Essays on spirituality, intersection of spirituality and culture, musings about the writing life and longer pieces are the principle categories of your writing that I enjoy. I find you thoughtful and positive and genuine and am truly grateful for your Story Scraps pieces—I always walk away with something to ponder in greater depth.
Obviously I’m a fan of everything you do in this newsletter, but I especially appreciate the fiction and would love to read more! In fact, as a challenge: it would be cool to see some serialized fiction (even a very short series). That’s definitely more work, but could be fun (to write and to read)!
So many amazing things on the way! This isn’t going to be super helpful but I the open approach you took to posting here. A smattering of everything keeps me entertained, and learning new things, or ways to see things!
I have been enjoying both Now Discern This and Story Scraps for a while now. I appreciate your gentle spiritual focus of Now Discern, and the surprising delights of Scraps. Keep exploring and sharing your words with us!
I like stories about spirituality, storytelling, and peace/justice.(I don’t like the word essays, and would prefer instead the word ‘stories’. )Two books I think are important are : Let Your Heartbreak be your guide : lessons in engaged contemplation by Adam Bucko and The Spiritualty of Imperfection : Storytelling and the search for meaning.
I've followed "Now Discern This" even before it was dubbed that. And I loved "Cannonball Moments." So I thought, "Oh good!" when your substack appeared. Your questioning of where to go with this made me smile because I've been sort of wondering where you were going with these posts. You've been meandering and you're aware of it... call it more discernment or self-awareness, or whatever, but you've asked for our two cents worth, so here's mine: Find a threat and follow it. You have a forte and you know what it is, you can see the spiritual involvement and implications of situations that most of us too often fail to see. Your ability to describe that in terms of your own experiences (home life, children, etc.) and relate it in ways that encourage readers to reflect on their own experiences, is so valuable. You see spirituality in the humorous and in the poignant and you make that relevant without too much religiosity and it is refreshing. There is so much going on in the world that would benefit from such a perspective. You may still write the great American novel one of these days (think Andrew Greeley!!) but your insight into the goodness inherent in life is a gift that warrants sharing wherever and whenever.
Essays on spirituality, intersection of spirituality and culture, musings about the writing life and longer pieces are the principle categories of your writing that I enjoy. I find you thoughtful and positive and genuine and am truly grateful for your Story Scraps pieces—I always walk away with something to ponder in greater depth.
Thanks, Melisa! That’s super helpful.
Obviously I’m a fan of everything you do in this newsletter, but I especially appreciate the fiction and would love to read more! In fact, as a challenge: it would be cool to see some serialized fiction (even a very short series). That’s definitely more work, but could be fun (to write and to read)!
Thanks, John! That's a great challenge.
So many amazing things on the way! This isn’t going to be super helpful but I the open approach you took to posting here. A smattering of everything keeps me entertained, and learning new things, or ways to see things!
I have been enjoying both Now Discern This and Story Scraps for a while now. I appreciate your gentle spiritual focus of Now Discern, and the surprising delights of Scraps. Keep exploring and sharing your words with us!
Thanks, Ellen!
Patricia Wilson
I like stories about spirituality, storytelling, and peace/justice.(I don’t like the word essays, and would prefer instead the word ‘stories’. )Two books I think are important are : Let Your Heartbreak be your guide : lessons in engaged contemplation by Adam Bucko and The Spiritualty of Imperfection : Storytelling and the search for meaning.
Thanks for the book suggestions! They look great.
I've followed "Now Discern This" even before it was dubbed that. And I loved "Cannonball Moments." So I thought, "Oh good!" when your substack appeared. Your questioning of where to go with this made me smile because I've been sort of wondering where you were going with these posts. You've been meandering and you're aware of it... call it more discernment or self-awareness, or whatever, but you've asked for our two cents worth, so here's mine: Find a threat and follow it. You have a forte and you know what it is, you can see the spiritual involvement and implications of situations that most of us too often fail to see. Your ability to describe that in terms of your own experiences (home life, children, etc.) and relate it in ways that encourage readers to reflect on their own experiences, is so valuable. You see spirituality in the humorous and in the poignant and you make that relevant without too much religiosity and it is refreshing. There is so much going on in the world that would benefit from such a perspective. You may still write the great American novel one of these days (think Andrew Greeley!!) but your insight into the goodness inherent in life is a gift that warrants sharing wherever and whenever.
Thanks, Sue! This is really helpful.