"A sumptuous feast."--HALEY STEWART, author of Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life"Her unflappable hope and sense of enchantment radiate through every page."--BOZE HERRINGTON, novelist"Lyrical prose and delightful storytelling."--THE REV. DR. GLENN PACKIAMDiscover the Way Toward a Lighter, Braver, and Wiser Life This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don't have to be. Instead, you can unlock the power to a happy life--an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's not always easy, but it's well worth it.Beloved writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting an audacious case for happiness no matter what you're going through. With her signature humor and lyrical storytelling, Joy offers an irresistible invitation:"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two options: to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life's up and downs. To put it bluntly: You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.

"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers."--Psalm 1:3Sometimes we describe ourselves as trees. When we're thriving, we speak of being rooted and fruitful, in a good season. When we struggle, we might describe ourselves as withering, cut off from friendship and the world. These ways of describing ourselves matter because they shape the ways we live.But in a world dominated by efficiency, we have begun to use more unforgiving metaphors. We speak of ourselves as computers: we process things, we recharge. In doing so, we come to expect of ourselves an exhausting, relentless productivity.You Are a Tree examines how the metaphorical descriptions we use in everyday life shape the way we think, pray, and live. Weaving together meditations on our common human experiences, poetry, Scripture, and the Christian tradition, Joy Marie Clarkson explores how metaphors help us understand things like wisdom, security, love, change, and sadness.This book invites you to pay attention--to your experiences, and to the words you use to describe them. That attention reveals a richly layered and meaningful world, a refreshing perspective that nurtures wonder, gratitude, and hope."Extraordinarily creative and beautifully written, You Are a Tree is a soul-stirring companion to life in God's world that will enrich the spirit of all who read it."--DAVID ZAHL, author of Low Anthropology"Reading [Clarkson's] book feels more like catching up with an old friend over coffee than sitting at the feet of a remote, inaccessible sage. . . . You Are a Tree is an illuminating guide to the metaphors we use for God and our own lives, and it will show you how to meditate on a metaphor and let its deeper meanings speak."--Christianity Today

"A sumptuous feast."--HALEY STEWART, author of Jane Austen''s Genius Guide to Life"Her unflappable hope and sense of enchantment radiate through every page."--BOZE HERRINGTON, novelist"Lyrical prose and delightful storytelling."--THE REV. DR. GLENN PACKIAMDiscover the Way Toward a Lighter, Braver, and Wiser Life This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don''t have to be. Instead, you can unlock the power to a happy life--an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It''s not always easy, but it''s well worth it.Beloved writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting an audacious case for happiness no matter what you''re going through. With her signature humor and lyrical storytelling, Joy offers an irresistible invitation:"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two options: to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life''s up and downs. To put it bluntly: You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.

"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers."--Psalm 1:3Sometimes we describe ourselves as trees. When we''re thriving, we speak of being rooted and fruitful, in a good season. When we struggle, we might describe ourselves as withering, cut off from friendship and the world. These ways of describing ourselves matter because they shape the ways we live.But in a world dominated by efficiency, we have begun to use more unforgiving metaphors. We speak of ourselves as computers: we process things, we recharge. In doing so, we come to expect of ourselves an exhausting, relentless productivity.You Are a Tree examines how the metaphorical descriptions we use in everyday life shape the way we think, pray, and live. Weaving together meditations on our common human experiences, poetry, Scripture, and the Christian tradition, Joy Marie Clarkson explores how metaphors help us understand things like wisdom, security, love, change, and sadness.This book invites you to pay attention--to your experiences, and to the words you use to describe them. That attention reveals a richly layered and meaningful world, a refreshing perspective that nurtures wonder, gratitude, and hope."Extraordinarily creative and beautifully written, You Are a Tree is a soul-stirring companion to life in God''s world that will enrich the spirit of all who read it."--DAVID ZAHL, author of Low Anthropology"Reading [Clarkson''s] book feels more like catching up with an old friend over coffee than sitting at the feet of a remote, inaccessible sage. . . . You Are a Tree is an illuminating guide to the metaphors we use for God and our own lives, and it will show you how to meditate on a metaphor and let its deeper meanings speak."--Christianity Today

What is our place in nature?Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have has exercised unprecedented dominance over nature, with consequences that are now catching up with us. Many have pointed to Christianity as a culprit. Yet Christianity actually teaches that our relationship to nature should not be one of contempt or disassociation. Rather, according to ancient church tradition, nature is a book to be read, revealing truths about its creator and ours. At a time when many moderns are unsure of what difference, if any, marks us out from other living beings on our planet, and of what our place in the natural world ought to be, what might nature itself tell us about how to live within it?On this theme:Peter Mommsen asks if humans should live by nature’s laws.Colin Boller interviews farmers successfully shifting to regenerative agriculture.Caroline Moore introduces some of Britain’s amazing moths.Daniel Stulac wonders what the Promised Land means in Saskatchewan.Clare Coffey defends dandelions in lawns.Rhys Laverty reports on man’s battle with the sea at the Alderney breakwater.William Thomas Okie explores the old idea that plants reveal their uses.Greta Gaffin looks at our relationship to wolves, and Saint Francis’s.Norann Voll remembers lambing with her father.Tim Maendel finds peace by hunting.Erik Varden asks if the Christian teaching on chastity is unnatural.David McBride translates “The Leper of Abercuawg,” an old Welsh poem.Maureen Swinger watches meteor showers.Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faith to the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art.

"A sumptuous feast."--HALEY STEWART, author of Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life"Her unflappable hope and sense of enchantment radiate through every page."--BOZE HERRINGTON, novelist"Lyrical prose and delightful storytelling."--THE REV. DR. GLENN PACKIAMDiscover the Way Toward a Lighter, Braver, and Wiser Life This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don't have to be. Instead, you can unlock the power to a happy life--an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's not always easy, but it's well worth it.Beloved writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting an audacious case for happiness no matter what you're going through. With her signature humor and lyrical storytelling, Joy offers an irresistible invitation:"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two options: to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life's up and downs. To put it bluntly: You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.

"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers."--Psalm 1:3Sometimes we describe ourselves as trees. When we're thriving, we speak of being rooted and fruitful, in a good season. When we struggle, we might describe ourselves as withering, cut off from friendship and the world. These ways of describing ourselves matter because they shape the ways we live.But in a world dominated by efficiency, we have begun to use more unforgiving metaphors. We speak of ourselves as computers: we process things, we recharge. In doing so, we come to expect of ourselves an exhausting, relentless productivity.You Are a Tree examines how the metaphorical descriptions we use in everyday life shape the way we think, pray, and live. Weaving together meditations on our common human experiences, poetry, Scripture, and the Christian tradition, Joy Marie Clarkson explores how metaphors help us understand things like wisdom, security, love, change, and sadness.This book invites you to pay attention--to your experiences, and to the words you use to describe them. That attention reveals a richly layered and meaningful world, a refreshing perspective that nurtures wonder, gratitude, and hope."Extraordinarily creative and beautifully written, You Are a Tree is a soul-stirring companion to life in God's world that will enrich the spirit of all who read it."--DAVID ZAHL, author of Low Anthropology"Reading [Clarkson's] book feels more like catching up with an old friend over coffee than sitting at the feet of a remote, inaccessible sage. . . . You Are a Tree is an illuminating guide to the metaphors we use for God and our own lives, and it will show you how to meditate on a metaphor and let its deeper meanings speak."--Christianity Today

"A sumptuous feast."--HALEY STEWART, author of Jane Austen''s Genius Guide to Life"Her unflappable hope and sense of enchantment radiate through every page."--BOZE HERRINGTON, novelist"Lyrical prose and delightful storytelling."--THE REV. DR. GLENN PACKIAMDiscover the Way Toward a Lighter, Braver, and Wiser Life This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don''t have to be. Instead, you can unlock the power to a happy life--an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It''s not always easy, but it''s well worth it.Beloved writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting an audacious case for happiness no matter what you''re going through. With her signature humor and lyrical storytelling, Joy offers an irresistible invitation:"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two options: to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life''s up and downs. To put it bluntly: You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.

"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither--whatever they do prospers."--Psalm 1:3Sometimes we describe ourselves as trees. When we''re thriving, we speak of being rooted and fruitful, in a good season. When we struggle, we might describe ourselves as withering, cut off from friendship and the world. These ways of describing ourselves matter because they shape the ways we live.But in a world dominated by efficiency, we have begun to use more unforgiving metaphors. We speak of ourselves as computers: we process things, we recharge. In doing so, we come to expect of ourselves an exhausting, relentless productivity.You Are a Tree examines how the metaphorical descriptions we use in everyday life shape the way we think, pray, and live. Weaving together meditations on our common human experiences, poetry, Scripture, and the Christian tradition, Joy Marie Clarkson explores how metaphors help us understand things like wisdom, security, love, change, and sadness.This book invites you to pay attention--to your experiences, and to the words you use to describe them. That attention reveals a richly layered and meaningful world, a refreshing perspective that nurtures wonder, gratitude, and hope."Extraordinarily creative and beautifully written, You Are a Tree is a soul-stirring companion to life in God''s world that will enrich the spirit of all who read it."--DAVID ZAHL, author of Low Anthropology"Reading [Clarkson''s] book feels more like catching up with an old friend over coffee than sitting at the feet of a remote, inaccessible sage. . . . You Are a Tree is an illuminating guide to the metaphors we use for God and our own lives, and it will show you how to meditate on a metaphor and let its deeper meanings speak."--Christianity Today

What is our place in nature?Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have has exercised unprecedented dominance over nature, with consequences that are now catching up with us. Many have pointed to Christianity as a culprit. Yet Christianity actually teaches that our relationship to nature should not be one of contempt or disassociation. Rather, according to ancient church tradition, nature is a book to be read, revealing truths about its creator and ours. At a time when many moderns are unsure of what difference, if any, marks us out from other living beings on our planet, and of what our place in the natural world ought to be, what might nature itself tell us about how to live within it?On this theme:Peter Mommsen asks if humans should live by nature’s laws.Colin Boller interviews farmers successfully shifting to regenerative agriculture.Caroline Moore introduces some of Britain’s amazing moths.Daniel Stulac wonders what the Promised Land means in Saskatchewan.Clare Coffey defends dandelions in lawns.Rhys Laverty reports on man’s battle with the sea at the Alderney breakwater.William Thomas Okie explores the old idea that plants reveal their uses.Greta Gaffin looks at our relationship to wolves, and Saint Francis’s.Norann Voll remembers lambing with her father.Tim Maendel finds peace by hunting.Erik Varden asks if the Christian teaching on chastity is unnatural.David McBride translates “The Leper of Abercuawg,” an old Welsh poem.Maureen Swinger watches meteor showers.Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faith to the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art.