Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Policies
  • Contact

Sayonara to September…and Grace and Truth Link Up

September 25, 2020 by Lauren 30 Comments

I can’t believe we are about to wrap up another month.  It passed quickly…you know, for as slow as 2020 continues to be.

 

I want to start by thanking those of you who prayed for my husband’s job search.  Chuck landed internally with his company right before Labor Day in a Human Resources role.  He is officially called the “People Operations Lead” and I have believed for years that this position suits him perfectly.  Encouraging, listening and developing others  comes naturally for him; and I can’t wait to see how God uses him to bless others.

 

Since yall are obviously so good at prayer, let me add something else to your list.  The dry needling and physical therapy I told you about here only worsened the discomfort in my heels, so I am seeing a new doc and trying a new treatment or two.  Allie is continuing PT for her ankle to improve range of motion since her break and surgeries.

 

We entered a “new normal” as our girls went back to in-person learning.  First, our family paid a visit to my parents and PawPaw (who I wrote about here last week) over Labor Day weekend.  School is definitely different with masks and social distancing and procedures for contact tracing.  The youngest is tackling three Advanced Placement classes so the challenges take many forms.  We give thanks for it all, though.  Most of the time.  But we thank our teachers and administrators all of the time.  Their tireless work make this kooky year possible.

 

Access-Life, a Christian organization bridging the gap for individuals and families living with disabilities, brought their expo to Lake Grapevine on the 12th.  We enjoyed boating, kayaking, arts and crafts and a food truck on a beautiful morning.  So thankful for the opportunity to share some fun in the sun with Shelby.

 

In the middle of the month we went down to the Texas Hill Country to see my husband’s family and “bee” (that was the theme) present for my niece’s 1st birthday party.  We enjoyed visiting and drinking in the cuteness.

 

In more stationary pursuits (stolen shamelessly from the Popcast), I read Where Does a Mother Go to Resign? by Barbara Johnson.  Written in 1979, the text is a little dated, but still full of wisdom on parenting when things turn sour.  I think she even convinced me to maintain my maternal post.  I listened to an enlightening episode of The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast (#314) featuring Rachel Gilson.  I watched the movie Greyhound with Tom Hanks on Apple Plus, The Kissing Booth 2 (I know it’s a teen movie but there are so few romantic comedies now) with my daughter and my sister on her Netflix, and started the series The Durrells in Corfu on Amazon Prime.  I recommend all – except maybe The Kissing Booth.  

 

Speaking of romantic comedies, the hubs and I ventured out to an actual theater for a movie date.  Twice.  Haven’t done that since Covid lockdown, but we felt completely safe.  The first show, The Personal History of David Copperfield, gave the classic story a fresh multi-ethnic twist.  The Hamilton influence is all over it, and I love.  Chuck, not so much.  We both gave thumbs up to The Broken Hearts Gallery, which offered a unique premise and funny script.  And there were never more than four other people in the theater with us.  That’s what I call social distancing!

 

Last, and maybe least, I turn another year older today.  As does my twin.  Happy birthday, sis!  I’ll sign off by saying, “I love you, I thank you, and I pray October treats you well!”

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

Who Would I Be…Without Jesus? left me worshipping my Savior this week.  It’s a question I’ve never even thought about, and one – thanks to His lavish grace – that I will never have to find the answer to.  Visit Maryleigh at bluecottonmemory.com to find her conclusions.  And here’s a button for your blog, Maryleigh.

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

 

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 Truth_Button

 

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

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sharing is caring! 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.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

I Jumped Over June and Now July…and Grace and Truth Link Up

July 31, 2020 by Lauren 4 Comments

The world has gone crazier the last two months.  At least that’s my perspective.  So much happened in June, in fact, that I completely forgot to do a roundup post.  After the death of George Floyd, racial unrest and protests filled my thoughts and my keyboard.  My heart couldn’t write about anything else.

 

In these month end reviews, I usually tell you about what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to.  I recounted much of that in Resources on Race in America.  To add to that list, I read Sunday Punday:  Celebrate the Little Everyday Joys that Make Us Smile  by Thomas Kincade’s daughter Winsor.  Simple, sweet and only took a few minutes.  I’m also working on an advance reader copy of a book I will review on a later date.

 

Since we spend most of our time at home now, our TV and movie time is through the roof.  I coerced my husband into watching Rebel Without a Cause starring the late James Dean – a classic I’ve always been curious about.  I had no idea it was so tragic.  And Chuck hated it.  We also watched Chappaquiddick.  I’m not sure why, but the Kennedy’s fascinate me.  Shazam disappointed me.  The Farewell with Akwafina surprised me.  We caught up to Queen Victoria.  We love those royal dramas.  Oprah’s OWN Spotlight:  Where Do We Go From Here? rounded out the adults’ viewingThe Farewell

 

As a Family we enjoyed Breakthrough, Remember the Titans and Just Mercy – all true stories.  The last two were rewatches for Chuck and me.  We’ve also kept a fire burning under YouTube for breaks from all the seriousness around us.  James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke and Crosswalk Musicals fit the bill nicely.  Disney+ reignited our obsession with Hamilton 3 years after seeing it on Broadway.  We are catching so much more the 2nd, 3rd and 4th times.

 

I took the recommendation of a bloggy friend and added Pass the Mic to my podcast subscriptions.  And though I don’t listen regularly to Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us, I downloaded the episode with Austin Channing Brown.

 

In real life, we took our kids to downtown Dallas for a Potluck Protest.  The event involved food from black owned restaurants.  The month of July has been all about racial justice at our church as well with the sermon series Lead with Love: a Biblical Perspective on Race and a Prayer Night for racial unity.

 

Shelby and I added zoom karaoke, bingo and a brain booster class to give her back a little socialization and meaningful activity.  We enjoy them together, even if we must participate online.  In the brief period we tried to lift some quarantine restrictions, we took Allie and two friends to a sunflower field an hour’s drive away to take pictures.  And Allie is still in an orthopedic boot – for four months.  Bless.  But after one last surgery (which had to be postponed a week due to a close call with the Rona), she sees the finish line.  Hallelujer. 

 

I saved the retelling of our 4th of July celebration for last because it’s too mortifying not to tell.  Chuck and I invited a neighbor couple over for snacks and games while the fireworks played in the background on TV.  That’s how we roll in a pandemic with the Texas heat.  Mid-game (Awkward Family Photos), my girlfriend asked me what I was drinking.  I showed her the diet root beer and asked if I could get her one.  She declined and then her husband regaled us with tales of how much she hates root beer.  Can’t even stand the smell.  He and the kids breath on her after drinking it or eating root beer barrel candies to get her goat.  Not five minutes later, I took a swig while simultaneously feeling a tickle in my throat.  Unable to control myself, I spit my drink across the table and all over my root beer hating friend.

 

I ran to the sink to spit the rest of my mouthful in a more appropriate location, where I coughed and laughed so hard that I cried down my face and down my leg.  And then the horror set in.  I not only spit on her, but during a viral pandemic!   I could not stop apologizing and she could not stop laughing as we cleaned her up along with the table and the soggy game contents.  I’m so thankful that our friendship is stronger than her gag reflex!

 

The moral of this muster?  In times like these, it’s good to educate ourselves, it’s nice to be entertained, and it’s great to have a friend with a stout sense of humor.

 

What have you done so far this summer?  Drop me a comment below.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

I don’t usually select my fellow Grace and Truth hostesses for the feature, but this week I felt so in touch with Lisa Burgess of lisanotes.com since we both wrote about humility.  Lean into Repeat After Me:  “I don’t know!” for some humble wisdom 😉

 

Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

 

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 Truth_Button

 

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

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Sharing is caring! 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.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

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.
Read More

Subscribe for Updates

Enter your information below to receive the latest updates from the blog!

Recent Posts

  • Quiet in This Christmas Season
  • Remember Me?
  • An Election Year and Titus
  • Christmas is Over. Now What Do We Do With Jesus?
  • Thankful Thursday

Find Devotionals By Me in These Books and Click on Image for Order Information!

A 25-Week Bible Study with Topics from Abide to Zeal
A 26 week journey to a better prayer life.
30 devotionals for faith that moves mountains

For Sharing

Lauren Sparks

Like Podcasts? I’m on This One

…and This One! click to listen.

Click below to get a free trial of my favorite technology monitoring platform

Need More Than Just Monitoring? Find Filters and Accountability Here

Search This Site

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2026 Lauren Sparks | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM