One of my dear friends, Mack, is from Fulton, Missouri and, like me, he was raised in the Methodist Church.

When it came to recognizing and affirming the LGBTQ+ community (gay marriages, gay clergy, family units, etc.), the Methodist Church made the choice to leave it up to each individual congregation.

Mack’s grandparents, Josephine (“Jo”) and Charlie, were born in 1937, live in Fulton and attend the Court St. Methodist Church. Traditionally, Fulton (and Missouri) is a very conservative town/area.

Jo and Charlie took it upon themselves to advocate and educate their congregation over the past year before Court St. put the decision up to a vote. They lead workshops, had candid open forums, and continually asked Mack to help make sure they were using the right language and approach.

Even after a pandemic-delayed vote, they didn’t relent and the church passed the affirmation last week in a landslide victory

Will you send them a little note? Just a quick thank you. I have this dream of their mailbox just being filled every day with colorful thank you cards.

Court Street United Methodist Church

Attn: Jo and Charlie James 

719 Court St.

Fulton, MO 65251

I am a Southwest loyalist - especially living in Dallas and being able to take advantage of the magical Love Field Airport.

I just wrapped up confirming my Companion Pass status for 2022 - my third year in a row! What's Companion Pass? Whenever I fly Southwest whether via cash or reward points, I can bring a designated guest FOR FREE. (Well, $11.20 domestically - Miss Uncle Sam needs her taxes.) No matter when or where I book, I just click a button and my person is added.

How did I earn it? I do fly a lot but I also have the Southwest Rapid Rewards Card which racks up the points. I'm careful about debt so I try to only use it for fixed monthly expenses as well as travel. It's linked above if you'd like to check it out.

Pro Tip: I would suggest applying for your card in early January 2022 because you'll want to earn Companion Pass as early into a year as possible - that way you will get it for the remainder of that year AND the next year.

(Transparently, I get points if you sign up but it's something I would suggest regardless - especially if you have a ton of upcoming domestic travel. We plan to use it mostly for all of the COVID-rescheduled weddings.)

First there was *NSYNC. Then Britney. Then Janet. Through it all, he remained an untouchable golden boy—until his image finally fell apart.

The theme of the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2021 convention and expo was “Together Again!” That may sound like an oddly upbeat slogan following a global pandemic, but morticians like to party as much as anyone — especially after a big year for business. So this October, roughly 5,000 funeral service providers from around the country descended on Nashville, trading in their mortuary makeup and three-piece suits for cowboy hats and boots.

Don’t Look Up is Adam McKay’s new Netflix movie about an astronomy graduate student (played by Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio) who discover that a comet is going to crash into the Earth. The film features a huge array of stars, including Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, and Ron Perlman, as well as Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi.

Don’t Look Up arrives in select theaters on December 10 before it streams on Netflix starting December 24. The film is scored by Nicholas Britell, who previously made the music for Adam McKay’s The Big Short and Vice.

Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Inventing Anna, the upcoming series about convicted fraudster and socialite grifter Anna Delvey. Created by Shonda Rhimes as part of her deal with the streamer, it premieres on the platform February 11, 2022. The series is based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine story “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People” — a viral journalistic feat. 

Created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, The Sex Lives of College Girls follows four first years at a prestigious Vermont college: Student athlete Whitney, aspiring comedy writer Bela, legacy brat Leighton, and the kind but naive Kimberly. They find each other the way so many college soulmates do: randomly, in this case thanks to a dormitory assignment.

It me. I'm Collin. Shockingly, I hate talking about myself but here are the CliffsNotes. 32, Texan turned cruise ship character turned Texan turned Chicagoan turned Texan. Event designer and planner. Interior designer and stylist. Corporate badass. Spotify playlist-makin' fiend. Fiancé and double dog dad. Cursed with an aggressive gluten intolerance but also a passion for bread and no f*cks to give. Why a newsletter? It gives me a creative outlet with a deadline and my therapist says these things are important. Plus, I love to read, shop, share, and most importantly spend time on the internet. I don't sleep.