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Sad, Sassy and Surprised in September

September 29, 2023 by Lauren 8 Comments

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).

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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These are a Few of My Favorite Things (100 to be Exact)

November 6, 2020 by Lauren 38 Comments

Jami Amerine, one of my favorite writers, said recently, “If I am losing it beyond the normal parameters of losing it, I write out or say 100 things I am grateful for.”  I don’t know about you, but the losing it thing describes me more often than not.  Especially in light of 2020.  And even this week!  Good grief.

 

Jami calls this exercise a gratitude blitz.  You can read what she said about it here.  Well, today this sounded like just the thing to kick off a month when many focus on giving thanks.  So I am taking a crack at it.  Hopefully something you read here will touch you, encourage you, entertain you or motivate you to make your own list.  And maybe we will decide – at least for a moment – that things really aren’t that bad.

 

Today I am grateful for:

  1.  Cheddar cheese flavored Garden Veggie Straws.  The bag is sitting right here in my line of sight, and they are delish.  Cures my chip craving for 30% less fat.  That’s what the bag says anyway.
  2. A husband working hard in the next room to provide for our family.
  3. My children.  I forget why right this minute, but I love them.
  4. Jesus.  Yes, He should have been first.  But my snack tasted so good.
  5. Beth Moore bible studies.  Some friends and I are currently working through Chasing Vines.  She is just so good.
  6. My cute Yorkie Meg.
  7. Facetime, without which I would not still be able to have long “face to face” conversations with my best friend.
  8. Noom and the determination to finally start losing some weight.
  9. A good check-up with my oncologist.
  10. A mom and sisters who are more like friends.
  11. Teachers and school administrators who have the hardest job in the world right now.
  12. The democratic process – even though I still feel conflicted about the vote I cast.
  13. The Bible.  That I can read God’s word every day in more translations than I can shake a stick at (that’s redneck for a lot) is such a gift.
  14. Half price Sonic drinks when I order on the app.  Not a paid advertisement, just a daily refreshment for me.
  15. Date nights.  A chance to get out of the house (socially distanced, of course) and leave my blessed children behind.
  16. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Without it Shelby would get into a lot more trouble when I’m otherwise engaged.
  17. Sweet, Christian friends for my youngest.
  18. Four youngsters that call me Lolli.
  19. Zoom.  Whoever knew I would use it so much?
  20. My Yoga Lite students who meet with me virtually twice a week.
  21. A spin bike given me by my mother-in-law that keeps me cardio’d up without wearing a mask at the gym.
  22. That these Texas temps are getting a little cooler.
  23. A comfortable bed – even if I don’t sleep as well since menopause.
  24. This blog, which gives me a creative outlet to talk about Jesus and other things important to me.
  25. Spellcheck, without which the aforementioned blog would be a dung heap.
  26. Fellow bloggers, from whom I learn so much.
  27. Books.  I will not reach the bottom of my reading list before heaven.  And maybe one day I’ll even write a book – the Lord and publishing houses willing.
  28. Romantic comedies, because they just feel good.
  29. My Papa, who is a very good girl daddy.
  30. My sister’s hand me down car for Allie to wreck.  I mean drive!
  31. Shelby’s unconditional, child-like love.
  32. Allie’s singing voice.
  33. My one year old niece.  Everyone needs someone or something that cute and sweet to remind you of what’s good in the world.
  34. Special educators and therapists.
  35. Fenfluramine, which has worked wonders for Shelby’s seizures and given her better quality of life.
  36. A wonderful marriage.
  37. Tylenol and Sudafed for sinus headaches.
  38. The cute way Shelby pronounces “skunk” to sound like “stunk” and squirrel without the “s”.
  39. Vegetti made from zucchini to put pasta sauce on.
  40. Iphones.  I can talk, text, post, take pics and videos, read the bible, check my calendar and do my banking all from one little incredibly expensive device.
  41. My friends, who are often my sanity
  42. Pretty clothes.
  43. The Baylor Bears and the Dallas Cowboys.  You lose some, you lose some.
  44. A pastor whose teaching is excellent.
  45. Podcasts.  So informative.  So entertaining.
  46. Bark, that helps me keep an eye on my kid’s digital activity.
  47. Medical insurance.  Since paying for Allie’s broken leg and surgery we owe zero dollars for drugs or doctors for the rest of the year.
  48. Christmas.  I don’t know what it will look like yet, but it’s still my favorite time of the year.
  49. Air conditioning, ’cause Texas.
  50. Family hand-me-downs that remind me of sweet family history.
  51. Fast food.  We aren’t using it as often these days, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
  52. Allie’s smile.  It cost a small fortune, but it’s beautiful.
  53. Plants I have managed not to kill yet.
  54. The direct avenue I have to God through prayer.
  55. Hoka tennis shoes.
  56. Massages and ice packs.  Getting old is a you-know-what.
  57. My hometown.
  58. A lazy boy recliner that I used to nurse two babies and recover from a double mastectomy.  It still supports me every day (please don’t break!).
  59. A warm cup of flavored coffee.
  60. Stainless steel tumblers that keep the coffee warm and the water cold.  What a modern miracle!
  61. My Macbook Pro.  She was hard to get used to, but once you go Mac, you never go back.
  62. Hair dye and a talented colorist.  No one wants to see me without either.
  63. Nail salons.  Connecting mothers and daughters when nothing else can.  (If you own a salon, you are welcome to use that slogan!)
  64. Hamilton.  If you don’t know why, WATCH IT!
  65. An old, flawed and outdated home.  But it’s mine (and the bank’s).
  66. No car payments.
  67. Saving daily Facebook memories in my camera roll to reminisce over dinner with family.
  68. Funny memes
  69. Laughing out loud.
  70. Everything bagel seasoning.  It…is…everything.
  71. T-shirt dresses and cozy joggers.
  72. Sleeping late.
  73. Word search puzzles.
  74. Balderdash, PassWord and Taboo
  75. The unlimited grace God gives to me, a sinner.
  76. The hope of heaven.
  77. My wedding ring, second edition (I lost the diamond from the first.)
  78. My charm bracelet.  So many gifts.  So many momentos.
  79. Opportunities to cheer my kids on.
  80. Fall.
  81. Getting presents.
  82. Papermate Flair Pens in multiple colors.
  83. A new crockpot that cooks at the proper temperature.
  84. That it’s homemade chicken noodle soup season.
  85. Clearance racks.
  86. That I get to “wife” and “mom”.
  87. A family legacy of faith.
  88. The unmerited love of God.
  89. The beauty of creation.
  90. A second generation of the same family that is now serving as caregiver to Shelby.  The help is much appreciated and these ladies are a blessing.
  91. 80’s pop.
  92. 90’s country.
  93. Kitchen gadgets I don’t even know the name of that help me brown ground meat and finely dice onion.
  94. The Keurig
  95. Blog link-ups.  To share my work and engage with others.
  96. Online shopping.
  97. Also, boutiques and thrift stores.
  98. Do not call lists.
  99. Charities like The Tim Tebow Foundation, International Justice Mission, The Epilepsy Foundation and Make a Wish
  100. You, the reader, if you are still here!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17 NIV

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

What Do You Mean When You Say You Believe? by Michele Morin is an important post.  As a writer, I put a lot of importance on words, but the weight we put on the word “believe” when it comes to God has eternal consequences.  Visit Michele at Living our Days.

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.

 

 

 

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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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