Malley video.

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Last thing! My friend, Tsh, has a new book out called Notes From a Blue Bike. I’m reading it now and it’s delightful. She talks about living a slower, more deliberate life and I couldn’t agree more. I just finished the section on food, which of course, I adored. Love people and cook them tasty food!

Woolf

This book trailer will convince you that this book’s for you!

Happy weekend!

2014 Reading List

February 7, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 120 Comments

2014readinglist

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” ~Oscar Wilde

There’s probably nothing more dangerous in your house than a stack full of good books. More than any other one thing in my life, books have been the most transformative. And I’m not talking about 50 Shades of Grey, I’m talking about the best books, often classics, that have stood the test of time and place. Cultivating a serious reading schedule is the best gift you can give yourself. When I make my reading list, I feel like I’m giving myself the best kind of gift. Coming up with a reading schedule for the year is one of my favorite things to do in January. And since y’all made lots of comments about books in your surveys, I thought I’d share what’s on my overflowing nightstand! I try to do one classic every month and then 3-4 other books (sometimes more) that are easier to get through. I’m working on a master book list, of all the books I’ve read and love with little snippets of reviews. Hopefully soon!

I’ve had the bad habit in the past of having 4-5 books going at once and then not finishing them. I’m trying to do better, and have only 1-2 going at a time until I finish them. Multitasking books is probably not the best practice. So, for instance, the last 3 weekends, I’ve read one novel each weekend and tried to finish them either by the end of the weekend or the end of the week, submersing myself fully in the fiction dream land. I can read nonfiction in parts, a little here and there, but literary fiction is more demanding and needs some dedicated time. There’s nothing that does my heart better than a weekend with a great book and a clean calendar.

Here’s my working list and I’d love to hear what you’re reading too! (I reserve the right to add and subtract as I see fit!)

The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis (one of my favorite books of all time!)

Telling the Truth, Frederick Buechner (excellent, maybe the highlight of my summer reading)

The Writing Life, Annie Dillard

Wordsmithy, Douglas Wilson

Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (OH MY WORD. So good!)

Home, Marilynne Robinson

Bossypants, Tina Fey

Stein on Writing, Sol Stein

The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith

Long Man by Amy Greene (finished, beautiful, rich prose)

The Business of Heaven by C.S. Lewis (short daily readings, great of course!)

God at Work by Gene Veith (finished, must read!)

Flannery O’Connor’s Prayer Journal

Luther on Vocation by Wingren

The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle (finished, HI-Larry-Us)

Broken: 7 Rules that Every Christian Ought to Break by Jonathan Fisk

The Tempest by Shakespeare

Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

What Alice Forgot

The Ongoing Feast: Table Fellowship at Emmaus

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider (reading now, great so far!)

Middlemarch by George Eliot

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (amazing times 10)

The Nesting Place by Myquillin Smith

Working Days: The Journals of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Call by Os Guiness (finished, very enlightening book about vocation)

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a’Kempis (finished, deep but rich!)

Light Years by James Salter

Beloved by Toni Morrison (reading now)

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (book on writing, reading now)

The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield (finished, love his other books, this one not quite as relevant but still good)

Word and Sacrament, Luther’s Works

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Heaven on Earth by Arthur Just

Discipline by Elisabeth Elliott (finished)

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler

Let Me Be Woman by Elisabeth Eliot (finished, good but not as deep as I’d hoped)

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

All New Square Foot Gardening

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

Escaping Into the Open by Elizabeth Berg

This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash

Lilith by George MacDonald

Reading has been a large priority in my life for the past ten years. If you’re just starting out on a quest to read more, be easy on yourself. Reading is demanding and you get better at it with practice. Our culture is so accustomed to things that are instant and easy, so cultivating a life-long habit of reading good books will take time. But, the gift you give yourself and your family by filling your home and minds with good books is immeasurable. I love this quote from Flannery O’Connor when a reader claimed that her books were dark, hard to read, and not uplifting enough. She said,

“There is something in us, as story-tellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least must be offered the chance to be restored. The reader of today looks for this motion, and rightly so, but what he has forgotten is the cost of it. His sense of evil is diluted or lacking altogether and so he has forgotten the price of restoration.”

In a larger sense, the stories and essays that we’ve gotten from the greatest authors have come to them at great price. I live and die by their books—by the hard fought words of someone else. All day, I hear the drone of culture and the drivel of my own self-centered voice in my head and I know that I am impoverished. I don’t have the right words and so I need to borrow them from someone else—–from someone who has read better books, lived in a saner time, and paid a steep price for the kernels of truth they so generously share. The words of my favorite authors color my world and wipe away the fog that our modern, consumerist society has accepted as the new status quo. I think Flannery O’Connor was right. We have forgotten the cost of redemption. Perhaps the masters will help us remember.

Now, tell me the top few books on your list this year.

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If you’re new around here? Thank you for visiting my blog! I’m honored you’re here and I hope you’ll find some encouragement (and some laughter!) for your days. Visit my about page, which highlights some of my popular posts or will at least show you a peak into my crazy people. You can subscribe to this blog by email here. I am currently addicted to Pinterest, so follow at your own risk I also post updates to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.