Let’s Look at How We Can Encourage Racial Equality at Home

The recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have brought racial injustice in the United States to the surface yet again. I was ignorant of systemic racism until a few years ago and it is an issue I will always be learning more about. I am still working through my thoughts and next steps, but for today, I am linking up with Shay and Erica to look at the resources teaching me about racism and racial equality.

Books

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Brown’s parents named her Austin, a name that brings to mind a white man, so that the name on her resume would get her to the job interview. This book is written in a very approachable style, but I was convicted by the negative experiences Brown has had to endure because of being black.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

This book, written by an attorney who argues appeals for death row inmates, broke my heart. Most of the book revolves around the story of a black man wrongfully convicted of murder and put on death row. Stevenson also addresses how motherhood, mental health, and addiction interact with the American prison system. Just Mercy was made into a movie earlier this year and is widely available for free streaming.

Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin

Beyond Colorblind helped me to see how God can and does restore racial brokenness. Shin does not shy away from the pain caused by racial wounds, but she shares hope of what right relationships between people of difference ethnicities can look like.

Podcasts

Scene on Radio

I was introduced to this podcast through their “Seeing White” series exploring the history of race and whiteness in America. This show’s presentation of how the construct of race came about opened my eyes to how deeply rooted our nation’s problems are and their current series, “The land that never has been yet -,” further explores this idea.

1619

This podcast from the New York Times gives a history of black people in the United States and sheds a light on inequalities faced today in healthcare and lending, among other topics.

The Secret Lives of Black Women

I don’t believe the purpose of this show is to educate listeners about racial inequality as much as it is intended to be a space for black women to tell their stories and come together over shared experiences. That said, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about how black women move through the world so that I am more aware of my own blind spots.

There are many books and podcasts I have yet to explore, but these are the sources that have most shaped me so far. Feel free to share other suggestions in the comments or look back at the link up for more ideas.

 

Easter in a Time of Despair

We have made it to the end of the Easter season, which is marked by Pentecost Sunday! Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Easter and Lent 2020 are a season I want to remember as vividly as other Easters through the years.

My childhood memories of the holiday take place at my grandparents’ home in Kansas City. On the days leading up to Easter, we put a little bunny holding a basket on Grandma’s bed each afternoon. After dinner, much to our delight, we found the basket full of pastel-colored M&Ms. On the morning of our first Kansas City Easter, we woke up to find a trail of bunny footprints leading from our room to our Easter baskets.

In junior high, my family spent a few Spring Breaks in Newport Beach. The first time we drove down on Easter Sunday only to discover there was nowhere open for us to get dinner.

In high school, it snowed one year. In college, I wasn’t always able to get home, and so one year, I spent Easter alone. Then there was my senior year, just months after Grandma died. That Easter was the hardest. I realized how much I missed her and how precious the memories at her home are to me.

After college, in Fresno, friends who became family welcomed me into their Easter celebrations. When my parents moved back to Concord, we joyfully reunited with our friends there.

Some years Easter is still hard. Not only do I have the memories that stir up a longing for my mom’s family, but it is also the day my dad’s mother passed away when I was four.

So, faced with Easter amid a pandemic, I was determined to mark the day and rejoice because Jesus rose from the dead, and he still lives! We need Easter because our world groans with pain.

We were separated from our families, but my roommates and I spent the day together and enjoyed good food. I put up decorations collected from family members. We dined on the good china. We listened to music praising the God who will break every chain.

Over the past fifty days, I have learned to lean into God’s grace. While walking through my neighborhood, getting food from local restaurants, and tasting spring’s bounty from the farmer’s market, I have seen God’s provision.

During Lent, I chose to let go of some things. However, I don’t think any of us who decided to observe Lent on February 26 knew how much would be taken from us before Easter. The gift is that God taught me what I don’t need through the giving up and the taking away. Therefore, when Easter came, my desire for things less than was a little weaker, and I was able to embrace goodness.

Monday begins ordinary time and my first day back working in the office. As we all try to figure out life during a pandemic, I pray that we would become better able to strip away empty fluff and embrace that which truly gives life.

Let’s Look at Our Favorite Reads

Today I am linking up to Let’s Look and sharing some of my favorite books over the years.

I spent most of my childhood reading these series – Little House, American Girl, and Nancy Drew. I am slowly trying to rebuild my collection and last fall I had a lot of fun rereading Nancy Drew. I had forgotten many of the details, so I still got to uncover the mystery along with Nancy.

Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen by Robin Jones Gunn filled up my teen years. I am thankful I had this group of God lovers to look up to as I figured out my faith and journeyed into adulthood.

These four books have stuck with me in my adult life. I read Beyond Colorblind by Sarah Shin as part of a small group last year and am rereading it for my Sunday School class. She tells powerful stories of how God has redeemed racial brokenness. The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan was part of my college curriculum. Then my church focused on it this summer. Sabbath is so so important but is too often neglected. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver will make you fall in love with food and really think about how what you eat gets to your table. I have four copies of this one, because I kept forgetting I had it and buying it at thrift stores. And finally, a baseball book – The Game by Robert Benson. If you like baseball, you must read this book. He has great reflections on life and baseball.

For fiction reads, I have enjoyed Jane Austin and Elizabeth Gaskell – especially North and South. Mr. Thornton is quite dreamy, especially in the BBC miniseries (on Netflix). I recently reread the book and I was pleasantly surprised to be reminded that it is in fact better than the show, which I wasn’t sure was possible.

Right now, I am working through the Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers as well as reading To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and When Donkeys Talk by Tyler Blanski.

Let me know what your favorite books are – I am always looking to add to my reading list!

September 2018 What’s Up Wednesday

Today I’m joining the What’s Up Wednesday Link-Up!

What I’m Eating This Week

I’m not cooking this week! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights I have youth group events that include dinner and Thursday is a work event. The only meal I “cooked” was frozen enchiladas on Monday in the microwave.

What I’m Reminiscing About

Nothing specific, but I feel like time is just flying by. There was one particular insurance renewal we got at work this week that I could have sworn we did two months ago, not a year ago.

What I’m Dreading

We are in the middle of dealing with a pest control situation.

What I’m Working On

See previous question.

What I’m Excited About

Grey’s Anatomy returns tomorrow!!!!

https://gph.is/28MpLSI

What I’m Watching/Reading

I’m reading Possession by A. S. Byatt and Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis as recommended by the Fountains of Carrots podcast. Faces is a page turner (I’m almost done) but the jury is still out on Possession.

What I’m Listing To

Lauren Daigle’s new album Look Up Child is fantastic. I enjoy every song, which isn’t the case with most albums I listen to. I think my favorites are “Rescue” and “Look Up Child,” but it’s hard to choose.

What I’m Wearing

Summer clothes cause it’s still 80-90 degrees in Fresno.

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Cleaning the house and dealing with our unwanted visitors of the insect variety.

What I’m Looking Forward to This Month

FALL!! Check out How We … Fall to see what I’ll be up to!

What Else is New?

I’m back with the youth group after a semester break and I am loving it!

Bonus – My Favorite Pumpkin Thing to Eat/Drink

Pumpkin bread! My family got the best recipe from our neighbor Betty. I have a bunch of pumpkin puree in the freezer, so I should get baking!

How We … Fall

I’m linking up with Erika and Shay for How We … Wednesdays and sharing my four favorite Fall traditions!

Clovis Hot Air Balloons

While I haven’t yet had the chance to go for a hot air balloon ride, seeing them launch sure is fun. One Saturday each fall, we get up before the crack of dawn and head to the Clovis Rodeo grounds for the Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly! Bright flames shoot into the dim early morning sky before the balloons begin slowly inflating to their larger than life size. This event marks the beginning of another year in Fresno for me and I always run into many familiar faces.

Big Fresno Fair

I try to hit up the Fair each year with my roomies on the canned food drive night for free admission. Corn dogs, curly fries, and cinnamon rolls make for a great fair dinner!

Halloween

Costumes and candy – what’s not to love? Pictured above are my brother and me at a college party and me as a Ceiling Fan. I continued the pun theme last year and went as a Social Butterfly (I wore the Facebook logo on a blue dress and wings). Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture but I want to keep up the pattern, so leave your punny costume ideas in the comments!

Come and Dine

It’s back!!! Come and Dine is a fabulous community lunch my neighborhood puts on in our local park. Table hosts prepare a meal for 10 and we all enjoy good food and beautiful weather with old friends and new. Come and Dine is returning after a two year hiatus and I can’t wait!

5 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

Hey all! Over the last year, I have gotten into podcasts big time. I listen on my way to and from work and while doing chores around the house. Here are 5 of my favorites that you should check out.

 

Women’s Work

Each week Tsh Oxenreider interviews a woman in a different field about her career. There is really something for everyone – law, the arts, non-profits, and more. It is fascinating and inspiring to hear how each woman found her niche with work she loves.

 

For the Love!

Jen Hatmaker fills this podcast with all the things we love from food to exploring our faith. Jen has deep, meaningful, and fun-filled conversations with each of her guests. Every episode adds a few things to my reading list and helps me engage with tough conversations in today’s world.

 

Fountains of Carrots

I’m not quite sure how I first discovered Haley Stewart’s blog Carrots for Michaelmas but I was quickly drawn in by her takes on food, books, and the liturgical year. This podcast with Haley and Christy Isinger is more of the same and then some. A couple of my favorite episodes are #3 TV Shows About Dresses and #89, the most recent episode. The ladies interviewed Dr. Stephani Richards-Wilson about Willi Graf who was part of the resistance movement in Nazi Germany.

 

Reading in Church & Other Distractions

Drs. Robert Wallace and Michael McKeever are reading through the Revised Common Lectionary in this podcast. Each week generally contains four readings – Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospel. These professors from my alma mater share their thoughts and reflections on each week’s scriptures. Listening to this show reminds me of why I loved their classes so much, but with the perk of not having to write a paper.

 

Shmanners

This is such a fun podcast! Travis and Teresa McElroy host this hilarious exploration of manners, etiquette, and culture.  They cover travel, hosting and being a guest, illnesses, sporting events, holidays, biographies, and more. If you have ever wondered how to behave in a certain situation, there is probably an episode of Shmanners to help you out. (Disclaimer: don’t eat or drink while listening to this show. Travis’ commentary may make you laugh and almost spray your mocha all over your windshield.)

 

There are a few others podcasts I have queued up in my Apple Podcast app, but these five are my favorites. They make me laugh, think, pray, and grow and I hope you can find something here to suit your tastes.

How We: Plan Our Summer Vacations

I’m linking up with Mix and Match Mama and A Little Bit of Everything to talk about vacations!

At this stage of my life, my schedule doesn’t change much in the summer, so I am planning to travel more in the spring and fall during the “off season.”

Right now, I have a long travel wish list and am planning ahead to make the best use of my ten PTO days each year. My priorities right now are to visit family and friends, take an Alaskan Cruise, and explore Europe.

My first step when planning a trip is researching online to figure out costs and tentative dates. I then calculate how much I need to set aside each month to pay for the trip. The biggest expense is usually airfare but I use Southwest rewards to offset this. The next big chunk is housing. I have found my best bargains by getting a bed at a hostel – even in the US. By saving on airfare and housing, I have more to spend on the fun stuff like food!

When it comes to packing, I just think about what I might be doing each day and pick an outfit. The other tip that helped me is making a packing list while traveling. Almost every year I go to youth group winter camp. One year, I kept track of everything I actually used and that was my packing list the next year. Now, my bag is a lot lighter and I haven’t missed anything!

Traveling and exploring the world, though challenging at times, gives me great joy and these are just a couple of the ways I have streamlined the process so I can get the most out of my vacations.

 

The Servanthood of Downton Abbey

Awhile back the book my church was studying asked about our perceptions of servanthood and how our culture has influenced those views. The first image that popped in my head was the staff of Downton Abbey. The dignity they serve with and the great pride they take in their work have stuck with me since the show ended.

First off is the way Anna supports Lady Mary throughout the show. Over the years, Anna shows great loyalty to Mary and acts as advisor as well as servant. She helps save Mary from disgrace and ruin, sometimes keeping secrets and performing tasks she may be uncomfortable with. Out of gratitude for Anna, Mary returns this level of care. After Anna is raped, Mary fights her corner through all the aftermath. In the final season of the show, Mary goes out of her way to help Anna achieve and maintain her pregnancy.

The concept of having servants still seems strange to me and I struggle a bit with the idea of a human hierarchy. The show itself touches on servants not being for everyone when Matthew struggles with having a valet wait on him. It seems ridiculous to have someone help him get dressed. But Robert convinces Matthew to keep his valet by pointing out the dignity and pride Molesley finds in his work, no matter how unnecessary it may seem. Over the years Molesley and Matthew develop a deep respect for each other.

Throughout the series, it is clear most of the staff would do anything for the family and don’t feel the work of serving is beneath them. The ultimate example of servanthood at Downton Abbey is Carson. His loyalty to the Crawleys is unmatched. The butler considers them to be his family, while still recognizing his place as staff.

While there is a strict hierarchy of roles at Downtown, the Crawleys never hesitate to meet the human, personal needs of their staff, which demonstrates that all of Downton’s residents have equal value. Everyone has a role and no role is worthless. Throughout the show, several of the staff leave service for other careers, and that is celebrated. But those who stay are not portrayed as those who have settled for less. They are wonderful examples of what it looks like to constantly put another before yourself. And in the end that is not weakness or inferiority, but a quiet dignified strength; a desire to do one’s best no matter the task.

 

Israel

In a couple days I am leaving on a trip to Israel with my parents, brother, and about 20 other people from my childhood church.

I am super excited about this opportunity and will be blogging for our group here. The first post is up, so check it out!

Workin’ It Wednesday – Spring Cleaning

Spring is my favorite time of year. The days are getting longer, my neighborhood is coming back to life as people get outdoors, and the air feels so fresh.

Nothing beats a fresh, deep cleaned house to go with that weather. March was a whirlwind for me, but this past Saturday, I finally had a day at home and cleaned my living room from top to bottom. My favorite products are from Norwex. All I used was an EnviroWand, the mop system and two EnviroCloths – one wet, one dry.  And when I was done, I threw everything in the washer. It has been so relaxing to spend time in my clean living room this week reading, watching TV and looking through my front window.

The other big project I want to tackle is washing my windows and screens. The plan right now is to hire a couple teens from my youth group to help. This is something I am thinking I will do more often for bigger tasks. The job is more fun with someone else, they get a little spending money, and it is great quality time.

I have begun to observe the liturgical calendar and for next year, I want to plan better so that I can deep clean my whole house during Lent and have it ready for Easter. I like the idea of having my house ready for the resurrected Jesus. I would also like to incorporate a not quite as deep, but still thorough cleaning into Advent to prepare for Baby Jesus.

My roommates and I are all fairly clean people, so the kitchen and bathrooms stay decent, but it is nice to go after the dust bunnies under the couch and scrub the shower at least a couple times a year.