Hello my friends! OH MY WORDLE we made it through January. I didnāt think I was going to, but I am proud of literally everyone. Way to go, team. Iāve had a very weird week where I accidentally got scammed in a very stupid way, but thatās a story for next week. EITHER WAY, cue Shaina Twain ācause it looks like we made it.
I finally got around to answering some of the questions from Instagram (you know, from a few weeks ago). Iām answering some here and some on the Swipe Up+ next week (things like:
āwhere can I start to worship God again after church hurt?ā
āhow do I respectfully challenge my church on their narrow view of women in leadership?ā
āIām leaving my church. How do I leave well/say goodbye?ā
āHow do you cope with transitioning theology?ā
āWhen did you know it was time to deconstruct?ā - you know, just some light topics),
so if youāre not over there and you want to be, just click that button below for some Tuesday deep-dive goodness. As always, if you want to join but itās not financially feasible for you, please email me at hello@erinhmoon.com and either Hannah or I will get you set up.
Okay, letās get to those questions.
Q: Can we talk about hell according to the Bible and history? Iām kinda confused.
A: Yes! We have a whole entire episode on the Bible Binge where we talked about all the different theologies surrounding hell, historically how it came to be, and what we think about it. You can listen here1.
Q: With your recent experience, what advice do you have for a first-time homebuyer?
A: Buying a home (especially for the first time) is like getting on a merry-go-round where the teenage operator has stepped away to take a hit on his vape pen, and as he left, accidentally switched the lever from āmild amusementā to ānightmare vortex.ā And if you attempt to get off, someone else will get the house of your dreams and you will be sorry for the rest of your pathetic days on this planet.
I mean, it feels like that.
I am almost 39 years old and when my real estate agent is talking about mortgage rates, Iām like, yes, I absolutely know what those are, but just in case Ben doesnāt, please explain it like heās five. But seriously2, here are some things that have been helpful to me:
Ask stupid questions. I mean, ask what a mortgage rate is! I am officially too old and have owned too many homes for me to ask, but you are still fresh and new. Why donāt high schools have a class called āThe Real Things You Need to Know as an Adultā? It could include this entire process, NFTs, how one pays taxes, and stuff about cars so you donāt look like an idiot at the Jiffy Lube.
Figure out your non-negotiables pre-search. Make a budget, and stick with it. If youāre buying a home with someone, get your Venn diagram of the things you both like. Think about what youāll need to do to the house or property in the future. For instance, it might seem like a great idea to buy a house surrounded by woods on 2.5 acres, but what you donāt realize is that half the woods are dead, so you have to take the trees down before an errant wind comes and knocks them all down on your house.
Get pre-approved. This one is easy because most sellers wonāt even look at your offer if you arenāt pre-approved. Again, I do not know what this means, but someone will, and they will help you. You also might be pre-approved for a higher amount than you actually want to fork over every month. So just pay attention to that. Or ask about it. But not me.
Prepare to drain your bank account. The nickel and dime-ing at the end of the process is so overwhelming.
Visit the house in all kinds of weather and at different times of day. What if itās on a weird mini flood plain? What if thereās a street light that shines directly into the bedroom? If you canāt do that, I recommend having the inspection done while it rains, if possible. That way, you canāt hide a sneaky leak or horrible mold smell.
I would LOVE for you to share your home-buying tips in the comments for this question-asker. Also if you happen to know what a mortgage is, Iāve gone this long without knowing, so I feel confident I can manage for the rest of my life.
Q: Whatās your favorite Olive and June color and have you tried the press-ons?
A: Yāall, these press-ons are changing me, fundamentally, at my core. I cannot function with long nails, so Iāve been clipping and filing mine down to where they work for me (if I canāt find a style I like in the shorts or extra shorts) and itās been great. I am a chronic nail picker, so this has stopped my tradition of commuting home while destroying my manicure as my primary form of self-care, which I think we can all agree is progress. I actually snagged a set of short press-ons in my two fave O&J colors: Lava and Besties, which felt like winning a very specific lottery that only I care about. Weāre taking the Ws where we can find them.
Q: How do you deal with liking your church but not feeling challenged enough in faith?
A: I would say it might be time for you to take some challenges on in your personal practice! And I think this is really exciting! Read some books by people who you donāt always agree with, start a new prayer ritual, find a spiritual director or companion, take a class, engage in something fresh like meditation or volunteering in one of the ministries at your church that you donāt usually interact with. Let your church be the starting point and go excavating yourself!
Q: I need to process the Redeeming Love movie but none of my friends grew up with it. What do I do?
A: Jamie and I did a whole episode in Bible Binge Seminary! Come hang out with us!3
Okay, now on to the treasures!
š For your comedic relief, I present this video of me after a long day.
šYāall know I love a good egg or egg-themed recipe. Currently at my house weāve been on a big boiled egg kick and I find the gummy remnants laying around everywhere. While thatās kind of gross Iām also immensely proud of this legacy that Iāve passed on. Anyway, Iāve been craving them constantly lately so when I saw this recipe for Chili Oil Egg Ramen from HBH I added to my meal plan so fast. Also it is only a 25 minute recipe! Freaking brilliant.
š If you need to hack your cry today, hereās a lovely video of an amazing educator being celebrated on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
š§¶ This post from Jedidiah Jenkins about deconstruction is really beautiful.
š£ A few of you shared this AT&T commercial featuring Zac Efron and I donāt really know how to feel about it, but I do know I laughed heartily. And I love his mustache. And now Iām suddenly hungry for some shrimps.
Letās do the Tweets!
The real reason we go on a StupidWalkā¢
š this Tweet
Thanks for tuning in to this weekās newsletter, pals. May your weekends be filled with good things to eat and all the Winter Olympics footage your hearts can manage. Canāt wait to see you in the comments!
This is a free episode!
Let me be clear. I have no idea what a mortgage is.
This is behind a paywall, just FYI.
The tweets! What a gem miner you are! So is Zac Enron both the people in that commercial? Itās funny.
I am here late because after a generally good day I came home to discover that I had accidentally flooded my living room, which I then spent the next 2 hours dealing with while pretending that if I got aggressive enough with the shop-vac, I might have a chance at getting my security deposit back.
In happy news, my boss told me that I'll be starting a three day/week schedule next month, which is what I've been asking for. She phrased it kind of weird initially, then I said "so...can I start looking for a house?" and she said I could. That gave me plenty to daydream about while I was de-icing my car and steps and trying desperately to stay warm in my trailer yesterday. I never want to set foot in any type of recreational vehicle again. Ts and Ps that I can find a reasonably priced rental soon!
I watched about 30 minutes of the opening ceremony and Ralph Lauren absolutely did Team USA dirty. Also if anyone can shed some light on Canada's inflatable scarves (???) , it would be much appreciated.