Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Up Up and Away, April

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Time…slow…down.  As I am writing this, we just got home from eating lunch after church.  My daughter Allie helped lead worship this morning and I am painfully aware that the number of these opportunities is dwindling.  She graduates in one month and two days.  Not that I’m counting.  But I do know that in a couple of days, April is up up and away and we’re moving toward May.  In the mean time, we are relishing every last!

 

April Fools Day had me working a casino party for the senior adults at the REC center where I work and Allie attending (along with gobs of other teen girls) a Taylor Swift concert.  And now we shall move on to more wholesome endeavors (said in my best SNL church lady voice)!  Also in the first week both of Allie’s school choirs won Sweepstakes at UIL!

 

Our Easter Sunday was lovely.  Allie wanted to attend the sunrise service.  I was less motivated to get up for that, but we went to the 8am to make room in the more crowded services for guests.  Allie stayed and worshipped with us for that one too.  Then we drove the hour and a half to my parents’ church to surprise them and worship there with them.  We picked up lunch for us all and then my sisters and their families joined us there in the afternoon.

 

I got to have lunch with one of my dearest friends, her adult daughter and her daughter’s precious daughter mid-month.  Such a wonderful visit and a joy to hold that sweet baby.  I hope we get to do it again very soon.  Two days later I got to lunch with my sister and one of our friends from high school/ college.  An embarrassment of riches for me to get so much family and friend time in one week!  In between I finally got to graduate out of my adult braces and attended a celebration of life for a dear man we were in life group with for years.

 

More April Antics

 

I got to treat my girl to pedicures and nails in preparation for her senior prom.  Taking pictures of her and her friends was so fun.  And in my obviously biased opinion, Allie wore one of the most beautiful gowns I’ve ever seen.  And it perfectly suited her personality.  She had a ball at the ball and then brought a group of friends over to watch a movie.  Rowdy bunch!

 

Our Shelby started physical therapy for the first time since her spinal surgery in January and is working hard.  We are so pleased that she appears to be in a lot less pain and is starting to move a little faster and more freely.  Prayers are being answered as she is better able to enjoy her friends and navigate her environment.

 

When the Baylor Alumni come to town, Chuck, Shelby and I get to go to Top Golf with our friends!  I am just as bad at golf as I thought I would be, but we had a really fun night nonetheless.  Sometimes laughing at how bad you are is even more fun than being good at something.  At least that’s what I’m telling myself.  Besides, I got to take a pic with the president of the university and won a door prize!

 

The next day I drove back to my mom’s to attended a ladies’ luncheon at her church.  A speaker from Mama Bear Apologetics knocked my socks off.  And no, this has nothing to do with Baylor and everything to do with strategies for teaching your children and grandchildren how to defend their faith.  Check out their website, resources and books at the link above.  You won’t be sorry.

 

I’ve kept busy this last week working (including a 70’s themed Member Appreciation), attending choir board meeting, baccalaureate planning, and staying with my sister in the hospital following surgery.  And tonight, we will soak in every minute of Allie’s last high school Jazz Show.   To top it all off, this Sunday is Senior Sunday, where all the graduating seniors are recognized.  Lord, help me!

 

Entertainment

 

To distract and entertain ourselves, Chuck, Shelby and I went to the theater to see Air:  A Story of Greatness.  We enjoyed this story of how the Air Jordan basketball shoe came to be, but I could have done without about 200 F-bombs.  I always think true stories are the best stories and aside from the language, this one delivered.   At home we watched the mini-series Daisy Jones and the Six on Amazon Prime after hearing several positive reviews.  I will give it the same thumbs down for language and there is a LOT of drug use.  But it’s telling the story of a rock band in the 70’s (some say loosely based on Stevie Nicks).  And it’s a cautionary tale.  With a couple of surprises if you haven’t read the book.  I am currently obsessed with a the soundtrack.

 

I listened to Bono’s memoir Surrender:  40 Songs, One Story.  It is really long so you may not want to attempt it if you aren’t a U2 super fan.  I am only a casual fan of the music, but I’m rather fascinated by the man.  Probably because I can’t quite figure out a man who quotes scripture on one page and curses on the next.  He is social activist and devoted follower of Jesus.  He’s rock and roll and small group bible study.  This book did nothing to help me figure him out, but it was interesting in some places and way too wordy in others.  If you decide to tackle it, choose the audio.  You get his voice as well as snippets of all the songs as he talks about them.  But be forewarned, it’s over 20 hours long.

 

Since I was in a memoir mood, I checked out Waxing On:  The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio.  If you are child of the ’80s, this is a fun, easy read.  And I completed The 4:8 Principle:  The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life by Tommy Newberry, which I wrote about here.

 

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

 

Heather Hart of Candidly Christian has crawled into my brain with her post When Things Go Wrong.  The last few years have called me to trust on the Lord more than I ever knew I would need to or could.  And this post is an encouragement for such a time as these.

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!

 

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10 Joy Inducing Questions to Ask Yourself

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Questions to ask yourselfThe 4:8 Principle:  The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life by Tommy Newberry sat on my want-to-read list for several years.  So when I chose the word “joy” as my word of the year, I knew it was time to dust it off.  If you regularly read Christian non-fiction, you may not find much ground broken in this book.  Even more secular publications tell us that if we change our thought life, we change our whole life, which is essentially the 4:8 principle based on Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is ]lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” NASB

However, this book did provide a strategy for changing your thought life in the form of a series of questions to ask yourself.  I found this both interesting and helpful and would like to share one of the sets of questions (which the author likens to evaluating your gratitude) with you in case you might benefit!  And if you will indulge me, I’ll share my answers to these questions to ask yourself as well because it wasn’t until I put pen to paper that I understood how they could change my mindset.

 

The 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

 

    1.  What is positive and unique about your family?  Our children are believers in Jesus.  I love being with my parents and siblings.  I would be hard-pressed to find someone that I think has a better husband than me.  Allie will soon be a third generation Baylor Bear and she brings me so much joy by her love for Jesus and her beautiful singing voice.

    2. What are 3 of your best memories from your first year with your spouse?  Eating Hula Pie while facing the ocean, taking him a note at work to tell him I was pregnant with Shelby, and Digiorno Pizza and Must See TV every Thursday after working out together.  

    3. What is the most magnificent goal you have already accomplished?

    4. What parts of your body tend to work really well most of the time?  My mind is sharp and creative.  My muscles are strong enough to be active and work out 5 days a week.  I’m nimble enough to still teach exercise classes at 49.

    5. In what ways has God shown His grace in your life recently?  Bringing Allie back to a place of love and devotion for Him that brings me so much joy.  Every time I hear her lead worship or think about my relationship with Chuck I feel His grace.  And I know it’s only His grace that is sustaining me and allowing me to still experience joy through one of the most challenging things I’ve ever faced, but must remain unnamed for the privacy of others.  

    6. What is the nicest compliment you have received in the last month?  Since my appearance is a tough area for me, I always appreciate my husband telling me I look pretty.  And I often get compliments on my hair.  Also, a co-worker told me of a selfless thing she did and then told me that I taught her that.  And a student told me how much they love my class this week.  

    7. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from another person?  My mom modeled the importance of praying for my kids.

    8. What is the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in the last week?  As my sister was taking my daughter’s senior pictures, my husband jumped into a couple.  To watch them look at each other and see how much they love each other put a lump in my throat.

    9. What is an old crisis or rough situation from the past that in retrospect has turned into a blessing or benefited you in some way?  I have been able to walk with several friends and acquaintances through breast cancer after having it myself.  

    10. What is the number one thing you are going to be grateful for this time next year?  25 years of marriage.

The Significance of Your Answers

 

It wasn’t until I journaled through this list of questions that I saw how my answers could combat some common joy-stealers.

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Angry with your spouse or another family member?  Contemplate #1 and #2.  Discontent with your appearance or aches and pains?  How about #4.  Feeling like nothing is going right?  #5 dispels that myth.  These are definitely great questions to ask yourself.   But did you notice my lack of answer for #3?  I am obviously not a goal-oriented person and it might be something I need to take a harder look at.

 

The author also offers sample questions to ask yourself for morning, evening, marriage and parenting.  Journaling or bullet-pointing these answers definitely reminded me of my blessings and shifted my thoughts to things that are excellent and praise worthy.

 

Other Nuggets From the Book

 

“Living with joy is our birthright.  It is God’s intention for all his children.”

“When you focus on the good, you not only notice more good but you actually create more good…a virtuous cycle (rather than a vicious cycle)”

“Being joy filled does not mean that your life is perfect.  It means that you emphatically trust God and believe that he has great plans for your life, regardless of what is happening right now.  Joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God.”

“The most joyful place you can be is in God’s will.”

“Anyone can be happy when circumstances are wonderful, but joy is different.  Joy is proactive happiness.  It is the learned capacity to display your faith ahead of time by means of your daily mental attitude.”

“To act with joy now, live each hour as if your full potential has already materialized.  Proceed, moment by moment, with the gratitude you’d have if your most heartfelt prayers have been answered.”

 

More Quotes

 

“What does a mediocre attitude transmit to the world and reveal about your faith?  How could a bored, sullen, or defeatist attitude ever glorify him?”

“Emotional strength [is] affirming God rather than affirming your woes…you don’t have to make blemishes the essence of your life.”

“The choices you make that violate biblical truth invite emotional discord even though they may initially produce counterfeit joy.  This emotional debt must always be paid back, with interest.”

“Those who experience more joy don’t necessarily have more to be joyful about; they just think differently.” (the law of attention)

“Realize that everything you watch, read, or listen to either brings you closer to God or nudges you further away.”

“When you are right with God, you naturally and humbly cherish life for what it is – a temporary gift…”

 

And now, no more questions to ask yourself.  Just this week’s featured post from the link up!

I have often complained about how hard it is to make friends as an adult. But it’s because we don’t think we have time to just “waste” being with someone. And intimacy doesn’t happen without putting in some time. But as we grow older we no longer place as much value on this as we do productivity or making money or any number of other “good” things. This is why my hairdresser is now one of my dearest friends. Because we put in a lot of time over the years, without really trying!  Pam Ecrement puts her two cents in with We’re Missing It.

 

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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