A Blockbuster Archaeology Find, How Grief Remakes Families, My Favorite Day of the Year
Highlights From Our April (Plus Our Favorite Readers Comments)
Welcome to Best of the Month, our wrap-up of all our most popular posts and favorite comments from readers like you. We love hearing your feedback—here on Bulletin, or on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Your feedback helps us learn what you like and build community.
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April was our biggest month yet—with a surge of new subscribers and our biggest readership ever. Thank you! This is a reader-supported newsletter and we are grateful for your loyalty. Here's a look of some of our biggest pieces this month and some of our most meaningful comments. We hope you continue to like, share, and support.
Having lost of a parent recently, I've been having a lots of conversations about that loss affects each one of us. But I haven't been hearing about another aspect: How a loss affects adult siblings. Boy, did this piece touch a nerve. I'll be revisiting this theme in comming weeks. Meanwhile, here were some touching comments:
The passing of my mother changed the relationship between my grown son and myself. I don’t have siblings, but death does alter relationships, and in my case, not for the better. - Barbara Reynolds
Having just lost both parents in a matter of 10 weeks, this particular dynamic has occurred. Initially, a "we are in this together" to a questioning of my decisions as older sibling and executor. I try to express my views and then just keep quiet. I refuse to argue which my parents would have hated. Good to see this has been studied. - Susan Byassee Kilgas
2. The Hidden Benefit Of Family Gatherings
Family gatherings are resuming, but between Covid and political rancor, they seem to have gotten a bad name in the last few years. But there are good sides, too, including one that is almost never discussed: co-narration. Thank you for sharing your positive family gathering stories.
Just thought you might like to know that we began our "Sunday Night Suppers" when our son got married 36 years ago as a way to help them keep their food costs down somewhat. The tradition has continued all these years as our daughter got married also. They no longer need our financial help but everyone looks forward to seeing everyone else each week to catch up on their lives. We all feel fortunate in that everybody likes everybody else, including all the grandchildren as they materialize. Now the "grands" are getting married & having children & our tradition continues. - Carol Darnell
3. Blockbuster Archaeological Find Rewrites the History of the Bible. But Is It True?
Our most popular piece of all time was on a topic largely left out of the mainstream news. We were in awe of the level of reader engagement. I had to block a few people for name-calling and nastiness, but most of the comments were far more searching and welcoming.
We should always be open to the exploration for the truth and nontruth. If man didn’t question history or the truth we would still think the earth was flat and the sun revolves around the earth. As it stands in this case the men found something, now it’s our job to prove through evidence that it is or not the truth. There are many times in my life I believed what others told me was truth and went on and believed it until I researched it and found what others had previously told me was true was not. What if what these guys found is true. Do we dismiss it because it could change what was believed for many for years? - Frank Ruse
As always, great piece! If we've learned anything about the science of discovery over the last few years, it's that it's always evolving... asking questions, sharing doubts and skepticism... all of that makes us better - even if the journey is messy. As a believer, I am confident that our "knowledge" will one day catch up with what YHWH told us in the Bible. Thanks, Bruce! - Morgan Wood
4. April 15th: How the Worst Day of the Year for Most Families Became the Best Day of the Year for Mine
My ode to everyone's least favorite day of the year—and how it became my favorite—brought a host of charming responses. Happy spring, everyone! See you next month.
CPA here. LOVE the punchline and the beautiful story! - Marca Robbin Gibson
What a beautiful story! You are a fantastic writer. - Mary Robinson
Happy Birthday to your lovely daughters! - Giliane Meyer
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Or these books: Life Is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, Council of Dads.
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