So, Nate Berkus and I were hanging out last week.
I was having a blast, but Nate looks a little board.
A little cardboard.
I love Nate Berkus. Something about that guy. He makes things beautiful. Lights things up with his crinkly eyes and patterned lamp shades. I even wrote him into my bio:
I love Jesus, gay people, adoption, and rearranging furniture. In the interest of combining all my loves, I have asked Jesus to help me adopt Nate Berkus.
And again in my favorite essay, A Mountain I’m Willing to Die On:
I can only speak from my personal experience, but I’ve been married for nine years and barely any gay people have tried to break up my marriage. I say barely any because that Nate Berkus is a little shady. I am defenseless against his cuteness and eye for accessories and so he is always convincing me to buy beautiful trinkets with our grocery money. This drives your sweet father a bit nuts. So you might want to keep your eye on Berkus. But with the exception of him, I’m fairly certain that the only threats to my marriage are my pride and anger and plain old human wanderlust. Do not be afraid of people who seem different than you, baby. Different always turns out to be an illusion. Look hard.
You guys. LOOK AT WHAT NATE TWEETED. LOOK!
After I showed these tweets to Craig he said – “So, Berkus likes Carry On, Warrior and you’re introducing the Indigo Girls (THE ARTISTS WHO CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE ME MORE THAN ANY OTHER) at The Wild Goose Festival this summer…who’s left on your hero list?”
I thought for a minute and said: “ELLEN! We need Ellen!”
And speaking of gorgeous, gay, God-filled guys and gals – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRECIOUS LAURA.
Okay, Happy Friday, So much love.
G
PS. I’ve never been more excited for an event than I am for the Wild Goose Festival this summer in Hot Springs, NC. What is Wild Goose, you ask? Well – this from their site: Wild Goose is a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and art. (My commentary – BEST INTERSECTION EVER!) Our main annual event is a 4-day, outdoor festival hosted each summer in North Carolina.
Gather your friends and come see me (AND EMILY AND AMY) and lots of amazing folks whose main spiritual goal is celebrating God in every.single.one of us.
Everybody’s In, Baby.
The WONDERFUL folks at Wild Goose have offered the Monkees a discounted rate through May. Your unique 20% off discount code is: MOMMAY. Users can go to the Tickets order form on the Wild Goose Festival website (http://www.wildgoosefestival.


Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller LOVE WARRIOR — ORDER HERE
Join the Momastery community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest
88 Comments
Great post =)
I love the indigo girls !! have a fabulous time ! 🙂
NATE is reading your book!!! I would have screamed!!! Congrats and thank you for being you!
Aaaaahhhhhhh that is sooooo exciting!!!!! We MUST get Ellen tobsay hello or give a shoutout!! Also. I love your piccolo with nate. I do that too. Ha. Love you, dear glennon!!
Um…that was definitely supposed to say PIC not PICCOLO. Smh autocorrect.
YAY Glennon!!!! What a great squeal moment for you!!! And Wild Gooses sounds incredible and I was so excited that it was in driving distance from GA. If only it wasn’t the day my eldest kid started 1st grade in a new school (and the first year for Mommy with public school and Mommy is NOT ready for this…) Have a great time!
By “everybody’s in” you mean everybody who has accepted Jesus is going to heaven right? I feel bad that this is the second thing I’ve questioned, but I guess I’m a little confused by some of your theology. Your platform has become so huge, and with that comes a lot of responsibility (frankly, more than I would want!) But I’m struggling with some of the things you say. Of course God loves everybody, but people have to accept His son for eternal life. Do you believe that?
I actually don’t think you’ll answer me as I haven’t seen you respond to these kinds of questions before. And before anyone jumps down my throat I’m not a troll or looking to stir up trouble. The thing is I want to love Momastery, there’s some really cool stuff happening here. But I get hung up. And I think we should get hung up on the major stuff, opposed to the minor stuff (like where Glennon shops or what class seat she sits in).
Good question and I like the tone you set. I have the same one. As much as I agree that we are all created in God’s image, and we should have love and respect for everyone, I am not sure where Glennon’s line (not sure “line” is the right word….) is but am thinking lots of people will want to know.
Read her essay https://momastery.com/blog/2010/12/05/just-a-hunch-2/ to hear what she has to say about this. (I think you’ll like it 😉 )
Thanks for that link. I read the whole post and I guess Glennon spelled it out pretty clearly when she said~
“And so I tell my humanist friends that it is just fine that they don’t believe in God and we can still be great friends and get much done together here on Earth. And then I add that when I die, Jesus and I will wait for them at the gates of heaven with mega-sized hugs and smiles and sparkly TOLD YOU SO! signs.”
I take that to believe she believes all ‘good people’ will be in heaven regardless if they believe in God or Jesus.
This is very dangerous theology 🙁 It’s so much easier, more appealing and palatable to believe that “everybody’s in”, that “love wins”. I wish it were so! But this is not biblical no matter what “brand” of christianity you belong to. It hurts my heart to see so many people embracing this false teaching.
If I am way off base in my interpretation of your words Glennon, please jump in and explain.
In the beginning of my prayer life, I had no prejudices to lay down really. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. I just wanted to know if God existed and who he was. It starts there. He showed me Jesus really was who he said he was. I was astounded by miracle after miracle. I think the key to Gods opinion is for the hearts and minds of those who are willing to lay down their prejudices. When I ask for his interpretation of his word especially over the doctrines that are terrible and difficult for my human mind to accept, his awnser and explanation is always beautiful, living, genius, something I could never think up of myself, a brilliant perspective woven with love.
Regarding gays. I have never felt that they could ever possibly be a threat to my marriage. I love Nate Berkus. I adore Ellen. They are gifted people. What God means by sin is that way in us that is off the mark. That way in us that is beginning to deviate from who he created us to be. Sexuality is a gift and the fulfillment of the masculine and feminine spirit is an integral part of our identity. Our body parts are the manifestation of the masculine or feminine spirit that already exists within us. This is why homosexuality is sin. It takes us away from who God created us to be.
Homosexuality is a deceptive sexual addiction that requires serious thinkers, lovers, prayer warriors in the church to help them understand how and why.
Homosexual marriage will only serve to further disconnect the child from the family.
I wholeheartedly disagree with most of the essay Glennon has written on this, but I appreciate that she wants gays to understand Jesus loves them the same as those picketing against them. totally agree with that statement. There is more to press onward and into here on the subject of homosexuality and I think Glennon has merely scratched the surface of God’s love for the homosexual.
I’m thinking this wasn’t meant to be a reply to my post?
I’d like to delete my comment. Does anyone on here know how to do so?
Amy, thank you for taking the time to comment and being able to put into words exactly what I was thinking, yet was not able to express in the gracious way you have. So much of what is on this site is great. But the stuff that is not is very dangerous. I think we’d all like to believe that every person created (if they’re good enough, I guess) is going to heaven. There are some truths, however, that simply don’t bear this out. One example is when Christ says “no one comes to the Father but by Me. ” We are also told that the way that leads to life has a narrow gate and a hard way and few find it. Yup, sounds just like Ellen. These are hard words in the Bible and I suppose one easy way around them is to decide that the Bible is not the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Then “truth” can be whatever makes us happy and seems fair. I think I’ll stick with what God has revealed in Scripture. I’m the first to admit I don’t have a lock on truth, but there is absolute truth, it resides with God and I am not finding it on this site as it relates to the path of salvation. Lots of great suggestions about how to show self sacrificing love to others and I am not discounting the critical nature of such love if we truly know Christ (Scripture is very clear about this), but it feels like “a mountain I’m willing to die on” has become the rallying cry here and it’s become trite and frankly irritating.
Amy, your post doesn’t read like you’re trying to stir up trouble at all. And you said it well, “with such a huge platform comes great responsibility.” Because you felt hung up over Glennons theology, I took the time to respond to that confusion and to encourage you in your faith. My point to you was that where people don’t lay down their prejudices, God can’t give them discernment in that particular area. Why do you want this lady to explain her line? If it goes against your convictions and what God has revealed to you, just sift through what you agree with and discard the rest.
Nate is a cutie, isn’t he? And I think I’d have peed myself if I’d seen that tweet! HOW did you maintain your composure? 😉
Wild Goose Festival looks like a blast! Since it’s near my hometown, I thought I’d check it out, maybe combine it with a family visit, but can’t seem to locate ticket info on their page, however…
One of my best friends talks about Nate as if they are best friends! I’m super excited for you- and I agree, a gay person is the lowest risk to my marriage there is!
Glennon is your book available in Canada?
Freaking amazeballs. I absolutely love this. 🙂
How Cool! I love it! When I first got on Twitter a million years ago, Andy Taylor from Duran Duran started randomly following me. I think I’d written a post about them that he’d liked? Not sure at all. Anyway, it was THE coolest thing ever b/c I’d been a major DD nut in my teens. My sister got an even bigger kick out of it than I did, I think.
Way too cool. This is how I felt when you answered my email, Glennon. 🙂 Loves, H
I just love you. That is all. That is enough, right?
We had been talking about maybe going to this new thing we heard about – the Wild Goose Festival – and then my Husband brought me a brochure and said “Look who’s going to be there.” And it was YOU, G! I squealed. I can’t wait to see you there.
The Indigo Girls have been the soundtrack of the last 20 years of my life! Ghost and Power of Two are some of my favorite songs ever in the whole world. I saw them in concert when I was 14 months pregnant (Ok, just 8 1/2), because I wanted my daughter to hear them, even if she wasn’t born yet. AND I love you and Momastery! AND I live in NC and would so love to make it to Wild Goose! Alas, that pesky $200 admission fee may get it my way…but my birthday is in July, so maybe I can convince the husband. That would make my whole freaking
summeryear!Ahem, YEAR is not supposed to have a strike through it. C’mon html!!
I have dreams of you and Ellen together!! It would make my entire world complete! Can all the Monkees please rally together and politely flood Ellen’s Facebook page with requests for this to happen??
Yes! And Ellen can invite all the monkees to be in the audience that day to meet her & G as well. 😀
Awesome idea!!!
An all Monkee Ellen Audience would be ridiculously fun and cool! Can you imagine what kind of love bomb could happen during the airing of the show? Let’s all start tweeting the idea to Ellen!
How crazy, awesome is THAT?!?
If you ever get to meet Ellen, I will DIE of jealousy. I have no desire to meet any celebrities except for her. She’s just the neatest person. I literally daydream about writing a book someday and then getting asked to go on her show and talking about everything with her….and of course dancing together! 🙂
We’re so looking forward to your being with us at the Wild Goose Festival! It’s going to be an amazing weekend. Oh…and along with Beer and Hymns there is also a daily 12 step meeting 🙂
(That’s my brother / lobster, y’all) 🙂
Your shout out is certainly one of the best 40th birthday presents Laura has gotten 🙂 Love you, G.
Happy Birthday Laura!
OMG I have chills. How could he NOT fall in love with you! I know how much you love this guy (so do I). OMG OMG. He is the sweetest, truest guy we must clone. I have goosies all over. I.am.shivering. At first I saw the cardboard cut out and said AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW man not funny were you pulling our leg??! Then I saw his tweet. Only good things can come from a future union/charities. This made my weekend. Hey, if he needs a monkee house to decorate put me on your list. Almost empty nest in need of much asthetic love over the years. I feel like I am being reborn into my current phase of life (Fall). I’m a practical girl. I just HAD to say that. Selfish of me I know! OMG OMG. Ellen is next!
OK, I’m being selfish. I can’t help it! I can dream, right? I almost wrote Ellen while I was sick because my husand had to sell his first every brand new car to pay our bills. He took such good care of me when I was sick but I thought, she is never going to get this and I was just too depressed to try. Those things only happen to others. (Nate I almost lost my home battling cancer and battling the mortgage company same time, sold our new truck to pay mortgage/bills and family kicked in too; beat cancer; home went into foreclosure this year due to more hard times, BEAT THAT FORECLOSURE after fighting them for 23 months and got approved! Home is home but needs Nate love). 5 years clear! Can now say I am in remission. Glennon forgive if I am being tacky. A girl must dream.
Glennon! I’ll be at Wild Goose! We went the inaugural year, two years ago, and it was the MOST AMAZING SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. And super fun. And there’s “beer and hymns” – which I know you wouldn’t participate in – but could at least understand how fun that might be. Beer! While singing hymns at the top of your lungs! And the speakers are all frickin’ amazing. They are all just there – totally accessible, hanging out with everyone. It’s just what I imagine heaven to be like. No heirarchy, just everyone being themselves and inspiring one another. It’s perfect for you! Perfect for momastery! Now, if we could only get Ellen to come… XO
BEER AND HYMNS.
Another possible title for BOOK TWO!
🙂
YES! Hahahaha. That is perfect. Says it all, eh? 🙂
Jen! I’ll look for you!
Beer & Hymns is what happens when an Irishman is at the helm!
That is so awesome! Love Nate! Wish he could give my place a makeover. 🙂
And how awesome would Ellen and Glennon be….two of my favs.
Man, I love me some Berkus! His show was great but even better were the segments he did on Oprah. Oh, and Power of Two and Galileo are my fav IG songs, but it pained me to pick two out of so many amazing ones 🙂
How you feel about Nate Berkus tweeting about you is how i feel when you comment on my comments or when you replied to my email (that I still keep) from 2 years ago!!! How can I get you to sign my Carry On Warrior book with the following inscription, “My Dear Friend Marley, remember when I told you 2 years ago in an email that we started a church, just you and me, just now and I love it? Look how much bigger it’s gotten! Love you, Warrior! Glennon PS. You are my OTHER Lobster” OK, I know, I know the Lobster bit is a reach but a girl can dream. LOVE you, as always!!!!!
MARLEY AND ME.
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!!! I GOTTA GET A SCREEN SHOT!!!!!!
I am now going to go t bed happy. This whole thing just made me feel insanely optimistic and well……happy. Rock on ladies. Rock on.
BAck at ya, dear Traci!!!!
Nate. Flippin. Berkus. Read. Your. Book!!!
I would be loosing my mind!!!!
Go girl!!!
Glennon –
Do you know how close I was to chickening out when I came to hear you speak in Raleigh? I was standing in line, thinking to myself, “she must get asked about speaking engagements right and left. I probably shouldn’t bother asking her about Wild Goose. I was just inspired & enriched by listening to her speak – it would be rude to go up and ask her for something.”
Thank God it all worked out! Thank God I didn’t listen to the scaredy cat voice in my head!! You & Sister are so warm & gracious, and everyone involved at Wild Goose is SUPER excited that you are coming. It’s all about just showing up & listening with an open heart. And then listening to Amy & Emily with loud & screaming voices!! (At least that will be me – I’ll try not to be all crazy fan-girl, but I might not be able to help myself.)
Monkees, if you can come to Wild Goose, please please do. It will be amazing!
BIG LOVE,
Amy
Thank you for being so Brave and Kind, precious Amy.
Girl, pack your Mitchum – summer in NC is HOT! Can’t wait 🙂
Hahahahaha! Good one. 😀
You know–you are going to have to fight my mom and my sister for Nate! My 69-year old mom is ga-ga for Nate. She has his books. She is re-decorating daily. She is way chic-er than me…and you. We don’t stand a chance!
man-I love him too:)!
Love this. Love that you are surrounded by love girl. You deserve it. Berkus is a shady one in that Target aisle. I’m always leaving there thinking…how did this lamp get into my cart?!
The poor Huzzband. His thrifty ways are no match for the power of the Berkus aisle.
Nate and I belonged to same health club a while back and after the tsunami when he lost his partner, he broke my heart on a regular basis. I had to resist breaking the personal space bubble to just hold him. Poignant and can’t forget it
#berkuslove!!!!
You and Nate Berkus? My God you must have been flipping out! Ok, this is what needs to happen…..once he finishes redecorating your home, he will gladly volunteer to redo one of your warrior monkeys homes….and since it was my idea and my house is a disaster……ummm I most likely would be the perfect candidate
See you at Wild Goose Fest!! My husband introduced himself to you at TEDx in Traverse City and texted me a picture of the two of you together. Hope to meet you at Wild Goose!
So excited for you! I soooo love Emily and Amy. What’s your favorite song? Mine’s Closer to Fine but I also love You and Me of the 10,000 Wars and Get out the Map. They are my kindred spirits.
I just gave a copy of your book to a friend and fellow writer, Shasta Clark! She writes a column called Mommy Moments for the OV Parent magazine. Here’s one of my favorites and why I knew she would love Carry On, Warrior.
My favorite all time IG song is Virginia Woolf!
All That We Let In, Wood Song, and I Believe in Love. If I was forced to pick top three, but how do you choose really? G, “I Believe in Love” is the perfect upper when a relationship feels rocky.
It is only a matter of time, G! Ellen is around the corner I can feel it in my bones!!
I have a secret G…I’ve already written Ellen a few times telling her how awesome I think you are and how you need to be on her show….I just knew that you two amazing ladies were destined to meet someday. I think if all us monkees flood her with emails/tweets/facebook posts etc…maybe we’ll get to make it a reality! What do you think? BTW…Nate is a beautiful man…that is a fact! 🙂
I am still laughing! What a small world with the Berkus tweet! You and Ellen would rock the joint, whatever joint it is! I so wish I could come to NC in August. One of my most favorite concerts, ever, was and Indigo Girls concert here in Charleston! Thanks for the laughs, the perspectacles, and the Nate Berkus dreams!
The Wild Goose is the celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit…….very inspiring!!
I, too, am a HUGE Indigo Girls fan. I knew there was another reason I loved you!!!
Holy Christmas. What a perfect way to put a ribbon on the day. Ever since Nate was on O talking about the tsunami and losing his partner and I was bawling on my living room floor for his beautiful soul I have been drawn to him. Not in a creepy way– just a ‘man he has a gorgeous spirit!’ kind of way…
Uhm – my name is Ellen – what can I do for you my dear? 😉 Oh not me? Sorry. 🙂
This made me smile, Ellen. 🙂
Just thought I’d tell you that. We all need a little reinforcement now and again, now don’t we? 😉
Ohmahgawd! Nate Berkus! I’m dying.
My husband and I have been in love with Nate Berkus for years and recently my 5 yr old son Hudson was blinded by the beautiful Nate Berkus light with his Target home line. He’s super into design. He picked up a magazine with Nate on the cover talking about where to antique shop in Mpls. He’s also super into antique shopping. I could not love him more. My husband took a picture of Hudson with the magazine and Nate Tweeted it. I have never been so proud. It was then that I saw his tweet about you/your book and I fell in love with Nate even more!! I feel like we are all one big happy family. So happy for you, you deserve everything wonderful. Love love love you!!
Katie,
I’m a Katie as well with a 4 yr old named Hudson. I started reading your response and thought 8 didn’t write that. Lol.
TGIF
At first glance, I thought “Berkusfest” might be a new word arrangement of “breakfast” with something else. You know, like “perspectacles”.
But this is way funnier than any breakfast-related topics 😉
P.S. Doing a happy dance (in my head, ’cause I’m at work after all) just thinking about you and Ellen in the same room. Not sure the world can handle that level of awesomeness!
LOL! This sums it up perfectly. 🙂
I never thought I would have to say this, but I think the Marcela’s are going to have to start putting their full name or at least a last initial…. 😉
you know Ellen’s people will be in touch with *your* people ( YOU have people! haha! ) before the end of the day!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I could not love Nate anymore than I do. He is so full of honesty, humility, and the joy that dances in his eyes. OF COURSE it makes sense that he is a huge fan of YOU… You too are full of honesty and humility and have eyes that dance with joy. AND…Speaking of dancing AND joy…I am ALL FOR “Operation Bring Momastery/Glennon/Carry on Warrior to Ellen!!” Ellen is by far one of my favorite people as well. And I do believe you two are kindred spirits. Your joy and love are only rivaled by your incredible quick wit and humor. Ahh, G…Once again your post has been the most exceptional kick off to a day! xo
G, That is so awesome! You made my day even brighter!
OMGoodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The super cute amazingly hip NATE BERKUS gave you a shout out & read your book & knows you love him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I feel like we’re in Jr Hi, becuase I am squealin like a tween girl!!!!! Pass me a note later & let me know if he talks to ya again 😉
You took the words out of my mouth! lol
I still can’t believe you get to introduce and meet Amy and Emily! “(THE ARTISTS WHO CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE ME MORE THAN ANY OTHER)” – absolutely the same is true here. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen them in concert. Unfortunately, a trip to NC is not in the cards for me, but I look forward to seeing a clip of your introduction on youtube. As for Ellen, I have a hunch that’s just a matter to when!
You guys..come to Wild Goose! Finally an event long and inclusive enough that we can all HANG OUT. It’ll be like Woodstock!! No drugs, but no place is perfect.
Could you maybe pick a place a little less HOT!? As a ‘sister in sweat’ I avoid hot humid crowded places like the plague! Maybe a little (big) air conditioned room with really comfy chairs? The Indigo girls would come. Right? I bet Nate would come!
Right there with you Glennon!!!
So my son’s name is Nate….. I heart him with my every ounce of my being, my son too!!!!!!!
That could not be anymore amazing!!!! Love you!!
Oh Glennon! I soooo get it!!!! =) =) Wonderful happy friday indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!