I like to do occasional posts on where I’m finding joy, embodiment and belonging in the world.
What I’m reading:
FUN: I’m currently reading The Five Wounds by Kirsten Valdez Quade for fun, and I spend a lot of time with my vegetarian cookbooks for meal planning. My Pinterest boards are mostly thrifty fashion ideas, vegetarian/vegan recipes, and cleaning hacks.
DMIN (Doctor of Ministry): Frantz Fanon, Justo Gonzalez, Gloria Anzaldua, Teresa of Avila, Marion Grau, and Virgilio Elizondo to name a few.
WORK: Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization, by Diana Whitney
What I’m listening to:
Morning commute: Code Switch podcast by NPR, my “Liked Songs” Spotify playlist which includes a lot of Owl City and Regina Spektor, India.Arie, Audrey Assad, and Glee covers.
Afternoon commute: Broadway showtunes, If Books Could Kill podcast
What I’m watching:
House, M.D. Again. After watching Succession twice through I decided to rewatch House. Having ADHD is a kind of dance between wanting to watch all the new things, but also getting way too immersed. I have a small window between semesters to watch new things. During the intense school time, I keep familiar shows on in the background. House is that for now, next up, who knows… maybe Succession again?
What I’m writing:
I’m working concurrently on my book (in progress for over 3 years now), papers for Spiritual Practices in the Life of the Church, and getting my project proposal ready to submit. If, after I defend the project proposal, I get approval to start, I will implement my project and collect data in August, write the thesis and finish course requirements in Spring of 25, then getting to walk in spring of 2026.
My project is on decentering Whiteness in preaching. Whiteness, capitalized, because I’m speaking more of the ideology which undergirds white supremacy and less about skin color. Predominantly White interpretations of scripture have helped to create a world where there is very little room for people who differ from “ the right way,” to belong, even to find themselves in the story of God.
What I’m loving:
Encouragement from the people I work with: Two things happened this week, on Monday, that were like buoys on a sea of things to do. One of our new residents has been coming to church regularly. She tells me after every Monday how much she enjoyed my Sermon from the following week. This past Sunday, I had to pinch hit as both accompanist and preacher. I was playing the postlude and looked up as she was leaving, holding up the “ok” sign and winking at me. This same resident came to my office on Monday to say how much she loves my sermons. She said “I was talking to Him (God) about you, and I said ‘I think she has you in her back pocket.’ A lot of ministers don’t and you can tell. But I think you do.” It was very sweet.
A second encounter with a resident happened on Monday afternoon at the 3 o’clock bible study. As we were leaving, he asked, “Sara, how I can I pray for you? I imagine as a pastor you don’t get asked that question a lot.”
I shared that I’m in a doctoral program, and struggling to keep up with the demands at the moment. “You mean physically, or more mentally?” I said “both, really.” And he said “ok, I’ll pray for you.”
You never know how far a little piece of encouragement can take someone. Never underestimate the power of a kind word. You might just make someone’s week a little bit easier.
The gourmand life: I picked up two wines last week, a red and a white. Both will be my go-tos now. The red is an organic, sulfite-free cabernet sauvignon called “Our Daily Cab.” It’s like drinking velvet. The white is a new discovery- a Portuguese wine called “vinho verde,” which literally translates to green wine. It’s dry and just a little bit bubbly. I’m told I’m to stop saying this about some of my clothes, but I’ll say it about the vinho verde: I got it at COSTCO.
I also purchased a jar of Momofuku Chili Crunch by Chef David Chang. It’s delicious. I was wary at first - at $11 a jar, it’s a bit steep. But it delivers such a flavor punch that a tiny bit goes a long way. It’s worth it if you love to spice up your eggs, noodles, rice, or salad dressings.
Flowers: I buy us fresh flowers every couple of weeks. Carnations, my favorite flower, with baby’s breath as a filler. I have 2 big vases: one in the entry way and one on the baker’s rack with a bouquet of carnations and baby’s breath in each. I make 2 little bouquets in a jar for each of us, so we have flowers with our dinner.
We eat on folding tables, because we prioritized craft, sewing, and writing spaces for me. So we don’t have room for a traditional table. By eating on folding TV trays, we still eat together on a table surface, with our nice placemats and flowers, and they easily folds away to make room for self care like crafting, reading, writing, and yoga.
I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard at work, school, and writing as I am right now. It’s meaningful but it’s intense. I’m loving my self care routines of art, writing in my writing corner, and yoga poses that strengthen my body and mind.
How about you? How are you, lately?
Love all of this <3 I try to have 3 books going at all times: one for personal growth, one for research, and one for fun. I'm currently reading "Discernment" by Henri Nouwen (personal growth), "Out of Focus" by Amber Cantorna-Wylde, and "The Black Unicorn: Poems" but Audre Lorde.
Also, chili crisps in oil are absolutely worth all the hype. I add them to ramen bowls all the time. When we have dumplings, I mix the chili crisps with soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and the tiniest touch of honey.