Plot Points #77 💌

Male friendships, audiobooks, Pride & Prejudice, and marrying young

Apr 25, 2025

Plot Points is a weekly newsletter where I share my favorite books, links, words, and more. If you enjoy what you find here, please consider subscribing or buying me a coffee.

*Saint Francis before the Pope,* Spinello Aretino

Hey friends! Happy Friday to you all.

When Pope John Paul II passed 20 years ago, I was a devout evangelical sophomore in college dating an unbothered cradle Catholic. I watched JPII’s funeral with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, eyeing the pomp and circumstance with both curiosity and judgment. My boyfriend wasn’t much concerned with the Church, but I was fascinated and repulsed by it all in equal measure.

Monday, I woke up to the news of Pope Francis’ death and felt a great sadness. I stood by the bathroom sink and asked God to welcome him into the Kingdom and comfort Catholic Christians as they grieve. It was the first time I’d ever prayed for a pontificate or the Catholic Church, and a lot of my growing fondness for them both are a result of Francis himself and the humility with which he carried out his role. He seemed to model servant leadership with such tenderness and to love God’s children with a justice-oriented heart. I admire that.

I know only a portion of my readers are Catholic Christians, but I hope that we can all take a moment to pray for the Church and ask God to give the conclave divine wisdom as they select a new leader. We are all members of the same glorious faith, and what affects one part affects the whole.

Word of the Week ✍🏻

Cwtch: (n.) More than a cuddle or a hug, when you give someone a cwtch, you figuratively give them a ‘safe place.’

Point #1: “…men lose something profoundly valuable when churches pursue accountability apart from committed friendships.”

What a fantastic piece from

Digital Liturgies

! When we only seek to hold Christian men accountable for behavior, but do not encourage or provide outlets for them to develop meaningful friendship first, we cultivate the same kind of legalistic, fear-driven response that purity culture created in women. My husband has been profoundly strengthened by the deep friendships he has with other Christian men, and I hope that one day soon the Church will get fully on board with this message.

Point #2: Marriage is good.

I published an essay this week on why getting married young is largely beneficial, and it seemed to resonate with a lot of you! I shared the story of our early years together and touched on some of the major concerns I’ve heard over the years about waiting to tie the knot:

“The older we grow, the more life we experience and the more hardship we inevitably face. We discover the limitations of ourselves and deal with the challenges of knowing what we didn’t, and couldn’t, know in our youth. That wisdom is hard-fought and hard-won; facing it with another person committed to helping us bear the weight of that triumphant sorrow is what helps us both endure and thrive.”

Point #3: Keira Knightley is still the superior Lizzie Bennett.

Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Pride & Prejudice came out? The absolute chokehold this movie still has on me. Hand Flex™ forever.

Point #4: “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!”

I’m really trying to focus on cultivating just a few chosen skills, and this week, I managed to turn an unfinished quilt piece made by my great-great-grandmother into a lovely pillow cover. This short essay has helpful tips on what we can do in the face of consumer exhaustion, and it was just the encouragement I needed to learn a new stitch in the time it would have taken Amazon to deliver a new cover.

Reading in The Nook 📚

I love historical fiction. You guys know this about me. Lately, I’ve been dipping back into the inspirational genre for a taste of sweet, clear-eyed romance that’s wonderfully predictable and satisfying. I’m just finishing up the third book in the London Beginnings series by Jennifer Delamere after I whizzed through the first one I picked up at the library. Kindle Unlimited is so great for reading a series. I was able to get books two and three immediately after finishing the first!