Lauren Sparks

This month was a roller coaster.  And I’m not just talking about Baylor Football!  A wide range of emotions and experiences have both buoyed my spirits and challenged my joy. The good, the bad and the ugly – you might say.  I’ll just call it September. 

 

Sad in September

 

I’ll just go ahead and start with my aforementioned Baylor Bears.  My husband and I bought season tickets this year since our Baby Bear is a Freshman.  And the start to the season has been a train wreck.  I hate to say that since I bleed green and gold but we lost our first game when we were a 3-4 touchdown favorite.  We lost the 2nd game, but at least they were a ranked team.  We won the third, beating the Long Island University Sharks (who?), but not as handily as we should have.  And last week we gave away our last Big 12 match up with the University of Texas.  I’ll never give up my fan card, but it’s a little tough to proudly display at the moment.

 

The job market broke my heart again.  For the second time I was passed over for a job I really wanted.  A job in ministry, too.  I spent a few days grieving this one.  And now I’m back at it.  Giving my all at the job I have and continuing to look for what God has next.  I also attended a funeral for a young father killed in a terrible accident.  To cap it off, I turned 50 (boo) and everything hurts.

 

 

Sassy in September

 

Visiting my daughter and her college friends has been a fun side benefit to the season football tickets.  And we loved the extended visit of our overnight stay (even if it was in a Super 8) for Family Weekend.  Bringing our girl treats and taking her and her posse to lunch brought me so much joy.  And being on campus is just fun.

 

My best friend flew in from Alabama to go to one of the games with me and there is no one I’d rather spend time with.  Laughing, talking, eating, shopping and feeling disappointed in football.  (We watched the Dallas game against Arizona too.)  And Chuck and I – with two other couples who live in the neighborhood – have now firmly established our once a week supper club.  It’s a delight.  In my book, friend time = great time.  And teaching them Spicy Uno left me in stitches.

 

The hubs and I started watching a new (but old) TV show.  Suits.  It’s not without some language and innuendo, but a good legal drama puts me in mind of LA Law.  And I LOVED that show growing up!  We only saw one movie in a theater.  My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.  I know, I know.  I should have learned my lesson with the 2nd one, but I loved the first so much that I had to try.  And it was still sweet, if not laugh-out-loud funny.

 

I read Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea and The Struggle for Love:  The Story of Leah by Marilyn T. Parker.  I enjoyed the first – a funny and very easy to read coming of age story.  The author of the second fictionalized the story of Leah from the bible with some interesting spins.  A great read.

 

Surprised in September

 

My husband treated me to the best thing to happen this month.  Upon returning from the Baylor/ Texas football game weekend with my best friend, I walked into a house full of family and friends who gathered to surprise me for the birthday that shall not be mentioned again after this.  I may not have liked the number, but celebrating it was so fun.  Chuck worked hard on all the details, including catering, Nothing Bundt Cakes, balloons and so many dear people.  He made everything beautiful and I haven’t stopped talking about it since.

 

That’s the gist of it.  I pray you have seen God’s hand in the good times and bad.  And I would love to hear what you’ve been up to.  As always, I love you, I thank you and I pray October treats you well.

 

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

 

Joanne Viola’s short but impactful piece on the term Opinion gave me a lot to think about.  Thanks, Joanne.

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).

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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