Monthly Miscellany: August Edition

Recent Reads and Favorite Things

Aug 28, 2023

Recent Reads

My reading has slowed down a bit this past month, but I recently finished reading 2 thrillers with very intriguing premises: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister and Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. Both were solid page-turners.

Currently reading: Memorizing Scripture by Glenna Marshall. This book is so practical and helpful!

Midnight Mercies by Christine Chappell. I have followed Christine’s writing for a while and was excited to get an advanced copy of this book about depression in motherhood. It has been a rich resource for me. The book comes out in October, but you can pre-order it now.

Favorite Music

“Have Mercy” by Paper Horses. Paper Horses is a new group comprised of Jess Ray, Leslie Jordan, and Sandra McCracken, and I am HERE. FOR. IT. I can’t wait to hear what else they release.

“The Lows” by Cochren & Co.

“Hideaway” by NEEDTOBREATHE. I have been a NEEDTOBREATHE fan for at least a decade, but their last couple of albums haven’t been my favorite. I am a fan of this song and am curious to hear their whole album when it releases in mid-September (even though this font choice is kind of creepy…).

“If You Don’t Move” by Jason Gray.

Even though it’s not quite fall, I love anticipating it. I made a fall playlist last year and will be revisiting it soon.

Favorite Finds Around the Web

“I Get No Mail and It’s Glorious” by David Friedman. I read this and immediately adopted some of its suggestions. Junk mail is the worst (but feel free to send me a hand-written note).

“Love Keeps No Record of Rights” by Tim Challies. “Jesus loved us without keeping an accounting, without ensuring that he was being loved to the same degree that he was loving. Jesus loved us without maintaining an exhaustive record of all the ways he had succeeded and we had failed.”

“14 Principles for Studying the Bible” by Douglas Sean O’Donnell. A helpful, simple list.

“On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time” by Kevin DeYoung. “Spiritual disciplines are great (and necessary) when the goal is to know God better. Spiritual disciplines are soul-crushing when the aim is to get our metaphysical workout in each day, knowing that we could always exercise more if we were better Christians.”

“Pep Talk” by Maggie Smith. I appreciated this reminder that’s especially applicable to writers. “Whatever happens to your work when you send it into the world, with its sometimes treacherous landscapes, is none of your business, really. You made the thing, and now people can make up their own minds about it. Will everyone love it? Probably not. Will everyone hate it? Also, probably not.”

Just for Fun

Someone on Instagram shared about this stain remover many months ago, and I have now gone through 2 bottles of it. It works on just about everything.
I recently discovered the “photo shuffle” feature for the iPhone lock screen, and it brings me delight on a daily basis. I never know what photo I will see when I pick up my phone. Just follow these steps and hit “done” at the end:

(Source)

I am a big fan of this NYX lip gloss. It’s moisturizing but not sticky, and it comes in a variety of colors. The color is not long-lasting, but it’s nice for days when I may not wear lipstick or just want something lowkey.

Life Lately

We made a whirlwind trip to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play on Kids Club day. Kids Club is a Cardinals fan club just for kids, and Charlotte got a membership for Christmas last year. We were able to get discounted tickets for the game, and Charlotte attended a Q&A with the coach and 2 players (Gorman and Knizner, for those interested). Charlotte got to ask a question and was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. She and Stephen also got to walk around the warning track in a parade before the game started. It was a very hot, very long day, but I loved seeing how happy and excited Charlotte was to be there. I’m also super thankful that Stephen can share his Cardinals obsession with her since I am a less than enthusiastic sports person.