Finally, a Simmer Starters post!! Here are my favorites from the past few weeks… It’s interesting to see which ones stick out at me most, stick in my mind longest, when I have to carve away at several weeks’ worth of links and choose the best.
Sehnsucht (Annie Hawthorne) – This is just beautifully written and expresses this emotion of longing so well! “I have many things on my mind right now—all gossamer, fluttering images that dash away when I reach out to grasp them. A friend told me this deep ache, this feeling of something beautiful, something rich and powerful that you can’t see even though it seems just there on the horizon—she said it is Sehnsucht.”
When You’re Battling the Soul Bullies (Melissa Camara Wilkins) – There is some good, powerful stuff here, with interesting applications for the Christian. “When they start in with their, Who do you think you are? And their, How dare you? … The answer is, Who am I not to show up, not to breathe deeply, not to create the things that are mine to create? Who will live my life if I don’t?”
More Than Dragons (Janeen Ippolito / Uncommon Universes Press) – “No one asks a writer of historical fiction ‘can’t you just put this in a contemporary setting?’ Because the history is part of the story. It envelopes the reader’s mind into a time and a place that is rich and beautiful and necessary to the plot. Speculative world-building should be the same.”
That Smiling Missionary Family (El Salvador Missionary Fellowship) – A good reminder of ways to pray for our missionaries! “You see that happy missionary family smiling out of the postcard on your fridge? Their marriage is probably hanging by a thread.”
Followed by the God of Grace (Garrett Kell) – This is a really neat story, with good encouragements for evangelism at the end.
Enjoy a Good Laugh, Like God (Jon Bloom) – Admittedly I’m not a huge fan of April Fool’s Day pranks (I draw the line at lies, anyway…not a fan of lying to get laughs). But I loved this post about how God is the God of humor!
I love to hear your thoughts!