LB's Want, Need, Wear, Read (No. 109)

2 minute read: Four things you didn’t know you needed, until now.

Well, hello there!

Welcome to Want, Need, Wear, Read, where every week I share four things I can’t stop talking about—an encouragement that spoke to me, a Scripture teaching moment that stuck in my heart, a favorite fashion find, and a book worth the shelf space. It’s a quick, warm, happy 2-minute read; think of it as your weekly Add-to-Cart + Add-to-Heart. You’re gonna be glad you opened this one.

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Something You Want
A (Helpful-Hopeful-Fun) pep for your step.

The truth?
I’m not afraid to try.
And I’m not afraid to be seen.
I am, however, afraid of being seen trying.
Logic has zero effect on the ol’ brain, does it?
Friendly reminder: I'm going to show up this week "trying." I hope you do the same. We might not be able to control whether we're seen, but we can control whether we try.

Something You Need
A compact but powerful teaching moment

My studies right now have me sitting in the New Testament book of Acts. While I took a seminary class on the book, I’m regretful to say it’s been a bit overlooked since then. I’ve always thought of Acts as a nucleus for the works and miracles of the disciples; so I’ve read all around it, treating it as the center, but I’m loving rediscovering the beauty of its gospel-rooted history. As a practice of study, I’m now reading from the inside looking out, letting Acts be the center rather than the frame. Perspective is everything, isn’t it? Even in how we read Scripture. Especially in how we read Scripture.

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. Acts 1:1-2, NIV

A few takeaways for me personally:

Luke (yep, same Luke as the Gospel of Luke) wrote that Jesus’ ministry was about doing and teaching. I recently attended a funeral that was devastating in all the ways one would hope their own funeral would be. Grief mixed with levity and sentimentality; storytelling and beautiful memories were shared, all pointing back to Jesus. It makes me teary just thinking about it.

How we live our lives, and how the “acts” of our lives get recorded, feels more relevant than I’d care to admit. Life is hard. Life is short. And our lives are not our own. The Acts in Scripture were shocking and meaningful then, but today their impact is incalculable. Yes, they are the acts of the Church. Yes, they hold the acts of the disciples. Yes, they are about the acts of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I feel like this quote summarizes Acts beautifully:

Acts was not doctrine without duty or creed without conduct. - MacDonald

That’s what I saw at that funeral: not doctrine without duty, but a whole room of lives that had loved out loud. Not intention. Action. That’s the kind of “Acts” I want written about my life, too.

Something to Wear
My mostest favoritest item of the week. You can thank me later.

Bright + Pattern + A Great Basic

I’ve always loved a white t-shirt. As the kids say, for real, for real. A little white tee paired with a structured-ish pant is an easy go-to. As a self-professed jean addict, I’m trying to diversify my options, because Mama is hot in the summer in blue jeans and not in the good way.

These pants are part of a little collection I picked up with a blazer and an adorable skirt. Cheap, but shockingly good quality: tight waist, bowed leg, tapered ankle—the trifecta.

Add a chunky necklace and a shoulder sweater, and suddenly it feels finished, not just “thrown on.” Bright pants aren’t always the right call, but they’re a great one to have in your back pocket for a random meeting or a work lunch that needs a little main-character energy.

Something to Read
Fresh takes on all the books I’m loving. No genre loyalty here.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

LB’s 3: Underdog Story. Surprisingly relatable. Heartfelt.
OK, so I need you to know this… I LOVE a mystery. But I can do without the gore, death, and fear, etc. Because I personally love to sleep at night, I steer clear of all of the aforementioned. I do, however, love a whodunit, character development, and a reliable narrator.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It nails all three. Finlay is such a clever character because she’s so relatable — she’s an author who “accidentally” becomes a for-hire killer. I’m sure you can relate.

It’s fast, funny, and twisty without ever tipping into the dark, unsettling territory I avoid. Elle Cosimano writes comedy and suspense in the same breath, which is a harder trick than it sounds. If you want a mystery that lets you laugh instead of flinch, this one’s for you.