Until Advent (minus some vacation weeks this summer) I’ll share some of the things helping me to worship God, love people, and enjoy beauty each week for you to peruse during your weekend downtime.

(1) photo (collage) from this week

HE WON!!!!!

Every year 200+ local comedians compete over a period of six weeks for the crown of "Funniest Person”, and this is the seventh year in a row Andrew’s competed. He’s made it at least to the semi-finals each year, but this was his year to take top prize. Thanks to friends for donating some of their air miles to us Brian made a last-minute decision to be in Austin. I’ve been proud of this guy for all SEVEN years he’s worked non-stop toward this goal. When Brian FaceTimed the girls and me in to hear Andrew’s acceptance speech (first photo below) we all kind of lost it. We love Andrew’s natural ability for humor and observation, and we’re proud of him for his tenacious work ethic. Almost every week of the past seven years, he’s worked multiple nights at open mics and scheduled shows. He’s faced the ridiculous risk of standing up in front of a (semi-sober) crowd and trying to make them laugh. Now the whole world knows, not only his family, that he’s the FUNNIEST PERSON IN AUSTIN.

Way to go, Andrew! We’ll always be your biggest fans!

Here’s a guest post I convinced Andrew to contribute waaaayyyy back in 2013: 8 Lessons I’ve Learned From 9 Months Doing Stand Up in Austin, TX (Maybe I’ll get him to give us a revised edition?!?)

(2) new blog posts this week!

Fourth Sunday in Eastertide: Good Friday - Featuring one of my favorites, “The Shepherd of Sandtown” by Stephen Towns and more!
Practice Resurrection with Sarah Quezada (Guatemala City & Atlanta) - Have you seen the second guest post in this year’s Practice Resurrection series yet?I haven’t had the privilege of meeting today’s guest in real life, but I’ve come to appreciate her deeply. In the past couple of years that immigration issues have been in the headlines more prominently, I’ve tried to discern the voices that engage well the intersection of public policy, human suffering, current headlines, and our Christian call for allegiance to the Kingdom of Jesus above all others. @sarahquezada is the voice that’s become one of the most valuable to me at this intersection.

(3) concert films we love/recommend

(4) posts in memory of Jean Vanier, CC, GOQ (September 10, 1928 – May 7, 2019)

The Tender Power of Jean Vanier - “... we don’t know what to do with our own pain, so what to do with the pain of others? We don’t know what to do with our own weakness except hide it or pretend it doesn’t exist. So how can we welcome fully the weakness of another if we haven’t welcomed our own weakness?" | via OnBeing
I’m looking forward to this book! Jean Vanier: Portrait of a Free Man by Anne-Sophie Constant & translated by Allen Page (coming August 2019) - “It’s a crazy story. In August 1964 a thirty-six-year-old Canadian from a famous family – one who has already joined the navy during war at age thirteen, become an officer, earned a PhD, and taught ethics at the University of Toronto – takes up residence in a little house he just bought in the village of Trosly, France, with two mentally disabled men he has removed from a care home." | via Plough Publishing
Ten Rules For Life To Become More Human from Jean Vanier - To commemorate the occasion he released a YouTube video laying out his “ten rules for life to become more human” by sharing his thoughts on life and on growing older. He speaks about success, vulnerability, listening, fear and love. “I have to change. And what is that change? To become more human.” | via The Tablet
Jean Vanier Made Us All More Human by Bethany McKinney Fox - “The late founder of L’Arche showed the church how disability, vulnerability, and weakness bring us closer to one another and closer to Jesus." | via Christianity Today

(5) more notes on Spring & Eastertide

Five of Our Favorite Spring Poems - from Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Christina Rossetti | via Englewood Review of Books
“Very Early Morning” by Luci Shaw - That Timothy Botts illustration! “now / make our hearts a field / to raise Your praise.” | via Global Christian Worship
New York walks: 13 perfect strolls for warmer weather - My new bucket list! | via Curbed
Eastertide: How to Party Like A Christian by Lacy Finn Borgo - “Here’s the rub—partying in our culture and our time is uneventful. Our normal lives are loaded with indulgences. “Who cares if we have cake, we can have cake every day,” we say. | via Renovaré
My Spring playlist on Spotify - I’m especially proud of this one!

(6) photos from the few sunny days we’ve had in May in Fairfield County, CT!

(7) blog posts from this week in the archives

2016 - Murphy people updates in a season of Fortunate Events (Still recovering from that year!)
2014 - 5 favorites: surprise discoveries in May (I need to get re-surprised by some things on this list.)
2013 - Take Up Something New: repurposing curb-side trash to furniture treasure (Glennon Interiors) (My brilliant cousin shared a guest post!)
2011 - Bread of Life (My stab at poetry.)
2009 - Lester G. Morgan, 1911 - 2009 (We give thanks for Brian’s dear grandfather and middle namesake.)
2009 - re:Imagine [worship & arts retreat] (Some good, old memories here.)
2007 - Grief (We also give thanks - in a different way - for Brian’s father each May.)

Alex busking.jpeg — 4 years ago

May 2015 - When Alex was interning at the White House he spent evenings and weekends busking on Capitol Hill to help support his quest to ask Rebekah to marry him. *(Maybe some person you elected helped contribute to my son's engagement - you never know? )*

May your weekend include plenty of space to practice resurrection. Hallelujah! Christ is risen, friends!

p.s. This post may contain affiliate links because I'm trying to be a good steward, and when you buy something through one of these links you don't pay more money, but in some magical twist of capitalism we get a little pocket change. Thanks!

Weekend Daybook: our son's the funniest person in Austin (and not only in our opinion) & more!