Hi everyone! I have never commented but I have a great treasure this week: my 4 month post-transplant kidney biopsy showed no signs of rejection! I am so thankful ❤️
That’s so wonderful Dana! I am a former kidney transplant social worker. And I am going to visit my aunt in a few weeks who is in year 25 of her transplant kidney!
Happy Saturday morning to all--I’m writing this with a cat curled up in my lap and a cup of hot coffee, so the vibes are cozy. I can hear the rustling of my child’s valentine’s goody bag as she is just “checking” to see if her candy is there and definitely not eating it.
My treasure this week was that my single mom’s group at church started meeting again for the spring semester, and I love this group. It was also nice that the first meeting happened to be on Valentine’s Day.
Friday was the end of the grading period (I teach high school) and I’m looking forward to a long weekend to recover from alllll the grading I had to do.
I have never done the lent study and am looking forward to it. We decided to sell our home and have a new adventure in another state. Shortly after it went into escrow my body had other ideas. I’ve been crippled with anxiety and regret. I can’t even imagine how to feel good about this. So Lamentations will be just what I need as I grieve leaving and try to also find some hope for what is next.
So my turd is regretting what seems like a bad decision I can’t reverse. My treasure is hope. And my husband who has carried me through this and the hope we will find where we should be.
Im new here and hoped it would be a little community to learn how to be in community online. I’ve done the Jen hatmaker book club but it got so big I just couldn’t keep up. I love the affection you all have for one another here and how you cheer each other on.
Someone on here sent me a message I can’t find now and don’t know how to reply to- will someone please give me a primer on how to send a message outside of this comment thread? And any other tips on how to be here! 😊
My daughter (17) and I just had a talk about anxiety the other night. Related: we also made a major move from one state to another about 18 months ago. I just wanted you to know your story is seen and understood. ❤ Moving is hard, especially the whole first year. I have always found things to get incrementally easier in year 2 and beyond, but that is merely my experience.
As for the anxiety topic, because she seemed to be in a receptive space, I tried to gently coach my teen daughter that anxiety is normal and understandable and hard (and I struggle with it all the time), and that we can attempt to deal with it through prayer, drinking water, taking a shower, talking it out with someone, and/or listing the anxieties on paper. I told her these things aren't guaranteed fixes, but it's a start at least.
Welcome to this group. I'm a sporadic commenter, but I've been here for years!
Thanks for the encouragement Dawn! I totally underestimated how hard this would be. Of course moving is a big adjustment and loss in some ways. I bet your daughter is feeling that too. Thanks for the reminders of good self care.
Hello swipes! I am in between meetings and thought I'd pop in with some treasures...
- Kendra at the Lazy Genius did a podcast episode this week (https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/lazy/bodychange) called "How to Kindly Navigate a Changing Body" and whew, it was lovely. "External solutions will not solve internal problems", she tells herself on repeat...I'm sure there is a decent amount of overlap in the Venn diagram of swipes and lazy genius fans, so I'd love to hear what y'all thought of it if you listened.
- Really appreciated the Favored or Forsaken on marriage this week, especially after a particularly one-sided sermon on marriage at my sweet parents' church this past weekend, iykyk.
- "The Body: A Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson continues to delight.
Turd:
- Much like life, the only predictable thing about pregnancy is that it's constantly changing, and I'm feeling discouraged about it this week. Lately, everything (from regular chores to just sitting up and laying down) takes a very calculated amount of energy, and I am still not used to living in a body where I feel forced to ration my physical resources. 🤷🏻♀️ do we see a theme of what's on my mind this week you guys??? it's fine we're fine.
I *loved* Kendra's episode. I especially loved her comments on being pregnant and feeling like it was the only time it was "acceptable" for her to have a changing body. In the last year, 15 people I know have gotten pregnant, and as a plus size person, it was hurtful to hear them bemoan "becoming fat" - it made me cry on multiple occasions, especially because I felt like they had permission to gain weight, but I never have. Kendra repeating "External solutions will not solve internal problems" really hit home. Why was I so upset about that? What was hurting about that? She's golden.
Omg, it was so helpful to me for her to name that feeling. It totally makes sense that comments like those are hard to know what to do with. And 15, dang. I think I remember you made a comment a few months ago that the number was at like 10. I imagine this season of friendship is holding a lot for you!
I love Airport Dad! I imagine he shouts a lot when he's angry, but that is good color commentary on life. "Look it up." 😆
Oh man! My husband is a male feminist, and he studies Western Martial Arts! (He's good with swords.) 😁 I'm gonna let him know he is The Dream.
Have been dealing with all kinds of - to me - scary body stuff lately, and I am one of those that jumps to "ITS OBVIOSLY CANCER!" That tweet is not kidding that drinking more water is making a difference. Sigh. 💧
Had a lovely Valentine's Day. Excited for Lent. Are you folks Pancake Day people or Mardi Gras people? (I'm a Pancake Day person. The mild-mannered cousin to the real party animals.) Looking forward to pancakes followed by introspection. Thanks for your Lent guides Erin!
Here in Sweden it's called Fettisdagen and we eat semlor ("a small, wheat flour bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream" according to sweden.se) I'm not sure what kind of person that makes me? Your husband sounds awesome and I hope you won't have to deal with any more body stuff.
Hi Swipes! Long time reader, first time commenter. I always love reading about everyone's week and their treasures. 🥰
A few of my lil treasures for the week:
🤸♀️ I went to my first in class yoga session since Covid, and it was lovely and so fun! Although it did kick my tail, it felt so nice to be moving and learning with other people. I can’t wait to continue.
📘 Currently reading: I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman. The book is centered around a teenager obsessed with a boy band who gets to meet her online best friend who also loves the group and ultimately their path crosses with one of the band members. All of Alice’s books have been so enjoyable to read, but this one especially has hit me differently. I’m a lifelong fangirl, and this past year I had the pleasure of meeting my online soulmate from England where we got to see our favorite band together in concert. Talk about reading your life story...although no Rockstar encounters have happened in my personal life.
✨ I’m going to Vegas in two weeks for work, but I have an extra day to explore on my own! So please let me know any food or show recs you have.😊
It's been an uneventful week here, no major highs or lows. Just packing up and cleaning my apartment. (Why do I have so much stuff???) I still haven't found a new place so next week I'll be moving in with my parents, which as a full-a grown adult, some might even say newly minted middle aged person, feels less than ideal. 🤷♀️ Still, I'm grateful they have the space and that my parents and I get along (though Ts and Ps would be appreciated, lol).
Ts and Ps for you. Glad you have a place to land, but will pray for your own little space. Hope this time with your folks ends up being a surprise gift.
Erin had great and kind words on this subject from her IG stories and I’d love some more ideas from the group! I don’t have capacity for creativity right now
¿What to do in Lent when you’re in grief and have no emotional margin? For context I just attended the third funeral of a newborn that I’ve been to in less than a year. Both moms are my close friends.
Oh, I am so sorry for all that loss. What a heavy load to carry! From my own place of grief, i can say that Jesus is aquainted with our grief, and he can comfort us really well from his own understanding of deep sorrow. Maybe this season where we slow down, will be a good time to lean into that comfort that only a fellow griever can give. I have found lenten practices to provide a "container" for grief. Our culture doesn't have many grief traditions, so this (and All Saints/All Souls) have been liturgical ways to be intentional about sitting with Jesus in my sadness. Wishing you peace in these coming days.
And I will say that there are years when I don't physically fast because life itself is just so bleak and sad, so be gentle and maybe ask God to show you what you need most. Lots of love.
Erin’s study is built around the practice of lament. I worked through it in 2020 because I was ready to address my years of grief. BUT... once that gate is opened, it doesn’t just close after 40 days. Three years later, I’m still deep in that same season, still grappling with grief (old and new) and still practicing lament because I can’t process everything any other way. Lamentations has become my current state. (It’s necessary and good, but it’s not for the faint of heart.)
I’m trying something unorthodox this year: I need to “fast” from grief. I’m confident that any attention to this season is pleasing to God; the point is to focus on him, after all. So whenever I find myself thinking/feeling/focusing on the trauma of it all, the emotional toll, I plan to counter that with goodness, peacefulness, and small joys. It will be “Yes, And.” Yes, I’m still in the midst of this pain... And I can also give attention to the joy around me.
It’s not a betrayal of the mourning (or even about giving myself “rewards”) but a reminder that God hears my cries and brings beauty out of ashes.
Joy is my word of the year and believe me, practicing holding joy and gratitude and grief together is nottttttt easy but (I am told and hopefully this will play out more this year) it is worth it. ❤️
I feel like airport dad is my long lost bff and we would have the best time traveling.
What. A. Week. I live about 12 minutes away from MSU and it has been a very strange and sad few days. All the area schools were closed on Tuesday, and we had to have our first mass shooting conversation with our 2nd grader. Ugh. Please keep the East Lansing community in your prayers, especially the two students who survived the Oxford HS and Sandy Hook shootings and now have another one to process. 💔
Something that continues to bring me joy is our 9 month old puppy, Alfred. He is a mini Australian labradoodle and is basically the cutest dog I've ever seen. He's currently in his teenage doofus phase 🤪, but man do I love that pup. I am his favorite and his love for me is a sight to behold, lol. Whole body waggles!
I am a born Michigander and my family are MSU alumni (Go Green) and the news this week has been heavy on me. My cousins have friends that are professors there. I have friends that live in East Lansing. I'm so sorry. <3
Oh man. It is all just so heartbreaking. Have been praying for those kids. I saw a tweet from one that just made me cry. So glad you have that little waggle to love on you! (We have a mini Austin, I can't even imagine combining it with doodle! Lol 😆)
He's sort of a fake Australian, lol. His type of labradoodle just originated in Australia and he doesn't actually have any Aussie Shepherd in him...that would be A LOT. 😅
My turd for the week is getting snow all day on Wednesday. Part of my job is shoveling sidewalks, and usually it snows overnight - the morning commute sucks, but at least I can shovel once and pretty much be done. I was at work all day on Wednesday, trying to keep the sidewalks clear. I'm so ready for spring.
My treasure has been keeping up with the revival happening at About College in Kentucky. I was a freshman in 1995 at Wheaton College when a revival broke out there, and I'm having so many lovely memories of coming together for worship, confession, and reconciliation. I'm delighted for all those college kids to get to have that experience of God coming near. I've been following #thenewevangelicals on IG, and Tim went to KY to observe and talk with queer and minority students about their experience with the revival, and it's really encouraging to hear his reports. It's nice to hear someone who has deconstructed being open-minded (instead of skeptical) about other people's engagement with God.
Heidi I wasn’t aware of what is happening at Asbury until I read your post. This am Nadia Bolz Weber (sp?) posted about it and it was so encouraging to read how this is making space for so many feeling estranged from communal worship to reflect and open up to spiritual
joy a little bit. Thanks for sharing about it here!
Happy almost weekend Swipes! I'm very much looking forward to walking through Lent with y'all. And this serves as my reminder to put pancake mix on my grocery list for Tuesday dinner.
My first in-person work event happened on Monday and it was so nice to see my coworkers for the first time since March 2020. I'm so lucky to work with all of them and it was such a treat to talk to them in person again for a little while. (Small company - 6 people total - so I could actually chat with everyone!)
I started The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd this week and I love it. My boyfriend saw me reading it and asked if he could read a few pages out loud. (We like reading books out loud to each other, it's a thing.) It was "not his cup" haha but what a delight it was when he realized I was reading "Jesus fanfic."
I also was able to gift my sisters a few audiobooks each as a Galentine's Day gift this week, which was very nice :)
And I booked a flight to go back to my parents' house in Indiana for a week next month to meet my yet-to-be-born new niece (due in 7 days) and see my other niece compete at a dance competition! I'm so excited to see everyone, and I'm glad they all live close to each other so I can spend time with everyone when I'm in town.
🎉 My birthday weekend was everything I hoped it would be and more. Lots of great food, conversations, some of my favorite things gifted to me (cookbooks! Bath items! Steven Curtis Chapman tickets!!) and lots of fireworks for me…I mean, the Chiefs 😂 This just continues to encourage me to make my own dang plans for special occasions!
🗣️ I went to therapy for the first time in three years, pealed back some layers about the anger I was feeling (spoiler: it wasn’t anger, it was grief), talked to my husband about some of the issues, and made some daily schedule changes and holy moly. Things are already looking up. Thank-you to all the therapists out there.
📚 Not a ton of great reads lately, though I did just start J. Ryan Stradal’s new novel and am extremely into it. I am also going to participate in #middlegrademarch and have been having fun pulling books from my shelves for that.
🎉 Rebecka, thank-you for the sweet birthday card!!
We had snow and cold yesterday but it’s supposed to reach the 60s this weekend. Gah, I need spring to quit playing games with my heart. Hope you all have a wonderful week! I can’t wait to read all your treasures throughout the day!
Erin! The Xonation store is amazing! Please pass along the praise to your lil entrepenuer. I have ordered myself a super cute t-shirt even though I am just now realizing I (at 39) am surly not the target-market.
Y’all, it has been a week. My beloved Salt & Honey flagship store flooded, BAD, yesterday. I’m gearing up for a long and busy weekend with the NBA All Star game in town. Everything is crazy.
Some treasures:
📺 I got to be on the news again last night and it’s very funny because I never know if they’re actually going to shore my interview but then I will have two or three friends tell me their mom called them and said they saw me on the news. Lol
👵 my grandmother moved into an assisted living home and is finally settling in. I’m so glad that finally my dad and my uncle can take a breath and stop having to run to her every need.
🏙️ We’re going back to NYC! If anyone has a hotel recommendation that can help us ball on a budget, let me know. We’re trying to find a hotel for us and my cousins and they need the price to be a little lower (and who doesn’t love to save money?)
That’s all I have for now. Please keep me in your thoughts as I navigate a crazy weekend and work more hours than I should. Fingers crossed I run into Mr. Worldwide!!!
I always stay at Pod 51 in Midtown! It’s not a crap box (I’d never stay in a crap box) but it’s a very affordable hostel hotel hybrid with differing options depending on your comfort level, like do you want your own bathroom or are you willing to rough it summer camp style through the hallway with your toiletry kit in tow in the private communal bathroom, for example. The bathroom requires a key card which helps with the peace of mind aspect, I’ve never had problems.
I'm so excited and relieved because my sweet dog passed her Therapy Dog International test last night! It has been a year of training and growth for me. Turns out training an animal is really about training the human. 🤷🏼♀️ Anyway, she will be able to come with me to my high school classroom and it is exactly what we need.
I’m finally getting my first CASA (that’s court appointed special advocate for kids in foster care) case moving. I ordered the book 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager per Bible Binge rec and I think it’s going to help me so much as I begin talking to the people in my case. Not so much on the scared side and more excited now.
I’d also like to recommend Brainstorm (about teens) by Dan Siegel or Whole brained Child by him. Great books on how to help teens/kids mature the connections in their brains. Those often get missed in development when a kids been in trauma
Hi everyone! I have never commented but I have a great treasure this week: my 4 month post-transplant kidney biopsy showed no signs of rejection! I am so thankful ❤️
I hope you all have amazing treasures this week!
That’s so wonderful Dana! I am a former kidney transplant social worker. And I am going to visit my aunt in a few weeks who is in year 25 of her transplant kidney!
Wow, thank you for sharing! I sure hope my kidney works beautifully for that long ❤️
Happy Saturday morning to all--I’m writing this with a cat curled up in my lap and a cup of hot coffee, so the vibes are cozy. I can hear the rustling of my child’s valentine’s goody bag as she is just “checking” to see if her candy is there and definitely not eating it.
My treasure this week was that my single mom’s group at church started meeting again for the spring semester, and I love this group. It was also nice that the first meeting happened to be on Valentine’s Day.
Friday was the end of the grading period (I teach high school) and I’m looking forward to a long weekend to recover from alllll the grading I had to do.
I have never done the lent study and am looking forward to it. We decided to sell our home and have a new adventure in another state. Shortly after it went into escrow my body had other ideas. I’ve been crippled with anxiety and regret. I can’t even imagine how to feel good about this. So Lamentations will be just what I need as I grieve leaving and try to also find some hope for what is next.
So my turd is regretting what seems like a bad decision I can’t reverse. My treasure is hope. And my husband who has carried me through this and the hope we will find where we should be.
Im new here and hoped it would be a little community to learn how to be in community online. I’ve done the Jen hatmaker book club but it got so big I just couldn’t keep up. I love the affection you all have for one another here and how you cheer each other on.
Someone on here sent me a message I can’t find now and don’t know how to reply to- will someone please give me a primer on how to send a message outside of this comment thread? And any other tips on how to be here! 😊
My daughter (17) and I just had a talk about anxiety the other night. Related: we also made a major move from one state to another about 18 months ago. I just wanted you to know your story is seen and understood. ❤ Moving is hard, especially the whole first year. I have always found things to get incrementally easier in year 2 and beyond, but that is merely my experience.
As for the anxiety topic, because she seemed to be in a receptive space, I tried to gently coach my teen daughter that anxiety is normal and understandable and hard (and I struggle with it all the time), and that we can attempt to deal with it through prayer, drinking water, taking a shower, talking it out with someone, and/or listing the anxieties on paper. I told her these things aren't guaranteed fixes, but it's a start at least.
Welcome to this group. I'm a sporadic commenter, but I've been here for years!
Thanks for the encouragement Dawn! I totally underestimated how hard this would be. Of course moving is a big adjustment and loss in some ways. I bet your daughter is feeling that too. Thanks for the reminders of good self care.
Hello swipes! I am in between meetings and thought I'd pop in with some treasures...
- Kendra at the Lazy Genius did a podcast episode this week (https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/lazy/bodychange) called "How to Kindly Navigate a Changing Body" and whew, it was lovely. "External solutions will not solve internal problems", she tells herself on repeat...I'm sure there is a decent amount of overlap in the Venn diagram of swipes and lazy genius fans, so I'd love to hear what y'all thought of it if you listened.
- Really appreciated the Favored or Forsaken on marriage this week, especially after a particularly one-sided sermon on marriage at my sweet parents' church this past weekend, iykyk.
- "The Body: A Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson continues to delight.
Turd:
- Much like life, the only predictable thing about pregnancy is that it's constantly changing, and I'm feeling discouraged about it this week. Lately, everything (from regular chores to just sitting up and laying down) takes a very calculated amount of energy, and I am still not used to living in a body where I feel forced to ration my physical resources. 🤷🏻♀️ do we see a theme of what's on my mind this week you guys??? it's fine we're fine.
I *loved* Kendra's episode. I especially loved her comments on being pregnant and feeling like it was the only time it was "acceptable" for her to have a changing body. In the last year, 15 people I know have gotten pregnant, and as a plus size person, it was hurtful to hear them bemoan "becoming fat" - it made me cry on multiple occasions, especially because I felt like they had permission to gain weight, but I never have. Kendra repeating "External solutions will not solve internal problems" really hit home. Why was I so upset about that? What was hurting about that? She's golden.
Omg, it was so helpful to me for her to name that feeling. It totally makes sense that comments like those are hard to know what to do with. And 15, dang. I think I remember you made a comment a few months ago that the number was at like 10. I imagine this season of friendship is holding a lot for you!
I love Airport Dad! I imagine he shouts a lot when he's angry, but that is good color commentary on life. "Look it up." 😆
Oh man! My husband is a male feminist, and he studies Western Martial Arts! (He's good with swords.) 😁 I'm gonna let him know he is The Dream.
Have been dealing with all kinds of - to me - scary body stuff lately, and I am one of those that jumps to "ITS OBVIOSLY CANCER!" That tweet is not kidding that drinking more water is making a difference. Sigh. 💧
Had a lovely Valentine's Day. Excited for Lent. Are you folks Pancake Day people or Mardi Gras people? (I'm a Pancake Day person. The mild-mannered cousin to the real party animals.) Looking forward to pancakes followed by introspection. Thanks for your Lent guides Erin!
Wishing you all the best Friday available to you!
Body stuff
Here in Sweden it's called Fettisdagen and we eat semlor ("a small, wheat flour bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream" according to sweden.se) I'm not sure what kind of person that makes me? Your husband sounds awesome and I hope you won't have to deal with any more body stuff.
Ooh. That sounds delicious! That feels like the party animal end of the spectrum to me! 😆
If you it a big one you sometimes feel like you've partied a bit too hard. 😂
I wish I were both a pancake day person and a mardi gras person but normally I forget about it until it's too late and I am a nothing person. lol
🙋🏻♀️ Same.
🤣
Hi Swipes! Long time reader, first time commenter. I always love reading about everyone's week and their treasures. 🥰
A few of my lil treasures for the week:
🤸♀️ I went to my first in class yoga session since Covid, and it was lovely and so fun! Although it did kick my tail, it felt so nice to be moving and learning with other people. I can’t wait to continue.
📘 Currently reading: I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman. The book is centered around a teenager obsessed with a boy band who gets to meet her online best friend who also loves the group and ultimately their path crosses with one of the band members. All of Alice’s books have been so enjoyable to read, but this one especially has hit me differently. I’m a lifelong fangirl, and this past year I had the pleasure of meeting my online soulmate from England where we got to see our favorite band together in concert. Talk about reading your life story...although no Rockstar encounters have happened in my personal life.
✨ I’m going to Vegas in two weeks for work, but I have an extra day to explore on my own! So please let me know any food or show recs you have.😊
I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!
Everytime we go to Vegas we see a Cirque du Soleil show. They're amazing! Catch Shania if you can!
What a cool life-imitates-art story for your current read!
I was in Vegas a few months ago for a wedding and loved going on the Linq/High Roller ferris wheel at sunset!
Hey everyone!
It's been an uneventful week here, no major highs or lows. Just packing up and cleaning my apartment. (Why do I have so much stuff???) I still haven't found a new place so next week I'll be moving in with my parents, which as a full-a grown adult, some might even say newly minted middle aged person, feels less than ideal. 🤷♀️ Still, I'm grateful they have the space and that my parents and I get along (though Ts and Ps would be appreciated, lol).
Have a great weekend! 😊
Ts and Ps, friend. Hoping for a short and uneventful stay!
Thank you!
Ts and Ps for you. Glad you have a place to land, but will pray for your own little space. Hope this time with your folks ends up being a surprise gift.
Thank you, Dawn!
Sending hugs and t’s and p’s. ❤️
❤❤❤
💙💙💙 virtual hugs
Hugs back ❤
Erin had great and kind words on this subject from her IG stories and I’d love some more ideas from the group! I don’t have capacity for creativity right now
¿What to do in Lent when you’re in grief and have no emotional margin? For context I just attended the third funeral of a newborn that I’ve been to in less than a year. Both moms are my close friends.
Oh, I am so sorry for all that loss. What a heavy load to carry! From my own place of grief, i can say that Jesus is aquainted with our grief, and he can comfort us really well from his own understanding of deep sorrow. Maybe this season where we slow down, will be a good time to lean into that comfort that only a fellow griever can give. I have found lenten practices to provide a "container" for grief. Our culture doesn't have many grief traditions, so this (and All Saints/All Souls) have been liturgical ways to be intentional about sitting with Jesus in my sadness. Wishing you peace in these coming days.
That give me an idea that if I’m fasting, it’s to give my brain more space
And I will say that there are years when I don't physically fast because life itself is just so bleak and sad, so be gentle and maybe ask God to show you what you need most. Lots of love.
Erin’s study is built around the practice of lament. I worked through it in 2020 because I was ready to address my years of grief. BUT... once that gate is opened, it doesn’t just close after 40 days. Three years later, I’m still deep in that same season, still grappling with grief (old and new) and still practicing lament because I can’t process everything any other way. Lamentations has become my current state. (It’s necessary and good, but it’s not for the faint of heart.)
I’m trying something unorthodox this year: I need to “fast” from grief. I’m confident that any attention to this season is pleasing to God; the point is to focus on him, after all. So whenever I find myself thinking/feeling/focusing on the trauma of it all, the emotional toll, I plan to counter that with goodness, peacefulness, and small joys. It will be “Yes, And.” Yes, I’m still in the midst of this pain... And I can also give attention to the joy around me.
It’s not a betrayal of the mourning (or even about giving myself “rewards”) but a reminder that God hears my cries and brings beauty out of ashes.
This is so beautiful and has given me a lot to think about. Thank you, friend.
That’s a beautiful approach Jules. “Yes and, to all the joy around”
That’s so good. Thank you for sharing that. And for the heads up on this guide. It’ll be my first time through it. And the reminder to yes-and.
I love this idea! Thinking of you lots and praying for you Jules!
Back at ya, friend. It means the world.
Joy is my word of the year and believe me, practicing holding joy and gratitude and grief together is nottttttt easy but (I am told and hopefully this will play out more this year) it is worth it. ❤️
It is worth it. Just reallllly hard. Especially for Christians since the church harps on joy but doesn’t hold grief so closely.
I feel like airport dad is my long lost bff and we would have the best time traveling.
What. A. Week. I live about 12 minutes away from MSU and it has been a very strange and sad few days. All the area schools were closed on Tuesday, and we had to have our first mass shooting conversation with our 2nd grader. Ugh. Please keep the East Lansing community in your prayers, especially the two students who survived the Oxford HS and Sandy Hook shootings and now have another one to process. 💔
Something that continues to bring me joy is our 9 month old puppy, Alfred. He is a mini Australian labradoodle and is basically the cutest dog I've ever seen. He's currently in his teenage doofus phase 🤪, but man do I love that pup. I am his favorite and his love for me is a sight to behold, lol. Whole body waggles!
I am a born Michigander and my family are MSU alumni (Go Green) and the news this week has been heavy on me. My cousins have friends that are professors there. I have friends that live in East Lansing. I'm so sorry. <3
Oh man. It is all just so heartbreaking. Have been praying for those kids. I saw a tweet from one that just made me cry. So glad you have that little waggle to love on you! (We have a mini Austin, I can't even imagine combining it with doodle! Lol 😆)
He's sort of a fake Australian, lol. His type of labradoodle just originated in Australia and he doesn't actually have any Aussie Shepherd in him...that would be A LOT. 😅
Ahhh, gotcha. It WOULD be a lot! 🤣
Happy FriYAY! And it's a long weekend too!
My turd for the week is getting snow all day on Wednesday. Part of my job is shoveling sidewalks, and usually it snows overnight - the morning commute sucks, but at least I can shovel once and pretty much be done. I was at work all day on Wednesday, trying to keep the sidewalks clear. I'm so ready for spring.
My treasure has been keeping up with the revival happening at About College in Kentucky. I was a freshman in 1995 at Wheaton College when a revival broke out there, and I'm having so many lovely memories of coming together for worship, confession, and reconciliation. I'm delighted for all those college kids to get to have that experience of God coming near. I've been following #thenewevangelicals on IG, and Tim went to KY to observe and talk with queer and minority students about their experience with the revival, and it's really encouraging to hear his reports. It's nice to hear someone who has deconstructed being open-minded (instead of skeptical) about other people's engagement with God.
Heidi I wasn’t aware of what is happening at Asbury until I read your post. This am Nadia Bolz Weber (sp?) posted about it and it was so encouraging to read how this is making space for so many feeling estranged from communal worship to reflect and open up to spiritual
joy a little bit. Thanks for sharing about it here!
Happy almost weekend Swipes! I'm very much looking forward to walking through Lent with y'all. And this serves as my reminder to put pancake mix on my grocery list for Tuesday dinner.
My first in-person work event happened on Monday and it was so nice to see my coworkers for the first time since March 2020. I'm so lucky to work with all of them and it was such a treat to talk to them in person again for a little while. (Small company - 6 people total - so I could actually chat with everyone!)
I started The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd this week and I love it. My boyfriend saw me reading it and asked if he could read a few pages out loud. (We like reading books out loud to each other, it's a thing.) It was "not his cup" haha but what a delight it was when he realized I was reading "Jesus fanfic."
I also was able to gift my sisters a few audiobooks each as a Galentine's Day gift this week, which was very nice :)
And I booked a flight to go back to my parents' house in Indiana for a week next month to meet my yet-to-be-born new niece (due in 7 days) and see my other niece compete at a dance competition! I'm so excited to see everyone, and I'm glad they all live close to each other so I can spend time with everyone when I'm in town.
Nieces are the best! Have a great time!
I read The Book of Longings last year and enjoyed it! "Jesus fanfic" is exactly right.
🎉 My birthday weekend was everything I hoped it would be and more. Lots of great food, conversations, some of my favorite things gifted to me (cookbooks! Bath items! Steven Curtis Chapman tickets!!) and lots of fireworks for me…I mean, the Chiefs 😂 This just continues to encourage me to make my own dang plans for special occasions!
🗣️ I went to therapy for the first time in three years, pealed back some layers about the anger I was feeling (spoiler: it wasn’t anger, it was grief), talked to my husband about some of the issues, and made some daily schedule changes and holy moly. Things are already looking up. Thank-you to all the therapists out there.
📚 Not a ton of great reads lately, though I did just start J. Ryan Stradal’s new novel and am extremely into it. I am also going to participate in #middlegrademarch and have been having fun pulling books from my shelves for that.
🎉 Rebecka, thank-you for the sweet birthday card!!
We had snow and cold yesterday but it’s supposed to reach the 60s this weekend. Gah, I need spring to quit playing games with my heart. Hope you all have a wonderful week! I can’t wait to read all your treasures throughout the day!
Yay, I'm so glad you had a great birthday weekend! And a great therapy session. Hope spring soon decides to show up and stick around.
Ahhhhhhh your birthday sounds phenomenal! And I’m so grateful you’re in therapy, it did wonders for me in changing my lifestyle too. ❤️
Happy belated birthday!! 🎉
Erin! The Xonation store is amazing! Please pass along the praise to your lil entrepenuer. I have ordered myself a super cute t-shirt even though I am just now realizing I (at 39) am surly not the target-market.
Tracy thank you! I will definitely pass that on to her! 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Y’all, it has been a week. My beloved Salt & Honey flagship store flooded, BAD, yesterday. I’m gearing up for a long and busy weekend with the NBA All Star game in town. Everything is crazy.
Some treasures:
📺 I got to be on the news again last night and it’s very funny because I never know if they’re actually going to shore my interview but then I will have two or three friends tell me their mom called them and said they saw me on the news. Lol
👵 my grandmother moved into an assisted living home and is finally settling in. I’m so glad that finally my dad and my uncle can take a breath and stop having to run to her every need.
🏙️ We’re going back to NYC! If anyone has a hotel recommendation that can help us ball on a budget, let me know. We’re trying to find a hotel for us and my cousins and they need the price to be a little lower (and who doesn’t love to save money?)
That’s all I have for now. Please keep me in your thoughts as I navigate a crazy weekend and work more hours than I should. Fingers crossed I run into Mr. Worldwide!!!
Shelby, you're a TV star! 😉 So sorry to hear about the flooding and I hope everything goes as smoothly as it possibly could for you this weekend!
Update, I saw the clip, and why do I walk like a Teletubby 😂😂😂 thanks Rebecka!
What, no, I'm sure you don't! But your comment made me laugh 😂
Shelby, I am so sorry about the flooding at Salt & Honey! Hoping for minimal damage and an easy recovery!
Thank you! It's so sad :(
I always stay at Pod 51 in Midtown! It’s not a crap box (I’d never stay in a crap box) but it’s a very affordable hostel hotel hybrid with differing options depending on your comfort level, like do you want your own bathroom or are you willing to rough it summer camp style through the hallway with your toiletry kit in tow in the private communal bathroom, for example. The bathroom requires a key card which helps with the peace of mind aspect, I’ve never had problems.
Ooh I will give them a look! Thank you!
I'm so excited and relieved because my sweet dog passed her Therapy Dog International test last night! It has been a year of training and growth for me. Turns out training an animal is really about training the human. 🤷🏼♀️ Anyway, she will be able to come with me to my high school classroom and it is exactly what we need.
Oh this is amazing, Melissa! Congratulations to both of you! I’m sure your students will benefit so much from having her there ❤️🐶
We just got a dog I want to train to be a therapy dog!
That is so exciting!
I’m finally getting my first CASA (that’s court appointed special advocate for kids in foster care) case moving. I ordered the book 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager per Bible Binge rec and I think it’s going to help me so much as I begin talking to the people in my case. Not so much on the scared side and more excited now.
I’d also like to recommend Brainstorm (about teens) by Dan Siegel or Whole brained Child by him. Great books on how to help teens/kids mature the connections in their brains. Those often get missed in development when a kids been in trauma