Breanne, your writing, as always, is a pleasure to read! Not that reading about hard things is nice but the way you write about the hard things is beautiful.
Thank you for this honesty. I noticed your absence and hoped it was because of good things, not bad. Your words always say exactly what is in my head and heart and I so appreciate your open vulnerability. I hope you are able to be kind to yourself. I pray your are able to get to the living situation you want. Grateful for your voice.
Dear Breanne, while I cannot click "like" for this post, I want you to know that I am one of many who appreciate your thoughtful writing and your efforts to be present for yourself, your family, and your extended social-media community. Be as kind to yourself in the midst of all that surrounds you, and I will be praying for a path to open towards home and health and joy.
Thanks for the kind words, Beth! I appreciate you taking the time to do that. And I'm curious as to why you couldn't 'like' the post? Tapping that heart button helps my writing get seen by more people. I love that it's a tiny way to support authors here. ❤️
I just can't say I 'like' to see people sharing difficult feelings. It's not mechanical, or a sign that I don't appreciate what you've written. It's more that I wish Substack gave us a wider range of responses.
I get that! I used to feel this way about other people’s “difficult” posts, but then I learned how it helped promote their work and saw it as a way to stand in support with them. I do wish they gave us a wider range of reaction buttons too. Maybe in future updates?
Hey, Breanne. It's always a blessing to hear your thoughts.
Theology is a word that sounds like dust and stern librarians and monks hiding away from the world, but in its best form, it is what God gave us to help us see more clearly. Like everything in creation, the church is balanced between already and not-yet - it shows God's redemptive purposes in the world, but at times it also shows us how messed up and needy God's people are. My (late) wife and I laboured for 30 years in a church - we saw our children baptised, we went from there to serve other churches, we sang and played and taught and encouraged and cooked and cleaned and prayed and learnt. But in the end our hearts - her heart, particularly - was broken by it. She is now with her Father, who wipes away all tears. I have moved elsewhere, seeking to serve again: at times, the loss of those years is painful - how can I be so old?! - but then God promises that nothing is wasted, and tells us to serve and be faithful, and then when we fail, to serve and be faithful again.
I'm sorry for the loss of your wife, and that you guys experienced such heartbreak in ministry. As a preacher's kid who is married to a preacher's kid, I deeply understand what that can feel like. Thank you for your kind words and sharing about your wife! ❤️
I don't miss the baby/toddler phase either. Sure littles are cute, but once all my kids reached some level of independence, plus the curiosity and humor that came with it... someone once told me the "golden years" are ages 5-12, and I absolutely can see it. But I also love having teenagers (guess I'm strange like that).
Thanks for penning (typing?) these words. I've felt very much the same way. Yes you've done well with showing up in your Tolkien space, but the other things... it's hard to get words out when life is bitter.
I want to do a better job of writing through the hard things (I've barely written here the last year myself) but agree about being cautious with negativity. It's a difficult balance to walk.
No matter what or when you write, I always look forward to your words. 💚 Hope you have a delightful rest of the week!
One thing I learned from my mother-in-law (she's amazing) was to enjoy our children at every phase their in and not always try to live in nostalgia about motherhood. Nothing wrong with it every now and then, but always wishing our kids were at a different phase than they are right now robs us of the joy of being present with them. I'm so glad she taught me that!
And thank you for the kind words about my writing. Your encouragement means more than you know!
It’s been hard for me to sit through the changes in Christianity too, thanks for expressing that
Breanne, your writing, as always, is a pleasure to read! Not that reading about hard things is nice but the way you write about the hard things is beautiful.
Absolutely gorgeous and yes, you spoke my heart in ways I needed to hear it echo back to me. Thank you.
Thank you for this honesty. I noticed your absence and hoped it was because of good things, not bad. Your words always say exactly what is in my head and heart and I so appreciate your open vulnerability. I hope you are able to be kind to yourself. I pray your are able to get to the living situation you want. Grateful for your voice.
Dear Breanne, while I cannot click "like" for this post, I want you to know that I am one of many who appreciate your thoughtful writing and your efforts to be present for yourself, your family, and your extended social-media community. Be as kind to yourself in the midst of all that surrounds you, and I will be praying for a path to open towards home and health and joy.
Thanks for the kind words, Beth! I appreciate you taking the time to do that. And I'm curious as to why you couldn't 'like' the post? Tapping that heart button helps my writing get seen by more people. I love that it's a tiny way to support authors here. ❤️
I just can't say I 'like' to see people sharing difficult feelings. It's not mechanical, or a sign that I don't appreciate what you've written. It's more that I wish Substack gave us a wider range of responses.
I get that! I used to feel this way about other people’s “difficult” posts, but then I learned how it helped promote their work and saw it as a way to stand in support with them. I do wish they gave us a wider range of reaction buttons too. Maybe in future updates?
Hey, Breanne. It's always a blessing to hear your thoughts.
Theology is a word that sounds like dust and stern librarians and monks hiding away from the world, but in its best form, it is what God gave us to help us see more clearly. Like everything in creation, the church is balanced between already and not-yet - it shows God's redemptive purposes in the world, but at times it also shows us how messed up and needy God's people are. My (late) wife and I laboured for 30 years in a church - we saw our children baptised, we went from there to serve other churches, we sang and played and taught and encouraged and cooked and cleaned and prayed and learnt. But in the end our hearts - her heart, particularly - was broken by it. She is now with her Father, who wipes away all tears. I have moved elsewhere, seeking to serve again: at times, the loss of those years is painful - how can I be so old?! - but then God promises that nothing is wasted, and tells us to serve and be faithful, and then when we fail, to serve and be faithful again.
Here's a song if you want to have a sniff at some stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfEkDqP34xo The person who first gave it to me was not a Christian.
I'm sorry for the loss of your wife, and that you guys experienced such heartbreak in ministry. As a preacher's kid who is married to a preacher's kid, I deeply understand what that can feel like. Thank you for your kind words and sharing about your wife! ❤️
I don't miss the baby/toddler phase either. Sure littles are cute, but once all my kids reached some level of independence, plus the curiosity and humor that came with it... someone once told me the "golden years" are ages 5-12, and I absolutely can see it. But I also love having teenagers (guess I'm strange like that).
Thanks for penning (typing?) these words. I've felt very much the same way. Yes you've done well with showing up in your Tolkien space, but the other things... it's hard to get words out when life is bitter.
I want to do a better job of writing through the hard things (I've barely written here the last year myself) but agree about being cautious with negativity. It's a difficult balance to walk.
No matter what or when you write, I always look forward to your words. 💚 Hope you have a delightful rest of the week!
One thing I learned from my mother-in-law (she's amazing) was to enjoy our children at every phase their in and not always try to live in nostalgia about motherhood. Nothing wrong with it every now and then, but always wishing our kids were at a different phase than they are right now robs us of the joy of being present with them. I'm so glad she taught me that!
And thank you for the kind words about my writing. Your encouragement means more than you know!
That's so wise!