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Just Got Through January – Almost

January 27, 2023 by Lauren 6 Comments

Just got throughWe just got through January – almost,  and it’s National Fun at Work Day!  I’m not at work because my oldest daughter, Shelby, had major surgery last Thursday.  She and I will be hanging out together for the next several weeks as she heals and recovers.

 

Two years ago in January Shelby endured a spinal fusion that improved her posture and mobility immensely.  Unfortunately, some hardware came loose in her lower lumbar necessitating a second surgery.  She has taken an anti-convulsant medication for 20 years that affects bone density.  So this time the surgeon bone grafted from her pelvis and added an artificial agent (I’m not even going to try to remember what it’s called) to encourage a stronger bond.

 

January brings insurance changes for lots of people.  That means a lot my work for me and my co-workers.  So I logged lots of hours while I could – knowing I had time off for Shelby’s surgery coming up.

 

 

The hubs and I treated ourselves to an early anniversary date (24 years).  We went to dinner and a night time flight around Dallas in a Cessna Cardinal.  Was so fun to do something different than our normal dinner and a movie date.  Which I also love, by the way.

 

A good friend of mine had a milestone birthday with a fun surprise party and my Papa celebrated a different milestone.  I enjoyed visiting with both!

 

My daughter and some friends started a Friday night bible study at our house and even lead worship using a song she wrote with other one of the teenagers.  These are the things that fill me with so much joy and gratitude.

 

And the day after Shelby’s surgery,  I accompanied my daughter, her friend and her friend’s mom to Baylor Campus for a scholarship event.  Exciting and stressful and nerve wracking.  All the things.  This girl needs some private school money!

 

I Just Got Through This Entertainment

 

Chuck and I have been watching the newly rebooted Quantum Leap.  We both loved the OG starring Scott Bakula.  I don’t think this one is as good, but we are enjoying it enough.  And we are still checking out DVDs of The West Wing from the library.  We’ve made it to season 4 so far.  December was all about Christmas shows and Christmas reads so I put everything else on hold until after the holidays.

 

We went to the theater with Shelby to see A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks.  I found it so bitter sweet.  I laughed and cried.  It probably won’t win any awards because it is so sentimental and a little predictable, but I highly recommend.

 

I am attempting to read Joy:  Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C.S. Lewis by Abigail Santamaria.  I say attempting because I’ve gone back and forth several times on whether or not I should quit it.  It’s a bit of a slog so far, but I’ve mentioned before how hard it is for me to give up on a book.  I’ll keep you posted.  I do certainly hope that this woman’s early years were more exciting in real life than on paper.

 

Now that I’ve gone through what we just got through in January, I would love your prayers for my daughter’s continued healing and recovery.  She’s a tough girl and I’m grateful.  And as always, I love you, I thank you and I hope February treats you well!

 

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

 

In a world that’s so full of darkness, it’s good to be reminded of what happens in the light.  

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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First Friday Prayers: A New Year

January 6, 2023 by Lauren 4 Comments

For the past five or six years, I have kicked off my first exercise class of the year by reading a meditation.  Even though it’s not a scripture, I wanted to share it as part of our First Friday Prayers.  (I’ll still share God’s Word too.)  Here is the meditation:

 

“This is the beginning of a new day.  I have been give this day to use as I will.  I can waste it, or can use it for good.  What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something I have traded for it.  I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that  shall not regret the price I paid for it.”

 

I wish I could give credit to the author, but I have no idea where it came from.

 

Applying This to a New Year

 

As you can see, these encouragements were written for a new day.  But I find them appropriate and motivating for a New Year as well.  Until coming across these words, I can’t say I had ever thought of my time as a commodity.  Not in this sense.  Sure I’ve used the phrase, “spend my time”.  That’s pretty common.  But I honestly never saw my time as something that costs me.  We trade one thing (or even many) for the thing we choose to occupy our time.  And then that time is gone.  Time is not a renewable resource.  God gives us a limited amount here on this earth.  I think I’ll stop trying to elaborate on the meditation because I can’t say it any better.

 

Here’s what I know as a believer in Jesus Christ.  We have a finite number of days in this world.  But we get eternity in heaven. If we are following hard after Jesus, we need to spend our time on things that matter for that eternity.  The ideas in the meditation are stated in scripture as follows:

 

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 

Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV

 

My prayer for us for 2023:

 

 

Praying for you in this.  If there are ways I can be praying for you this year, please send me a message to lauren@laurensparks.net.  It would be an honor.

 

Don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit.  It would mean so much to me.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word post, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

Lauren

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

 

Donna shares great and timely insight in How Can We Have Peace and Confidence in the New Year?  Thanks for linking up with Grace and Truth, Donna.  If you are a writer I hope you consider linking up with us in 2023, too.

 

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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  • Just Got Through January – Almost
  • Joy Ride: My Word of the Year
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  • First Friday Prayers: A New Year
  • Do We Have to Ditch December?

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