Today is a both-and kind of day. It is both awesome and scary. After 7 weeks, my husband and I are picking up one of our daughter’s from a residential eating disorder facility. I say both-and because I am both so happy and so scared to continue this journey with her...to help her let go of her compulsions to restrict food intake and push back against the beauty industry. May we be up for the task.
It is a day. But not a terrible one and things have certainly been worse. I am in the cusp of a divorce being finalized after a year of sorting through the grief of betrayal - a divorce I never expected or wanted. I am a single mom now to two very tiny and energetic people and it is exhausting, but I revel in each moment with them. They are beautiful incredible humans. I live with joy, even in the terrible and I am so grateful.
My own day is going ok, all things considered....after a december that blew up with sadness and stress with my mom hospitalized....again. Mom is much declined after this latest episode. She is a stroke survivor of 23.5 years. Which means my dad and I have been caregivers for 23.5 years. We are all tired. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say Kate has been a saving grace in my faith. this difficult journey has led to my current career of chaplaincy : where I have used Kate’s words to serve both patients and staff. So thanks:)
I never comment so let me also say thanks here to Sarah’s team for the gift subscription this past year...it’s almost over but I will keep reading when I can. Very grateful for your writing, too....
My best friends son died on Christmas morning, so today I spent several hours at her house - packaging up returns from Christmas and dress clothes that didn't fit because they had been ordered on line in multiple sizes to accommodate the rushed needs of funeral clothing. I sat at her desk and got her printer working because she doesn't have the mental bandwidth yet to spend time on FAQ boards troubleshooting error messages, I took out her trash, helped her 8 year old daughter watercolor, and sorted through mail that needed to be thrown out verses reviewed by her. I was with her, helping with the practical and at the same time physically and spiritually holding space for her in the aftermath of a complete nightmare. It sounds sad but it was truly a gift to be there, to be able to share in some small
way her grief with her and know she isn't alone in this. It was a pretty good day 🫶🏻
My day just got better after hearing about the dear friendship of two of my favorite people (writers, podcasters, speakers) Sarah and Kate. I love you both. No wonder you love each other. 🥰
Yes, it’s a beautiful terrible day for me today. Sitting in waiting room of urgent care -- I have been sick for 9 days - Happy New Year to me. And yet, there is so much beauty in my life daily! Honoring both.
I find that adding in That Thing I Need To Do, even when it is so small, is so much harder than stopping something. I can choose (in this moment) not to have the Snickers bar, but can I choose to eat the carrots? Bleah. And then there are the big things I need to do, like not isolate and hibernate when I have hard work to do in therapy. So, yeah. That's how my day is going--needing to be brave to do the hard thing.
And a prayer from some other hard work I had to do a long time ago was, "I'm not willing right now, but I am willing to be made willing."
Today is my first day back to school (teacher here), since my husband and I travelled to MD Anderson for his recent cancer diagnosis and treatment. We are in a waiting period....surgery in a month....it's very strange to be back here, and a little scare as well (school = germ factory). So today is neither good or bad I suppose, just another day that we are taking one day at a time :)
We're in the midst of a big snow storm. So my in-person meetings were changed to zoom. That made it possible for me to attend a meeting I thought I would need to miss. And the snow is lovely (so far)! :)
I'm currently in a season of going to the mat with some of my lingering, long time bad habits. Sometimes I forget to rely on strength from outside of myself - no wonder it feels so hard. I love that this was written like a blessing!
I've been existing in grace the past year. I feel as though God has been silent. But recently I've begun to wonder if I just wasn't in a place to listen. Grief and the pain of trauma has been overwhelming and has wrecked me. I'm beginning to crawl my way out of the darkness and the evolving faith materials have been really helpful in my process. Looking for some resources that speak to a "both and" kind of faith. Where yes, there is deep pain, darkness and doubts, and somehow a good and faithful God who hears and speaks.
As a Mennonite from Winnipeg with strong ties to Winkler, I also feel a kinship with Kate :) I also relate to her references to things continuing to prickle... though sometimes I have to wonder who's doing the prickling... Is it a message from Jesus or my neurosis.
You know what's ironic?? As someone who deals with chronic illness, I have always seen Kate Bowler as so lucky. Yes, I realize that I am looking in from the outside world, so, yeah, the grass always looks greener. But she had this amazing life and then, yes, her life was interrupted by a horrible disease and years of pain and struggle and agony. But by some miracle, she is here, thriving. She is inspiring others. Helping people. Her career is the envy of every writer and podcaster. And yes, she lives with uncertainty, but don't we all? I often times feel so useless and helpless and without purpose. How can my small, little, limited life make any difference to the world? I have no best selling books or literary awards. I have no wildly successful podcast. I live off of a small disability check....and I love my family and am grateful for them....for my little furbaby, Teddy, who is a hot mess just like me. lol Anyway, it's ironic that Kate writes books about being so ordinary when she is anything but. Don't misunderstand -- I enjoy her immensely and am grateful for her, but she is this superstar telling us groupies that we are the same. I guess we are in some ways -- we're all human. But in other ways, we aren't the same at all. Just figured I'd share that. :) Much love to all of you...
My day was good as I got to go into work today! I have the privilege of serving as a hospital chaplain, where I get to respond and love on people in their most difficult moments. Some parts of that are really hard, but it's also rewarding in its own way. Your writing, Sarah, encouraged me to pursue a ministry degree and career as a woman. Kate's writings and podcast has helped me in a lot of ways to be a better chaplain. So thank you both for the way you've impacted and formed me with your words.
Today is a both-and kind of day. It is both awesome and scary. After 7 weeks, my husband and I are picking up one of our daughter’s from a residential eating disorder facility. I say both-and because I am both so happy and so scared to continue this journey with her...to help her let go of her compulsions to restrict food intake and push back against the beauty industry. May we be up for the task.
It is a day. But not a terrible one and things have certainly been worse. I am in the cusp of a divorce being finalized after a year of sorting through the grief of betrayal - a divorce I never expected or wanted. I am a single mom now to two very tiny and energetic people and it is exhausting, but I revel in each moment with them. They are beautiful incredible humans. I live with joy, even in the terrible and I am so grateful.
Friends trusting friends with friends. Beautiful.
My own day is going ok, all things considered....after a december that blew up with sadness and stress with my mom hospitalized....again. Mom is much declined after this latest episode. She is a stroke survivor of 23.5 years. Which means my dad and I have been caregivers for 23.5 years. We are all tired. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say Kate has been a saving grace in my faith. this difficult journey has led to my current career of chaplaincy : where I have used Kate’s words to serve both patients and staff. So thanks:)
I never comment so let me also say thanks here to Sarah’s team for the gift subscription this past year...it’s almost over but I will keep reading when I can. Very grateful for your writing, too....
My best friends son died on Christmas morning, so today I spent several hours at her house - packaging up returns from Christmas and dress clothes that didn't fit because they had been ordered on line in multiple sizes to accommodate the rushed needs of funeral clothing. I sat at her desk and got her printer working because she doesn't have the mental bandwidth yet to spend time on FAQ boards troubleshooting error messages, I took out her trash, helped her 8 year old daughter watercolor, and sorted through mail that needed to be thrown out verses reviewed by her. I was with her, helping with the practical and at the same time physically and spiritually holding space for her in the aftermath of a complete nightmare. It sounds sad but it was truly a gift to be there, to be able to share in some small
way her grief with her and know she isn't alone in this. It was a pretty good day 🫶🏻
My day just got better after hearing about the dear friendship of two of my favorite people (writers, podcasters, speakers) Sarah and Kate. I love you both. No wonder you love each other. 🥰
Yes, it’s a beautiful terrible day for me today. Sitting in waiting room of urgent care -- I have been sick for 9 days - Happy New Year to me. And yet, there is so much beauty in my life daily! Honoring both.
Oh how I needed this after more than a month of depression finally pulling myself through with Gods grace once again!!!
THANK YOU FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT
I find that adding in That Thing I Need To Do, even when it is so small, is so much harder than stopping something. I can choose (in this moment) not to have the Snickers bar, but can I choose to eat the carrots? Bleah. And then there are the big things I need to do, like not isolate and hibernate when I have hard work to do in therapy. So, yeah. That's how my day is going--needing to be brave to do the hard thing.
And a prayer from some other hard work I had to do a long time ago was, "I'm not willing right now, but I am willing to be made willing."
Today is my first day back to school (teacher here), since my husband and I travelled to MD Anderson for his recent cancer diagnosis and treatment. We are in a waiting period....surgery in a month....it's very strange to be back here, and a little scare as well (school = germ factory). So today is neither good or bad I suppose, just another day that we are taking one day at a time :)
We're in the midst of a big snow storm. So my in-person meetings were changed to zoom. That made it possible for me to attend a meeting I thought I would need to miss. And the snow is lovely (so far)! :)
I'm currently in a season of going to the mat with some of my lingering, long time bad habits. Sometimes I forget to rely on strength from outside of myself - no wonder it feels so hard. I love that this was written like a blessing!
I've been existing in grace the past year. I feel as though God has been silent. But recently I've begun to wonder if I just wasn't in a place to listen. Grief and the pain of trauma has been overwhelming and has wrecked me. I'm beginning to crawl my way out of the darkness and the evolving faith materials have been really helpful in my process. Looking for some resources that speak to a "both and" kind of faith. Where yes, there is deep pain, darkness and doubts, and somehow a good and faithful God who hears and speaks.
As a Mennonite from Winnipeg with strong ties to Winkler, I also feel a kinship with Kate :) I also relate to her references to things continuing to prickle... though sometimes I have to wonder who's doing the prickling... Is it a message from Jesus or my neurosis.
You know what's ironic?? As someone who deals with chronic illness, I have always seen Kate Bowler as so lucky. Yes, I realize that I am looking in from the outside world, so, yeah, the grass always looks greener. But she had this amazing life and then, yes, her life was interrupted by a horrible disease and years of pain and struggle and agony. But by some miracle, she is here, thriving. She is inspiring others. Helping people. Her career is the envy of every writer and podcaster. And yes, she lives with uncertainty, but don't we all? I often times feel so useless and helpless and without purpose. How can my small, little, limited life make any difference to the world? I have no best selling books or literary awards. I have no wildly successful podcast. I live off of a small disability check....and I love my family and am grateful for them....for my little furbaby, Teddy, who is a hot mess just like me. lol Anyway, it's ironic that Kate writes books about being so ordinary when she is anything but. Don't misunderstand -- I enjoy her immensely and am grateful for her, but she is this superstar telling us groupies that we are the same. I guess we are in some ways -- we're all human. But in other ways, we aren't the same at all. Just figured I'd share that. :) Much love to all of you...
My day was good as I got to go into work today! I have the privilege of serving as a hospital chaplain, where I get to respond and love on people in their most difficult moments. Some parts of that are really hard, but it's also rewarding in its own way. Your writing, Sarah, encouraged me to pursue a ministry degree and career as a woman. Kate's writings and podcast has helped me in a lot of ways to be a better chaplain. So thank you both for the way you've impacted and formed me with your words.