Goodness Weekly 5.15.23

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon—instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.”
– Dale Carnegie

What’s Good:

Welcome Mae to the Team!

We are so thrilled to have Mae Czarnecki join our team! Mae is a tenured photographer and videographer who will work as our Communications Coordinator. Mae’s role will include photography, videography, livestream and digital media. She will also use her experience to help us build a new vocational training program for under-resourced women in connection with our planned co-working, childcare, and wedding and events initiatives. Mae has been a part of our community for the past year, and we are so grateful to have her as a part of our team!

Sarah’s Heart Luncheon

This Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting women from Sarah’s Heart for their Mother’s Day Luncheon. Sarah’s Heart is an organization that helps San Antonio area families celebrate and cope with life shortened by miscarriage, stillbirth, and early infant death.

The mothers gathered together at tables around the courtyard fountain with beautiful flowers and food as they shared a more difficult holiday together in our peaceful space. Afterwards their group expressed the encouragement they felt from this special event, which we were honored to be able to host.

If you or someone you know is looking for a group of support such as Sarah’s Heart, we invite you to send them this link to learn more about their organization:

Sarah's Heart

Our space is meant to be a place of peace, rest, calm, and listening to the world around us. We invite you to spend time here whenever you need. Come as you are and nothing more. You are so loved and welcome here.

Message from Jess:

I was waiting at my daughter Shiloh’s school to pick her up for an appointment. Naturally, because I had to wait a whole 60 seconds, I pulled out my phone.

Since I’ve been telling all of you, my friends, that I am working on rest, I realized that this was a good practice for me to put my phone back into my pocket and see what I could notice around me instead.

I watched as a couple of the faculty members gathered together in the hallway in laughter. I noticed all of the effort that had gone into the art in the office and hallways to make the school a warm and welcoming place for the children. I looked into the eyes of another mom who walked in and I smiled at her. I got to see the expression of joy on Shi’s face as she saw me and started running down the hallway towards me.

And I almost missed all of that.

On my phone I would have absentmindedly looked up when she was right next to me. My brain would have taken some time to reorient to my surroundings and the task at hand. I likely would have read an email that would have caused me to focus my thoughts on something other than my daughter and the appointment ahead.

I wonder what else I’ve missed? I shared in the sermon Sunday that I downloaded this app that promises to help lock out other apps when I tell it to. It started with taking my current screen time usage and converted it to the number of years of my life I would spend on my phone.

It said 13 years.

13 years of missed moments, of not being present, of being bombarded with media that is most often not good for my tender heart.

And while I would love to say that I am switching to a life without a smartphone, that’s obviously not going to happen. But what I am going to do is practice more intentionality about how I use the digital technology available to me.

Because when you think about it, how often is your phone or device a source of wonder and enchantment?

For me, it’s usually only when I see those good news stories, or watch an old video I’ve taken of one of my kids, or talk to someone I love. The rest of it is just distracting me from my one precious life.

I wonder what it might be like this week to commit to a certain amount of time each day disconnected from digital media? Would you join me in that challenge? Instead you can engage in some glimmer-seeking—in nature, in the eyes of a neighbor, or in some quiet reflection.

I can’t wait to hear about what you experience.

Love, Jess