Resource Roundup: July 2024
Changing things up
Each month, we dive deep into resources designed to cultivate greater wholeness.
Hello, hello!
Welcome back to another edition of the Resource Roundup. This month, we're switching things up.
Previously, this segment has included a larger list of resources and little moments of joy. While I love this format, it has also led to some roadblocks.
The main one being, I think I might be overwhelming you with too much information, causing some valuable resources to get lost. Although there is no shortage of resources, there are actually very few I trust and would recommend to my friends (aka you). Instead, I want to focus on those that are genuinely worth your time and investment.
That's why the Resource Roundup will now be divided into two parts: a deep dive into a specific resource and a separate post highlighting the month's little joys. By doing this, I hope to introduce these resources more gradually, allowing you ample time to explore each one without feeling overwhelmed.
So with that, let's dive in.
Last week, I brought up the question, “what is the good life?”
While everyone might answer this differently, several studies have shown that it largely comes down to relationships. The good life is built on safe, connected and intimate relationships with others. And thank goodness. That means I don’t need a certain level of wealth, status, or privilege to truly enjoy the good life.
However, this also presents a challenge. Oftentimes, our relationships are the source of our greatest heartbreak and wounding. Or, despite our best efforts, they remain stagnant or surface-level. It’s hard to find our people. But in order to live the kind of life we are all after, we need some help cultivating deeper and healthier relationships.
That is what the next few weeks are for! In the meantime, one of the best resources I’ve found to help with this are the Cultivate books.
Created by the Cageless Birds, a missional community in North Carolina, these devotional books provide tangible tools for fostering greater wholeness. They are filled with prompts, essays, art, poetry, photography, and practical resources to help us grow in deeper relationships with the Father, ourselves, and those around us.
Each volume aims to help us recognize the Father’s voice and live in intimate relationship with Him in our daily lives. From this place, we come to know our true selves and learn how to love others well.
I highly recommend every volume, but there are two in particular I want to highlight: Winter and the Art of Connection.
Volume 2: Winter, helps readers understand the clarity that winter seasons can bring. During dry, dark, or painful periods in our lives, this book offers a fresh perspective. It reveals how these seemingly barren times allow us to grow deep roots that will sustain us in the years ahead. While in the midst of a challenging season a few years ago, this book helped transform my outlook and offered hope in a time of sorrow.
Additionally, Volume 5: The Art of Connection Part 1, offers readers greater freedom in their relationships. Through prompts and essays, it provides tangible tools and language for overcoming conflict, growing in vulnerability, and recognizing unhealthy patterns. Whether it’s with our friends, family, community, spouse, or The Trinity, there is something helpful for our various relationships. In a past season where friendships were a bit wonky, this gave me practical insights into how to move forward.
Both of these volumes in particular helped me grow in greater intimacy and honesty with The Lord. Would highly recommend but, to be honest, you can’t go wrong.
From their discipleship programs, to their music, to leading worship, to crafting handmade artisan goods, to their podcast, all of their resources are fantastic. So if you’re not wanting to purchase a Cultivate book (I get it), you can still hear their heart and receive their wisdom in podcast episodes like this, this or this.
As we continue to unpack this theme of relationships in the weeks ahead, the Cultivate books are an invaluable resource. My hope is that as you engage more with their materials, your relationship with the Lord deepens and from that place, your relationship with yourself and others can flourish too.
To give you a glimpse of what Cultivate offers, here is a prompt by one of the founders, Jonathan Helser. In it, he encourages readers to ask the Father for His thoughts on their true identity.
Set aside some time to do this prompt and write down what comes to mind.
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Housekeeping
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