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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
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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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October is On the Way Out…and Grace and Truth Link Up

October 30, 2020 by Lauren 14 Comments

As this goes to print (figuratively), tomorrow is Halloween.  That means November and Thanksgiving lurk just around the corner.  This season continues to look much different than previous years, and far fewer people talk about the gift of time they received from the pandemic back in March.  It seems busyness returned for many of us, but the inconveniences and difficulties linger.  And yet we find ways to modify and keep going and I am more thankful than ever for the normalcies we still have.

 

My 15 year old stays moving with a challenging course load and driver’s ed!  She has only scared me a few dozen times – actually she is progressing well.  She can taste the independence and she wants it BAD!  She sings constantly – around the house as well as rehearsing with three different choir ensemble groups.  And we finally got to have a full-blown, but socially distanced, choir performance.  Sing Off is an annual solo competition.  The directors selected my girl to open the show and she KILLED it!  I might not be unbiased in that analysis.  But we loved seeing her perform again in the first school performance since their Christmas show in mid December!  Check out her song below!   Taking the PSAT and celebrating her BFF’s 16th birthday basically rounds out her month.

Chuck and Shelby continue to plug along with school and work.  Shelby is having a little more trouble with seizures in the classroom this month and Chuck continues to work hard to learn everything he needs to learn and access all the required systems for his new job.  I would love you to cover both of those things in prayer, if you think about it.  Shelby’s annual ARD (meeting with educators for special needs students for curriculum planning) lasted only 15 minutes online as compared to the usual hour or longer.  I was very aware, however, that Shelby is a short-timer with this school.  I don’t want to think about the next step!!

 

I got to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday at a yummy local restaurant dubbing itself “Tuscan Texan”.  We Texans will claim anything.  (Even our own independence once upon a time.)  I lunched with another friend and meet once a week with a great group of ladies to study Beth Moore’s Chasing Vines.  I had a little hangout with my sister and our friend from high school/ college, but this is still not enough social time for this social girl.

 

My joy at the return of Baylor football last month did not last.  The Big 12 canceled multiple games due to Covid-19 outbreaks within the ranks of the Bears, or their opponents.  And the Dallas Cowboys disappoint me more every week.  Don’t they all get that I need something to look forward to every week!?!

 

I read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman.  I’m not sure I recommend it.  The plot was interesting, but sometimes hard to follow.  Next I dove into Dennis Jernigan’s Giant Killer:  A Heart Like David.  I really enjoyed this, learning some things about David and Goliath that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before.  I think I would recommend using it in your quiet time or daily bible study, though.  Jernigan formatted the chapters well for this and filled them with scripture.  I am back to a novel now.  I’ve alternated non-fiction and fiction lately to keep from getting overloaded on any one thing.  I’ve only just cracked the cover on The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray.  I don’t think I would have chosen this book for this particular time in my life if I had known it was so dark, but I will probably persevere through and hope for something happy.

 

The hubs and I tried the series Ted Lasso on Disney +.  Many people recommended this, but I couldn’t handle the language.  Disappointing.  I could really use something funny right now, but with four F-bombs in the first five minutes, we turned our attention to Mrs. America on Hulu.  I love history and this one interests me, at least so far.  It does cover some sensitive topics, though.  Fair warning.  We watched the movie Men of Honor about the first black master diver in the US Navy, and Patriot’s Day – a retelling of the Boston Marathon bombing.  I guess my love for history is pretty obvious.  This one was edited for TV, though, so I cannot vouch for the unedited version. 

 

The Epilepsy Foundation gave me the nerve wracking opportunity to testify before the Drug Utilization Review Board of the Health and Human Services Commission for the State of Texas.  Say that three times fast.  Our association with the foundation grants us cool opportunities to fight for those with seizures like Shelby.  I am always grateful.  And I voted early.  Not as much due to a sense of civic duty (although I have that), but because I wanted to get the thing over with!

 

I close with one of my favorite literary quotes from Anne of Green Gables.  It turns my heart to gratitude, even if this month doesn’t look exactly like I want it to.  “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”  And I hope November treats you well.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

Self-doubt and self-condemnation come easy to me.  I am my own worst critic in so many areas of life.  Parenting, evangelism, health and fitness, you name it.  Sarah Howley of Inspirit Encourage wrote a post that was a balm for my soul.  Self-control:  Thoughts of Self-Doubt reminded me how much God loves me and is pleased with me – no matter what.  Click over to read if you struggle in this area too.

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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