📻 Lil Treasures #68: Smell-Based Memories and Mini Mix Tapes
Plus Baby Cy going through his tortilla phase, faith de/reconstruction, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Zac Efron swimming with dolphins...
The joy of my LIFE was seeing all the fun introductions in the comments last week. Thank you for stepping up and saying “hello” — and if you didn’t comment last week but the SPIRIT IS LEADING YOU, then by all means, the comments are open forever and ever.
LIL SWIPES Q+As
Q: What is your most cherished smell-based memory? - @mharris2016
A: Once when Cy was really little (with his long hair!😭), Ben got him out of the bath and was sort of playing at styling it with a sample of hair clay. Later when I was putting him down for the night, I caught a whiff of the hair clay and nearly dropped him. A combination of tobacco and some other manly scent from the 70s stopped me dead in my tracks and I was immediately transported to the recliner where my Papa Bill sat in Odessa, Texas. It was the most visceral experience I’ve ever had with scent. One of my great sadnesses surrounding Cy joining our family was that my grandfathers (Papa Bill and Papa) never got to experience him. It felt to me like a little wink. I also kept the bottle of the (VERY FANCY) Bath and Body Works perfume (Moonlit Path, if you must know) that I was wearing when I had my first kiss. I have no idea why I kept it originally other than I’m just a sentimental freak and always have been, but now I can’t bear to throw it away. It is mainly just alcohol now. Pictures of long-haired Baby Cy (going through his tortilla phase), and me and my little brother with Papa Bill on a camping trip for reference. 👇
Q: How do I figure out my favorite Bible translation? - @catelbaum
A: Something that was very helpful to me was learning the backstory on how these translations were created. I actually have a whole episode on this in the Bible Binge Patreon, but it’s fascinating to study the whys and hows that create environments for new translations. Something that’s also important to me is diversity on the editorial board, so doing some Googling and looking those up is also extremely illuminating.
Q: A hint on the new project you’re working on? - @haleyrichards_
A: See the answer to the last question in this section.
Q: What would be your five-song picks for Brene Brown’s mini mixtape? - y’all I lost the box for this question and I can’t find who asked it. I’m so sorry.
A: Passing White Daisy by Rocky Votolato, What’s Left to Lose by The Format, I Have Made Mistakes by The Oh Hellos, I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers, and Sweet Lorriane by Patty Griffin. I’m sorry these are generally depressing songs. Now I wanna know everyone’s mini mixtape! Tell me in the comments!
Q: Help me navigate family relationships now that my political leanings have changed. - anonymous
A: The best advice I can give you is to go read I Think You’re Wrong (but I’m Listening) by Friends of the Newsletter Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland (AKA Pantsuit Politics) AND Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk by Eugene Cho AND start giving them as gifts to those with whom you disagree.
Q: Is faith deconstruction favored or forsaken? - @kelly.work
A: Something I’m really passionate about is not only deconstruction (note: I know this phrase is “trendy” right now, but deconstruction is a completely normal and really very important part of your faith), but reconstruction (I know not everyone will reconstruct after deconstruction, and there’s no judgement from me on that: it’s just my experience). After you tear everything down to the studs, how do you build it back up again? But for Christians, may I gently point out that our own faith essentially comes from deconstructing and reconstructing Judaism? And that there were little pockets of deconstruction until 1054, when the massive deconstruction of the Church took place as The Great Schism, separating Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy? And then again with the Reformation 500-ish years later? And that Protestant denominations are the detritus of deconstructing and reconstructing? It is so favored and such a crucial part of living a life of faith of any kind. I don’t think de/reconstructing means you land in a certain camp (meaning: progressive or conservative or moderate in your theology): it’s just always okay to ask questions and take in new information and interpretations. You will do this for your whole life (I hope), and sometimes you will come from a question back to the same answer you’ve always held, or something completely new, or you will look at the question and have to learn to live with not having an answer. I am convinced 4000% that this is what it means to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The Message version of Philippians 2:12 says for us to be “energetic in our life of faith, reverent and sensitive before God.” This is your faith. It belongs to you. You have a responsibility to ask questions and consider options and give it the weight it deserves. It is scary, because it often accompanies deep doubt or painful behavior, but I want you to know that stepping outside of the bounds of what you thought you knew is not stepping outside of where God lives.
👑 Thank you to everyone for the questions! Now, some treasures, lil and big!
🌄 I’m heading to the mountains with my family for Spring Break BECAUSE BABY GIRL IS TIRED. We’re going to a place I’ve never been to before, and I knew I would need some expert guidance. Good news, my darling Courtney Clark Cleveland at All the Best Days is creating custom travel itineraries based on budget, kid ages, delights of the soul, and our goals for the trip. GUYS it’s like she came into my brain and understood exactly what I was hoping for. If you’re not following Courtney for her travel tips, what are you even doing with your life? And then next time you want to get away but need some help, she is 100% your girl.
🐬 If you haven’t seen this video of Zac Efron swimming with dolphins, please make that happen ASAP. Was I worried for his life? Yes I was. Did this keep me from watching it a ridiculous amount of times? No, it did not.
👑 I’ve been perplexed at some of the backlash (specifically here in the U.S.) against Meghan Markle for being honest about how she was mistreated and the faults within the British monarchy. Dana Schwartz at Bustle wrote an article that gives a good explanation at how one could arrive to this kind of conclusion.
🔗 Some Links from the Week
Olive and June code (from @smccook14)
Good Children’s Bible (from @shelleysmithdeal)
Favorite Sneakers (from @theheathergirl)
🔥 I have delicious Tweets, served up hot just for you.
Alright friends. We did it. We made it to another Friday. We are doing this thing! Love you all. Mean it much. Happy weekend!
Gentle reminder that some links here are affiliate links and when you purchase using them, you support The Swipe Up at no extra cost to you. It makes Ben Moon really happy when you do this, so thank you.
I am fairly new to the Swipe up comment section, but I want to ask you all to pray for my family. I lost my older sister in a car accident Sunday evening. We have all gathered now for her funeral (tomorrow) and it's going to be so hard.
I also want to share this beautiful tribute to her life/meditation on Lent written by her pastor:
https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2021/03/18/remember-you-are-dust-repent-and-believe/
Here bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5 am MST again! Cant promise this will be a pattern or ever happen again.
Some turds and treasures:
💩: I was rejected from SEVEN more jobs this week! One every day of the week!
💩: An uncle who married into the family has been having memory issues, and his 23&me results showed he carries the gene linked to early onset alzheimer’s. We’re waiting for official results and opinions but it’s not looking great.
❇️: I bought my niece a fabric crown for her third birthday, and my sister in law sent me a photo of the outfit that three year old chose for herself the other day and it was that crown and the dress we bought her to wear at our wedding. I am telling you my heart near burst.
❇️: We got our stimulus checks after months of money being so tight, it now just feels like we have more than we know what to do with. Most went into savings, of course, but we both used $400 to buy whatever we wanted - I needed a TON of new clothes, and you BET I snagged that blue dress from The Bluest Willow last night!!!
❇️: My full time job makes me feel hopeless and disposable. They don’t value me and it causes so much stress. On monday, I met with the owner of the little store in town that I work at a couple times a week just for fun, and we talked about a podcast we want to start. She made me feel valued and smart and capable and creative, and that is something I have been wanting for so long. She cares deeply about me being paid what I am worth and told me that once I come up with a number of what I deserve, she will probably tell me it’s not enough, because she knows how my confidence has been hit with my full time job. Y’all, I cried.
Some good tiktoks:
Rick rolling good time: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeSb2Bk2/
The energy I want but not the ending I want: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeSbjFMJ/
Tinder dates, yo: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeSbF124/
We all make mistakes: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeSbL1Wu/
Last but not least - I mentioned it last week but I think I commented too late and people didn’t see it - if you would like to maybe be in a virtual book club to read Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First and discuss it, leave your email address for me and I will add you to a list! I would love to go through it but will need to gnaw my own arm off before my friends do it with me. If there’s a ton of interest, I can create a few groups! It will probably start end of April - beginning of May due to how crazy my life is but I figured that’s enough time for everyone to order the book and coordinate a night!