It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals.
On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote or Bible verse, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.
I spend a whole lot of time creating sentences in my head, forming opinions and declarations, and figuring out the best way to communicate them. Even if those thoughts don't get spoken out loud or written out on a page, my brain is quite often writing an essay or formulating a speech.
Is this a mom thing? Or a writer thing? Or maybe an egomaniac thing?
Yikes.
In the past couple of weeks, I tried to turn off my thoughts and tune into the thoughts of others - mostly the thoughts of people of color. Each time I would hear a new concept or an old one explained in a new way, I tried to sit with it for a little while, doing my best to give it weight in my mind before automatically thinking, "YES. THAT!" or "NO. NOT THAT." This was hard because letting something sit in your brain and your heart if it's uncomfortable - and especially if it's convicting - is not always an enjoyable way to spend your time.
The thing is that you don't need me to tell you who you should learn from and who you should listen to on racial injustice any more than you need me to tell you about the joggers I found on the cheap at Amazon. But if you're here, you're here. And it is here that I'm finding there is a fine line to walk.
On one hand, I don't want to be silent because so much of what has happened to black people in this country in the past few months makes my stomach turn. And I know it hasn't only been in the last few months. On the other hand, what is equally stomach-turning is a white girl who listens to a podcast and then is suddenly so super-impressed with herself and her efforts to become enlightened that she wants to tell you all about it. "Woke White Girl" with the all the advice on how to be anti-racist? Ugh. She is way up at the top of "The Worst of all the White Girls List".
I don't want to be that girl. Nevertheless, I come here every week and I tell you some of my favorite things. The last few weeks have been so sad to me that favorites have been hard to come by, but I have found some. And many of my favorite moments in the last few weeks have been when I have forced myself to shut my own opinions down and open my ears and my eyes to hear another voice and see another perspective. So to start 5 Friday Favorites today, I'm going to share a few of those voices - some are black leaders who I have already followed for awhile on social media and some I have just discovered. I'm also ordering a couple of books that seem like they'll teach me some things I don't know. Because if I've learned anything in the past few weeks, it's this: There's a whole heckuva a lot I don't know.
1. Some People I'm Listening To
Priscilla Shirer
Books HERE
Instagram HERE
Don't miss this IGTV of her father, Pastor Tony Evans, speaking with his grandsons HERE
Emmanuel Acho
Instagram HERE
Also #hookemhorns
Mike Kelsey
On That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs Podcast HERE
Instagram HERE
On Annie & Eddie Keep Talking Podcast HERE
2. Women's Square Neck Belted Overalls
The other day I heard Leslie Jordan say that during this hunker down period he's gotten as big as Dallas and half of Fort Worth.
I'd say that's a pretty apt description of what has transpired around here as well. To say my pre-quarantine clothes are a little snug would be a gross understatement. That's why I was so relieved to find these Women's Square Neck Belted Overalls at Target a couple of weeks ago. They are adorable and also I can breathe when I wear them which is always something I find crucial in my clothing choices.
I'd say that's a pretty apt description of what has transpired around here as well. To say my pre-quarantine clothes are a little snug would be a gross understatement. That's why I was so relieved to find these Women's Square Neck Belted Overalls at Target a couple of weeks ago. They are adorable and also I can breathe when I wear them which is always something I find crucial in my clothing choices.
3. A Couple Books I'm Ordering
I've seen so many books recommended in the last few weeks on race issues. I had a list of about ten and then I had to realize that this learning will be a long process,so I'm going to need to start with two. Even before I heard Latasha Morrison on the Annie & Eddie Keep Talking podcast, I had heard her on other podcasts numerous times. Her book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation has been selling out like crazy in the past few weeks. It is hard to find, but I'm guessing they'll be printing more and more copies for a good while.
My church is holding a discussion group on the book, So You Want to Talk about Race? by Ijeoma Oluo. It is available right now on Amazon.
4. Summer Quarantine Wear
As the temperatures climb, we've officially moved past the quarantine-jogger season. Since we're still barely going anywhere though, I've taken to wearing running shorts and tshirts every single day whether I'm running or not. Nike Dry Tempo Running Shorts are the most comfortable for me and Dick's Sporting Goods has them on sale right now. There are a bazillion colors to choose.
Also, apparently Dick's Sporting Goods now has their own line of apparel called DSG. These tanks are great and only $10.98 each.
5. Baseball is Back!!!
And this is pretty much how I feel about it. Drew started practices this week and if the rain will hold off he has a game tomorrow. I am trying to prepare myself for the fact that after three months of no games we might get cancelled on the first day back which means I'm going to need to do a lot of deep breathing.
My most recent column for the Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League focused on all my resolutions for how I will be a better baseball fan if the Lord will just see fit to give us our summer season. You can read that HERE if you're interested.
Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the amazing men out there. Especially to my dad and my husband. How blessed we are to be loved by you.
Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.
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