Upon Reflection: Week 3
Attention, Connection, and a Moment of Alchemy
I had a moment of alchemy this week—a moment where the elements of who I am, what I’m learning, and the words others shared came together in a shower of confetti in my soul. It was a completely unseen, internal explosion of joy.
A few weeks ago, my friend Haley reached out for some feedback on a book idea she was exploring. Her questions were high-level, less about substance and more about structure; but, in asking them, she shared a bit about the premise of her writing. Though I can’t say much about it right now, it’s a beautifully original and compelling idea.
Fast forward to this past week and I was sitting poolside with my friend Jess as we watched my littlest splash around. She was reflecting on the loss of their family pet and how surprised she was by the far-reaching effects the family had experienced. As she shared specifically about how she had been connecting these observations to spiritual realities, I remembered Haley’s book.
“Jess, you won’t believe this, but I have a friend who is exploring some of these ideas. Would you be OK if I connected you gals to chat further?”
To my great delight, she said yes.
And THAT was my moment of alchemy.
While cleaning up my office this week, I came across a sticky note that I had written sometime early in 2026. It read:
“I relish the opportunity to connect people for mutual benefit.”
Truly, if my brain were to be observed in these moments, it would no doubt be LIT UP with all the euphoric feelings.
These moments have happened for me more and more over the past few years as I have sought to really be present and pay attention. As I was reading Holy Hygge this week, this comment stood out:
“Hyggelig living encourages meaningful dialogue…you can nurture hyggelig conversations by learning to ask great questions and listening intently to the answers people give and the stories they have to share.”
That is essentially what I have been trying to do: ask good questions, listen well, and then make the connections as I am able. In fact, that is, in part, what I’m up to in this summer series. It’s all about making connections for the benefit of myself and others.
In light of that, here’s what I’ve got for you this week.
The Feast
Books
Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson
The Body Teaches the Soul by Justin Whitmel Earley (finished!)
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Luke 16–17
Psalm 42
Podcasts & Sermons
That Sounds Fun Ep. 1063 — I Didn’t Want This to Be My Story: Grief, Gratitude, and God’s Faithfulness with Nancy Mattingly
No Small Endeavor — Norman Wirzba: The Myth of Self-Sufficiency and the Good Life
Bridgetown Church — The Call of Abram
Bridgetown Church — Love in Action
Intentional Fatherhood Podcast S3E5 — You Have Enough Time for the Life God Actually Called You To
New Life Church — The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
The Mel Robbins Podcast — What Makes a Good Life? This Study on 26,000 Regrets Will Guide You for the Rest of Your Life with Daniel Pink (still in process!)
The Chewing
A Sampling of the material from all the streams of intake
Genesis (3 and beyond) as a study in how to ruin your life by acting out of fear and self-protection (Bridgetown Church: The Call of Abram).
Where am I prone to operate out of fear or self-protection? What fruit is that bearing? It certainly does not create a heart environment prone to generosity in thought or deed toward others.
“It’s hard to see the good life God offers us if our heads are always bent down toward technology. LOOK UP.” — The Body Teaches the Soul
Think of the miracle of a pie. Dough, filling, heat, the discovery of butter…Nurture an unfolding gratitude for what others before you have discovered and labored to bring to fruition. — Norman Wirzba
Norman spoke of how his grandfather had an uncommon attentiveness to where he was and was gentle with all life he took care of—children, animals, and plants.
The top 1% controls roughly half of the world’s wealth. This is staggering. Add to this that the choices made by the few affect the masses. — Norman Wirzba
Am I stewarding what I have toward the good of others? Am I giving thought to my part in the renewal and protection of life beyond my own home?
“We can still create moments and places where beauty and goodness can thrive—but we have to do this with a clear vision of what needs to change and what expectations are.” — Norman Wirzba
“Heaven is not our comfort because we’ve made the world so bad; it’s our hope because God made the world so good. We long to see this world made new, and so it will be in the restoration.” — Justin Whitmel Earley
Time awareness leads to wisdom and not anxiety. — Justin Whitmel Earley
Aggressively structure the important blocks. — Justin Whitmel Earley
“I’d become convinced that passion was a critical factor in professional success. People who love their work bring an intensity and enthusiasm that’s impossible to match through sheer diligence.” — The Happiness Project
“Gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstances.” — Nancy Mattingly
Of the various types of regrets people experience, the most common regret is a regret of connection. — Daniel Pink
The Green Leaf
Keep paying attention.
Attention is the beginning of connection, and connection is the heartbeat that keeps all of this moving. Attention is the first step toward gratitude, generosity, stewardship, encouragement, and love.
Pay Attention to Yourself
Am I operating out of a spirit of gratitude?
Am I caring for myself?
Am I making choices that are to my own benefit at the cost of others?
Am I literally lifting my eyes to be fully attentive and catch a glimpse of the beauty God has created in the world and people?
Am I leveraging my joy and gratitude in worship?
Pay Attention to Others
Who can I encourage (pass courage) to today?
What can I offer to benefit this person in the good thing they are doing?
How can I serve them practically or in bearing witness to their story?
The Integration
I’ve written previously about the idea of participatory presence.
I don’t want to be present in the sense that it can be said of me that I showed up. I think of a student marked present in a class that they aren’t actually learning from.
I want to be fully present and engaged—attentive to the moment and the people in it—so that I can do my part in fostering connection and learning well from this school of love.
PS: I spent some time playing and creating today. I took my cue from the latest issue of Every Little Seed and did some collage. I was inspired by this little mini-series and made my very own hungry little caterpillar:)
Love this. So many rich nuggets. I look forward to your new posts 🙌🏻🙌🏻🦋