A look into some of the things discipling me this month.
Allow me to introduce: The Living Room. This is a recurring space where I share the things that have been filling my mind, strengthening my faith, inspiring creativity, and contributing to intentional living.
Just like we don’t stumble into a relationship with Christ, we also don’t stumble into becoming the people He destined us to be. We’ve got to be i n t e n t i o n a l.
So that’s what we’re doing here! Even though I have years of journals I can look back on, one thing I haven’t done is intentionally and specifically document what’s actively shaping and influencing me, so this is going to be fun!
Here’s what’s filling my Living Room and discipling me this month. I pray that something I share here would make good company in your walk.
Reading
Books
This month I finished Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes by Randolph Richards and Richard James, and this book opened my eyes to the ways that my Southern California born-and-raised, individualistic mind is oriented in relation to other people; specifically my family of believers and God. This book gave me a better grasp on collectivist culture dynamics. Collectivists think and live their lives with a set of interdependent cultural norms that prioritize group harmony.
If you’re American, then you’ve been born into the most individualist country there is, so like me, your nature might be to shy away from anything that resembles co-dependency with humans, but this book taught me the beauty of interdependence and how it relates to our relationship with not just other people, but with the Lord. The breakdown of what patronage, honor, and shame is, how it works in the Middle East and Asian regions and what it looks like in our relationships has me looking at things from a new perspective that I really like.
Substacks
Alright, I’m only a couple months in on the Substack platform so I was looking for creators that resonate, and lo and behold, I came across Marie Angéle’s thoughts and prayers substack. I absolutely loved her digital garden. It inspired my creation of this series The Living Room. I love the transparency in sharing what we as Christian women are consuming and inviting others to share as well.
Check out this article as well to get a feel for her content. I really enjoyed this word. Talk about digital discipleship! This is the kind of content worth consuming, okay.
Watching
YouTube
Whether we feel God is using a megaphone or whispering in this season, this is a topic every Christian struggles with at various points in life. We all want to hear God’s voice, and we want to hear it now and in the way we want to hear it. But this video was so freeing, y’all.
I just love hearing Priscilla Shirer speak. She pours out buckets of wisdom in this conversation with her son JC. I felt a weight I didn’t even realize I had, lift from my shoulders after this one.
Not only did a weight lift, but this conversation inspired me to continue praying into Proverbs 15:22. It’s one of my core Bible verses for the year with community and mentorship being a focal point, and if you watch you’ll understand why this video made it here.
Around mid-May, I wanted to watch a sermon and I needed a specific kind of encouragement. So I went to YouTube and said, “Okay Lord, what do you have for me today?” and this was the first video that popped up.
Yes, I know, the algorithm is a thing but first let me say that God is sovereign over these algorithms—second, I’m telling you, it had been a very long time since I watched a sermon. This word chewed me up and spat me out, in the best way possible. It was exactly what I needed.
One of the lines that stuck with me:
Series
Let me tell you something, I LOVE A GOOD K-DRAMA! I briefly lived in South Korea, and I never expected to leave with an appreciation for K-dramas, but here we are and I don’t regret it one bit.
This month I landed on the series Perfect Crown, on Hulu, and when I tell you I was hooked—I was hooked. I consumed this show in a borderline obsessive fashion. That’s how good it was.
I find K-dramas so refreshing in comparison to typical American dramas. I’m not saying they’re morally perfect, but they feel calmer and more wholesome than the graphic and hyper-sexualized media that’s regularly promoted.
This rom-com has the spicy tension we love to see, made me laugh out loud, and had me blushing, oohing and ahhing. Exposure shapes our inner world, so if I’m going to watch a drama, I’d rather it be something like this. Highly recommend.
Creating
I have a vision of what I want my home to look and feel like.
What I want is a mini-sanctuary. I want pockets all over my home that inspire prayer and remind me of God’s grace and love at any given moment. I want even the walls to minister to me.
So I’m creating these pockets in my home that feel peaceful, and slow me down.
I put up these beautiful poster sets:
I’m acutely aware that our environment disciples us too.
Gathering
This month I attended my friend’s beautiful event, Building the Queendom. This event was centered around connecting with other women who love Jesus and empowering one another as women, friends, leaders, and sisters in Christ. There was a panel that addressed sisterhood wounds and emphasized community. Everyone dressed up in beautiful dresses and gowns, and at the end of the night, we were crowned and inducted into the Queendom. This is the kind of discipleship I like.
These are things I’ve allowed to disciple me this month, and I like the direction all of these things are taking me. Thanks for taking the time to read this edition. 🤍
Now that you’ve seen my Living Room, tell me what’s been filling yours lately.