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Kissing February ’21 Goodbye

February 26, 2021 by Lauren 6 Comments

Have you seen the social media game that asks you to look up the title of the #1 song on the day you turned 21?  That’s how your 2021 is supposed to go.  Mine was “I’ll Make Love to You”  by Boyz II Men.  Uh, love is definitely not the word I use for this year so far.

For the first three days of this month, my husband and I took turns in the hospital with our oldest.  Her spinal fusion surgery on January 28 kept her there for several days.  (You can read a little more about that here.)  And while my husband and I enjoyed hospital food and acting as ships passing in the night (thanks, Covid), we celebrated in being able to come home and be together.  The long days of pain meds and recovery since put our nursing skills and patience to the test, but our sweet girl heads around a metaphorical corner as we speak.

 

Several sweet friends provided meals and gift cards for meals as we settled in back home.  One even sent her housekeeper over to clean for us!  This completely made up for the week of hospital food.  We thank God for His generous people.

 

Just a week and a half after Shelby’s surgery, our youngest underwent surgery to correct a deviated septum she sustained the day of her leg surgery last year.  She passed out and took a nose dive into the tile, breaking her nose.  Last March with the leg to deal with, we kind of forgot about the nose after the swelling and bruising went away.  The lingering repercussions reminded us months later.

 

Allie’s turn under the knife wasn’t as serious but did entail a week out of school and a trip to the ER to remove a nasal stent that became unstitched.  Once she could feel it poking the back of her throat, she and her dad made the pilgrimage for care – returning home at 2:00am.  The stitch came out of the other one the next day.  After watching the ER doc, her dad felt sure he could pull this one with jewelry pliers – and did!

 

For Valentine’s Day we experienced a winter weather catastrophe here in the Dallas area that lasted for a week.  130 car pile up on black ice came first, then temps in the single digits and millions of homes without power and water.  For days.  And as I write this a week later, the thermometer touched 80 degrees!  Please pray for those still trying to get power or water back and those whose homes or businesses sustained damage.  Once again, my family thanks God for His generous people who put us up so we could stay warm and entertain my daughter with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

 

At the beginning of this week, my incredible husband celebrated a low-key birthday, followed by my youngest turning Sweet 16 the next day.  We gave her 16 bags with different little gifts instead of one big one.  Many of them were gift cards for fast food and coffee shops she likes.  Those were probably her favorite.  We let her pick out the restaurant for dinner and had a Dairy Queen Blizzard cake waiting until we could sneak her 4 besties in to surprise her.  Was a nice day.

 

In the midst of all this chaos, I indulged in a little low-brow comfort TV.  Framing Britney Spears on Hulu (what?  I was curious!), and the teeny bopper To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Always and Forever on Netflix.  The Super Bowl, Ted Lasso on Apple+ (entirely too much language for me), WandaVision on Disney+ (part of the Marvel universe), and For All Mankind on Apple+ ( fascinating reimagining of our space program) rounded out viewing for the Sparks brood.  My husband and I tried Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu, but we turned it off almost immediately.  The first 6 words spoken started with an F.  We also tried The Mindy Project – on Huluas well.  My husband didn’t care for it but I think I may continue it on my own.

 

Well, I’ll wrap up this 14th month of 2020 by saying, “I love you.  I thank you, and I hope March treats you well.

 

Now, for this week’s featured post!

 

Did He Really Say…?  from Kim Hood of  embracethisseason.com brought a recent conversation with a loved one racing back into my heart.  I believe this article highlights the number one technique satan uses to place doubt in believers about God’s Word.  It’s subtle, it’s slippery and we have to be diligently on the lookout for this weapon in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.  See what Kim has to say.

 

 

 

 

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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).

 

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On Black History Month…and Grace and Truth Link Up

February 19, 2021 by Lauren 20 Comments

Well…best laid plans.  I intended to write a post on Black History month and continuing to educate ourselves on this important part of American history as well as the fight for racial justice.  But instead, snowpocolypse hit much of the south and Texas faced unprecedented (man, I weary of that word) power outages leaving us and millions of others without electricity, heat, and in some cases water.  All the while temps reached only into the teens and dropped to single digits every night.

 

Hotels booked quickly and roads were not safe to travel since the Lone Star State doesn’t have many sand trucks nor other equipment to clear the roads.  Sweet friends living just around the block blessed us with their electricity and extra beds.  Grateful can’t describe our feelings.  So grateful in fact, that upon finally moving back home, we returned the favor to another family without power.

 

We enjoyed great fellowship and some laughs, but not any alone time to work or write.  So here I sit – safe, sound and warm.  But out of time.  So I will simply simply share the things used to learn from in honor of Black History Month.

 

  1.  I’m Still Here:  Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown.  This book is hard to read.  But not nearly so hard as it was and probably still is for Ms. Brown to live.  And after hearing some of what can constitute a microaggression, I am more convinced than ever that I have more work to do personally.  I believe this author will continue to be a powerful voice in the battle for racial equity.
  2. How to Fight Racism with Jemar Tisby.  Since I already had my February read picked out, my husband joined me in watching this series based on the book of the same name.   Tisby lays out his ARC method – Awareness, Relationship and Commitment as a means of battling racial injustice.  He packs each 20 minute episode with eye opening, helpful and challenging information.  While episodes on Amazon cost $4.99 each (well worth it), if you have access to RightNow Media you can watch for free!
  3. Africa Before Transatlantic Enslavement and 5 Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.  The folks at Be the Bridge reminded me that Black History Month is not just about the struggles of people of color, but their contributions.  They recommended these two articles.  I’m almost not smart enough to read the first.  It took some concentration.  But both taught me a lot!

You’ve still got time to commemorate this month.  And keep learning for months to come.  For more resources I recommend (books, movies and podcasts), click here.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

I can’t think of a better thing to read this week of Valentine’s (and any week, really) than words straight from God’s word on “love”.  Visit candidlychristian.com for Heather Hart’s 6 Bible Verses About God’s Love.

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_ButtonGrace 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!

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

 

 

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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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Recent Posts

  • Kissing February ’21 Goodbye
  • On Black History Month…and Grace and Truth Link Up
  • Love Then and Now…and Grace and Truth Link-up
  • Hurts so Good: Enduring Hard Things for Greater Good
  • What a Month!

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