Bloggerhood Etc. 12/8/14

Best Cartoon. “All Houses Matter” by Chainsawsuit.com.

Best Commentary. “‘This Stops Today’: Eric Garner and Police Accountability” by Mollie Wilson O’Reilly in Commomweal.

Best Letter. “To My Future Son With Thoughts of Ferguson” by Amena Brown Owen at A Deeper Story.

Best Reality Check. “Being a Cop Showed Me Just How Racist and Violent the Police Are” by Redditt Hudson at The Washington Post.

Most Honest. “Just Another Straight White Chick in The Burbs” by Andee Zomerman at Nature of a Servant.

Most Hopeful. “What if We’re Supposed to *Be* the Good News We’re So Desperate for When it Comes to Race Relations in America?” by Lisa-Jo Baker.

Best Guest Post. “Through the Door” by Cara Strickland at The Hope Diaries.

Best Special Needs Post. “He Has What?” by Patty Meyers at Not Alone.

Best Songlist. “The Top 5 Most Moving Christmas Songs I Listen To” by Benjamin L. Corey at Formerly Fundie.

Best Photoblog. “The Motions of Kayaking and Canoeing,” photos by Stephen Orlando, posted by Christopher Jobson at Colossal.

Best Tech Post. “The Holidays Are Here. Which Apps Will You Share With the Children in Your Life?” by Julie M. Wood and Nicole Ponsford at Harvard Family Research Project.

Most Reassuring. “Why the Immaculate Conception makes Protestants squirm {and why it doesn’t have to!}” by Elizabeth Esther.

Best Video. “Hallelujah” by Peter Hollens, featuring Jackie Evancho (via YouTube).

Bloggerhood Etc. 4/7/14

(Photo: Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star)

A long list this week, but I just couldn’t cut in down any further. So settle in for some hardcore clicking, reading, and thinking. Here’s the best (and worst) of the week.

Best Question. “The Cross and the Swoosh” by Paul Louis Metzger at Patheos.com.

Best Commentary. “To Advance Education, We Must First Reimagine Society” by Luba Vangelova at Mind/Shift.

Best April Fools Post. “2014 April Fools Mock Draft” by Walter Cherepinsky at Walter Football.

Scariest. “Alexander Dugin: The Crazy Ideologue of the New Russian Empire” by Oleg Shynkerenko at The Daily Beast.

Best List. “9 Ways You Can Help Your Stay At Home Husband” by Chris Bernholdt at Dad N Charge.

Best Special Needs Post. “A Dad’s Role and Parental Compassion” by Jared Buckley at Not Alone.

Worst Case of Sour Grapes. “Parting With DeSean Jackson, the Eagles Added a Kick” by William C. Rhoden in The New York Times.

Best (and Funniest) Parenting Post. “25 Things You Should Know About Life With a Toddler” by Chuck Wendig at terribleminds.

Best Advice. “The Perfect Workspace (According to Science)” by Christian Jarrett at 99U.

 Most Thought Provoking. “On Discussing Homosexuality in the Church: I Just Want to Talk for a While” by Tyler J. Franke.

Most Heartbreaking. “Ten Thousand Kids” by Nish Weiseth.

Most Hopeful. “St. Elias rises from the flames: Amid tears and laughter, Ukrainian congregation vows to rebuild” by Marco Chown Oved in The Toronto Star.

Best Video. “Product Testing: Ronco Rotisserie Oven” by Glove and Boots (via YouTube).

“SET IT, AND …” ah, forget it.

Bloggerhood Etc. 1/6/14

Image via Natalie Trust

Check it out! I wrote “14” instead of “13.” Guess I’m more than ready for the New Year. 2013 is gone—and good riddance—here’s hoping for a better 2014.

Best Lessons. “20 Things I Learned in Twenty-Thirteen” by Addie Zierman at How to Talk Evangelical.

Best Confession. “A Kitchen Confession: I’m Broken” by Natalie Trust.

Best Letter. “For Anyone Who’s Still Standing” by Evelyn Shoop at Momsicle.

Best New Beginning. “Hopeful for the New Year” by Alice Callahan at Science of Mom.

Best Parody. “What Do Y’all, Yinz, and Yinx Call Stretchy Office Supplies?” by Sarah Larson in The New Yorker.

Best Personal Essay. “A Complicated Homecoming” by Robert Rummel-Hudson at Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords.

Best Intersection of Theological and Coffee Nerdness. “Coffeedoxy and Heterodoxy” by Fr. Andrew Stephen Demick at Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy.

Best Profile. “Who Am I to Judge? A Radical Pope’s First Year” by James Carroll at The New Yorker.

Most Ridiculous. “Andrew Luck’s Amazing Fumble Recovery Touchdown” by James Dator at SB Nation (includes animated gif).

And the replay (via YouTube) …

Let the Luck puns commence.

Night Prayer

Photo: Timothy Schmalz

Tonight I am grateful for the roof over my head
and while the rain comes down.
I am grateful for the love of my dogs and cats.
I am grateful for the consolation of Mass.
I am praying for those without adequate shelter.
I am praying for those affected by terrible storms.
I am praying for those separated from those they love.
I am praying for those needing healing and hope.
I am praying for those suffering from violence and war.
Praying for peace.
Praying for justice.

—Robin Vestal, on her Facebook page last night.

Hope in the Midst of Despair

Photo: Landfill Harmonic (via Facebook)

I had an Advent-themed video all set to go today, and I was brainstorming a post to go with it when I stumbled upon a teaser trailer for an upcoming documentary.

And as I watched it, I realized that it was also an Advent-themed video. Advent is about hope in the midst of despair, and I can’t think of a better example.

Please watch it and share. This is amazing.

As usual, the link is behind the Advent calendar link below (via Vimeo.com):

 Advent calendar graphics by Oh My Gluestick. They are intended for personal use only and may not be used commercially.