This is where I live now.

Welp, I ended up back where I started. Away from the whims of billionaires and algorithms, on my own little corner of the internet, that I pay for yearly: my website. Welcome! This is where my newsletters will live now, and I have to say, there’s a lot of freedom in being back where I know how things work. I’m getting too old learn the quirks of a new publishing platform every few months. When you’ve been a freelance journalist for five years and had to learn 25 different editors’ preferences on em dashes and paragraph length, your brain is full.

So here I am, a few days after a reading in Denver, meditating on what it means to live in my little niche, to decide how hard I want to push, how many technological tricks I want to learn in pursuit of fame and followers. Lewis and I regularly discuss, in terms of money, how much is enough, and what is the difference between sacrificing to reach your goals and living as slaves to someone else’s. We don’t live in a culture that believes in “enough” or the biblical sense of “plenty” as viable goals. Whatever your values are (family, career, jetskis, etc) capitalism is the machine that tells you “more” is always better.

A more achieverly, picture perfect family.

The career ladder.

Jetski…boat…yacht.

So while it is tempting to spend the next three months trying to master the new social media landscape and somehow crack the platform game, I’m instead choosing to invest in the quality of my work—the journalism, the books, the connections—and to let whatever reach it has be enough. I am choosing to make contentment a value so that I can be freed up for whatever else needs to happen, be it enthusiastic kids, caring for a friend, saying “yes” to an opportunity, or starting a brave new adventure.

What you will find in these newsletter-style blog posts:

Brain kindling to start your mind fire

Spirit kindling to start your heart fire

Conversation kindling to gather people to your fire

Giggle kindling to warm you up.

Brain Kindling

This story about the gun reform debate dividing Uvalde was published with The Trace and The Guardian. It was a long time in the works. It was months and months of going back and forth to Uvalde, listening and watching things unfold.

It’s been almost six months since a shooter killed 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas.

Now, the victim’s families are fighting to change gun laws in Texas, a Second Amendment Sanctuary State.

From Uvalde, @BekahMcneel reports. #Longreads https://t.co/0GhHTwDs6e

— The Trace (@teamtrace) November 16, 2022

And this post for The Invisible Cake Society, run by my friend Jenna DeWitt gracious and vocal queer Christian advocate. It’s about raising our kids to be affirming.

I am honored to feature @BekahMcneel on Invisible Cake Society this week! Bekah writes about raising kids with affirming theology and her journey to get there herself. There's so much to learn here wherever you are in life. https://t.co/tzZdEvQPnX

— Jenna_DeWitt (@Jenna_DeWitt) November 18, 2022

Spirit Kindling

I know. I know. But it came on randomly this week and weirdly moved me.

Conversation Kindling

Top Five “Board” Games I Will Tolerate (most don’t have a board)

1. Apples to Apples
2. Clue
3. Pictionary
4. Punderdome
5. Taboo

Giggle Kindling

6yo currently demanding that his father stand in the bathroom while he showers so the former can run some jokes.

— Bekah McNeel (@BekahMcneel) November 2, 2022