I’m sure a lot of people out there follow sharonsaysso on instagram.

She is pretty awesome, gives an unbiased view of what’s happening in the world (I took one of her “government for grown-ups” classes and it was so good!)

Not only is she smart and incredibly talented about sifting through and explaining current events, she has the best heart. She’s raised money for so many people in need, specifically through the trying times of this last year (medical debt, funeral expenses, disaster relief, etc.) and it’s pretty awe inspiring.

I was so inspired by this thing she posted the other day so I took a screenshot of it:

I loved it first of all because it is TRUE. We sometimes don’t think our small contribution is significant, but one candle can really make all the difference in the world.

I also loved it because it reminded me of this book called Restoration that I read recently, targeted to members of our church:

This is how much I liked it:

Ha!

It talks about how, although our numbers are few in a world sense, (like Sharon says her numbers are few in a world sense, members of the church make up only two tenths of one percent of the world’s population), we have the responsibility to and opportunity (and really, this pertains to all people, not just in our church) to get out of our comfort zones and spread out into the world with our small candles and love and give and build and cultivate light.

A few little snippets I loved:

Isn’t the word “Restoration” a beautiful one?

Restoring justice, restoring civility, restoring love.

Oh there are so many gems in that book, but mostly loved the reminder of how people can build bridges and seek for understanding and humility and repentance and those small “flecks of gold” have the power to infiltrate like yeast.

“Particles of light are so small they are invisible, but they overpower the darkness.” And we can be them.

So thank you, Sharon, for sharing your light, and encouraging so many others to do the same. Listening to the news and tuning into many avenues of social media these days makes us believe that there is only anger and distain spreading throughout the world, but oh, there is so much good!

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15 Comments

  1. Hey Shawni, there is no such thing as an “unbiased view.” We each have biases as a result of our positionality. We cannot remove these lenses from our eyes but rather must become aware they are there through deep identity work in investigating race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc. Just an important thing to remember 🙂

    1. I totally get what you’re saying, Lou. What I meant was that she really does a pretty good job of staying neutral about politics, sharing facts about both sides in a positive light so that I can think about things without so much emotion. And I so appreciate that.

  2. I love Sharonsaysso too! I also think that she tries very hard and succeeds at giving “unbiased” information on current events. It has been a breath of fresh air to read facts instead of opinions about what is happening in our country. I also love that she is uniting her followers to help others.
    I’d love to hear more of your thought about the book “Restoration”. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all of us could unite together to restore “justice… civility … and love”?

  3. I live in Canada but am interested in both US politics and world issues and I think Sharon is incredible!!
    The whole medical debt issue was such a positive sign of humanity to me.
    Her lessons are so powerful and she explains so clearly. I keep recommending her.

    1. Amen! I can’t quite keep up with everything she says because I can’t seem to keep up with Instagram these days, but I love what I see so much.

  4. Unfortunately I will have to unsubscribe from this blog as the content has gone from cooking, parenting etc to every other post focusing on religion- 🙁

    1. And of course you have every right to do that. Much better option than leaving unkind comments like so many do

    2. Linda, I so appreciate that you would share your feedback. And I agree with M, of course you should only follow what you love and what “speaks” to you. But I really do want feedback here so I am so glad you said something. It’s funny that you would say that today, because I’ve actually been feeling the same thing. The parenting aspect has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle here lately, and that is my passion! I have been feeling such a strong nudge to get back to it, and actually have a post scheduled in the morning to introduce some new things I’ve been thinking about.

      This blog is my “journal” so I keep all kinds of thoughts on here, but lately I’ve been feeling like I’d love to shift to write it more for others as well as for my own record. I have learned so much over the years and I’d love to share it in a more deliberate fashion. I’d love to focus more attention on family/parenting and I’d love more feedback from blog readers, so anyone who has some thoughts on that matter send them on over my way!

      xoxoxo

  5. I am always amazed by your kind responses to people! You should write about where that comes from and how you can take words that would crush or deflate most people, and come back with the kindest responses. Did your parents intentionally teach you that, because it goes directly against our flesh or human nature. I want to know how you got such thick skin??? I admire that about you so much. You accept criticism better than anyone I’ve ever known.

    1. Oh you are so nice, B, I really do think people are coming from such different angles and getting mad back at people who are mad at me doesn’t seem to do any good. So I figure it’s a good chance to try to learn from them. I think my parents taught us all to believe in ourselves, which makes things roll off a little easier, but I do get my feelings hurt sometimes. Maybe that helps me grow and learn more though? Anyway, thank you for your kindness. The kindness makes it all so worth it to put yourself out there!
      xoxo

  6. I think it’s natural that you would focus more on your faith as your children leave home and become more independent. This is the natural cycle of life.

    And it’s part of the beauty of having something larger like faith to frame our experiences as we move forward to the time when the children have their children.
    To be the parent of young children is a different thing entirely to being the parent of teens and married young adults.
    I say share what is true and good and meaningful to you as you go your way on this earth and others like you will find value in it. We need to hold on to the past lightly so it doesn’t keep us from the experiences in store for us now and on the road before us.

    1. Thank you Sairey! I think you are right, it is so natural to focus on faith, but even my husband gets a little tired of all my religious thoughts sometimes. Ha! So interesting to contemplate the meaning of life from my perspective. And thank you for articulating the other thoughts as well…it’s much more difficult to share the details of teenagers and young adults…to protect the not-so-innocent 🙂 Things become so much bigger and more difficult to share. But that’s when we need more help too. And I want to be vulnerable so others can be vulnerable as well. We can learn so much from each other. I also think there is so much good to share from my parents, and how we have tweaked it in our own family. I want to do anything I can to to help build strong families, what I believe is the fundamental building block of all of society.
      xoxo

  7. My book looks just like yours! Ha! It’s good to hear what’s on your mind, because your mind is pretty incredible! 🙂 This “journal” will be a treasure to your children and grandchildren along with the comments! I love the power of the Internet for good!

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