I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the phrase “being negative won’t help” or “just think positively.” There is a thread that runs through our culture ad our society, especially for women, that urges us to “stay positive” and “to smile more.” This is especially prevalent in conservative communities and depicted in the Lego …
Sam and I have started the series The Food that Built America. It tells the stories of companies that are staples of America and how they got started. They are stories of struggle and creativity. As we were halfway through the episode last night, I noted, “There are always two companies competing.” Our capitalistic economy …
During seminary, I remember there were two or three students who were doing a clothing buying fast during the season of Lent. I had never heard of fasting from anything except food during the season of Lent (a kind of convenient time to cut out sugar or sweets before Spring and Summer). I was intrigued …
I opened Harrelson Press with the release of our first book in 2013. The idea came to me after working with authors and realizing that the majority not only do not maintain the creative rights to their creative work but they also don’t see much profit from each book sale. Book sales is not a …
When our five-year-old was ten-months old, we started a morning hustle. It involved packing snacks, extra clothes, enough diapers, and wipes to take with us to the drop-off nursery he attended three days a week. I didn’t know then that we were starting a morning hustle that we would continue for the next four years. …
Everything in our capitalistic, consumer-driven culture is telling us to do more and be more. Nearly half of Americans have a side hustle. This hustle economy tells you to push through, send just one more email, get up earlier, work more, and then when you are hustling, you will be sure to make it. This …
The more we explore worlds from a long time ago and galaxies far away, the more often our five-year-old asks the question, “Is this real life?” He is trying to understand the role of story and myth in his little brain while also trying to process through the way his life has changed because of …
The first post I wrote called “Leaning Into Lent” wasn’t supposed to start a series of reflections. It was supposed to be an invocation and an invitation to be present in the season of Lent. It was supposed to be a challenge for me, someone who loves Lent, to lean even further into understanding more …
This extraordinary time is asking us all to reduce our movement. To be sure our work has not slowed; our stress has not slowed, but our physical movement has changed. In the midst of all these changes, I am learning that I am not good at waiting. Actually, I am reminded that I am not …
This weekend, we planted aloe, a plant that I had in my home growing up. I can remember one summer in elementary school helping my mom grill a sandwich in the super snacker panini press. As I was watching for the light to come on indicating my sandwich was ready, my thumb touched the small …
