"...to work harder against the dark, to sing louder, to find more teammates" (Brian Doyle)
The small, ordinary, good things keeping me going from food to books to movies and beyond
Hi friends,
This is the occasionally regular edition of Field Notes when we share the small - and sometimes not-so-small - things that have brought us a measure of goodness lately.1
Today, I’m sharing that movie I can’t shut up about, a quote that’s helping me right now, a rather bougie candle, fantastic recipes to make, a toilet paper commercial (stay with me…), a few family pictures/updates, a great pattern for a knitted toque, and more of the small things bringing me that necessary measure of goodness these days. And just as a reminder, this is a sponsored-content-free zone because I’m nobody’s influencer. These are all things I bought or experienced myself so I feel good talking about them with you.2
📖 A Good Line
“How could you have given us such freedom? But You did, You did; and so my prayer must be finally for me, to work harder against the dark, to sing louder, to find more teammates, is that right?” - by Brian Doyle, from “Prayer of Spitting Inchoate Rage That You Allow Such Horrendous Pain & Agony, Especially on Little Kids, How Could You Let That Happen?” in A Book of Uncommon Prayer: 100 Celebrations of the Miracle & Muddle of the Ordinary
❤️ Speaking of good teammates: The Good Things That Matter
Save the Children Canada: Gaza Emergency Relief Fund - This is an organization I’ve grown to trust here in Canada. With a focus on children - who are always the most vulnerable in any conflict or crisis - for more than 100 years, it has been a place for me to channel financial support in hope of humanitarian relief for the children of Gaza. (For my American friends, I’ve often pointed folks towards the good work done through Together Rising.)
And I wanted to also point you towards The Telos Group as a trustworthy source of information and a guide to the region, rooted in Christian peacemaking. I particularly appreciated this post/series on “what to say when you feel like you don’t know enough about the Israel/Palestine conflict.” There is much to agree on there, even as we continue to advocate for a ceasefire, the return of all hostages, an end to the unfolding genocide, and keep praying for peace.
🏡 Family Good Things
Life is pretty full on this side of the screen with a million moving parts and a calendar covered in ink these days. Since I don’t share our family stuff on public social media too often, but this always feels like a bit quieter of a space to be a person, these are a few personal highlights…