Beloveds! I hope you’ve had a great week. I feel like this: I mean I know to some degree we all feel that way but I’m finding it difficult to adjust to the world opening up. Plus lots of emotions over here with the eldest finishing up elementary school next week.
WHAT IN THE OPENDIARY DOT COM IS THIS?? I’ve been subscribed to The Swipe Up for months and I had NO idea that an underbelly of Best Internet-Friends existed where people give extended life updates, check in on each other and provide quality links?! Where have I been? Oh that’s right...missing out because I’m secretly listening to open door romance novels while I’m mopping floors and doing laundry! I’ll be here next week with fun things to tell you about! THIS IS FUN, ERIN!!!
I work one weekend out of every three, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it sure feels like a lot sometimes. I worked last weekend, so looking forward to enjoying this one and setting unrealistic goals for exactly how much I'm going to accomplish.
If you have morbid curiosities about subjects directly or tangentially related to death and need and quirky yet knowledgeable guide, may I recommend this YouTube channel? https://youtube.com/c/AskAMortician
I've been watching for several months - it did a great job filling the "I'm too burned out from work to think about what to watch" space for a while, and I think Caitlin is delightful.
Here is a weird and wonderful interview with William Shatner, who apparently decided 65 was old enough and has not aged since. Also, his work in Miss Congeniality is criminally underrated.
I am tired. This week was emotional - some people let go from work - a friend denouncing her faith and some big toddler girl emotions. Work in general is a lot and I have chosen to dive deep into my career, but sometimes I question things.
treasures:
- I am meeting with a spiritual director today! Thank you, Erin, for putting that nugget in my head for next steps in my faith.
- My cut flower garden is blooming! I have anemones, and they're stunning. I credit this account for getting me hooked-- I even bought seeds from them. https://www.instagram.com/floretflower/?hl=en
- remodeling our bedroom! mainly because our shower leaked and we had mold all over our wall so it had to come out... and now it's turning into a revamp: bigger closet, fixing the ceiling with some wood paneling, a light center that will finally be in the center of the ceiling. Classic turd -> treasure moment.
I got my first vaccine shot yesterday. It was the first shot I have ever received whereupon I did not cry from anxiety before anything even happened. One side of my family is filled with medical professionals who immediately got vaccinated. The other side believes that it is a sign of the end times and has been very vocal about all the conspiracies. They did not used to be like this; the last year has been a wild ride. So I’m quietly celebrating, and keeping it to myself and the people in my small office…but just so YOU know, I’m pretty proud of myself for doing my own research and making up my own mind. Also, I got my first shot on the same day as Daveed Diggs and have been riding that “not-throwing-away-my-shot” high! If you need me, I’ll be nursing a sore arm, buying myself new Olive & June colors as a present, and singing Hamilton!
I remember doing Book-It like it was yesterday, but also just realized we didn't have a Pizza Hut in my town, so I'm not sure where the free pizza came from? Weird...
It's been rainy and cloudy all week here in Kansas, which has affected moods and outside playtime. Although, I learned that my children do not seem to care one lick if it is raining outside - they just strip to their undies and have a good time getting soaked in the rain, so there's that.
This week I learned that, not only am "Advanced Maternal Age" (31 weeks at age 41...good times), I am also a "Geriatric Millennial". Thanks, internet.
Some bright spots in the gloom:
1. I finished up reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo to my boys, and it was a hit. How was this my first Kate DiCamillo book??? It was such a sweet story.
2. My husband introduced me to @christianswhocursesometimes on IG and Oh. My. Word. We sat in bed scrolling through their feed, laughing and cringing. These were some "favorites":
3. Kind of a turd and bright spot: I was informed by my doc that while I passed my 3 hour glucose test, it was pretty close, so they want me to exercise everyday and do a higher protein diet. I've taken a Stupid Walk everyday this week as a result, and it's actually done me a lot of good.
4. This weekend is my fake Mother's Day getaway, and I am READY. Booked my hotel; found my dinner spot; plotted the nearby bookstores. Let's GOOOOOOOO.
Hope you all have the best weekend available to you!
Those Insta posts! 😂 I'm glad the walks have been good! I gained a LOT of weight with my second (actually both my babies, who am I kidding), and my doctor also told me to walk more, which I did happily. She also wanted me to cut down on carbs and eat TEN SERVINGS OF VEGETABLES A DAY. I nodded my head but inside I was like "no, I am not doing that", and then went home and made pie.
I haven't read any of my research books this week - but I did finish "That Sounds Fun" and just in time to go to Dollywood tomorrow! (So does this count towards Book It points?) The thrill of a fun day at Dollywood has been keeping me going this week through an exhausting apartment search in Nashville. Ladies, renting in Nashville is only slightly better than buying in Nashville and I have a stress eye-twitch to prove it. So I am going to go to bed early and then go ride roller coasters like I'm 17 again (sans Matthew Perry) tomorrow and hope I don't get too dizzy at 32. It's going to be a blast! Hope you all have an amazing and restful weekend.
Omg I remember book it! Pizza hut pizza is so gross though 🤢. I love that taco bell tweet. Taco bell used to really hit the spot though I now pretend I'm too good for it. Did they ever bring back their cheesy potatoes? They're basically the best thing ever.
I had Lasik last Friday and couldn’t see very well last week. My eyes are really dry and my vision is still hazy as a result, but it is the best money I’ve spent. I still wake up and feel around for my glasses and keep thinking if I remove my contacts my eyes would feel much better haha. But I can see! This summer when I take my kids to the beach I’ll be sure that no one is drowning LOL because I won’t have to ask the kids if they can see each other haha.
My heart has been heavy for the last couple of weeks because I've been thinking a lot about Palestine. I thought about sharing about it, but I hesitated because many non-Arab American people don’t see this as a human rights issue – they say its “complicated” and “both sides” are suffering – no it’s not and they really aren’t. I was afraid, but then I though why am I afraid of the Lil Swipes? Why shouldn’t I share my heart with the most wonderful and thoughtful group of women on the internet?
Though I come from a long line of Lebanese people, my grandparents lived in Palestine, had a home and an olive grove, and lived a comfortable and relatively prosperous life. In 1948 Israel was declared a nation without consulting any indigenous people living there, they drove out all of the people in the villages, including my grandparents who were told to leave or die. They bulldozed buildings, they burned orchards and olive groves to encourage the indigenous Palestinians to get out and then they built internationally condemned illegal settlements. They still use these methods. Zionist groups backed by the apartheid Israeli government are currently trying to remove people from their homes (as they’ve done all along) in Sheik Jarrah, an area that again would be an illegal Israeli settlement. In response to protests, Israel began hammering Gaza killing many children and in some cases, entire families in Gaza. They bombed hospitals, schools, roads, the associated press building and often don’t allow in ambulances and international aid in even after they bomb and people need help. In previous years they’ve been guilty of war crimes for these actions. Nothing is off limits and they do this every few years. Why can they do this? Well, it’s because Israel is backed by the U.S. government, who gives them billions in aid and sells them millions in weaponry. What they do with those weapons is “defend” themselves against Palestinian people who have no army, no navy, no military, who live in what’s been called by international humanitarian groups as an “open air prison”, who cannot leave and go anywhere because of blockades, who have no money, no say, no citizenship, don’t even exist on a google map. You guys it is really not that complicated. I ask you to look through these links and see if you also find it complicated. It's a human rights issue - what's happening is apartheid, colonialism, ethnic cleansing, genocide. Here are some links that explain it better than I ever could.
I hope these links open your hearts to the pain and suffering of the Palestians. Thank you for giving me a chance to get this off my chest. If you follow me on social media (@revolvingtable) you probably have seen some of these links and I'm sorry to bore you and drone on and on. It's an issue near my heart and it's shocking how American media and Americans in general pay no attention to it. It's important because we fund this. If you feel called to contact your local state reps about it would be much appreciated. Our words and actions matter. And our money can be better used to find American mental health care, clean water, education.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I appreciate every single one of you ❤️
Mona this is ENORMOUSLY thoughtful and helpful. I've been attempting to educate myself these past few weeks and often find myself caught in a tangle. I'm really grateful for the way you've taken the time to share your personal experience as well as helpful links to learn more.
We appreciate you so much Mona! Thank you for the emotional labor you have done in sharing here and on IG. I hope you can practice some radical self-care soon.
Mona, I really appreciate you sharing. My eyes were opened to reality of what's going on only in 2019, when I took a group of college students to Israel, and we were all encouraged to read a book called The Lemon Tree. The organization that paid for and organized our trip was heavily Christians-that-are-pro-Israel-always, and something just felt off.
In case anyone else in wondering, here are something I learned while on the ground in Israel: How Palestinians who live in Jerusalem are required to have black water towers on their roof, which make it easy for Israel to monitor/cut off water supply, but Jewish homes have 24/7 access to water. (WHAT THE @#!@#.). It was also shocking to learn that a Jewish person who had grown up in a different country (like the US) could get Israeli citizenship relatively easily, yet a Palestinian whose family had lived there since the FIRST century could not get citizenship at all. Obviously, there's so much more egregious treatment that apartheid does feel like the appropriate word. I was so fiery about it, that a few months after I got home, I created an independent study course for myself (as a part of my MDiv program in Seminary) about Christian Palestinians and the hardships they are currently facing.
Mona, I've been realizing over the last week, that I am actually the best person to talk to my (pro-Israel) family and friends about this. Your immense courage to share gives me courage too. (And your links are insanely helpful as well!!) Thank you for being both so gracious & courageous. ❤️
Thank you for talking about it. I'm horrified by what you described seeing in Israel. I truly feel that it is wrong on so many levels and we need to speak up about the injustice. Thank you again ❤️
Thank you, Mona, for sharing. So important and I appreciate the links and thoughtfulness you put into this - although if you were to just cry out and post in just pain + frustration, that would be warranted, too.
My heart was changed when my college roommate lived in Bethlehem and her first-hand account was very eye-opening.
Mona, thank you for sharing all of this. I've had a hard time finding a good/fair explanation of what's going on, but you've made it easier to understand. I teach courses on International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions for work, and I don't understand how America can just turn away from this when it seems that the principles of these laws are being violated daily.
Also, I agree that Pizza Hut pizza sucks, but have you ever tried their Personal Pan Pizzas? Those are totally different and very delicious. I highly recommend!
Thank you for listening Lauren. I have so much love for you! The laws are constantly violated with little to no repercussion. And to show my appreciation I will consider ordering (and eating) a Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut 😂.
I’m adding my thanks for sharing this. I am guilty of using the “ complicated” line. BUT with education we can understand. I will dig in to these links this weekend.
All I want is for people to have all the information so that they can see for themselves what is going on. Unfortunately so much of our media is censored and biased so a lot of times people who want information have to really dig and don't know what to trust.
Thank you for taking a look at what I've share Annette
I want to applaud you for standing up and saying this. I have long thought what Isreal has done to the Palestinian people and how the US has backed every part of it has been disgusting. And so many Americans don't know and don't care about it. I don't think anyone should live under the kind of oppression Palestinians face (you didn't mention the lack of electricity and water - all access controlled by Isreal) and truely as a tax paying American I don't want to support it. There are too many thoughts to put into the comments here but while I sympathize with the idea that Jewish people wanted their own country where they would be safe and not oppressed and persecuted after the holocaust they took/were given land that already had people living there for hundreds of years and turned right around and oppressed and displaced them. It's no wonder that the Palestinians turn to radical measures like Hamas. I'll stand in solidarity with you here because watching what's been going on (again, not even close to the first time) is heartbreaking. Free Palestine.
Yes, there are so many things I didn't mention and I could barely scratch the surface of the injustices and violations which are so rampant it would take weeks for me to share it all. Thank you so much Alison for your support. I can't tell you how much your message means to me. Much love to you.
Mona, THANK YOU for sharing. Here, and on IG. I think it’s easy for me, and a lot of people, to feel like those issues are so far away, they almost feel like I shouldn’t have to worry? (Which ISNT TRUE. But that’s the lie my subconscious tells me when something is terrible and seems too hard to deal with). I appreciate you sharing the resources! Thank you for doing that work for us. Do you have a venmo? I’d like to send you some coffee money so you can treat yourself because you did the work of educating us and providing resources when you didn’t have to.
Keep sharing. Be as angry as you need to be. Seeing your posts for me especially is a reminder that Palestine is a lot closer to home than it feels. And a reminder to do what I can to help.
Shelby, you are an absolute gem of a human. I don't have a venmo but I appreciate your gesture more than you know. If you even looked at or shared anything about Palestine that in and of itself will make the work of sharing worth it. Thank you again, love
Mona, thank-you so much for sharing these. I admit that I have little knowledge of what has been going on except for what my evangelical college taught in the early 2000s. I've been trying to learn more, so thank-you for sharing.
I'll take your outrage over silence. Thank you for taking the time to write this comment ❤️...hope you've been well. I wish you could do lasik. It's a miracle to be able to see without glasses
Hi friends! So happy to finally make it into the comments this week! I’m propped up, recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday. When planning for things to do while resting, I realized that I could finally make it into the comments in who knows how long.
⭐️ I am getting to recover at my family’s cabin in the mountains with my mom. So that’s been delightful.
⭐️ As someone who HATES dental work, my oral surgeon and his office have been fabulous. Prayers answered on that one.
⭐️ I’ve started reading Beach Read by Emily Henry
⭐️ When my parents downsized, I got the VCR/DVD player to play movies from my childhood on (ie, my Harry Potter collection). What I did not think about was that I can now check out DVDs from the library. Y’all, I felt like a kid in blockbuster on a Friday night when I had that realization. It gave me so much joy! I checked out the newest Little Woman, La La Land, and Dead Poet’s Society (which I’ve never seen, but feel like I should)
⭐️ We’re in the final month of school. That’s a bit of a turd and a treasure. Hallelujah we made it this far, but dang we still have a month.
I, like everyone else it seems, have the same uneasy feelings about things opening back up.* It’s all I’ve wanted for so long, but now that is partially here, I do not know what to do with it. The lack of trust I developed towards some of my fellow citizens over this *gestures vaguely* is not a place I want to permanently reside but I’m not sure how to get around it.
*I live in South Carolina, we’ve basically been open all this time - who am I kidding?
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m so glad we all can be here together. May your coffee/tea be strong and turds be few! 💜💜
Dead Poets Society! I used that movie to hack my crying on the regular back in the day. I need to watch it again and see how it holds up. I hope you enjoy it!
I also, am amazed at the breakdown of any trust I had in the general public. It's really discouraging and isolating to feel like I can't trust people to do the right, selfless thing for their community. And that doesn't even touch the complicated feelings I have about close friends and family who have responded (or not responded) to this pandemic in a way honoring their community. It's been extremely difficult to navigate.
Yay for amazing dental surgeons and throwback movies. SC has a special place in my heart— I have family in Greenville and my parents lived in Charleston/I got married there 😊
This Grandma is tired so it will be the park and a Happy Meal for my sweet four year old granddaughter today. Hopefully there are other kids so I don’t have to climb and slide and swing 🤞🏻
It's my last Friday with students, the wifi is down, we're trying to collect computers,and one of my kids just had a huge cry about another teacher leaving, so we're off to a good start.
This has actually been a pretty good week. We made it through testing which is a beast bc the students aren't reading emails. For over 1/2 my kids being remote test scores were reasonable.
Looking forward to hearing about your weeks when I catch a moment of peace later.
1) WE FINISHED HOMESCHOOLING!! (Our official "evaluation" is later today so perhaps I should hold off the celebratory cheers just yet, but we wrapped up curriculum yesterday). It's been a wild, unexpected year and while a lot of it was truly lovely, it was also a slog to the finish line these last few weeks.
2) I got back my results from last week's EEG and they were normal - which is good but also maybe complicated for my neurologist. I go to see her this afternoon and am hopeful.
3) My husband and I are both fully vaccinated now and went on our first proper date this week! Honestly it was a bit of a let down in terms of food/service but it felt amazing to be out in our little city again. (And I have a ton of compassion for the service industry right now - there were 3 ladies working their butts off to serve/clear/wait on the entire restaurant. Absolutely not their fault and they were tipped well because again, it was revolutionary to be seeing human faces in public again).
4) Our dream trip this summer (and plans to buy an RV) pivoted d/t my health stuff, but we recently booked a short trip a few hours away and the AirBNB looks dreamy. Grateful we will have some new scenery to stare at!
5) One of my goals this year was to be more intentional with my writing, and miraculously, I am seeking for + seizing those random pockets of time and just DOING IT. I write for work (science/research) but have wanted to develop my free writes/essay/forays into creative and non-structured writing, and it's been cathartic, liberating, and just all around fun.
Looking forward to reading about all of your treasures!
Hooray for finishing the homeschooling year! You did it! 👏🏼🎉
Thanks for the health update— continuing to pray for answers and healing over you. Chronic health stuff is hard and frustrating but you are doing great.. one next right thing at a time.
I hope you have the best time on your mini vacation! I’m so sorry you had to delay the rv trip but I’m hoping you’ll be able to reschedule and it will be that much more special. ❤️
🎧 I had to think pretty hard about what is a treasure this week, but the one thing that did pop into my mind was Dr. Becky's Good Inside podcast episode "Are Tantrums Normal?" if you have a child under the age of 6. Maybe older. God, I hope these tantrums don't last after 6... don't tell me if they do!
😡 OMG yall. Our 3.5 is a little tyrant with BIG feelings these days. But I listened to this podcast episode Tuesday night which prepared me for the rager I encountered when I had to do bath time (usually husband's job) while husband was at a church meeting. 3.5yo screamed pretty much for 20-30 min straight (wouldn't have been surprised if someone called the cops on us) and ended up splashing 1/2 of the bath water out of the bath. But ultimately we survived, he calmed down, and I 1. Kept my own body calm and 2. Kept my child safe.
💡 I also realized, due to the pandemic, our child doesn't remember a time when mom or dad just wasn't home for the bath/bed routine (there was no where to go). He's stayed overnight with grandparents, so he has been apart from us, but not on a random Tuesday. This was out of the ordinary. He eventually was able to articulate that he was afraid that dad would never come back. So that was a lightbulb moment for me to have grace for my kiddos even with the seemingly small transitions back into Real Life.
💄 ALSO I decided since mask mandates are being lifted (particularly at the public institutions of higher ed I work at in Texas where the governor decided it would be literally illegal punishable by a $1000 fine to mandate masks) I bought some new lipsticks! I still think I need help on how to choose colors, but I listened to JBG and got the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick and it is GOOD. I often don't wear lipstick because I don't like that it gets on everything and has to be reapplied. But this stuff STAYS PUT even after sloppily eating a desk lunch but also was not horrible to get off at the end of the day like some stuff. It's a but drying, but you can easily add some balm on top and the color doesn't even get on your chapstick tube! Highly recommend. I also got the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, but it wasn't as good IMO. The other one I got was Milani Color Fetish Shine, which although it doesn't stay put, it has a nice shine and feels very hydrating. Lipstick up, ladies!
Lindsay, try the Flower matte lip product at CVS. (Drew Barrymore’s line). It’s wonderful! It got this lipstick loving gal through this mask wearing season💄
I feel very seen by the tweet about aging and being a terrible Young Person. I was complaining to a friend yesterday about needing 40 year old friends that want to garden and knit with me.
When I turned forty, I realized I'd been waiting for twenty years to be comfortable with myself. I was not good at being a Young Person either. I'll garden and knit with you, and then do a crossword with Alexandria.
I am right there with the gardening and will raise you solitaire and word searches. Some of my friends seem concerned for me but really, this is the life.
We had my in-laws in town last weekend (which was lovely, I hit the in-law jackpot) and we started moving into our new house!! Today is a day of crazy packing and then tomorrow is the big moving day.
I’m part of a panel of worship leaders that’ll be speaking at a women’s event tomorrow, so I am so pumped about that opportunity. And a little stressed about not being able to be present while things are getting moved out of the house 😅 #minorcontrolfreak
We’re in the home stretch of kiddos finishing out this wild school year! Next week is their last full week and then June 2nd is their last day! 🥳 Definitely bittersweet as we’re switching schools with the move.
The process was surprisingly easier than I was anticipating. It might be different with each school district, but all we did was change our address with the office at their school and then they sent everything to the district. We'll find out when school starts again in August if it really was that simple 😂
I would be the exact same way with the move - kindred spirit here. Hope you get to enjoy the final process of it just being DONE and that the panel goes well!
Happy Friday, all! Once again I’ve been MIA here for the last couple weeks. Not for any reason other than that it’s been kind of busy and when it hasn’t been I’ve been reading. 🤷🏻♀️
This week has been a ride. We FINALLY made it to the end of the school year (but not without one final Covid positive in my son’s grade the next to last day🙄). Husband and I are fully vaxxed and son didn’t have any super close contact (that we are aware of) so we are hopeful this will not negatively impact the trip we are finally supposed to take next week.
We also celebrated our 14th anniversary this week. N bought me flowers (which NEVER happens) and we went out to dinner last night for the first time in over a year. It was delightful.
My peonies have bloomed this week which has been a delight, and I only have one and a half days of work until I’m out of the office for a whole week!
I’m off to drink more coffee and read the rest of the comments. Hope everyone has a lovely Friday!
Morning Lil Swipes! Boy have I missed y’all! Wedding is over. Honeymoon is over. It’s back to normal life for me and I should be back here posting on the reg now 💗
My one treasure from the week, which I feel like I’m totally late to, is The Chosen. This is so freaking good and I hate all faith based tv and movies. The quality is amazing. I put it off for a while because finding a way to stream it seemed so tedious, but they put the first season on the free version of Peacock. I think everyone could enjoy this even if you aren’t a Christian because the story telling is so good.
If you can spare a few prayers... I interviewed for a job yesterday and it sounds like a great opportunity. Please pray I get a second interview. I’ve already been turned down for 5 other jobs this year and it has become v discouraging.
And lastly, my husband and I haven’t talked about where we want to go to church, and we need to by this weekend. I don’t like his church at all, and I think he knows it, but I can’t find a way to tell him that in a respectful manner. Any advice? Pray God will give us direction on where to go.
I really really disliked the church my husband was attending when we got married... (ahem famous pastor who then fell from grace...) and we decided to church shop together to find something that both fit us. At the end of the day, I was just really really honest about what I disliked - not accessory, but just very "these are the facts." He listened and it started a good convo about what we needed for our faith.
Ooh! Thanks for the alert about The Chosen being on Peacock. We also found it too complicated to stream, and now we might watch!
Praying for the job sitch.
Ugh, church shopping is honestly the worst. But I think I would maybe try to frame it as wanting to be able to choose a church together that meets both of your needs. I would say make a list of a handful of things that are required, a handful of really top priorities, a handful of "this would be nice" and then compare. You probably won't agree and you probably won't find a church that has half the things you want. But you will find something that has enough. Praying for that journey!
I joined the church my husband was working at when we were dating, and it was not great. Somewhat of a toxic leadership situation. Then after he left that job, we shopped and found a place I liked a bit more than he did. But I think part of the issue was some personal stuff with my husband transitioning out of ministry more than anything. Then when we moved cities 2 years ago we found a church we both liked, but we were also in a town with a lot of options. The previous town's pickings were slim. The slimmer the pickings the more compromising you may have to be prepared for.
I wish you good luck! It can be tough. We had a decent amount of fights the first time we did it. The second time we both just clicked with our current church, thankfully.
WHAT IN THE OPENDIARY DOT COM IS THIS?? I’ve been subscribed to The Swipe Up for months and I had NO idea that an underbelly of Best Internet-Friends existed where people give extended life updates, check in on each other and provide quality links?! Where have I been? Oh that’s right...missing out because I’m secretly listening to open door romance novels while I’m mopping floors and doing laundry! I’ll be here next week with fun things to tell you about! THIS IS FUN, ERIN!!!
I work one weekend out of every three, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it sure feels like a lot sometimes. I worked last weekend, so looking forward to enjoying this one and setting unrealistic goals for exactly how much I'm going to accomplish.
If you have morbid curiosities about subjects directly or tangentially related to death and need and quirky yet knowledgeable guide, may I recommend this YouTube channel? https://youtube.com/c/AskAMortician
I've been watching for several months - it did a great job filling the "I'm too burned out from work to think about what to watch" space for a while, and I think Caitlin is delightful.
Here is a weird and wonderful interview with William Shatner, who apparently decided 65 was old enough and has not aged since. Also, his work in Miss Congeniality is criminally underrated.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/may/20/william-shatner-interview-love-loss-and-leonard-nimoy
I am tired. This week was emotional - some people let go from work - a friend denouncing her faith and some big toddler girl emotions. Work in general is a lot and I have chosen to dive deep into my career, but sometimes I question things.
treasures:
- I am meeting with a spiritual director today! Thank you, Erin, for putting that nugget in my head for next steps in my faith.
- My cut flower garden is blooming! I have anemones, and they're stunning. I credit this account for getting me hooked-- I even bought seeds from them. https://www.instagram.com/floretflower/?hl=en
- remodeling our bedroom! mainly because our shower leaked and we had mold all over our wall so it had to come out... and now it's turning into a revamp: bigger closet, fixing the ceiling with some wood paneling, a light center that will finally be in the center of the ceiling. Classic turd -> treasure moment.
I got my first vaccine shot yesterday. It was the first shot I have ever received whereupon I did not cry from anxiety before anything even happened. One side of my family is filled with medical professionals who immediately got vaccinated. The other side believes that it is a sign of the end times and has been very vocal about all the conspiracies. They did not used to be like this; the last year has been a wild ride. So I’m quietly celebrating, and keeping it to myself and the people in my small office…but just so YOU know, I’m pretty proud of myself for doing my own research and making up my own mind. Also, I got my first shot on the same day as Daveed Diggs and have been riding that “not-throwing-away-my-shot” high! If you need me, I’ll be nursing a sore arm, buying myself new Olive & June colors as a present, and singing Hamilton!
Erin, my family is the same way, and I think you should be very proud of yourself for making up your own mind!
I'm so proud of you for weighing the decision and making it yourself! Get it, girl!
In case you need to hear it: I am also proud of you for making up your own mind.
I remember doing Book-It like it was yesterday, but also just realized we didn't have a Pizza Hut in my town, so I'm not sure where the free pizza came from? Weird...
It's been rainy and cloudy all week here in Kansas, which has affected moods and outside playtime. Although, I learned that my children do not seem to care one lick if it is raining outside - they just strip to their undies and have a good time getting soaked in the rain, so there's that.
This week I learned that, not only am "Advanced Maternal Age" (31 weeks at age 41...good times), I am also a "Geriatric Millennial". Thanks, internet.
Some bright spots in the gloom:
1. I finished up reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo to my boys, and it was a hit. How was this my first Kate DiCamillo book??? It was such a sweet story.
2. My husband introduced me to @christianswhocursesometimes on IG and Oh. My. Word. We sat in bed scrolling through their feed, laughing and cringing. These were some "favorites":
I want all guitar players in worship teams to play like this dude: https://www.instagram.com/p/CO8ciH7lbtk/
This one hit a little too close to home:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO5oRqElieM/
This is so, so bad...but I can't look away...I also will never think of this worship song the same way again:
https://www.instagram.com/p/COI-9WPljyu/
3. Kind of a turd and bright spot: I was informed by my doc that while I passed my 3 hour glucose test, it was pretty close, so they want me to exercise everyday and do a higher protein diet. I've taken a Stupid Walk everyday this week as a result, and it's actually done me a lot of good.
4. This weekend is my fake Mother's Day getaway, and I am READY. Booked my hotel; found my dinner spot; plotted the nearby bookstores. Let's GOOOOOOOO.
Hope you all have the best weekend available to you!
That 3rd insta post!!!! OMG that is great!
Those Insta posts! 😂 I'm glad the walks have been good! I gained a LOT of weight with my second (actually both my babies, who am I kidding), and my doctor also told me to walk more, which I did happily. She also wanted me to cut down on carbs and eat TEN SERVINGS OF VEGETABLES A DAY. I nodded my head but inside I was like "no, I am not doing that", and then went home and made pie.
Enjoy your fake Mother’s Day!!
I haven't read any of my research books this week - but I did finish "That Sounds Fun" and just in time to go to Dollywood tomorrow! (So does this count towards Book It points?) The thrill of a fun day at Dollywood has been keeping me going this week through an exhausting apartment search in Nashville. Ladies, renting in Nashville is only slightly better than buying in Nashville and I have a stress eye-twitch to prove it. So I am going to go to bed early and then go ride roller coasters like I'm 17 again (sans Matthew Perry) tomorrow and hope I don't get too dizzy at 32. It's going to be a blast! Hope you all have an amazing and restful weekend.
Dollywood!! Please report back on all of the delicious food you consume! Are the Chili Cheese Tater Twirls on your list?? 😃
Um, they are now!! 😂
Have so much fun! Loved AFD’s book. I was seeing the same rental cost trends in Nashville area too while I was dreaming of moving out of Ohio 😋
Yay, thank you! And I wish I could commute from another state - it may be cheaper altogether!
Omg I remember book it! Pizza hut pizza is so gross though 🤢. I love that taco bell tweet. Taco bell used to really hit the spot though I now pretend I'm too good for it. Did they ever bring back their cheesy potatoes? They're basically the best thing ever.
I had Lasik last Friday and couldn’t see very well last week. My eyes are really dry and my vision is still hazy as a result, but it is the best money I’ve spent. I still wake up and feel around for my glasses and keep thinking if I remove my contacts my eyes would feel much better haha. But I can see! This summer when I take my kids to the beach I’ll be sure that no one is drowning LOL because I won’t have to ask the kids if they can see each other haha.
My heart has been heavy for the last couple of weeks because I've been thinking a lot about Palestine. I thought about sharing about it, but I hesitated because many non-Arab American people don’t see this as a human rights issue – they say its “complicated” and “both sides” are suffering – no it’s not and they really aren’t. I was afraid, but then I though why am I afraid of the Lil Swipes? Why shouldn’t I share my heart with the most wonderful and thoughtful group of women on the internet?
Though I come from a long line of Lebanese people, my grandparents lived in Palestine, had a home and an olive grove, and lived a comfortable and relatively prosperous life. In 1948 Israel was declared a nation without consulting any indigenous people living there, they drove out all of the people in the villages, including my grandparents who were told to leave or die. They bulldozed buildings, they burned orchards and olive groves to encourage the indigenous Palestinians to get out and then they built internationally condemned illegal settlements. They still use these methods. Zionist groups backed by the apartheid Israeli government are currently trying to remove people from their homes (as they’ve done all along) in Sheik Jarrah, an area that again would be an illegal Israeli settlement. In response to protests, Israel began hammering Gaza killing many children and in some cases, entire families in Gaza. They bombed hospitals, schools, roads, the associated press building and often don’t allow in ambulances and international aid in even after they bomb and people need help. In previous years they’ve been guilty of war crimes for these actions. Nothing is off limits and they do this every few years. Why can they do this? Well, it’s because Israel is backed by the U.S. government, who gives them billions in aid and sells them millions in weaponry. What they do with those weapons is “defend” themselves against Palestinian people who have no army, no navy, no military, who live in what’s been called by international humanitarian groups as an “open air prison”, who cannot leave and go anywhere because of blockades, who have no money, no say, no citizenship, don’t even exist on a google map. You guys it is really not that complicated. I ask you to look through these links and see if you also find it complicated. It's a human rights issue - what's happening is apartheid, colonialism, ethnic cleansing, genocide. Here are some links that explain it better than I ever could.
This is a must watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSRCPiklhI&ab_channel=VICENews
What happened in 1948:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO5fYTuDdKL/?utm_medium=copy_link
A short called “The Present” available on Netflix shows the sad reality of being Palestinian: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11474480/
What does Israel want:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO3Aipbjwt9/?utm_medium=copy_link
Iraeli ex-soldiers speak out:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CO1A6RhlWmu/?utm_medium=copy_link
The reality of living in Gaza occupation after bombardment
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CPAfQx6JrK3/?utm_medium=copy_link
They aren't even shy about what they're doing in east Jerusalem
https://www.instagram.com/p/COYTTOgNKUI/?utm_medium=copy_link
How Israelis on the street feel about it: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CO2jvO1gyzr/?utm_medium=copy_link
I hope these links open your hearts to the pain and suffering of the Palestians. Thank you for giving me a chance to get this off my chest. If you follow me on social media (@revolvingtable) you probably have seen some of these links and I'm sorry to bore you and drone on and on. It's an issue near my heart and it's shocking how American media and Americans in general pay no attention to it. It's important because we fund this. If you feel called to contact your local state reps about it would be much appreciated. Our words and actions matter. And our money can be better used to find American mental health care, clean water, education.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I appreciate every single one of you ❤️
Mona this is ENORMOUSLY thoughtful and helpful. I've been attempting to educate myself these past few weeks and often find myself caught in a tangle. I'm really grateful for the way you've taken the time to share your personal experience as well as helpful links to learn more.
Thank you for sharing. I'm looking forward to learning more about the situation.
Thank you for sharing, Mona💗💗
We appreciate you so much Mona! Thank you for the emotional labor you have done in sharing here and on IG. I hope you can practice some radical self-care soon.
Mona, I really appreciate you sharing. My eyes were opened to reality of what's going on only in 2019, when I took a group of college students to Israel, and we were all encouraged to read a book called The Lemon Tree. The organization that paid for and organized our trip was heavily Christians-that-are-pro-Israel-always, and something just felt off.
In case anyone else in wondering, here are something I learned while on the ground in Israel: How Palestinians who live in Jerusalem are required to have black water towers on their roof, which make it easy for Israel to monitor/cut off water supply, but Jewish homes have 24/7 access to water. (WHAT THE @#!@#.). It was also shocking to learn that a Jewish person who had grown up in a different country (like the US) could get Israeli citizenship relatively easily, yet a Palestinian whose family had lived there since the FIRST century could not get citizenship at all. Obviously, there's so much more egregious treatment that apartheid does feel like the appropriate word. I was so fiery about it, that a few months after I got home, I created an independent study course for myself (as a part of my MDiv program in Seminary) about Christian Palestinians and the hardships they are currently facing.
Mona, I've been realizing over the last week, that I am actually the best person to talk to my (pro-Israel) family and friends about this. Your immense courage to share gives me courage too. (And your links are insanely helpful as well!!) Thank you for being both so gracious & courageous. ❤️
Thank you for talking about it. I'm horrified by what you described seeing in Israel. I truly feel that it is wrong on so many levels and we need to speak up about the injustice. Thank you again ❤️
Thank you, Mona, for sharing. So important and I appreciate the links and thoughtfulness you put into this - although if you were to just cry out and post in just pain + frustration, that would be warranted, too.
My heart was changed when my college roommate lived in Bethlehem and her first-hand account was very eye-opening.
Mona, thank you so much for sharing.
Mona, thank you for sharing all of this. I've had a hard time finding a good/fair explanation of what's going on, but you've made it easier to understand. I teach courses on International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions for work, and I don't understand how America can just turn away from this when it seems that the principles of these laws are being violated daily.
Also, I agree that Pizza Hut pizza sucks, but have you ever tried their Personal Pan Pizzas? Those are totally different and very delicious. I highly recommend!
Love you!!
Thank you for listening Lauren. I have so much love for you! The laws are constantly violated with little to no repercussion. And to show my appreciation I will consider ordering (and eating) a Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut 😂.
Thank you so much for sharing your heart and these resources, Mona
❤❤❤ thank you for listening
Mona, thank you for sharing (I have really appreciated your posts on Instagram as well). It breaks my heart.
I’m adding my thanks for sharing this. I am guilty of using the “ complicated” line. BUT with education we can understand. I will dig in to these links this weekend.
All I want is for people to have all the information so that they can see for themselves what is going on. Unfortunately so much of our media is censored and biased so a lot of times people who want information have to really dig and don't know what to trust.
Thank you for taking a look at what I've share Annette
Thank you so much for sharing Mona! I see this pain and injustice and the labor you put in to share all of this 💕💕
I appreciate you ❤
I want to applaud you for standing up and saying this. I have long thought what Isreal has done to the Palestinian people and how the US has backed every part of it has been disgusting. And so many Americans don't know and don't care about it. I don't think anyone should live under the kind of oppression Palestinians face (you didn't mention the lack of electricity and water - all access controlled by Isreal) and truely as a tax paying American I don't want to support it. There are too many thoughts to put into the comments here but while I sympathize with the idea that Jewish people wanted their own country where they would be safe and not oppressed and persecuted after the holocaust they took/were given land that already had people living there for hundreds of years and turned right around and oppressed and displaced them. It's no wonder that the Palestinians turn to radical measures like Hamas. I'll stand in solidarity with you here because watching what's been going on (again, not even close to the first time) is heartbreaking. Free Palestine.
Yes, there are so many things I didn't mention and I could barely scratch the surface of the injustices and violations which are so rampant it would take weeks for me to share it all. Thank you so much Alison for your support. I can't tell you how much your message means to me. Much love to you.
Mona, THANK YOU for sharing. Here, and on IG. I think it’s easy for me, and a lot of people, to feel like those issues are so far away, they almost feel like I shouldn’t have to worry? (Which ISNT TRUE. But that’s the lie my subconscious tells me when something is terrible and seems too hard to deal with). I appreciate you sharing the resources! Thank you for doing that work for us. Do you have a venmo? I’d like to send you some coffee money so you can treat yourself because you did the work of educating us and providing resources when you didn’t have to.
Keep sharing. Be as angry as you need to be. Seeing your posts for me especially is a reminder that Palestine is a lot closer to home than it feels. And a reminder to do what I can to help.
Shelby, you are an absolute gem of a human. I don't have a venmo but I appreciate your gesture more than you know. If you even looked at or shared anything about Palestine that in and of itself will make the work of sharing worth it. Thank you again, love
Mona, thank-you so much for sharing these. I admit that I have little knowledge of what has been going on except for what my evangelical college taught in the early 2000s. I've been trying to learn more, so thank-you for sharing.
I hope the links are helpful. Thank you for reading my post
I'll take your outrage over silence. Thank you for taking the time to write this comment ❤️...hope you've been well. I wish you could do lasik. It's a miracle to be able to see without glasses
Hi friends! So happy to finally make it into the comments this week! I’m propped up, recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday. When planning for things to do while resting, I realized that I could finally make it into the comments in who knows how long.
⭐️ I am getting to recover at my family’s cabin in the mountains with my mom. So that’s been delightful.
⭐️ As someone who HATES dental work, my oral surgeon and his office have been fabulous. Prayers answered on that one.
⭐️ I’ve started reading Beach Read by Emily Henry
⭐️ When my parents downsized, I got the VCR/DVD player to play movies from my childhood on (ie, my Harry Potter collection). What I did not think about was that I can now check out DVDs from the library. Y’all, I felt like a kid in blockbuster on a Friday night when I had that realization. It gave me so much joy! I checked out the newest Little Woman, La La Land, and Dead Poet’s Society (which I’ve never seen, but feel like I should)
⭐️ We’re in the final month of school. That’s a bit of a turd and a treasure. Hallelujah we made it this far, but dang we still have a month.
I, like everyone else it seems, have the same uneasy feelings about things opening back up.* It’s all I’ve wanted for so long, but now that is partially here, I do not know what to do with it. The lack of trust I developed towards some of my fellow citizens over this *gestures vaguely* is not a place I want to permanently reside but I’m not sure how to get around it.
*I live in South Carolina, we’ve basically been open all this time - who am I kidding?
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m so glad we all can be here together. May your coffee/tea be strong and turds be few! 💜💜
I used to hate the dentist and now I would straight up marry mine. No questions asked. Glad you're recovering in a happy place!
Dead Poets Society! I used that movie to hack my crying on the regular back in the day. I need to watch it again and see how it holds up. I hope you enjoy it!
I just read Emily's latest book so you have another good one lines up after beach read ☺️
"a kid in blockbuster on a Friday night" Girl, this is a whole mood.
SIGN ME UP for watching Little Women in a mountain cabin. So glad your surgery went well, B and you're getting to recover in style.
I also, am amazed at the breakdown of any trust I had in the general public. It's really discouraging and isolating to feel like I can't trust people to do the right, selfless thing for their community. And that doesn't even touch the complicated feelings I have about close friends and family who have responded (or not responded) to this pandemic in a way honoring their community. It's been extremely difficult to navigate.
Yay for amazing dental surgeons and throwback movies. SC has a special place in my heart— I have family in Greenville and my parents lived in Charleston/I got married there 😊
Dead Poet's Society is a great staying in bed movie! It always makes me feel much more artistic than I actually am.
Yay for Beach Read and also the library's DVD collection!
This Grandma is tired so it will be the park and a Happy Meal for my sweet four year old granddaughter today. Hopefully there are other kids so I don’t have to climb and slide and swing 🤞🏻
What a great grandma you are! Fingers crossed for some kids to ay with at the park.
There were kids!
It's my last Friday with students, the wifi is down, we're trying to collect computers,and one of my kids just had a huge cry about another teacher leaving, so we're off to a good start.
This has actually been a pretty good week. We made it through testing which is a beast bc the students aren't reading emails. For over 1/2 my kids being remote test scores were reasonable.
Looking forward to hearing about your weeks when I catch a moment of peace later.
Some treasures!
1) WE FINISHED HOMESCHOOLING!! (Our official "evaluation" is later today so perhaps I should hold off the celebratory cheers just yet, but we wrapped up curriculum yesterday). It's been a wild, unexpected year and while a lot of it was truly lovely, it was also a slog to the finish line these last few weeks.
2) I got back my results from last week's EEG and they were normal - which is good but also maybe complicated for my neurologist. I go to see her this afternoon and am hopeful.
3) My husband and I are both fully vaccinated now and went on our first proper date this week! Honestly it was a bit of a let down in terms of food/service but it felt amazing to be out in our little city again. (And I have a ton of compassion for the service industry right now - there were 3 ladies working their butts off to serve/clear/wait on the entire restaurant. Absolutely not their fault and they were tipped well because again, it was revolutionary to be seeing human faces in public again).
4) Our dream trip this summer (and plans to buy an RV) pivoted d/t my health stuff, but we recently booked a short trip a few hours away and the AirBNB looks dreamy. Grateful we will have some new scenery to stare at!
5) One of my goals this year was to be more intentional with my writing, and miraculously, I am seeking for + seizing those random pockets of time and just DOING IT. I write for work (science/research) but have wanted to develop my free writes/essay/forays into creative and non-structured writing, and it's been cathartic, liberating, and just all around fun.
Looking forward to reading about all of your treasures!
High five to you for writing more! That is always a huge win.
Hooray for finishing the homeschooling year! You did it! 👏🏼🎉
Thanks for the health update— continuing to pray for answers and healing over you. Chronic health stuff is hard and frustrating but you are doing great.. one next right thing at a time.
I hope you have the best time on your mini vacation! I’m so sorry you had to delay the rv trip but I’m hoping you’ll be able to reschedule and it will be that much more special. ❤️
Thanks Kaillie- definitely feeling the prayers!
⛪"Go see Michelle in the foyer" got me 😂
🎧 I had to think pretty hard about what is a treasure this week, but the one thing that did pop into my mind was Dr. Becky's Good Inside podcast episode "Are Tantrums Normal?" if you have a child under the age of 6. Maybe older. God, I hope these tantrums don't last after 6... don't tell me if they do!
😡 OMG yall. Our 3.5 is a little tyrant with BIG feelings these days. But I listened to this podcast episode Tuesday night which prepared me for the rager I encountered when I had to do bath time (usually husband's job) while husband was at a church meeting. 3.5yo screamed pretty much for 20-30 min straight (wouldn't have been surprised if someone called the cops on us) and ended up splashing 1/2 of the bath water out of the bath. But ultimately we survived, he calmed down, and I 1. Kept my own body calm and 2. Kept my child safe.
💡 I also realized, due to the pandemic, our child doesn't remember a time when mom or dad just wasn't home for the bath/bed routine (there was no where to go). He's stayed overnight with grandparents, so he has been apart from us, but not on a random Tuesday. This was out of the ordinary. He eventually was able to articulate that he was afraid that dad would never come back. So that was a lightbulb moment for me to have grace for my kiddos even with the seemingly small transitions back into Real Life.
💄 ALSO I decided since mask mandates are being lifted (particularly at the public institutions of higher ed I work at in Texas where the governor decided it would be literally illegal punishable by a $1000 fine to mandate masks) I bought some new lipsticks! I still think I need help on how to choose colors, but I listened to JBG and got the Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick and it is GOOD. I often don't wear lipstick because I don't like that it gets on everything and has to be reapplied. But this stuff STAYS PUT even after sloppily eating a desk lunch but also was not horrible to get off at the end of the day like some stuff. It's a but drying, but you can easily add some balm on top and the color doesn't even get on your chapstick tube! Highly recommend. I also got the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, but it wasn't as good IMO. The other one I got was Milani Color Fetish Shine, which although it doesn't stay put, it has a nice shine and feels very hydrating. Lipstick up, ladies!
Lindsay, try the Flower matte lip product at CVS. (Drew Barrymore’s line). It’s wonderful! It got this lipstick loving gal through this mask wearing season💄
Love dr becky! Good work Mama!
::cues up Dr. Becky immediately:: (We also have a 3 year old who has a LOT of emotions right now)
Godspeed ✊
In my old sexy church Michelle could always be found "to the left of the stage" 😂
Melissa is in the Welcome Center at our current church 😂
I feel very seen by the tweet about aging and being a terrible Young Person. I was complaining to a friend yesterday about needing 40 year old friends that want to garden and knit with me.
When I turned forty, I realized I'd been waiting for twenty years to be comfortable with myself. I was not good at being a Young Person either. I'll garden and knit with you, and then do a crossword with Alexandria.
I am right there with the gardening and will raise you solitaire and word searches. Some of my friends seem concerned for me but really, this is the life.
Hi friends!!!! 🙋🏼♀️
What a WEEK!
We had my in-laws in town last weekend (which was lovely, I hit the in-law jackpot) and we started moving into our new house!! Today is a day of crazy packing and then tomorrow is the big moving day.
I’m part of a panel of worship leaders that’ll be speaking at a women’s event tomorrow, so I am so pumped about that opportunity. And a little stressed about not being able to be present while things are getting moved out of the house 😅 #minorcontrolfreak
We’re in the home stretch of kiddos finishing out this wild school year! Next week is their last full week and then June 2nd is their last day! 🥳 Definitely bittersweet as we’re switching schools with the move.
Can’t wait to see what y’all have got going on! 💛
Will take all your tips for changing schools! We're about to do that!
The process was surprisingly easier than I was anticipating. It might be different with each school district, but all we did was change our address with the office at their school and then they sent everything to the district. We'll find out when school starts again in August if it really was that simple 😂
So many good things— good luck with the move! Excited for you to be speaking on a worship leader panel! Have fun 😊
I would be the exact same way with the move - kindred spirit here. Hope you get to enjoy the final process of it just being DONE and that the panel goes well!
All the move blessings for you!
Happy Friday, all! Once again I’ve been MIA here for the last couple weeks. Not for any reason other than that it’s been kind of busy and when it hasn’t been I’ve been reading. 🤷🏻♀️
This week has been a ride. We FINALLY made it to the end of the school year (but not without one final Covid positive in my son’s grade the next to last day🙄). Husband and I are fully vaxxed and son didn’t have any super close contact (that we are aware of) so we are hopeful this will not negatively impact the trip we are finally supposed to take next week.
We also celebrated our 14th anniversary this week. N bought me flowers (which NEVER happens) and we went out to dinner last night for the first time in over a year. It was delightful.
My peonies have bloomed this week which has been a delight, and I only have one and a half days of work until I’m out of the office for a whole week!
I’m off to drink more coffee and read the rest of the comments. Hope everyone has a lovely Friday!
Happy anniversary!!
Happy anniversary! Enjoy those peonies - such gorgeous blooms!
Happy 14th anniversary!!! Enjoy your vacation!
Morning Lil Swipes! Boy have I missed y’all! Wedding is over. Honeymoon is over. It’s back to normal life for me and I should be back here posting on the reg now 💗
My one treasure from the week, which I feel like I’m totally late to, is The Chosen. This is so freaking good and I hate all faith based tv and movies. The quality is amazing. I put it off for a while because finding a way to stream it seemed so tedious, but they put the first season on the free version of Peacock. I think everyone could enjoy this even if you aren’t a Christian because the story telling is so good.
If you can spare a few prayers... I interviewed for a job yesterday and it sounds like a great opportunity. Please pray I get a second interview. I’ve already been turned down for 5 other jobs this year and it has become v discouraging.
And lastly, my husband and I haven’t talked about where we want to go to church, and we need to by this weekend. I don’t like his church at all, and I think he knows it, but I can’t find a way to tell him that in a respectful manner. Any advice? Pray God will give us direction on where to go.
Love y’all lots 💗
I really really disliked the church my husband was attending when we got married... (ahem famous pastor who then fell from grace...) and we decided to church shop together to find something that both fit us. At the end of the day, I was just really really honest about what I disliked - not accessory, but just very "these are the facts." He listened and it started a good convo about what we needed for our faith.
This is good, thank you Erika 😘
Ooh! Thanks for the alert about The Chosen being on Peacock. We also found it too complicated to stream, and now we might watch!
Praying for the job sitch.
Ugh, church shopping is honestly the worst. But I think I would maybe try to frame it as wanting to be able to choose a church together that meets both of your needs. I would say make a list of a handful of things that are required, a handful of really top priorities, a handful of "this would be nice" and then compare. You probably won't agree and you probably won't find a church that has half the things you want. But you will find something that has enough. Praying for that journey!
I joined the church my husband was working at when we were dating, and it was not great. Somewhat of a toxic leadership situation. Then after he left that job, we shopped and found a place I liked a bit more than he did. But I think part of the issue was some personal stuff with my husband transitioning out of ministry more than anything. Then when we moved cities 2 years ago we found a church we both liked, but we were also in a town with a lot of options. The previous town's pickings were slim. The slimmer the pickings the more compromising you may have to be prepared for.
Lindsay, I love these "church shopping" tips. We are not attending anywhere right now and would really like to, so we will definitely make a list!
I wish you good luck! It can be tough. We had a decent amount of fights the first time we did it. The second time we both just clicked with our current church, thankfully.
praying for all your requests, and glad you are back and MARRIEEEED. The Chosen is on my list!