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.
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