Simple Living Works! Weekly
Posted on: November 9, 2015
Simple Living Works! Weekly Digest
Nov. 9, 2015
In This Issue:
- New SLW! Blog Index
- Worth Revisiting: WHOSE Birthday? by Richard Rohr, Tony Campolo and Meg Cox
- Advent Conspiracy – interview with Ken Weigel
- WHOSE Birthday Is It, Anyway? #27
- Wisdom from Author David Shi on Simple Living
- Do-It-Yourself “Whose Birthday?”
- Free Fall Festival Resources
- What Others Are Doing – So much help!
- More!
New SLW! Blog Index
* * *
Worth Revisiting – WHOSE Birthday? #22
Reflection: Is Christmas Christian?
Richard Rohr asks about getting beyond the externals of the Christmas consumer culture to that which truly transforms us and draws us to God.
Activity: The Best Gifts at Christmas
Tony Campolo relates how the best gifts should represent investments of time and personal creativity that can be used to help those Jesus called the least of these.
Activity: A Family Giving Tree
Meg Cox uses the concept from Shel Silverstein’s book The Giving Tree to create a family ritual of giving in meaningful ways that reflect the spirit of Christmas.
* * *
SLW! Podcast Episode #56: Ken Weigel, Director of Advent Conspiracy
Since 2006 Advent Conspiracy has become a global movement of people and churches resisting the cultural Christmas narrative of consumption by choosing a revolutionary Christmas. In this episode, Ken illuminates each of four tenets:
- Spending Less,
- Giving More
- Loving All
- Worshipping Fully
Because of people who have entered into the conspiracy, millions of dollars have been given to provide clean water solutions around the world.
FREE Church Resources: Children’s Curriculum, audio, video, more
2015 video on YouTube, 3:09
* * *
WHOSE Birthday? #27
“Xmas Gift Equation” and “Priceless Gifts” by Susan Vogt
“Saving Forgetful Old St. Nick’ and “O Holy Night at the Clothes Closet” by Melodie Davis
“Advent Devotions” by Bob Sitze
“Putting Herod Back Into Christmas” by Joy Carroll Wallis
The classic Advent/Christmas resource “Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?” is available in multiple formats in 2015 to meet your personal, family and community needs.
“Whose Birthday?” #27 is a new, free online collection. You’re welcome to contribute to our most widely-read resource. All past editions are still available on the SLW! site. The articles are carefully indexed. The current edition will be updated as new material arrives, so send ideas and items anytime. Prepare something now while it’s really on your mind. Submission Guidelines
Yes, YOU can have our own customized, DIY Whose Birthday? Click here for tips to CREATE, PRODUCE, DISTRIBUTE and PROMOTE your do-it-yourself version.
Make it provocative, humorous, serious or a combination, in your way to advance SLW! mission: “equipping people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly.”
A legacy “Whose Birthday?” is scheduled for release as a multi-part SLW! podcast series in Nov.-Dec. It can also be used as text or audio. It’s calendar matches the lectionary cycle (C).
Read past editions in the archives.
What’s NOW with SLW!
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SLW! Podcast Ep. 55: David E. Shi, educator, speaker, consultant, author of the classic “The Simple Life: Plain Living and High Thinking in American Culture” (10/15) Complete Preview
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SLW! Podcast #54: Paul Canavese on Pope Francis — How to Keep His Momentum Building
- FALL FESTIVAL RESOURCES (free online)
- SUBSCRIBE to SLW! Podcast for free through iTunes, Stitcher.com or your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to SLW! Blog. Click “+Follow” at lower right of blog post, enter a name and email address. Welcome!
- Simpler Living Alternative Daily Calendar — NOVEMBER
- Check out a few of SLW! thought-provoking, timely resources that might meet your personal, family or congregational/group needs. They’re all FREE. Visit Seasonal/Thematic Resource Index
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What’s Coming
- SLW! Podcast: WHOSE Birthday? (Nov. 15-Dec. 31)
-
What Others Are Doing – So Much Help!
I’m glad to pass along links from simple living bloggers, podcasters, coaches and others. Some faith-based, some not. You needn’t read them all. Choose FIVE links — including SLW! — to investigate.
- Becoming Minimalist (Joshua Becker)
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- Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads. (11/6)
- The Hope Effect: Changing How the World Cares for Orphans (11/1)
- A New, Minimalist Economy (10/26)
- Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads. (10/24)
- 12 Simple Living Graphics to Share and Inspire Others (10/19)
- The Productivity of Being Non-Productive (10/13)
- The Appeal of Generosity (10/6)
- Center for a New American Dream: Kids Unbranded Action Kit
- The Common Good Podcast
- Episode 65 :: Mel Lions: Why Food Choices Are Our Best Portal to Making Differences Ecologically (11/1)
- Episode 64 :: Paul Canavese: Why Pope Francis’ Encyclical and Visit Matter (10/1)
- Earth Mama (Joyce Rouse) — Website, Songbooks, Whole Enchi-Mama on a USB Thumbdrive, Standing on the Shoulders music video, sheet music offerings — all NEW
- Eco-Justice Ministries (Peter Sawtell) // Voluntary Simplicity archive
- Balancing Abundance and Need (11/6)
- Thou Shalt Not Exploit (10/30)
- We Have Defaulted (10/23)
- Destruction and Transformation (10/16)
- Why We Love Trucks (10/9)
- A US Dialogue with the Pope (9/25)
- GodSpace (Christine Sine)
- The Homesteading Guide Daily: Homesteading adventurer exploring life off the grid. Inviting you to share my journey and the friends I meet as we help you with your homesteading endeavors.
- Living Lightly (Susan Vogt on living more simply but abundantly): 365+ Days of Give-Aways // TMI-Too Much Information
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Finding good homes for no longer needed items rather than just putting them in the trash.
- Finding Good Homes #2 – These are the miscellaneous items that have been gathering dust while I focused on Too Much Information over the summer.
- Finding Good Homes #3 – Weird things like carpet squares, trinkets, and not-so-weird things like towels
- Good Homes Are Hard To Find #4 – Things like mattresses and trophies are a challenge, plus the old stand by of “Leave it by the curb the day before garbage pick-up and hope someone “steals” it.
- Homes for Inherited Stuff #5 – What to do with stuff that carries emotional attachments or is too upscale for Goodwill.
- Pros & Cons of Recycling – When recycling is not enough.
For those who like to be current, you could also check out Inheriting & Investing Money that I just posted today.. - Live Simply (Third Way: Celeste Kennel-Shank)
- Mustard Seed Associates (Andy Wade)
- New Celebrations (Clyde Griffith)
- NorthWest Earth Institute‘s newest discussion course ebook, Change Is Our Choice: Creating Climate Solutions
- The OneEarth Project (Lee Van Ham)
- Three minute film: Ecology and Economics—Colleagues, Not Rivals
- Conversation about The OneEarth Project and Lee’s book,
Blinded by Progress: Breaking Out of the Illusion That Holds Us - The Common Good Podcast, episode 42
- Lee’s new Slide Show
- The Pastoral Center/Gospel Living (Paul Canavese)
- CatholicCreationCare.com – General resources
- CreationCareKids.com – Children’s resources
- Advent/Christmas resources for families, some incorporating Alternatives.
- Easter resources for families
- PostConsumers: Find the Satisfaction of Enough
- The Hidden Consumerism of Crafting (10/30)
- 37 Marketing Traps to Look Out For This Holiday Season
- Tips for Raising PostConsumer Children: Grade School // Middle School // High School // College
- Simple Enough (Bob Sitze)
- “More Magic Thoughts” (11/8)
- Mother Carey’s Chickens” (11/5)
- “Simple congregations: Longevity” (11/2)
- “No (Reformation) Choice” (10/30)
- “Simplicity’s Children: Shared Hobbies” (10/27)
- “Simple Things: Flowers” (10/24)
- “Filling in the Holes in Your Brain” (10/21)
- “Solving Global Warming” (10/18)
- “Magical Living” (10/15)
- “Lifestyle Exemplars” (10/12)
- Simple Living: the Good Life (Janet Luhrs)
- Simple and Super Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes (11/5)
- Easy Tricks to Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamins from Food (11/3)
- How can I minimize my wardrobe? (10/22)
- How to Quiet Your Mind for a Simpler Life, Even When It’s Busy (10/16)
- Tips to Cure the Shopaholic Inside You And De-Clutter Your Life (9/29)
- Simple Times (Debi Taylor-Hough): Saving Your Time, Money & Sanity
- Latest edition
- Simplicity Collective – Let us be pioneers once more (Samuel Alexander)
- Simplicity Parenting (Kim John Payne): because it is a beautiful world
- Smart and Simple Matters podcast (Joel Zaslofsky of Value of Simple: Liberate Your Time, Money and Talent)
- How to Grow Food Anywhere and Build Community Everywhere with Eugene Cooke, Ep. 83 (9/21)
- 5 Strategic Steps to Streamline Your Life with Miriam Ortiz y Pino, Ep. 82 (9/7)
- For links to earlier entries, check the previous SLW! blog.
Upcoming Alternate Celebrations
-
What’s Happened
- SLW! Podcast #53: World Community Cookbooks UPDATED
- SLW! Podcast #52: Kristina’s “Alternative” Ph.D. Dissertation + Plus links to other fascinating historical “Alternative” documents and photos.
- Previews of Simple Living Blogs, Podcasts and Sites // New Collaborators and Champions
- Recent Responses to all SLW! media, including links
Podcast Reminder
You can access all SLW! podcast audio and the show notes either at SimpleLiving.startlogic.com/SLW-PODCAST or at SimpleLivingWorks.org (then click window #3). Complete Episode Index Listen through your computer, iPod, iPad, iPhone (or equivalent).
SUBSCRIBE through iTunes, Stitcher.com or your favorite podcast service. To SUBSCRIBE to email notices, click Comments at the bottom of Show Notes, then check ‘Notify me of new posts by email.’ Please rate us in iTunes and leave a review.
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Like SLW! on Facebook. | Follow us on Twitter. | Follow us on Pinterest. Share your thoughts on our podcast and blogs. Email SimpleLivingWorks@yahoo.com, leave a message on our Facebook page or on the SLW! blog.
Peace, Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief SLW! Activist
*IMAGE: Spirit of Simplicity #3-A529
For hard copies of Alternatives’ resources at nominal cost, contact ELCA Archives, 321 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 * (847) 690-9410 * archives@elca.org
We do not solicit or accept donations, nor do we sell anything. All our resources and services are free of charge. We’re an all-volunteer organization. Instead, we urge Alternative Giving. Give away at least 25% of what you spent last year on all celebrations – Christmas, birthdays, etc. — to local, national and international causes.
Copyright: Creative Commons non-commercial attribution share-alike license.
*Treasury of Celebrations: published by Northstone, a division of Wood Lake Publications, BC, Canada, best known for its Seasons of the Spirit curriculum.
Through social media, we extend the mission and resources of the non-profit organization Alternatives, 1973-2011. Simple Living Works! web site home page | Theme/Seasons Index. To learn more about SLW! – our MISSION, for example — please listen to our getting-acquainted episodes, especially #1 and 2. We produce a half-hour podcast twice a month, hopefully educational and inspiring for you, your family and your congregation or group. We blog several times a week.
Simple Living Works! 
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