POPULARITY
Anne Lamott is the author of 20 books, which include fiction and nonfiction. Her novels include Hard Laughter, Blue Shoe, and Imperfect Birds. Her nonfiction titles include Operating Instructions, Bird by Bird, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope and the newly released Somehow: Thoughts on Love. She has been awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2010. We talked about love, call and response, writing craft, secrets, the solace and inspiration of reading, novels and nonfiction, Ms. Magazine, and poetry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Merry Christmas my friend!I didn't record a new episode for Christmas. In fact, I hope you don't even hear this today. But just in case you're driving or working out and need something to listen to, here's one of my favorite episodes ever, because the best Christmas present I could give you would be to teach you how to find hope no matter what you're going through. So here's Hope Surgery, with a little Christmas music thrown in. It's time for some hope surgery!Life can be very difficult, and sometimes it seems like we're all alone and without hope in a dark world. But here's a few minutes about the self-brain surgery technique that will help you find hope and see the light again!Scriptures mentioned in this episodeHabakkuk 1:2 “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?”Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.For the Lord is a God of justice.Blessed are all who wait for him!Habakkuk 2:3 “Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.Isaiah 1:19 IF you are willing and obedient, (THEN) you will eat the best from the landDeuteronomy 28:1 IF you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, (THEN) the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.Daniel 10 (NIV)2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”Romans 4:18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.Hosea 12:6Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice,And wait for your God continually.Psalm 27:14Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage;Yes, wait for the LordPsalm 33:20, 21 NIV “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.”Psalm 33:3, 4 NLT “Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.”Romans 15:13 NLT “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”Psalm 27:14 ESV “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”Psalm 46:1-3 CSB “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah”Psalm 121:1,2 NIV “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Listener did this- look for help!)Romans 8:37 NIV “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We will conquer the gap with self-brain surgery of doing, seeking, praying, trusting, pressing in, looking for help. Hope-tox doesn't inject itself.John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”Ephesians 3:“14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”John to Know, James to Grow bible studyBooks mentioned in this episode Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne LamottI've Seen the End of You by Dr. Lee WarrenTommy Walker's song, Wait on the Lord!(Music shared on The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast is authorized under BMI license #61063253 and ASCAP license #400010513 )Self-Brain Surgery with Dr. Lee Warren is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit drleewarren.substack.com/subscribe
Today we're talking about what to do in our faith lives when our real lives get hard. No answers or solutions here, but a few truths I've learned in my own deep water experiences. If you're in one right now, please know YOU ARE LOVED. I hope these are helpful, friend. 1. The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis 2. Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I've Loved), by Kate Bowler 3. Podcast: Everything Happens, by Kate Bowler 4. Podcast: Terrible, Thanks for Asking, by Nora McInerny 5. A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis 6. When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold Kushner 7. Almost Everything (Notes on Hope), by Anne Lamott 8. Lyric video: Rescue, by Lauren Daigle 9. Lyric video: Sigh No More, by Mumford and Sons 10. Trusting Life, with Benedictine Brother David Stendl-Rast (& Oprah) 11. Song: Red Sea Road, by Ellie Holcomb
Cynthia Li, MD, is a physician, author, and speaker. Currently, she has a private practice in integrative and functional medicine, and serves as faculty for the Healer’s Art program at the University of California San Francisco Medical School. She is author of a new book, Brave New Medicine: A Doctor's Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness. Dr. Li's first calling was to underserved communities, in settings as diverse as Kaiser Permanente Medical Center's HIV/AIDS division, San Francisco General Hospital, St. Anthony’s Medical Clinic for the homeless, and Doctors Without Borders in rural China. She became interested in evolutionary biology, ancestral health, functional medicine, and the art of intuition while on her own personal health journey -- involving a decade-long "dark night of the soul," in which she developed complex, debilitating conditions that, despite being an expert in chronic diseases, she didn't know how to treat. She was housebound for 2 years. Beyond this physical crisis, there was an existential one: she hadn't believed these kinds of conditions to be real. She explored, both scientifically and experientially, a wide variety of complementary approaches to Western medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, mind-body medicine, cranial osteopathy, and whole foods-based nutrition. About 15 years ago, Dr. Li learned she had Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune thyroid condition. Following a year of treatment and recurring extreme fatigue, she diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and dysautonomia, a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, before going to a psychiatrist who recommended (to her dismay) that she see an immunologist. Dr. Li found herself in the group of patients that either (a) was not recognized or validated by the health community, and/or (b) was not help-able. With no one to decipher her symptoms, Dr. Li became housebound and “went back to basics” to began reading about how chronic disease develops. She recognized that diseases are not defined by a set of criteria but exist instead on a continuum, and she realized that she'd had underlying imbalances for many years, starting out as subtle symptoms that she had either disregarded or pushed beyond. Feeling increasingly motivated, she started exploring the fundamental connection between nourishment and health, including our inextricable spiritual and physical connectedness to our outer world as well as the mysterious inner world of the microbiome-gut microorganisms, with which we have co-evolved for millennia. She dove deeper into how gene expression is affected by what we eat, drink, breathe, think, believe, and how we move our bodies, and experimented with integrative medicine, acupuncture, herbs, and mind-body medicine. Dr. Li later learned about functional medicine, which she describes as an important turning point, giving her hope both as a patient and as a doctor. Yet even then, she had such little energy that it was easy for her to have “hope fatigue.” Instead of trying to think positively or be optimistic all the time, she learned to release the tremendous grief and shame she was carrying through attending a grief ritual. “As a side effect, what ends up filling up that space is health,” she says. She eventually returned to clinical practice, but with a very different set of eyes: one that saw the beautiful complexity of the body, mind, and spirit; and what it looks like when that wholesome balance is disturbed. In her memoir, Brave New Medicine, Dr. Li details the disabling autoimmune illness that forced her to question her medical training, embrace the principles of integrative and functional medicine, and unlock her body’s innate potential to heal. Challenging contemporary medical norms and drawing upon cutting-edge science, ancient healing arts, and the power of intuition to offer a fresh, new perspective for doctors and patients alike, she also explores what healthcare might look like if doctors had an immersion in wellness: “Would we have that experience to be able to translate to our patients?” Experiencing “autoimmunity changed my practice of medicine,” she says. Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, doctor and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies, says that “Li’s writing is so intimate — and so exacting — that it cuts like a knife. She raises fundamental questions about the future of medicine, her own future, and about being a doctor and a patient at the same time. The result is a beautiful book that will be read and remembered for years to come.” Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author of Bird by Bird, and Almost Everything: Notes on Hope, describes Brave New Medicine as “a harrowing and somehow also charming account by a brilliant doctor of how she healed her body, mind, spirit and soul from a debilitating autoimmune disease. After her doctors had given up on her, with a husband and two little children at home, she broke out of the constraints of Western medicine, and found her way home to health, renewal, and her own true self. This beautifully written prescriptive book is going to change and even save people’s lives.” Dr. Michael Lerner describes the book as a “memoir for our time.” Dr. Li a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4US). She is a contributor to Huffington Post’s Thrive Global and Psychology Today. She lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband, 2 daughters, their dog, a hamster, and 50,000 honeybees. She enjoys gardening, urban farming, traditional cooking, playing the piano and ukulele, reading, hiking, and camping. To stay grounded and balanced, she practices Wisdom Healing Qigong every day. Join us in conversation with this gifted scientist and healer!
Hello everyone and welcome to episode 50 where today we consider three reasons for why relationships are worth the work they take to grow and maintain. Before we get into this, I know some of our listeners aren’t aware of my private email list I use to send a brief email every Wednesday. It’s my Every Wednesday email that offers an insight, thought, or tip to find more joy in your relationships. To get access to my Every Wednesday email, just go to johncertalic.com/podcast, and fill in the blue and while form you’ll see on the page. Back now to the topic for today’s show. Do you ever wonder if relationship are worth it? Even in the best of circumstances, they can be a lot of work. Misunderstandings. Unmet expectations. Communication breakdowns. Hurts, etc. Are relationships worth the work they take? In last week’s episode, "Sacrifice in Relationships," We saw in Romans 12 of the New Testament the apostle Paul speaking of how relationships require sacrifice for them to work. To sacrifice means we have to give up something. And it has to be something important. It’s not like a veagn or vegetarian giving up pork chops for Lent. That’s not a sacrifice at all. To sacrifice in our relationships means saying no to our natural inclinations. In the 21 verses of Romans 12, 8 of them are directives to “do not.” All 8 of them are what we naturally gravitate toward in our relationships. Is it worth the effort to counter these proclivities of ours? Listen in today where we look at 3 reasons why relationships are worth the the effort to make them the best they can be. I start with the premise that we are all made for relationships. We were made for this. Given this fact, relationships are worth the hard work they require because first of all, We were made to have a personal relationship with God so we can reflect his image and character. There’s a wonderful relationship with the Trinity. Father, son, and Holy Spirit. We have the distinct privilege of reflecting the image of God, which is steeped in relationship. Relationships reflect the character of God. God wants a personal relationship with us. This is the very first thing I learned about God when, as a 19-year-old college freshman, Carol our executive producer told me about him. I talk about this in episode 21, “The Most Important Relationship of All.” I also mention it in chapter 7 of my book, THEM. If God values relationships with human beings this much, maybe I would be wise to do the same. Among other things, we learn in our relationship with God that he is all about truth. He’s all about forgiveness, grace, and justice. He’s all about love, kindness and compassion, and so many other qualities. We have the privilege of reflecting these and other characteristics of God to people. When we give people a picture of who God is by how we relate to them, it certainly pleases God, just as Romans 12:1 states. Secondly, We were made for our relationships to impact the world for good Relationships are how we leave our mark on the world. Go to most funerals and what’s talked about concerning the deceased is the mark they left on their relationships with people. Carol’s 97 year-old mother, Emma, died recently and the funeral took place yesterday, the day before this recording. Gray harried 80-something’s of the ladies guild sang a song in tribute to Emma. The tone of voice of the lady who introduced the song spoke volumes of the depth of the relationship. Emily, one of the granddaughters, spoke of her love for her grandmother, and how she taught her how to knit a wash cloth. Pastor described her as “my friend Emma.” He always knew where he stood with her. If I were still teaching, I would take kids on a field trip to funerals. I’d have them listen to the relationship stories shared. Then we’d talk about them, back in the classroom. What did those stories tell you about that person? What qualities of the deceased were admired? What was not said? What about the funerals where little or nothing was said about the relationships of the deceased? What do you want said about YOU at your funeral? What are you doing now as a 7 or 17-year old to build relationships with people? What are you doing to impact the world for good through your relationships? Thirdly, We were made for our relationships to grow us human beings created in God’s image Our relationships is an important tool God uses to complete the good work he started within us, as mentioned in Philippians 1:6 (he who began a good work in you will complete it…) Our relationships bring out the best in us, especially when we bring out the best in others. We learn about ourselves through our relationships. We learn about our self-centerdness in relationships. We learn how to be more loving and compassionate in our relationships. We learn how to both extend, and receive, grace through our relationships. EXAMPLE: A staff member took a candid photo of Janet’s mom at the memory care facility where she lives. It shows Elda feeding her table mate, though she can barely feed herself There is something deep down in her character that caused her to help someone. Alzheimer’s has robbed her of much, but not this relational quality. Here’s what I learned today. Here’s what struck me Life-giving, fulfilling relationships don’t happen by accident. They take work, it takes changing our natural inclination in how we relate to live counter - intuitively. It takes doing the opposite of all the 8 don’t’s Paul talks about in Romans 12. And they take time. Lots of time…. But it’s worth the work. And it the work that only God can do through us. We need his strength and power to make our relationships the best they can be. If you forget everything else, here’s the one thought, the one idea, I hope you remember from today’s episode. Our show in a sentence. In spite of their difficulty at times, relationships are worth the effort, because we were made for this. It’s who we are. Without relationships we live a narrow, self-centered life, where we never grow as a person. With them, we have the potential to impact the world for good, one relationship at a time. Here’s what you can do in response to today’s show. Think about one relationship in your life that needs some improvement. Ask God to show you how you could make that relationship just 1% better today. Ask him for the power to do, so it reflect more on him that you. Closing I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to both reflect and to act. So that you will find the joy God intends for you through your various relationships. Because after all, You Were Made for This. Now for Our Relationship Quote of the Week To have a few amazing friends on this side of eternity, this sometimes grotesque amusement park is the greatest joy. We cannot depend solely on our spouses to dump on, to share our intimate thoughts with or reveal our deepest truths to. Trust me, they have been through enough with us. Our yokes are heavy. ~ Anne Lamont, Almost Everything - Notes on Hope, p. 57 That’s all for today. See you next week. Bye for now.
"A lot of black girls are inheriting this strong black woman trope that when it comes time for vulnerability to be revealed, it’s uncomfortable." - Khristi Lauren Adams Khristi Lauren Adams is a speaker, author, youth advocate and ordained Baptist minister. She is currently the Firestone Endowment Chaplain and an Instructor of Religious Studies and Philosophy at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Khristi also works as co-director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Hill School. She is the author of Parable of the Brown Girl, which highlights the cultural and spiritual truths that emerge from the lives of young black girls. It’s published by Fortress Press and will release in February 2020. Connect with Khristi on Twitter, Instagram, on her website. Khristi's book recommendation: Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott -- We donate 5% of all our sales to a different feminist organization each month. Our February charity is the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. Get $5 off your Feminist Book Club Box with the code PODCAST at feministbookclub.com/shop. -- JOIN US IN MINNEAPOLIS! Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 2:00pm CST at The Irreverent Bookworm We'll be discussing The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya RSVP on Facebook -- This episode is brought to you in collaboration with WeSparkle. Learn more at wesparkle.org. -- Website: http://www.feministbookclub.com Instagram: @feministbookclubbox Twitter: @fmnstbookclub Facebook: /feministbookclubbox Goodreads: Renee // Feminist Book Club Box and Podcast Email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dINNkn -- This podcast is produced on the native land of the Dakota, Sioux, and Anishinabewaki peoples. Logo and web design by Shatterboxx Editing support from Phalin Oliver Original music by @iam.onyxrose Transcript for this episode: bit.ly/FBCtranscript60
Anne Lamott, the beloved California author, has always strived to help us better understand ourselves. She shares some personal touchstones she holds onto in the midst of turmoil and global chaos and she reminds us that “everything will work if you just unplug it for a few minutes.” Her latest book is "Almost Everything: Notes on Hope."
What does hope look like? How do we find and hold onto it in the midst of personal turmoil, communal suffering, global chaos and the everyday challenges of being alive in this world? Best-selling author Anne Lamott looks to answer these questions and more in her new book, “Almost Everything: Notes on Hope.”
Writing legend, Anne Lamott, shares her thoughts on writing, dieting, parenting, hope and more!
She's a writer's-writer. A reader's-writer. And with self-effacing humor, and ruthless honesty, Anne Lamott makes us think about what most of us don't like to think about. She's known for writing and speaking about subjects that begin with Big Capital Letters. Today we'll share her thoughts on Hate, Jealousy, Love, Hope, and preserving one's Sanity. A New York Times bestselling author and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Anne Lamott has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. She's taught at UC Davis, as well as at writing conferences across the country. Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Freida Mock, made a documentary on her called Bird by Bird with Annie. Anne Lamott's latest book of essays is Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. We'll end today's show chatting with the host of Ciao Italia, the longest-running cooking show on television, Mary Ann Esposito. Find out the secret to the show's success, her thoughts regarding pairing food and wine, and a few of her all time favorites for those who like to put an Italian spin on Thanksgiving. Her latest book, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy reads as both a cookbook and a love-letter to Italy. Mary Ann's 12 books have helped chefs and foodies understand authentic Italian ingredients and dishes. She created and has hosted Ciao Italia on PBS since 1989.
Anne Lamott! She is bright light and a boundless spirit. This best selling author known for her warmth and candor shares thoughts on her new book, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope, and gives us personal instruction on how to change the world one person at a time. And - Everyday Tarot - a tool to unlock your inner wisdom. (Plus some crazy hang man kismet.) Thank you for listening! xo Kc
“Every writer, truth-seeker, parent, and activist I know is in love with one or more books by Anne Lamott… [S]he writes as naturally as she breathes, she explores the mysterious paths and detours of life itself, and she reports back to make the way ahead easier for all of us.” —Gloria Steinem, Cosmopolitan What does hope look like? How do we find and hold onto it in the midst of personal turmoil, communal suffering, global chaos, and the everyday challenges of being alive in this world? Enter the profoundly wise and compassionate Anne Lamott, whose “words heal us all” (Associated Press). ALMOST EVERYTHING: Notes on Hope is an exploration of hope and the place it holds in our lives. Marvelously candid and remarkably perceptive, Lamott shares truths she has learned along the way (“almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you”), offering compelling lessons through memorable storytelling and mixing humor with piercing insight. As Maria Popova says, “Anne Lamott embraces language and life with equal zest, squeezing from the intersection wisdom of the most soul-stretching kind” (Brainpickings).
Anne Lamott is a progressive political activist and writer, the bestselling author of such books as Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies, Operating Instructions, Plan B, and her latest, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. We're such fans of Anne Lamott that we've decided to devote an entire episode of The Upgrade to her. We talk to Anne about almost everything, including but not limited to: how to deal with the news cycle; having compassion for our small upsets in the face of large tragedies; how help can be a form of control; comparing our insides to other people's insides; and the horrors of visiting the DMV. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
From Anne Lamott, the New York Times-bestselling author of Help, Thanks, Wow, comes the book we need from her now: How to bring hope back into our lives.