Lauren Sparks

Busy, busy, busy.  That is the life of every mother of school-aged kids during the month of May.  But having a graduating senior kicks up the activity and brings the down time to zilch.  I kept reminding myself through it all that I shouldn’t complain.  In a week’s time I’ll be wondering if there is ANYTHING on the calendar.  But right now it feels like there is no margin.  And did I mention I have a graduating senior? It may take me awhile to get through this post.  Please send chocolate!

 

I started off the month helping plan a baccalaureate service for our seniors, explained in a previous post.  Then helped feed Allie’s musical theatre class as they practiced for her last theatre show of the year – Musical Revue.  Such a fun show from a talented group of kids.  I was unprepared for the seniors to take the stage and sing “Thank You for the Music” by ABBA to their parents and teachers.  My daughter’s solo line?  “She says I began to sing long before I could talk…” sang while looking at me!  And it’s pretty much true.  I may or may not have gone back and listened to that song again when I needed a good cry.

 

More Activities

 

At Senior Awards night, my girl received a scholarship from our district’s education foundation and an AP Distinguished scholar award.  (Please don’t turn this post into a drinking game with the word “senior”.  I would fear for your health.)  And at the theatre banquet she won the Super Singer superlative and another scholarship!  Along with the distinction of being in the cast of the best show of the year.  So fun!  And the next night she was directing a one act play of Tangled, which was darling.  No coasting toward graduation for this girl.  She is packing in as much as possible before she goes.  No margin!

 

After church on Mother’s Day Allie and I went shopping for gear she needs to work at a summer camp for kids and adults with special needs.  A six week commitment.  Right after graduation.  But I’m okay.  It’s all fine.  I didn’t get what I wanted for Mother’s Day (to veg on the couch after church and have a Gilmore Girls marathon) but I did get to spend some time with her, which is at a premium these days.

 

And More Activities

 

Allie had a banquet for her Peer Assisted Leadership group.  The hubs and I didn’t get to go to that one, but were beaming with pride at the superlative she got:  “Most Likely to Put God First”.  I think some of the kids meant it as a jab.  Little did they know it’s the ultimate compliment.  And the choir booster awarded her another scholarship at the final concert of the year.  So grateful.

 

We all had fun at Allie’s choir banquet.  Even Shelby!  She got to go for the first time and loved the dancing and mashed potatoes!  We were invited to and attended several graduation parties for our daughter’s friends.  Always a fun time to celebrate these great kids.

 

Allie Rose and two of her longtime friends and fellow choir members led worship for their senior baccalaureate.  They did amazing and God was glorified.  Pray with me that anyone there who does not know Jesus received a message and will seek Him.

 

And on Monday my girl left for her summer job at Camp Blessing – one of the special needs camps that her sister attends.  Graduation wasn’t until Thursday.  So she’s missed the last few days of school for training and came back to graduate, went back for 1 day of training and will drive back home for her graduation party tomorrow, after which she will go back to camp for the next 5 weeks.  And camp is 3 hours away.  I’m praying for a drop in gas prices by the end of the week.

 

What’s Keeping Me Distracted

 

On a recommendation Chuck and I started watching the tv show New Amsterdam because (spoiler alert) the main character has the same cancer my husband beat.  There are many good story lines, but many I don’t appreciate and it’s pretty sad.  We also watched the documentary series Waco:  American Apocalypse on Netflix.  The Branch Davidians fascinate me all these years later since I lived about 15 minutes away from their compound and worked with one of David Koresh’s wives.  And on a night we needed a good laugh, Leanne Morgan‘s Netflix special had me howling in a way that would embarrass me with anyone other than my husband.

 

On audio I listened to Beth Moore’s book All My Knotted-Up Life:  A Memoir, Out of the Dark:  My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy by Mandisa and Funny How Life Works by comedian Michael Jr.  And I would recommend them in that order.  I actually read on paper The Baxters by Karen Kingsbury.  I used to read all of her books, but now only keep up with this particular fictional family.

 

And now I’ll sign off and finish up preparations for the graduate’s blow out tomorrow.  I love you, I thank you and I hope June treats you well!

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

Stephanie Carter’s post on difficulty in prayer is real, transparent and helpful for anyone who has had similar struggles.  We do battle in prayer – and sometimes it’s with ourselves!  Thanks, Stephanie.

 

The Link Up

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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