A Glimpse of Starlight

Hi friends! I hope your first week of spring is going well. ❤ I know technically it isn’t the first week of spring, but I feel like it should be. It isn’t feeling very springy here but I know in just a few months I will be dying a slow death of humidity and longing for chilly wind. Receive what you have right now with thanksgiving, right?

So there have been a bunch of cool things going on lately, and when I get excited about stuff, I can’t just keep it to myself. I figured I’d share them with you so I have other people to get excited with. And of course I’d love to hear from you any cool happenings or posts making you happy right now. =D

Here you go, four announcements and four of my favorite blog posts to check out.

{ Announcements }

1. I got a post published on The Rebelution!

This is something I thought about doing for years, but right now is the perfect timing. I’m thankful for the ability to write it, The Reb staff for being so supportive, and God for bringing me to this place. It’s about some of the things God has been teaching me these past two years, and maybe it will be interesting or encouraging to you guys.

Here’s’s the link: There Are Not Detours: 3 Lessons From My Unexpected Gap Year. (Also, there are so many great articles on The Reb, it’s kind of overwhelming. So go check it out.)

2. There’s a movie version of goodreads

Honestly? Discovering this was very disappointing for me because I’d often thought that there needed to be a movie version of goodreads and that I would create it and be hailed as brilliantly inventive. Alas, I am far behind. (This also happened with wireless earbuds. I had a flash of genius one day when I realized they would be so helpful and I imagined myself creating them and becoming the next Bill Gates until I researched it and found out they had already been on the market for a while.)

ANYWAY. I’m actually not that disappointed because it’s a really cool site. It’s called Letterboxd and you can create a movie to-watch list, categorize movies (like shelves on goodreads), review movies, log them in the movie diary, and see what your friends are watching. Go check it out, because I’m pretty lonely on there right now. (I am, of course, Aberdeen on there. Perks of having a weird name.)

3. A Hamilton-inspired musical about the life of Jesus is coming out

Inspired by Hamilton! Directed by a teen! Created with people from all over the world! I’m excited!

It’s called His Story the Musical, and I first heard about it in this article. Here’s a good overview of it from their YouTube channel:

The songs they’ve released so far are really good (what? Good quality Christian art? It exists? Okay, sorry. I’m a little bitter about this.). I love the range of genres, nationalities, and ages this musical combines. It comes out in full on Palm Sunday so let’s get the hype going!

Here’s the opening song:

And “Arrive,” one of my favorites:

One more, very fitting for this season of Lent, “40 Days”:

4. Abby Johnson’s story is now a movie & releasing later this month

I read Abby Johnson’s book, Unplanned, years ago. It’s about her journey as a Planned Parenthood director and how and why she eventually left to join the pro-life movement. It’s powerful. It’s disturbing and hopeful and timely.

I won’t turn this into a pro-life speech but it’s an issue I’m passionate about. Someday, we’re going to look back on abortion the way we look back at the Holocaust or slavery and wonder how we could have possibly let this happen. Watching and supporting this movie is one way of refusing to be silent and choosing to stand for those who can’t. And even if you aren’t staunchly pro-life, Abby’s story is a good place to start understanding the complexities surrounding this issue.

Here’s the trailer:

{ Blog Posts }

1. Denethor, Steward of Gondor // Saul, King of Israel

   Schuyler’s My Lady Bibliophile has been one of my very favorite blogs for years. Her book reviews are deeply thoughtful (is that redundant?), and her musings about life both ground and inspire me. This is one of my favorite of her recent posts.

2. Why Self-Publishing Shouldn’t Equal DIY

   Abi’s The Left-Handed Typist is one of my favorite blogs on that writing life. She has this clear, encouraging way of discussing writing tricks and tips and describing her own writing journey. I’ve never seriously considered self publishing for myself, but this recent post of hers maybe start to reconsider that—and, at least, reconsider my view of self-publishing.

3. We Can’t Afford Vague Christianity

   Phylicia Masonheimer is one of my heroes. I’ve followed her for years and a lot of what I believe and have learned about Christianity and femininity come from her. She writes about grace-based productivity, which is such a cool concept, and how to live led by the Spirit. Like all of her posts, this one made me want to yell “PREACH” from the rooftops.

4. What It Means to Be Chronically Ill & How to Write About It

   I found Maria online a few months ago and then we got to meet up in person, which was wonderful. One of the things we bonded over was dealing with chronic pain. She describes it perfectly this post, so if you’re interested in writing a character with a chronic illness—or just understanding chronic illness in real life—definitely check it out.

 

Well, there you go, folks. Now that you know what’s in getting me excited, I want to know what’s getting you excited. And have you heard or read any of the things I mentioned? Happy March!