faloofaba

Definition: I love you.

[riady]

Preparing to Participate in God's Mosaic Kingdom

Easter is almost here! I have felt my heart move and break daily as I went through these devotionals this season. It’s been an excellent starting point to remember rightly, repent honestly, and respond faithfully. Thank you, Erina and Dominque for your work and intention. 

[riady]

Identity in 2017

It’s been a beat, but I think that’s just how life goes. That is, in seasons. It’s nice to return back to this blog to remember snippets of seasons past, but more importantly, to get those creative juices flowing again. 

Today, I hope to begin documentation of a continuation (or maybe it’s actually more of an embarkment? I can’t decided.) on a season. I’ve spent a lot of the past few weeks thinking about who I am, and even more importantly, pondering aloud (via voice recordings - a new thing), who do I want to be. I’m finding, the more I explore these existential questions, the more I come up with more questions than concrete, definitive answers. Typical. 

In general, when I look out into the world, I’m pretty confused/floored by the world that looks back at me. Politics, economics, urban life - so many decisions get made “for” communities, rather than “with” communities resulting in more polarization and mistrust. 

And with all that happening, it’s all the more important to be grounded. So, here’s some of what I know about me that I want to affirm and continue to live out. In just the first short three months of 2017, I’ve: 

- Taken Bryan Stevenson’s advice to get proximate. I am intentionally building relationships with students and teachers that are fighting for better outcomes in Oakland every single day. 

- Become a wife. And friends, yes, I admit it. I am on newlywed bliss, but I really think I’ve married up. John is just the best. (BTW, in “Gilead” there is this really incredible snippet lambasting the overuse of “just” in writing. I think this use case is justified.) 

- Healed into a new body. I just got a microdiskectomy on my L5 last week. It’s liberating to be unafraid to walk 10 minutes because you know your leg and ankle just don’t hurt like they used to. 

- Dove head deep into community at Epic Church. I am endlessly thankful for this body of believers. 

And my dreams for 2017 aren’t done yet. By the end of this year, I want to: 

-  Be a consistent blogger/writer/tumblr-er/vocalizer of thoughts. 

- Bake crusty, tasty, glorious bread on the regular (and have someone pay me to do this.) 

- Shape beautiful ceramics to grow living, breathing plants in. Keep plants alive! 

- Have a more clearly formulated a long-term career plan. I want to dream big dreams and then see them come to life. 

Life is so full, and I am so grateful for the opportunities to dive right in. 2017, keep on comin’ 

[riady]

Celebrating at my favorite, with my favorite. This food is always so damn tasty. #jjsharedexperiences (at State Bird Provisions)

[riady]

Relationships shouldn’t be about suckering people in with some sanitized version of yourself, only to spring the real you on them later.

The Five Stages of Ghosting Grief by Rachel Fields (Modern Love Column, NYTimes) 

Hitting the nail on the head, every single time. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. 

[riady]

There comes a time in every relationship when romance gives way to reality.

Sex and the City

[riady]

Before Byron, romantic loss had produced for me mere heartache — a dull, pounding, bruising of the spirit. The loss of Byron had rendered me heartbroken. This was not just a bruise; I bled. Yet it was the kind of pain that seared so cleanly it made you feel more alive, like the emotional equivalent of getting a tattoo. It was a pain so grand you couldn’t bear but to hold it all, and a pain so exquisite you couldn’t help but want to. There was something miraculous in caring about someone so deeply in an age where it’s considered wise to appear to care about nothing at all. It occurred to me then, in the trenches of my blankets, enveloped by Netflix and surrounded by bunched clouds of Kleenex, that this was love. Then I downloaded Tinder.

Swearing off the Modern Man, Jochebed Smith

There is something so real about this shift from heart break to Tinder that I literally laughed out loud when I read these lines. 

[newyorker]

In a way, the path that Hillary has taken to arrive where she is—within striking distance of having the job which, two dozen years ago, seemed so beyond her—is a confirmation, not a repudiation, of what most women already know: that a goal is more likely to be arrived at incrementally than it is to be accomplished sweepingly.

Rebecca Mead on the meaning of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. (via newyorker)

[riady]

FINALLY. AND HELL YEAAHHH. :DDD 

[riady]

They are shown exactly as they are, tired and breathless. But, at the same time, they embody incredible mental and physical stamina, as the work itself is so dangerous; every day they cross the fine line between life and death. I wanted to capture this extreme duality of the women: their utmost strength combined with human fragility.

Hyung S. Kim, The Sea Women of South Korea

[riady]

Oh my gosh. We are soul twins.

Cindy Xu. I cannot get enough of this girl. :D 

[riady]

J&J Sketch Version via the Exploratorium in SF. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as I reflect on the adventures we've embarked on and those to come. Onward. #adventurelist2015

[riady]

Oh my! It feels so good to get this old friend out of storage and on the road again. #sundayrides #windinmyhair #happiness #2015resolutions

[riady]

It's hard to be an awkward duck robot.

J. Friend

My favorite thought from an excellent morning.

[riady]

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

[riady]

Sometimes, I'm a little taken aback by how well people know me.

JS: How's your day?

JR: It's going ok. I was in a meeting all morning, so I'm taking a break. But I'm going to need to hunker down soon to meet this deadline tomorrow.

JS: Alright well good luck!! You can doooo it! (If you stop online shopping...)

JR: LOL. how did you knowwww??? I'm literally looking at a jacket right now.

JS: Cause I know you're always shopping, especially post-meetings!!

[riady]

Breakfast Downgraded From 'Most Important Meal of the Day' to 'Meal'

Vindication! Thank you, Mr. Betts! 

My favorite line from this article: 

"If you're a breakfast deferrer who feels cowed by breakfast evangelists, a good way to stand up to them might be to echo Betts... "If you like breakfast so much, why don't you marry it?"

[riady]

First, and most basic: How we write about love depends on how old we are. The young overwhelmingly write with a mixture of anxiety and hope. Their stories ask: What is it going to be for me? Those in midlife are more often driven to their keyboards by feelings of malaise and disillusionment. Their stories ask: Is this really what it is for me? And older people almost always write from a place of appreciation, regardless of how difficult things may be. Their message: All things considered, I feel pretty lucky.

Daniel Jones, "How we write about love," NYTimes Modern Love