Counting Grace | June 2026

what I was grateful for in June!

Welcome (or welcome back) to In the Whispers, a collection of anecdotes, essays, and rambles about wisdom I receive from God “in the whispers”: in retrospection, prayer, and messy little moments. I hope this blesses you, and please consider subscribing. <3

Also welcome back to Counting Grace, an end of month wrap-up, where I share the big and small ways I saw God move in my life, along with random things I felt grateful for <3

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Art

I spent so much of June absolutely enamored of art of all mediums: sculptures, drawings, music, and movies to name a few.

Earlier in June, I went to an art exhibit featuring precious Catholic artworks from a museum located in Jerusalem. It’s supposedly on the Holy Land where Jesus was crucified.

It’s interesting, because if I could be honest, my initial reaction was unfortunately underwhelmed. It all looked the same: shiny. It was all patterned. It all looked like “old people decor” at first glance.

But then I actually looked at the art—the tiny details, the different imagery, the little stories weaved into the larger pieces. It was really good for both my brain and nervous system to wander about the museum, processing each element of the art, rather than glossing over everything.

By the end of the exhibit, I was in awe! It’s amazing to think that each artist, inspired by God, was moved to create such gorgeous creations. I was even more amazed by the patience and intentionality needed to create timeless pieces like those.

This was my favorite piece! It’s hard to see from the picture, but it includes a piece of wood from the cross of Christ, placed in the center

I think I should go to the museum more.

I spent a lot of my time playing music too, dusting off my ukulele. It’s one thing to consume art, but to create it is surreal. Singing isn’t something I personally consider to be a strong talent (by that, I mean I’m not making it on Broadway), but I truly am a little songbird in my own right. I think God made me with music in mind.

Playing music is also a reminder that I can create just for the sake of it. It doesn’t always have to be a magnificent poem or storyline, sometimes it can just be a somewhat-decent song cover.

Skincare

This one was random, but I felt very grateful for skincare this month, haha.

Being Gen-Z, I’ve spent a lot of years watching influencers, and for some reason, it was what stuck out to me most. Morning vlogs were my absolute favorite, and I always dreamed of the day, I’d be that girl with the skincare routine, cool wardrobe, and busy schedule.

Now, I’m certainly not that girl, and I still have a very basic routine with very basic products, but it still feels nice to wake up every morning and do the little pampering exercise in my fluffy lavender robe.

I think it’s a good reminder that sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.

A Good Book (actually two!)

As I mentioned in a different article, I’ve broken out of my reading slump, and now it’s all I want to do!

Reading used to be my entire life, and there will always be a rosy haze surrounding my memories of the 2010s Bookish Era. I’m happy that the 2020s have brought alive new readers (even if through BookTok, ugh), but there was something so magical about being a teen reader in the 2010s, enjoying works like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, Everything Everything, If I Stay, and so many others! And the hype around the movie adaptations? There was something in the air! When I wasn’t curled up on my couch with a book in hand, I would watch BookTubers on YouTube give bookshelf tours and book reviews.

I’ve obviously read plenty since then, but it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt that childlike joy while reading, yet here we are. I’ve found a new series to enjoy, I have a long TBR that follows, and I’m so grateful that I even get to enjoy reading! It’s an essential skill that I wish everyone believed in.

Throughout June, I read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol.1 (finished that one as of yesterday) and The Screwtape Letters. I’d highly recommend both.

Substack

Kinda awkward, but my Substack turned 1 year old on June 1st, and I forgot to mention it (oops).

So here’s my spiel on Substack over a month later!

Of all the new things I’m grateful for, Substack is among the best. It’s been a wild year for me, starting a new career, living in a different city, and more, yet through it all, it’s been so beautiful growing in this season with God beside me, and sharing what I’ve learned in the retrospection, prayer, and messy little moments (yes, I quoted my own bio).

Substack has provided me with other writers on a mission to love God out loud and live the lives set out for them. It’s provided me with writers who share what scares them, what moves them, what makes them fall in love, fall apart, and I’ve gotten to experience all of this right along with them. I’ve been challenged through some of the articles I’ve read; I’ve gained new perspective through others, and sometimes, I laugh out loud.

But most of all? Substack has increased my attention span by about 0.75 seconds, and Thank God for that!

Here are some articles I’m still thinking about:

1. In Defense of the Middle Seat:

   In Defense of the Middle Seat

2. what failing my driving test three times taught me:

   What failing my driving test three times taught me

3. booktok may have lost the plot, but lit girls haven’t:

   booktok may have lost the plot, but lit girls haven’t

4. A Second Love by The Handwritten:

   A Second Love

5. All that’s Good! (the entire series, but I’ll include a recent one):

   All That's Good | Working Girl Summer, Reading For Fun, Giving Ourselves Grace, + More!

A Phone Call with My Mother

Finally, Thank you, God, for mothers.

June was a month where I failed a lot but grew a lot. Truly, the person I was when I entered June is not the one who left it. It’s always a blessing when you can sort of see what God is doing in your life, and in this phone call with my mother I saw it.

For one, the fact that I called my mom speaks volumes. I’m the sort of person who likes to be good and okay. I help others, but I hide away when I need help myself. Moreover, because I didn’t grow up feeling as if I could talk to my parents, I’ve grown to keep it all inside. I’d post cryptically and satirically to a private story, write a poem, force a smile, cry in a bathroom, but I wanted the ugly bits to stay private.

Back then, I thought it was selfless to want to stay out of the way, but now I see it was pride. I didn’t want to be vulnerable, because I didn’t want to be seen as weak. I didn’t want anyone to have the opportunity to give me favors, so I could hold on to the label of “self-made” like a lifeline of sorts.

June emptied me; I think I needed that. Crying on the phone with my mother was probably the best thing I could have done, because she heard me, she helped me, and for the first time in a while, I really felt okay. She validated my emotions, while sharing with me the wisdom that God primarily gifts in tandem with the gift of aging.

And as I reflect on June, I opened up a lot. I opened up to my sister; I accepted help from my dad; I shared my failures with my younger brother; I had a tough conversation with a friend, and I was a little more honest with myself too.

And this was all orchestrated through God. I was more honest with Him too.

And He didn’t rake me across the coals for it. He didn’t abandon me either.

He was near to me, still is¹.

And I’m oh-so grateful for that.

1. Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.