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The Estuary

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A Little Fresh, A Little Salty: What to Expect from My New Blog

A Little Fresh, A Little Salty: What to Expect from My New Blog

Last updated on: July 12, 2021 at 12:56 pm by Kelley Mathews

A Little Fresh, A Little Salty: What to Expect from My New Blog 2021-07-12T12:56:42-05:00 Kelley Mathews

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

estuary, freshwater, saltwater

Photo by Kelly Lacy / Pexels

Estuary: A diverse and delicate ecosystem where a river or stream meets the ocean, mixing freshwater with saltwater.

For example, the Mississippi River carries sediment and nutrients from 40% of the continental U.S. to a relatively small area (4,000 sq miles), creating my beloved Louisiana delta, where all that richness mixes with the waters of the Gulf. The resulting estuary, or wetland, is home to much of what makes Louisiana’s culture unique—the seafood, bayous, wildlife, and commerce.

As a Baton Rouge girl, I can’t imagine life without crawfish, shrimp, and catfish. Cajun food … mmm, mmm, cher.

I named this new blog space The Estuary because, metaphorically, estuaries are creative zones where mixing and merging happens organically. Artist and author Makoto Fujimura describes culture as an estuary for the diversity and complexity of humanity. Fresh and salty meet not as opponents but swirl and mix together as conduits to creating beautiful new life. We are surrounded by, influenced by, and part of culture. What we do with our lives contributes to the culture at large.

I intend this space to host a diversity of content that contributes (hopefully!) to a more beautiful, healthy, and holy world. As the tagline says: a habitat for theology, art, and culture. While I’m occasionally “salty,” as my kids say, I try to stay fresh and breezy. You’ll know which is which…

As a Christian, I am called to reflect the character of Jesus, the Son of God. To paraphrase a friend of mine, to follow Jesus, I have to trust him, and to trust him I have to know him. Knowing him requires knowing his Word, the Bible.

So don’t be surprised when you see theology, Bible studies, book reviews, and art scattered throughout my coming content. I hope this blog becomes a place where we can talk about faith and see its influence on a wide variety of life experiences. Politics? Yes! Books? Absolutely. Family? Of course. Church life, art, music… I could go on. Faith impacts all of life.

To give you a sense of where I’ve already written, or hosted other writers, on topics like these, I’ve listed some links to my previous Patheos blog (which is now dormant but still accessible). Thanks for visiting! I hope you’ll return.

Books

‘Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church’—A Review

The In-Between Place

An Accessible Advent Resource

Can a Christian be an environmentalist?

Culture

Truth Not Lies: How to Responsibly Share News on Social Media

Dolly Parton: 75 Years of Glitz, Grit, and Grace

Music

A Woman | FAITHFUL: A New Collaboration

Theology

New Terms for the Debate over Biblical “Womanhood”?

A Word to Us from the Greatest Storyteller

Advent: Still Longing for the Savior

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