Welcome to the Thursday Three – weekly finds for creative minds – just for you in your inbox every Thursday. If you’re reading this and not already subscribed, you can subscribe and view the Thursday Three archive here. If you're new, welcome!
I know, I know. It’s not Thursday. And you haven’t received a Thursday Three in almost a month. I’m sorry for the delay, but hey – thanks for your patience. To those of you who have emailed or sent Facebook messages or tweets wondering where your Thursday Three is, thank you. It was all an experiment to find out how much you’d miss me. (Only kidding, of course.)
Here’s the thing: I needed a break. I needed to rest. There were two main factors. First, I hit a wall. A few weeks ago, in the middle of writing, I realized the well had run dry, and I needed to take the week off. And a week turned into a few weeks because of the second factor: lots of travel. A busy travel schedule this month has left me with little time to prepare and think and collect and write. But I felt the need to get something out this week – even if it is Friday.
I’m out of town again next week, so hopefully this abbreviated Thursday (Friday?) Three will hold you over until May 25 when I expect to get back to a more regular writing schedule. Until then, we’ll call this a Friday Free-For-All. Now about those delayed emails…
Admittedly, I am an inconsistent email responder. Like Melissa Dahl, the author of this article, I can’t tell you how many times just yesterday I sent emails that said, “I apologize for the delayed response.” I feel bad. I do. And yet, a little grace goes a long way. Inside, Dahl offers an important distinction between the important and the urgent, and I especially love how the article opens:
“Adulthood is emailing ‘sorry for the delayed response!’ back and forth until one of you dies,” writer Marissa Miller tweeted in February of last year. People liked this tweet. Nearly 40,000 people liked this tweet, in fact, and more than 26,000 retweeted it. Miller told me recently that she still gets around 100 notifications every day from people responding to that 14-month-old passing thought, which she initially saved to her drafts folder because she thought it was “a little too niche.”
It’s so true. And if you want more, I also highly recommend the essay Dahl references within, “Do You Want to Be Known For Your Writing, or For Your Swift Email Responses?” And be sure to mark April 30 on your calendar for next year: It's Email Debt Forgiveness Day.
Click here to read the article.
Nick Quah, the editor of the excellent Hot Pod newsletter, wrote a piece for Vulture about what podcasts you should look forward to this summer. If you’ll be traveling or commuting or laying by the pool – or if you’re just bored with the current slate filling your queue, Quah offers a good look at some great new and returning shows. I’m personally excited about Ear Hustle from Radiotopia, Wow in the World from NPR, and the return of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History from Panoply. I expect at least some of these to appear in future Thursday Threes!
Click here to read about twelve highly anticipated pods hitting your ears this summer.
I love when friends do great things. I met Cambron in divinity school and only recently discovered that he writes poetry. I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago after I’d hit the wall and quickly realized this was just what I needed. I hope you, too, can take some time for Sabbath soon. The emails can wait.
I’ve sat around all day, really.
I read a theological magazine.
I watched a kung-fu television show
all the way to its campy finale.
I took a walk with my dog.
And I even wrote a poem about God.
But it’s today that’s vexing me.
Did I do enough?
I’m sure I didn’t love anyone,
or even talk to anyone face to face
(except for my neighbor John
and he barely got a hello).
But I enjoyed the pink blooms
on a nearby cherry tree
and I also made and devoured a delicious turkey sandwich.
I even toasted the bread.
But the most important work I did today
was on my walk
when I stopped to enjoy the rare sunshine
cutting through the grey Spring clouds.
I heard God say to me
Isn’t this enough?
Is my earth not enough?
Am I not enough?
And I wonder now
as I sit in watch for the dark to come
if my lazy, wasted, fruitless day
can count as one long
heaving sigh of
Yes
Yes
Yes
Thanks, Cambron, for letting me share. You can read more from Cambron here.
I'm looking forward to getting back into a regular rhythm. Thanks for your patience along the way – and for reading and subscribing. And one shameless plug: I was recently invited to participate in a fun video series called the 3 Minute Stir. If you're interested, you can watch it here.
Enjoy the weekend. Happy Mothers' Day. See you in a few weeks!
Peace, 
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