Last week I uninstalled Instagram. I felt a tug to do this and resisted it (cue whiny voice) “but I like instagram!” I find both joy and helpful information on that dumb app, from funny parenting reels, the hilarious Lisa Gilroy, and
’s wonderfully helpful Wednesday Q&A’s. Increasingly though, it was feeling more like a new shopping platform, and I was feeling bombarded by the mass of information. Yet, I kept returning because, as we have learned, these apps were designed to be addictive.We have entered Advent, the season when Christians spend time meditating on the experience of waiting for the birth of Jesus. I love Advent! But instagram was making me feel like I was doing Advent “wrong.” Rather than slowing down to ponder the birth of Jesus, I was increasingly distracted and scattered. I will probably go back to insta, but in the meantime, it feels good to have a break from it, which is helping me to slow down.
To encourage my slowing down, I have picked up two nonfiction books which I have been looking forward to reading for a long time!
A Burning in My Bones, Winn Collier
I love Eugene Peterson, and I am loving him more and more as I read about his life, his spiritual formation, his development as a pastor. I love reading about young adult Eugene, who felt pulled in several directions for his career, and unable to decide on his own where to go. He had some wonderful mentors help to direct him, and he learned early in his career about the value of faithful friends, and not focusing on church doctrine. If you are in ministry in any way or if you wish you still loved God, I think this book could be a balm to you like it is for me.
The Wisdom of Your Body, Hillary L. McBride
What is “embodied living”? A way of living that I had never considered before. I have known for several years that I can be much more “in my head” than is good for me. I did not know that leaning into living in my body could be transformative in how I view myself, my struggles, and other people. For example, did you know your body is YOUR SELF? Your self is not only your mind! It feels ridiculous to type that, and it felt weird when I first read it in this book, and yet…the more I read, the more I am realizing how separated my body and mind have been.