1. Pumpkin Spice

I will never not write about pumpkin spice season and my autumnal reminder to have grace with people who enjoy things you may not enjoy. I often hear about how the love of pumpkin spice (along with scarves, ordering chicken at restaurants, and best friends who are named “Becca”) are considered “basic.” “Basic” can be boiled down to a woman who is considered unoriginal, unexceptional, and mainstream. If truth be told, some of us get cold yet want to remain fashionable, look for lean sources of protein, and have a Rebecca (a “Becca”) who is our best friend. The term “basic” is just another way, as one of my friends (not Becca) told me,  to “shame women for liking what they like.” So no matter your gender, go ahead and take a selfie, buy Ugg boots if you like them, and talk about how you can’t start your day without avocado toast. Be yourself!

2. National coming out day

During this month we have National Coming Out Day. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, coming out is a very personal thing. This can be a private expression of identity, or one that is very, very public. Some people don’t get a chance to choose when, where, or whom to come out to. There is also the concept of “passing,” rather, who can “pass’ as straight or not. It is a privilege that some in the LGBTQ+ community have. There are as many opinions on LGBTQ+ rights as there are nose shapes, however, I encourage you this week, if you hear about someone coming out or retelling their coming out story,  to give them a word of encouragement, a thank you, or a hug. No matter our theology, dignity is more important and everyone has a right to be listened to. Be yourself!

3. Loan forgiveness

Student loans are the cause of mental health problems and financial hardships for many, particularly hitting the millennial generation. While there are income-based repayment plans, forbearance, and other limited assistance, many of us feel crushed under the weight of the debt we took on to further our education. Some good news is that the U.S. Department of Education is relaxing some of the rules of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. More information can be found here. Free yourself!  

4. The love of money

I have been attending Piedra Viva (Living Stone) Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Ind the past few Sundays. This past week, the pastor talked about the passage in Matthew 19 where Jesus talks to the rich man who wants to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as well as the passage in 1^st Timothy where it says the love of money is the root of evil. He discussed the radical call Jesus asks of us that is impossible to do on our own without help. So something I paid attention to this week was how I felt about money. Did I “love” money? Was I “serving” money? I think about money a lot more than I realized. I think about who has it, who doesn’t, if I have enough, will I have enough in the future…it pulls more of my focus than I thought it did. Something to pay attention to this week is, what are your own thoughts about money? Is it a chain around your neck? Do you need support or accountability in terms of money? There are many faith-based nonprofits out there to help with these questions, including Everence. Free yourself!

5. Coloring

Do you have difficulty focusing? I find prayer sometimes difficult because my mind is often pulled in many directions. This is why I enjoy prayer labyrinths. But for those of us who can’t always make that happen, what’s a way to calm and focus our mind? I have found coloring to be extremely helpful for this, and apparently, I’m late to the party because there are a plethora of adult coloring books out there. For my birthday, I was given a reverse coloring book. In it, there were beautiful watercolor creations, but it’s up to the person to draw the lines. This permission is very freeing, and it helps me become more prayerful by being calm and centered. We all have an inner child in us that loves this sort of activity, so find your activity and be yourself!