Let’s Have Coffee!

Hey Friend.  How are you?

I keep waiting for a little extra time to put together a Coffee Date Post and I am finally realizing, that little extra time just isn’t gonna happen.  It’s June already, which is funny because it feels like this year has lasted WAY TOO LONG already, but somehow I’m also surprised that it’s summer.  We’ve had north swells almost continuously this spring, which is rare (and wonderful) but it made June feel like a surprise. 

I will say that my weekly emails to subscribers have really become mini-coffee dates, so I hope you enjoy those… (AND, if you’re not a subscriber yet, I hope you’ll become one right here!)

But I still love to gather here on the website for these special dates! So, grab your favorite cup and find a quiet place (earbuds will do) and join me, would you?…

If we could have coffee…

First, we’d have to talk about what is going on in the world right now.  I want to hear how you’re doing where you are.  I truly care, and I’m listening…especially to my friends of color. 

Then, I’d tell you that these past few weeks have been eye-opening and convicting for me. That up until now I would have said that living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has given my family a different experience with issues of race.  We are minorities here and my boys have grown up with friends of many different ethnicities.  So, I have always said that race just isn’t an issue for our family. 

YET.  As I have begun to lean in and listen…to read, to watch and to learn, I am humbly aware that the racial tensions in our country are OUR ISSUE.  That living on an island and having no bias of my own is not an excuse to ignore the problems that I am now seeing so much clearer.  So, over coffee I would tell you that I am learning, and I’m truly sorry that it took me so long to recognize that my voice actually matters on this topic.  

I’ve discovered a lot of people who are smart and thoughtful in this conversation, but I have always been a fan of  Tony Evans and trust that all of his resources are good.  His daughters are amazing, too. This instagram post his daughter, Priscilla Shirer, shared was really insightful.  And Chrystal Evans Hurst shares a good list of resources here.   If you have favorite resources or suggested voices, I hope you’ll share in comments.  

Also on this topic: I think this teaching on Justice from the Bible Project is really good (like everything from the Bible Project.)  

Next we’d swap quarantine stories and I’m sure we’d agree it’s all been just awful and at the same time really special:

• Too much time with family// Such good time with family.  
• Missing social activities//Realizing I was doing too many social activities before and man I did need a break.
• Sad to be missing some really great trips (I was supposed to do some Christian TV show interviews in Dallas in May and speak at a Mother’s Day event in San Francisco. So sad to be rescheduling both!)  // Feeling really grounded and settled at home.  (Getting projects done is incredibly freeing!)
• So tired of cooking allofthemeals.//Having some fun trying new recipes and getting my kids to help out more in the kitchen! Also enjoying my first experience meal-planning with PrepDish. 
• Sad that people can’t come visit us in Hawaii//releived to have a season with just the family.  
  And on and on the list goes.   **Without a doubt a favorite part of this quarantine has been having this awesome 20 year old around to chat about life and connect in ways we simply couldn’t on short visits or over the phone.
   

I’d want to know about your family, and your work…your garden or your art…whatever it is that you’re keeping busy with right now. 

And I’d have to tell you how excited I am that my long-time dream of creating a course for parents is finally coming true!!!  Yes! I am finally putting together an online course on the topic of Raising Tweens/Teens of Character.  This grew from the feedback I received from Chapter 6 of Boy Mom, and as I’m finalizing all of the pieces I am bursting with excitement!  I’ll be sharing a full post about the course as it gets closer to launching, but meanwhile I have a signup for people who want to be first-to-know when the doors open.  (Note:  I’ll be starting with a summer “beta-group” launch to a limited number of people, then plan a larger launch in the fall.)  So, if you’re eager to be in the first group, you should definitely get your name on the “first-to-know” signups HERE. 

Next we would share recent favorite books and podcasts.  Of course!

My family is going through the Experience God Bible study together this summer and it is so good!  (anyone else do this like 20 years ago?  I loved it then, and it’s even better now!) I highly recommend it for mature teens through adult!

I’m also loving Mama bear Apologetics.  This book is written for moms who want to empower their kids to challenge cultural lies and it is excellent!

And I’m super excited that Jessica Smartt’s book, Let Them Be Kids launches in just a few days!  (it’s going to be so good!)

As for kids’ books I just ordered all of the books Ruth Schwenk suggested in last week’s podcast interview (find them listed in show notes here.)  I can’t wait for summer reading with Levi! 🙂 

PODCAST BIRTHDAY!?  Yes! The Boy Mom Podcast just turned ONE and in the madness of the week at hand, I nearly forgot to stop and notice! 🙂  I’ll announce it on the podcast next week, but maybe we’d stop and clank mugs to take in the moment.  It’s kinda a big deal I suppose. 🙂  I look back and think about how nervous I was when I started the podcast last summer.  On the very first episode I admitted that you have to be bad at something before you get good at it, and it’s so true. I’m still feeling awkward and nervous half the time, but I am enjoying it more and more as I go, and I AM SO GLAD I took the leap and went for it last year!

Podcast Stats currently:  There have been over 200,000 downloads, and 435+ Ratings and Reviews. (what!?) Also: I have SO MANY great guests coming up, and a number of series in the works!  I hope you’ll tune in and follow along this summer!

Another fun update:  I recently discovered that The Boy Mom Devotional on the Bible App currently has been COMPLETED over 25,000 times.  Wowza, that’s a lot of boy moms. 🙂  If you haven’t gone through it yet, I hope you’ll check it out.  

Finally, a few final happy family updates that you may or may not have seen on social media (or got from my subscriber emails)  

Luke was featured in SURFER MAGAZINE.  (hello, dream come true!!)  See the Instagram post here and read the short article here.
Levi turned 10. (Oh I love this age!!)
We have become crazy dog people   Seriously  We are more in love with our silly/sweet (and might I say, very smart) dog Thor, every day.  

AND — As a little passion-project, I’ve begun to write a series of “Thor Stories” for kids (though I imagine adults would enjoy them as well.)  They are short adventure stories/trouble Thor gets into which also have a practical spiritual lesson.  I hope to eventually share them somewhere.. (on the blog?  Podcast “bonus” episode? Self-publish?  I’m not sure!)   Also: Dave (my enneagram 5 hubby) was pleased to learn that Thor’s favorite lounging position actually has a name. Indeed, this is the “sploot”:

Then we’d open our phones and swap recent photos. Here’s a few of mine…

By the time our cups were dry we’d have only scratched the surface but I know how satisfying it is to catch up even that much.  

I guess we’d end it all with a giant air-hug (seriously how lame, right?) and we’d promise to do this again sooner than later.  And I’d be smiling the rest of the day.  

PLEASE leave a comment to catch me up on your life…your thoughts…what you’re reading or doing, how you’re feeling and anything else.  And please know that I am so glad for your friendship!

XO
Monica

PS If you followed along with our excitement over our friend, Thunderstorm Artis on NBC the Voice this season, you will not want to miss this week’s Boy Mom Podcast!  Thunder joins me to talk about his journey to the finales on The Voice, his new wife, Faith, the wisdom he holds on to from his parents, and some of his thoughts on the racial tensions in the nation today.  You’re gonna LOVE Thunderstorm’s heart.  (Become a podcast subscriber so you don’t miss an episode! :))