New York City hasn’t seen such a brutal winter in a long time. I can’t quite remember the single digit degree weather we’ve been having lately. The type where the tips of your fingers go numb after a few minutes outdoors, where the cold air seems to seep into your house no matter how long the heat has been blasting.
It’s been a bitter winter, making it hard to want to do anything but the bare necessities: working, grocery shopping, going to the bank. Even in the midst of the dark, cold days, I find that I must be intentional about trying to glean some goodness here. The future remains uncertain for me, though spring awaits us. But first we have at least 6 more weeks of a wind chill where you have to wear 2 pairs of socks underneath 2 blankets to feel comfortable. It’s the winter of many, many layers.
Side note: Mat Kerekes’ To Dream of Something Wicked is a good album for winter.
Blue Lights
After a bit of boredom (or just an avoidance of all that I should probably do), I found this police show on BritBox. Blue Lights is about new trainees in the world of policing in Belfast. It’s fun to watch a show based on a place I’ve been before (is that how people feel about New York City), spotting landmarks and places I visited.
The show deals with the history of the Troubles and how that colors the reaction of the public to the police. It’s fascinating and I find it is much less stressful than watching The Rookie. I love the tension of Grace and Stevie, wanting to go beyond the call of duty for your job and knowing that you can’t save everyone.
Allow me to have a quick trip down memory lane…
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What Am I Doing Here? by Kyndal Inskeep
For better or worse, this song has been keeping me company this season. Sometimes I feel like I have more downs than ups in my faith walk. (And if you asked me what keeps me going, it’s John 6:68.) I find songs of lament and grief just rare when it comes to God.
Maybe we’re afraid to be honest, afraid our honesty disqualifies us from God’s love. But a real intimate relationship can’t be built on lies or half-truths.
Did I misuse the moment You asked me to move?
Did I misplace Your glory for something to prove?
Did I lose all my gumption, run out of rope?
Or is this a freefall to miles of smoke?
There are millions of questions when things go wrong in the same way for a second or third time. This song is a perfect way of leaving it all before the Lord, hiding nothing, bringing the hurt and the anger.
Baking pizzas at home
I am one of those silly people who will see a video on the internet and immediately have the urge to recreate it, and that’s how my journey in baking pizzas at home began. I’ve learned a lot – use your hands instead of the rolling pin, layer your cheese, don’t use cold dough, etc.
It’s fun and satisfying and I get to have a healthier version of a treat. Plus it’s better on my wallet. Note to self: pepperoni is worth it!
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Pistachio matcha
Speaking of treats, the Starbucks iced pistachio matcha is incredible. That’s it. It’s a good drink.
Traitors
I’ve been obsessed with Traitors. It’s like Werewolf or Mafia with celebrities. It’s fun to watch the Traitors be sneaky and have the Faithful team struggle to figure it out. It’s a great show, and I’m surprised how well its premise works for television.
Prayer series by That Sounds Fun
That Sounds Fun, perhaps my favorite faith podcast, (it’s tied with Wild at Heart) has been doing a series on prayer as a spiritual discipline. The latest installment with Thomas Rhett and Lauren Atkins is so much more real and honest into what walking with God is like. Sometimes it’s a big picture, then months in silence spent pressing in, and then you get an instruction but no explanation. I LOVE hearing how other people walk with God, and sit in the tension of knowing God could explain but he doesn’t.
Given the state of this winter, I am glad for two of the thick Costco blankets. Hope you are staying warm with wool socks and ginger tea, dear readers.
Signing off,
Gigi
Studying Life with Gigi 