Can We Skip to the Good Part?
June 24' Reflections: Navigating the Now & Not Yet + My Monthly Roundup
I don’t know how we’re in July when it feels like June just started. 🫠 It’s crazy though, because while June feels like it came and went, some days and weeks seemed like they lingered and lasted longer than others.
June was a month of decision-making. A month of worrying and trying to wrap my mind around waymaking. But it was also a month of praying, surrendering, and trusting. This was a weekly recurring cycle, and it was downright exhausting. I shared more about it in one of my recent (Joy)Caps.
Life, in its messiness and uncertainty, has left me a little depleted and these days have left me drained. You know that fatigue you get from making daily decisions, fighting daily battles, and just praying and hoping you will experience a win?
That’s where I am right now.
The Weekly (Joy)Cap
If I’m being honest, this is a season that I would prefer to skip. Similar to how Ruth Chou Simons described a previous season in her latest book Now and Not Yet.
I wanted to hit Next on the control panel of my life. I had prayed for some of these very opportunities. I wanted what God had given me; I just didn’t want a version that included unknowns, unrewarding attempts at the right choices, unending obstacles, struggles with my own weaknesses, and a restless lack of fulfillment.”
“It’s hard to live on purpose in the present when your expectations take you somewhere else.”
Phew! I can relate. 😩
I have spent the month of June wrestling between this tension of now and not yet. I think many of us are also there. I think much of our wrestling has to do with what Ruth purported — “our assumptions about God’s character, our limited understanding of his ways, and the choices we get to make each day about how to realign and respond to what God says about his purposes, right where are.”
It’s tricky, friends. It’s tricky navigating and living into this tension. It takes a daily renewing of the mind, and that renewing is a choice. A choice that I’m working to turn into a practice, but I’m not there yet.
I know that how we choose to and approach and engage in our everyday matters. I’m grateful that just as the beginning of the month, each day brings a fresh start.
Books 📚
Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay. This is the perfect, light-hearted rom-com to kick off your summer reading. It had a perfect mix of romance, drama, mystery, and family. I picked this up at the library, but I am highly considering purchasing it to re-read year after year.
The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. What can I say about Sista Frieda?! 😂 This is my first time reading a thriller since Gone Girl back in college, and this did not disappoint! I was jumping, yelling, and laughing throughout the whole book. The characters are psychotic, but this book was a good time, for sure.
Beach Read by Emily Henry. I’ve been working my way through Emily Henry’s backlist, and I will say her books are a hit or miss for me. I wasn’t crazy about Happy Place and from what I remember, People We Meet on Vacation was okay. Her recent release Funny Story is still sitting at the top for me, with Beach Read coming in as a close runner-up. More than the romance itself, I appreciated the personal journey and character development of January and Gus over the course of the book. I will always love a sappy romance, but it’s even better when there is some depth, relatability, and realness behind it, which was a pleasant surprise for Beach Read.
These were just some of my favorites. I read 14 books this month. For a full list of what I read, check out my Goodreads.
Podcasts 🎧
I’ve been feeling really depleted all across the board, so when I was scrolling through Apple Podcasts and came across this episode, I knew it would be just what I needed to encourage and remind me of where and Who I need to look to for strength. In this episode, Dawnchere and her mother discuss the ups and downs of parenting and how to find strength, joy, and resilience as you raise your kids and set the atmosphere of your home. If you’ve been feeling like you need a reset or a little more strength, you will enjoy this episode.
I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that motherhood hasn’t influenced the amount of time I spend in the Word. While motherhood is filled with constant change and transition, there are still opportunities to learn and grow deeper in your walk with the Lord, even if it looks different than before. In this episode, Jenna shares practical ways you can grow your relationship with God throughout the various seasons and stages of motherhood.
Currently Loving 💕
These glass straws from Amazon.
Kindle Stickers from the Bookish Moment Etsy Shop
Throughout the month, I love to post notes, reflections, or other resources that I find encouraging or helpful. Make sure you download the Substack app so you don’t miss out on new notes, chats, and threads.
Catch up on June Posts
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I wish I could skip to the good part a lot lately.
It's like May-June-July are all melding together. I want to remember all the golden moments and cherish the restful hours in between the memory making.