August = weird and hot. The highest of highs (temperatures and times) and the lowest of lows (definitely not temperatures).
The company my husband supports eliminated his job right before the month started. They promised, however, that this massive restructure created other positions available for him to apply. And they generously made his pay and benefits whole for a period of time for him to land internally or somewhere else. We thank God and the retail giant for this. But we also weary of this process. Four jobs have come and gone in 3 and a half years. So in the waiting, we praise the Lord for His provision and ask for more stability going forward.
Without the tethering of those little job things, we headed to the hill country of Texas to my in-law’s lake house. And we invited my BFF and her family along. Since they live in Alabama, we never get enough time together and I soaked in every minute! Our Allie brought a friend and Chuck drove the boat and taught kids to ski for long, scorching hours every day of our vacay. And he loved every minute of it. My now suntanned, lake-loving spouse came home daydreaming about how he could make a living there. Alas, it wouldn’t be easy – especially in a Covid environment.
We also did a fair amount of sitting and visiting. That’s much more my speed. We even survived a malfunctioning air conditioner (working one minute and not the next) and the boat briefly taking on water in the dog days of summer. Playing Balderdash brought us to fits of laughter. If I could, I would go back now – as long as I had the same people with me. But since all good things must come to an end, Chuck and Allie flew to Illinois to see Chuck’s son and grandkids while Shelby and I went to spend a couple of nights with my parents and grandad. While seeing family is good, it sometimes creates challenges which we are still dealing with and would appreciate your prayers for.
Once all back at home, I decided to see a physical therapist for dry needling. Achilles tendonosis, left unchecked creates lots of discomfort. My doctor suggested I might try this, but speaking of discomfort! Have you ever done dry needling? The PT, bless her, put needles into the tender spots of my feet and surrounding areas about 1/2 inch deep. She then attaches what I can only describe as “jumper cables” to the needles, increasing the electrical stimulation until I can hardly stand it. Then she starts a 10 minute timer. Ouch! And I’ll continue this treatment. Pray for me in this too!
I read Well, Girl: An Inside-Out Journey to Wellness by Jami Amerine. I love this author and God placed this book in my hands for such a time as this. He had already prompted me to work on a healthier version of myself and placed this little gem before me to compliment the journey. I served on Jami’s launch team and even got a personal zoom meeting with her. This was thrilling for me. Out of all the launch teams I have been on, this was a first! Take note, authors and hopeful authors. Nice touch.
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry came next. This book checked three boxes for me. I needed more exposure to this topic, I have heard great things about the author, and she’s a woman of color (as I work to expand the perspective of the authors I’m reading.
Between vacation and getting ready for school and other family issues, we cut our TV time down tremendously from last month. The hubs and I started the series Monk – an oldie but a goody. Highly recommend. And as we are oft to do when I visit my parents, I watched an old musical called The Wonder Man starring Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. Pure silly distraction. Just what I needed. Then my dad turned on a Baylor bowl game from 2014! I laughed and then got sucked in as I bite my nails and wait to see if my Baylor football is really coming back. (I’d ask you to pray about this too, but that might be a bit much.)
Last week my kids went back to school – sort of. The girls are doing classes, but virtually from home. This creates lots of challenges for everyone involved, but the teachers and school administrators have worked hard to create plans and systems to make this time meaningful. We have tried to make lemonade for my very social daughters. Allie had a sleepover with her besties the night before the first day (only in 2020) so they could all tackle classes together at the kitchen table. Choir is awkward, Shelby misses the structure terribly (I am no treacher, folks), and the high schoolers had to stand in line for 2 hours for textbook pickup. This too shall pass. We hope. 
I long to hear what and how you are doing during these uncertain times. Drop me a comment below. And I’ll close with this: I love you, I thank you, and I hope September treats you well.
And now for this week’s featured post!
Michele Morin of Living Our Days is an avid reader and keeps me stocked on recommendations. This review of Soul Care in African American Practice caught my attention since, as mentioned above, I am also working to expand the circle that influences me. If this is a goal for you, check out Michele’s review.
Also, I would like to announce that the winner of the drawing for a copy of Prayer: Approaching the Throne of Grace is Glynda Reed. Glynda, thank you for subscribing and please check the email you signed up with for more information on getting your book!
Now for this week’s link-up! Let’s bless and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.
Grace & Truth exists to point people to Jesus! We hope this link-up will be a source of encouragement every week. If you’re a blogger, we hope you’ll use this space as a way to meet new friends within the Christian blogging community. If you’re a reader, we hope that you’ll encounter new bloggers that love Jesus as much as you do! Most of all, we hope you’ll meet Jesus here.
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Heather Hart & Valerie Riese
Maree Dee
Lauren Sparks
Lisa Burgess
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The poor in spirit are blessed,
