For Your Weekend (04.15.22)

Including Video of a Novel: Day 55

The sun is shining this morning in Lancaster County, and since the kids have off school I took the younger four to McDonald’s for breakfast. A pretty big treat for this crew. And since I’ve recently switched to a plant-based diet, I went with a hashbrown.

*sigh*

In other refreshment-based activities, I had a drink with a friend a few nights ago who is square in the middle of the toughest thing he’s ever gone through. I’ve never gone through what he’s going through, but I’ve had my own Valley of the Shadow journeys, and I couldn’t help but remember how much that feels like death, when you’re in the middle of it. Whatever “it” might be. It’s so hard to see beyond it or to imagine that life might, someday, be better than it currently is.

Life will be good again. Five words that sometimes seem so hard to believe.

I guess that’s the beauty of Easter. Whether or not you’re a Christian, every human has to somehow hope in the resurrection of all things—the return of goodness, the defeat of darkness, life coming back.

If you’re in the middle of it, whatever “it” is, I pray you find hope.

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A few things for your weekend…

• Two years living with Stage 4 melanoma. Organizing a conference based around CS Lewis and the Inklings. Now, writing a new book. This week on the podcast we spoke with Leslie Bustard about the invigorating beauty of life, how cancer has opened her eyes, and what she hopes for her new book. 

• Speaking of Leslie’s new book, you can order Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children.

• April | John Updike

  April
  It's Spring! Farewell
  To chills and colds!
  The blushing, girlish
  World unfolds

• Check out this one-day writer’s retreat in Barboursville, VA, hosted by Andi Cumbo-Floyd and Kelly Chripczuk, “Writing From Your Authentic Self.” Andi and Kelly are wonderful guides in the writing and contemplative life.

• The Strange Similarity of Neuron and Galaxy Networks…what if we’re living inside a huge brain???

And now on to Video of a Novel: Day 55…

I'm in the middle of feeling more motivated, and I’m talking about two things in the video below: Mr. Rogers' quote, "Deep and simple is better than shallow and complex"; also, some thoughts on how to improve a scene that feels like it's lagging.