Denise's Delights: Part 2

Well, friends, it's Thursday! And I'm a woman of my word, so here are my Delights for the week:

1. Spotify Wrapped -- This past week, the Spotify Wrapped dropped, and wow, mine was hilarious. Essentially, Spotify does a whole overview of the music you listened to in the past year, including your most-played song and even seasonal trends, like who you listened to during your summer beach vibe, as opposed to that time you got dumped. The kids and I had some great talks about their favorite songs and artists, and then it was my turn. Yep, my number one, most-played artist was . . . 

 Like tell me you are an elementary school principal without telling me you are an elementary school principal, right?

2. Unexpected Two-Hour Delay -- this was mostly unexpected because I haven't been paying attention to the weather forecast, just to be clear. I had no idea we were supposed to get bad weather, so having a delay this past week was an unexpected delight. 

3. Social Media Blunder -- So, we had last Monday off (because hunting in Central PA), and on Tuesday, I wrote this super-cute, clever post on my school social media page about our art teacher starting our Monday with Monet...yep, on Tuesday. An hour or so after I posted, a mom was like, "Umm, it's Tuesday" in the comments, and I just rolled with it: "Yep! It sure is! These holiday breaks are hard for us all!" and it was great. Why not embrace the fact that we are all human? I edited the original post to add "And by Monday, we mean Tuesday!" 

4. The Author Chris Whitaker -- I recently picked up his latest book, All the Colors of the Dark, over Thanksgiving break and devoured the 500+ pages in a few days, as I am wont to do. His writing is beautiful and his storytelling captivating. Fortunately, my local library had his earlier work, We Begin at the End, so I read that, too. Pretty much all good, well-written books bring me delight, but these are particular to this week. 

5. Kate Bowler's Advent Guide -- There is so much I could say about theologian/author/podcaster/favorite Canadian Kate Bowler, but you really should just read one of her books (I recommend starting with Everything Happens for a Reason, and other Lies I've Loved) or listening to her podcast, Everything Happens. A cancer-survivor who still battles chronic pain and ongoing health issues connected to her diagnosis, Kate found herself confronted with flimsy platitudes like, "Everything happens for a reason" from people who wanted her to find meaning in a horrible reality that carried no "meaning" whatsoever. Anyway, I'm using Kate's guide for Advent called The Weary World Rejoices, and it's truly a delight. 

As someone who grew up in an evangelical church, I have something close to PTSD when I hear the word "devotional." Kate, though, keeps it real. My girl Kate has a whole book of blessings for the "lives we actually have" and she will say things like:


to those who mourn. She's not in denial about how brutal yet beautiful this life can be (Glennon Doyle calls this reality "brutiful," and I can't agree more). 

So anyway -- back to delight. 

The Weary World Rejoices has been just the right companion I need during this season of waiting and watching and hoping and delighting. Check it out, if that's your thing. 

BONUS DELIGHT - 

6. College Acceptance Letter! My girl Gabrielle was accepted into her dream school for her dream major. This was a two-fold process, as art students (similar to music students) have to not only apply academically, but also submit a portfolio of their artwork, to be judged by the admissions team. This past week, Gabrielle received the great news that she will be heading to art school in the fall! (And, for my part, time can take her good old, well, time to get to next fall. Slow and steady, life. Slow and steady.)





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