21 Comments
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Sari Fordham's avatar

Have you found CONNECTIONS yet on NYTs? I find it's a more thrilling start to the day, then Wordle. Though I do think I'll try your adaptation for Wordle.

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Yes! Love Connections.

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Edward Goode's avatar

I have come to start doing both. Connections is very good as well. I just wish there was a way that the last one was t solved by simple process of elimination.

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Chris Bailey's avatar

Your Wordle in six is a worthy challenge! I liked the Wordle golf game, too. Here’s another: after you’ve solved the puzzle, can you work backward from a friend’s posted results to guess their starter word? (This may be more Wordle time than anyone needs!)

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Love it! Yes, Robert and I have the same starter word, and I often like to work backwards to try to trace his path to the solution.

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Abbie Watters's avatar

I'm fascinated by how often I've seen the phrase "liminal space" today, particularly because I wrote a 100 Word blog post about it and posted it before I started reading my morning email/blogs. Liminal Space is exactly what January is. You can't get out of it until you've learned whatever it is that it's trying to teach you. I lived in liminal space for three years after we made the decision to move to the Pacific Northwest, and the time of the actual move. I also felt like the pandemic was liminal space for the whole country. Unfortunately I'm not sure the country has learned the lesson the pandemic was trying to teach us.

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Erin Burns's avatar

Thank you for this grab bag. Especially the article "How to Survive 2024". I am going to do a reread and write some notes for myself. The metaphor about about watching the roller coaster but not getting on the ride especially spoke to me. A couple years ago I did some therapy sessions after particularly difficult time in my life and my therapist used this same metaphor. I'd also like to add (for myself anyways), "Limit the amount of guilt you feel for not monitoring the world's problems, for saying no and for not being able to be a solution for someone else's problem." I look forward to pulling apart this article and writing notes for myself when I have more time to really sit and think.

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Erin, you may be interested to know that Stephen and I with other leaders have been talking about how to help the whole church community have a healthy perspective on the roller coaster to come...

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Page Campbell's avatar

Just finished reading "Gospel", by Wilton Barnhardt, a fascinating novel involving a search for a newly discovered gospel reputed to be written by the 13th disciple of Jesus, Matthias. Interspersed in a riveting plot that takes an irascible Irish-American theology professor and his young female theology student assistant to numerous countries where they encounter others trying to get their hands on and translate this document, are provocative and often relatively unknown facets of the Bible and church history.

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Ooh this sounds great!

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

I love January - I wish it wasn’t raining so much, but I love the quiet and the dark of it. That tragedy quote hit me right in the gut. So true!

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

Anguish was the word, not tragedy...so wise.

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

They are related!

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Laura Viau's avatar

January always feels weirdly full... like my Mondays. Hmmm. Loved Birbig’s special. I think it’s a reset month for my podcast listening. I keep myself skipping my tried & trues to check out new shows.

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Sounds like a Seven to me! <3

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Miller PJ's avatar

Really needed this post today - grace, permission, fresh ideas! Thank you! 🤗

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

Glad this was helpful!!

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Miller PJ's avatar

And when is your tea time . . . a specific time each day or just when it feels right? I'd like to begin that practice (gift to myself) soon . . .

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MaryAnn McKibben Dana's avatar

I have a phone reminder/alarm set for 4:00, with an alert 15 minutes before. My kids' school schedule is such that I rarely have meetings after 4:00. I will sometimes need to pick them up, though, and in the winter I often do my run around dusk, so it floats... but 4:00 has been a good target time for me.

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