Hello! Happy Halloween! I hope you feel great in your costume, get enough of your favorite candy to last you through Christmas, and feel great eating it.
As for me and mine, the dressing up festivities have already passed, and I gotta say our first foray into the world of family costumes was a success. Meaning we wore them and we had fun.
It remains to be seen whether the cheerful paint job will wash off, and we havenβt tried yet because weβre enjoying it so much. Who knows, maybe weβll drive a hippie van forever.
Welcome to The Paradox Paper, a monthly newsletter that honors paradox in the every day. If a friend forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe:
In this edition:
Two books for two different Halloween sensibilities
A band for any time youβre having people over
A question to ask when you need extra hope
Links to the latest podcast episodes
A prayer for the times we hide behind a mask
Listen. I do not do horror. I do not do ghosts. I do not do supernatural beings who been done wrong. I do not do zombies. I do not do clowns, masked men, disturbed children, or heavy handed eeriness. In short, I am a big olβ sissy.
This time of year I get a little jealous of the rest of the world who all seem to be getting so much enjoyment out of terrifying themselves. I get a rare yin for a little spook, a little suspense. But not enough to make me more afraid of the dark than I already am.
If youβre like me, Iβve got some books for you.
The Shades of Magic Series, V. E. Schwabb
This YA series is for anyone who loves magical fantasy, meticulous world-building, and finds the number of characters in Harry Potter a bit overwhelming. Beginning with book one, A Darker Shade of Magic, the story centers around four different Londons layered on top of each other, and a magician named Kel who smuggles magical objects between them.
The Guest List, Lucy Foley
Unlike the V. E. Schwabb series, this book is not for the children. I love a swanky wedding with a little murder on the side. This book is a twisty whodunit that has you trying to guess the identity of the culprit and the victim at the same time. Thereβs a castle and a bog and just the right amount of spook. I highly recommend the audio experience so you can hear the varied accents of the characters.
Khruangbin
Weβve been in Texas for a year now, but weβre still regularly having people in our home that weβve never spent time with before. For any get together, but especially the first-time kind, you need good music. Something that wonβt distract from conversation while at the same time smoothing over any awkward gaps. Enter, Khruangbin. A Texas-based band that sounds like your classic 70s rock, with a little twist of modern funk.
My brotherβs birthday was the 25th. He wouldβve been thirty six. Iβve thought about Heaven on his birthday nearly every year since his passing. I find myself wondering: what is age like there? Is he growing older? Am I catching up? If those gone on do age or change, it canβt be in the same slowly-dying way we age on earth.
What of those who live to be truly old before they step behind the veil? Certainly the marks of frailty and sickness leave them, but what of the depth of joy and tenderness that grew within their hearts in their long life walking with the Savior? Surely those marks stay.
Or what about the child that passes from the womb to the Father, never knowing the burdens of this world? I hope their souls are bright and fresh always, but what about their minds? Are they infants for eternity?
If I die an old woman as I hope to do, will my brother meet me as the young man he was when I last saw him? Will we be the same βageβ forevermore?
Pondering these questions myself, I asked the Instafolk to tell me what they hoped Heaven would be like. I told them not to worry whether what they imagined was correct, for we can be sure that the reality will be far better than whatever we dream up. Dreaming together proved a far deeper and more hopeful experience than any of us expected.
So I would encourage you, the next time you are exhausted with the grief and struggle of this life, ask yourself and someone else: what do you dream of Heaven?
The Small Group Show
Here are the episodes that have come out since I was last in your inbox:
Ep. 19 - Money & Faith with Trevor Cochrane
In our first episode based on listener questions, Trevor joined me to talk about the ways that money and faith intersect. We share our favorite budgeting tools, why giving time isnβt the same as giving money, and how our views of money have changed over the years.Ep. 20 - Prayer
Keesha is back with us, bearing gifts in the form of practices to refresh and deepen our prayer life. I share some of my favorite prayers to borrow from Scripture.
Thank you for listening to our little show, and for continuing to be such a warm and encouraging audience.
It is a true joy to write for you each month, and I always love to hear about anything you tried and loved or anything that stirred your heart. Simply reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know.
Until next time, hold the paradox, donβt panic. Love you.
-Steph
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