It's summer time. Let's gather.
Three upcoming opportunities to connect in-person and online. ✨
Hello Dear Friends,
I hope you’re faring well as we move deeper into the month of June. These Middle Georgia days have been kissed with heat and sunshine, balanced out by late afternoon rains, altogether making for a humid, buggy mess. I find myself appreciating this season more than I have in the past. Maybe because I know it’s temporary. Soon enough it will be cooling off again. This heat, these bugs, this humidity and thick air are what southern summers are all about. I’m drinking it in.
I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve found myself really craving connection. And not just general spaces to talk about life and the world, but specific connections, woven with meaning and intention. I’ve been craving writing community to expand my thinking and sharpen my relationship with words. I’ve been hungry for spiritual discussions where we make meaning of what it means to be human right now. I’ve felt a desire to build relationships with you, the readers of A More Beautiful Way, and to learn about how you’re slowing down, grounding yourself, and living in conscious relationships with the natural world.
So, with all this energy and attention in heart and mind, I’ve pulled together three opportunities for us to weave some connections this summer. These experiences may not be for you, and that’s more than okay. I’ve done my best to follow the threads of my own longings here and hope that what’s stirring in me also resonates with some of you. Keep reading to check out these upcoming experiences and join me for a summer season of intentional community.
6/26 - Contemplative Writing Circle:
The Wildness of Summer
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
If you're in want of a space to hold nature poetry close, to reflect on our creatureliness on the Earth, and to center summer's widsom, join us for a session filled with reflection, inpsiriation and sharing. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this circle is a space to explore your thoughts and experiences of nature through writing. Connect with like-minded individuals, share your work, and receive feedback in a supportive environment. Let's come together to nurture our writing practice and cultivate a sense of community.
Tools you’ll need: a journal or paper, a writing utensil you love, something from your natural environment that evokes the wisdom of summer for you, and to be in a physical location that makes you feel settled and at home.
Agenda: Welcome, Introductions, Poetry Reading, Prompt(s), Writing Time, Sharing Time, Closing.
Cost: $25.00 USD
7/10 - Finding My Way Home
an online Q+A about my journey back to the faith and into Orthodoxy
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
When I deconstructed my faith and left the church nearly six years ago, I never would have imagined that I’d find myself here, in an enriching, challenging, and liturgical expression of the Christian tradition. Nearly everything about my journey into the Orthodox church caught me off-guard. It caused a healthy inner wrestle with my assumptions and it pushed me to reevaluate nearly everything I thought I knew. The road has been filled with twists, turns, highs, and lows. I’ve had experiences of profound faith and healing alongside valleys of immense questioning and doubt, all of which seem to have woven themselves into a more interesting tapestry than I ever could have come up with on my own.
If you’re curious about my journey back to the Christian faith generally, or specifically about how Orthodox Christianity became a home for my spiritual and religious life, join me on July 10th at 7:00 PM EST for a laidback question + answer conversation. I’ll share a bit of my story and will hold ample space to answer any questions held by those in attendance.
You can register for this free Zoom event at the link below. There are only 24 spots available, so please only grab one if you’re certain you’ll attend.
8/1 - One Day Writing Retreat at Cedar Wilde
Friday, August 1st, 2025
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST
Writing in community is a transformative experience. It enriches both your creative and your spiritual life. For this reason, I’m thrilled to welcome a few soulful writers to the first ever writing retreat I’m holding at my home, Cedar Wilde.
The theme for this 1-day retreat is “childhood nature stories,” where we will be remembering together those special nature experiences of our youth and weaving together meaning, memory, magic, and place. We will slow down to contemplate the poetry and prose of nature writers who inspire us and we will hold plenty of space to craft poetry and prose of our own. We will also have time to share our written work in a safe and encouraging environment so that we can encounter the gift of refining our craft in community.
This retreat is for new writers, seasoned writers, and for those who struggle to call themselves “writer” at all. You simply need to love the world of words and be in want of a dedicated space and community to write.
There are only 3 spots for this in-person retreat. Nourishing breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be provided. These spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis following a short application process and an interview. See more details and the tentative agenda here.
Cost: $229.00 USD
Other Fun Things
Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with
of as part of their Reimagining Citizenship Series. We talked about wholeheartedness belonging, and cultivating generous curiosity towards others and the world. I loved our conversation. You can check it out here.
I hope we’re able to connect during one of these experiences this summer. If you have any questions about the events above, let me know!
Take care,
Bethaney