Plot Points #47 💌
Church softball, Saint Paul, Christian satire, and theo-bros
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Hi and happy Friday!
As we anxiously await the arrival of my little sister’s first baby (!!!), the four of us are going on a (local) family retreat with our church this weekend. Pierce and I have been to this camp once before as high school leaders at our old church, but that was about ten years ago now. We’re so excited to have a few days to relax and worship together as a family, celebrate Theo’s 5th birthday, and get to know more people at Trinity.
I’ve been hard at work on the latter by playing on the softball league our church puts together every spring (#goteamdirt). I cannot overstate how much joy this brings me. I played softball for seven years as a kid—and then again with Pierce and our friends on an intramural team in college—and I’ve always loved it. We won our first game 24-8 and then got stomped by our pastor’s team on Monday night. I’m not mad about it. I mean, I get to play softball with my pastor. I also may or may not have gotten the umpire to roast him, who can say? 🤷🏼♀️ I love our church.
Have a beautiful weekend, friends! Thanks for spending some of your time here with me.
Point #1: Saint Paul might have once been enslaved.
This fascinating article from Christianity Today is a long read, but so worth your time. I had never once in my lifetime of faith heard the theory that the apostle Paul was once enslaved, or born to enslaved parents, but this scholarly piece lays out the argument in great detail. Apparently, this was a common viewpoint in the early church and has long been lost to our American congregations. Such an interesting read!
Point #2: I’ve asked myself the same question.
Is writing books still important? Do we really need print anymore? This incredible piece from underscores just how significant the collaborative, slow-moving process of book publishing is while also highlighting the challenges author face in our current climate. I wanted to quote every line, but I’ll stick to this one for now:
“In a world of ‘content’ it feels meaningful to work on something artistic behind-the-scenes for an extended private period of time. Even if the whole process often makes me curl up in the foetal position and cry. Writing books is hard, and a privilege. Sometimes we have to do hard things to feel fulfilled.”
Point #3: I don’t know if Taylor Swift loves God, but I do know she’s not the devil.
Haven’t y’all ever heard of a metaphor? (Yes, I’m linking my own piece. It’s my Substack, I do what I want!)
Point #4: Ladies, don’t forget that modest is hottest.
Lol. I can’t even type that with a straight face.
Word of the Week ✍🏻
Lethologica: (n.) When you can’t think of the word for something.
Receipts from a No-Buy Year 🧾
To read more about my low/no-buy year, you can find all previous posts here.
Books: $26.18
Since last Saturday was Independent Bookstore Day, I took the kids to visit our local bookshop, The Bookworm, which is just as adorable as it sounds. We each bought a book and some stickers, and the owner, Julia, was as nice as could be. A necessary trip? Maybe not. But also…in the spirit of supporting our local bookseller…maybe so?
Coffee: $5.45
I bought coffee twice this week, once with personal spending and once with rewards points, and it wasn’t actually that great either time. There is only one local coffee shop near me and the rest are Starbucks or Dunkin’, so I’m kind of getting bored with outside coffee. Pierce and the kids got me an Ember mug as an early Mother’s Day gift, too, so who needs Starbucks anyway when you can keep your coffee at the perfect temperature all day long???
Also, does anyone else get a sort of spending hangover when you’ve been pulling out your debit card too much? Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like our bank account is smoking from overuse. I’ve got consumer ick. What with the insane cost of the move, my need for a computer, Theo’s birthday, baby showers, and a hundred other small things, it’s time for a long break in our joint spending, too.
Reading in The Nook 📚
I finally picked up Great or Nothing this week, a WWII-era Little Women re-telling that Lucy got me for Christmas last year. It follows the March family after Beth’s untimely death as they wrestle with the war, relationships, careers, and the future. I was skeptical about the fact that it was written by four different authors—plus, some major character changes were made—but Great or Nothing is honestly…well…great. The short poems from Beth in between the other sisters’ chapters offered so much depth to her character and were some of my favorite parts of the whole book.
I’m also reading The Night is Normal by Alicia Britt Chole, who I first heard about on Annie F. Downs’ That Sounds Fun podcast where she totally made me cry. Gosh, what a gift this book is to all of who who’ve experienced the disillusionment of the dark and wondered if God could even hear us anymore. I can’t recommend it enough.
“People always call me a feminist when I express opinions which differentiate me from a doormat.”
—Rebecca West—
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Beth’s poems were my favorite part. I thought the Marmie was lacking.