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Au Revoir to October

October 28, 2022 by Lauren 24 Comments

au revoirOne more choir concert for us, then Halloween and October will be over.  It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Texas and the cooler temps are like a balm to me.  Taking my exercise outdoors has been a treat and putting on a sleeve feels sweet.  And yet it hasn’t been the easiest month for me.  Chuck’s doctor wanted to take another biopsy and waiting for the results sent us both into a little tailspin.  I am so grateful that the results were benign, but my reaction to it showed me that my mental health needed more attention that I’ve shown it.  A call to my doctor and a medication increase has me feeling more myself.  So I’m OK with saying au revoir to this month.

 

Nice weather accompanied the last Homecoming parade and pep rally for our high school senior.  This pep rally is no joke – it includes fireworks.  We enjoyed taking Shelby who gave astonished, “yeah”s throughout the display.  It is sometimes sweet to have a child who never grows up.au revoir

 

Allie and her date exchanged mums and enjoyed the football game and the dance.  Afterward, a group of friends retreated out of town to a supervised lake house for the night.  It was even warm enough to play on the water the next day.  On a side note, if you want to go down a fascinating rabbit trail, google Texas Homecoming Mums.  If you are not from here, you will not believe what you find!  My daughter chose to tone it down from the traditional senior mum and garter.  And she was glad.

 

After HOCO

 

My mom, sisters and I escaped to the Texas Hill Country for the Big Boo Cast Live – an in-person version of one of my favorite podcasts.  Together we are carrying some hard things in this season, but it was nice to get away, laugh and shop.

 

While I was away, my husband decided to arrange a date between my daughter Shelby and a friend from her school days.  I wrote a little about Matthew in Graduation and Complex Feelings, and they had not seen each other since that May ceremony.  They were delighted to see each other and go to Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with Chuck.  Matthew held Shelby’s hand throughout the entire show, even as she slept through half of it.  He wanted many pictures taken of the two of them and posted one on his social media.  So precious.

 

In the Middle

 

Mid-October brought Allie’s Fall Choir Concert and an invitation for her varsity choir to sing with the University of North Texas A Capella Choir.  We also worshipped again with Allie leading at church.  And we capped off a musical month with Allie performing in the Sing Out solo show, and her jazz choir performing with Voces8, an a cappella ensemble from the United Kingdom.  My former choir boy husband lapped it all up.

 

October’s Entertainment

 

My sister recommended Glad You’re Here:  Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences by Walker Hayes (the pop country singer and songwriter) and Craig Allen Cooper.  I’m so glad she did.  My ears devoured the audio version in two days time.  I recommend this beautiful story of relational evangelism and community.  Autumn in Sycamore Park by CP Ward popped up as a free Kindle book.  I can’t resist a theme, but confess it’s a bit of a slow slog.  But true to form, I’m not ready to give up on it yet.

 

We went to see Ticket to Paradise with George Clooney and Julia Roberts at the theater.  I loved this old-school light hearted comedy – a lot more than critics did.  And now as this month is almost over, this post definitely is.  I love you, I thank you and I hope November treats you well.

 

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

 

I loved studying Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis a few years ago with my life group and also love that Lois Flowers has pulled out some key quotes for easy access in Mere Christianity:  7 Helpful Quotes for Modern Day Readers.

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).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

 

 

 

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Bibliophiles Unite for National Book Month!

October 21, 2022 by Lauren 8 Comments

October gets a lot of pink press, and you know Breast Cancer Awareness is important to me (see last week’s post).

But October is also National Book Month!  I love reading and recently completed a fun exercise about books I thought I would share.  

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On Day 39 of Chase the Fun:  100 Days to Discover Fun Right Where You Are, Annie F. Downs asked, “What is your all-time favorite book?  Why?”  I haven’t journaled all of her prompts as I’ve perused, but this one appealed to me.  I am a self-proclaimed bibliophile after all.  Here are my thoughts:

 

Emily Climbs by L.M Montgomery was given to me for my 15th birthday by an older lady in the church, whom I chose to adopt as a grandmother figure.  She wrote a sweet message on the inside cover quoting 2 Timothy 2:15.  “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  She signed it, “With Love.  Your adopted grandmother and friend, Elva Melson.  I cherish that copy all these years later.

 

About the Book (It’s National Book Month!)

 

When the blurb on the back cover starts, “Emily Starr wants to be a writer more than anything else in the world”, how could it not be my favorite?  That was me!  Still is.

 

Montgomery made her heroine spirited, just like her more famous character, Anne of Green Gables.  But Emily’s love of the written word captured my heart and attention.

 

Only a handful of years ago I pulled this paperback off my bookshelf to show my daughter.  I saw “Second in a Series” written on the front cover.  What?!?  How had I never noticed this before?  I could have read more of Emily Starr and had no idea!  But now that I knew more books existed, I had to find them.

 

At the time, I struggled to locate the other two.  The first was first published in 1923 after all.  I ordered Emily of New Moon and Emily’s Quest from a used book store.  (They are readily available on Amazon now.  In fact the first in the series – at the time of this publication – is in the Amazon Classics series and free on audio for Prime members!)  I enjoyed all of them, but none could take the place of the original as my favorite book of all time.

 

Now it’s your turn!  Drop a couple of lines below letting me know what your favorite book of all time is and why you love it!  Let’s celebrate National Book Month together.  And maybe one of us will find a new favorite!

 

 

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

 

I featured a post on friendship last week and I couldn’t help but do the same today.  Jo Davis from hopesecure.com wrote beautifully about our need for connection and our responsibility in it.  Read With Skin On.

 

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).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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