Hey! So. What had happened was, I thought there was a whole nother week of June after this one. Until yesterday. Surprise! June is over in two days! And you are in fact meant to have the June edition of TPP today. Huh. Fascinating.
Courtesy of my forgetfulness, we’ll skip the Prose section in favor of some extra, over-all summer favorites.
Speaking of summer favorites, we are about to take 72 of my favorites to teen camp next week, at a camp we’ve never been to, with fewer adult chaperones than previous years. I am thrilled, and I am gathering up as many prayers as I can get.
Welcome to The Paradox Paper, a monthly newsletter that honors the paradox in a life with Jesus. If a friend forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe:
In this edition:
The best of the summer so far: books, music, a show, and a few tidbits on summer parenting
A summer prayer
SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT
The Husbands, Holly Gramazio
Lauren goes out for a bachelorette party, and returns home to find a strange man in her apartment. Stranger still, he thinks he’s her husband. And it appears that he is, at least until he climbs into the attic and returns a completely different man. So begins this funny, thoughtful tale about marriage, contentment, and what it really means to find—and be—“the one.”
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, Sophie Irwin
Kitty Talbott needs a well-monied man, and she needs one fast. She travels to London to take part in the debutante season where she has to convince the richest and snottiest of the ton that she’s worthy of their attention—and more urgently, their sons. Just as she is about to secure a marriage proposal from the impressionable and sufficiently wealthy Archie de Lacy, Lord Radcliffe—older, shrewder, and much wealthier—intervenes to protect his naiive younger brother from Kitty’s gold-digging designs. Romantic hijinks ensue.
The Chosen, Season 4
I’ve talked about The Chosen before. Frankly, it has no business being as good as it is, and no one is more surprised by that than I am. Season 4 is no exception. Tender, riveting, and funny all at once. It focuses on key events in Jesus’ ministry before he returns to Jerusalem for Passover. In this season we get beautiful moments like Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, and cringey moments like James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ right and left in glory. We see Jesus and the disciples in grief, celebration, disillusionment, and faith. It is a deeply hopeful watch.
Ben Rector, the Joy of Music
For cooking dinner, driving with the windows down, hanging by the pool, or any other time you need a care-free bop of an album, this is it. My favorite tracks are Living My Best Life and Hanging Out, and August (my five year old) highly recommends Heroes.
KID TIDBITS
Target pool and Walmart slip n slide
Last summer I caved and bought these two, with the lowest of expectations in regard to their functionality and longevity. Reader, these two dinky devices create HOURS of water fun every day, and they are still going strong the second summer in a row. They live in our driveway as full-time babysitters, and I couldn’t be happier.
Buy the cheap popsicles
Without a doubt, the best popsicles to ever exist were the Welch’s brand, concord grape flavor, that came in the white paper wrapping. Unbelievable.
As those are unavailable nowadays, I used to buy the Outshine brand frozen fruit bars. Objectively delicious, but with a price tag to prove it. It’s hot in Texas. These children want a popsicle every day. And you know what I realized? I’m not giving them popsicles for their health. I’m giving them popsicles as a fun treat that conveniently makes it bearable to be outside for a few more minutes. So if those are my reasons, why am I paying top dollar for fewer treats? I now buy the cheap freezie pops. I hate them, they love them, and I get approximately 97 for $2. Yes please.
Move your kids before your overnight company comes.
Whenever we have overnight company we boot our oldest down the hall to sleep with his brothers, throw a decorative pillow and throw blanket on his bed, and call it a guest bedroom. This works fine, except that the kids are always excited about guests (usually grandparents or aunts and uncles), and about a new sleeping arrangement. Which means that no one sleeps that well for the first couple of nights. Not so this year! This year we reshuffled everybody two nights before Grandma and Papa arrived, and had zero bedtime shennanigans. Or at least, no more than we’d have had if all were as normal. Take that or leave it, but I wish I’d thought of it sooner!
Acceptance
This is the first summer since I’ve been a parent that feels even a little like what we all think summer should feel like. Still, there’s a lot about having young kids at home all day that wears me down. Somehow it helps if I can take a breath and remind myself that summer, just like every other time of year, can have magical moments and it requires work. There is joy and there is suffering. And that’s normal.
It is a true joy to write for you each month, and I always love to hear about anything you tried and loved or anything that stirred your heart. Simply reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know.
Until next time, hold the paradox, don’t panic. Love you.
-Steph
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P. S. - In 2007 our church founded an orphanage outside of Opi, Nigeria, and this October I have the opportunity to visit there for the first time! I wrote more about the orphanage and the trip here.
If you’d like to help offset the cost, you can do so at this link.
Enter the amount you would like to give and choose “Mission APOHA 2024” from the drop down menu. If you would like to give by check, make payable to Temple Baptist Church with “Stephanie Cochrane Nigeria” in the memo line.