ALSSI Newsletter
March 2024
Hello!
We have just a few quick things to share with you this month. It’s been pretty busy around here, so we’ll get right to it!
Now for something completely different:
We’ll start this month’s newsletter with a book review! If you’ve been anywhere in the ALSSI neighborhood in the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard one of us talking about our current book-crush, Field Notes For the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith, by Sarah Bessey. We can’t stop talking about it because we can’t believe how ‘just right’ it is—not only for ourselves, but for so many of the women in this community. It’s like she’s one of us! Which probably says as much about a faith journey as it does about any particular woman taking one.
“Your faith isn’t meant to be unmoved. Be moved.“
Cynthia says: “The above quote by Sarah Bessey is just the kind of simple, yet profound wisdom I have found in Field Notes. So many of us found ourselves launched into this nebulous faith space, the liminal hallway as we are fond of calling it on the podcast, because of the choices of someone else, something we read, or just seeing the wider world, or even the diversity in our own families. Sarah feels like a friend who takes your hand as you’re stumbling over rocks and fallen trees and mud puddles and leads you along saying ‘it’s going to be OK.’”
Susan says: “Sarah begins by explaining that with Field Notes she’s written the book she wishes she would have had twenty years ago. That’s exactly how I felt reading it—if someone could only have given me the past 15 years tied up with a bow and a little card summarizing everything I’ve slogged through and survived, transcended and included (okay … or am trying to!), I think it would feel like this book. Sarah’s in the wilderness, but she’s been here a while and now she’s a sure-footed guide, holding a flashlight for the rest of us as she goes. If you ever wonder whether there’s going to be good fruit at the end of whatever path you’re walking right now, this quote is what I’ve found to be true about my own spiritual wanderings:
It’s here I discovered that the wilderness isn’t a problem to be solved, it is another altar of intimacy with God.
Sometimes what feels like being lost is actually us finding the place where a new relationship can begin. In this wilderness, I think the path IS the fruit! And it’s good. It’s very good.”
In other words, we both loved this book! We’re highlighting it here because we feel like Sarah’s insights and experiences might benefit some of you, too. It’s also a perfect read to set the stage for our next season of podcast conversations…hint hint.
Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Speaking of books—and Sarah Bessey’s books in particular:
It’s just a coincidence, but her book Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women, is next up in the At Last She Read It queue. Grab your books, get reading, and get ready to discuss! Watch our social media and/or events page for registration info … coming soon.
Also for your calendar—
We like to think either you love our Friday Chats, or you just haven’t participated in one yet! We hope you will—women supporting women is what ALSSI is all about.
You’ve been asking, and here’s the answer:
We can’t wait! We’re already busy recording, and we’re really excited about the theme for the coming season. Look for Season 8 of At Last She Said It wherever you like to listen: your favorite streaming app, our website, or our Substack … Tuesday mornings beginning April 16!
And now … what else? Refreshments!
“I confess I made this all winter. After dinner I would say to Paul, ‘Grab all the ingredients for pudding!’ I would put two servings in the freezer to chill for an hour before eating. Then the other two went in the fridge for the next night.” —Cynthia
Cynthia’s Chocolate Pudding
1/4 cup, 50 g, light brown sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch (I like my pudding softer so I use the lesser amount)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups of milk, I have used anything from one percent to whole milk
One cup, 170 g, chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk all ingredients in a large saucepan, over medium heat, until bubbly and thick. Then simmer two more minutes. Pour into four coffee mugs or ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic onto the surface of pudding to prevent a pudding skin. (But I kind of like a pudding skin!) Chill!
Yes, that’s it!
Short and sweet, just like we promised. Happy Easter to each of you, from all of us at At Last She Said It. However you found your way here, thanks for keeping us company in the wilderness. Onward!
— Cynthia, Susan
and the ALSSI team