Friday, January 29, 2021

Friday Favorites 1.29.21

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for this weekly blog post. 

I hope you've all had a great week—I have, and while I have been home a lot this week, the week has seemed busier than normal. I think it's because of how I spend the time in my days and every single day goes by so fast, especially my favorite kind of day, the ones when I'm home with nowhere to go. I am an introvert to the very core of my being and I love days when I don't have to be anywhere. 

Here are a few of my favorite moments/things from the week:

I got this sign from Hobby Lobby after Christmas, and it's one of my favorite things in our home. I took this picture and had something to say about it one day a few weeks ago when I wasn't feeling very loved by the people in my home, but I never shared it because the issued needed to be worked out in my own heart. I share this with you because the Lord has stopped me sharing on social media lately—and I know it's "just" social media and why would the Lord care about such a frivolous thing like that, but it's like He has been showing me lots of perspective lately.

I have had thoughts along the lines of some of these statements lately:

Why am I sharing this? Is it really to encourage someone or is it because I want the attention it puts onto me? 

(I'm being VERY vulnerable here, in case you aren't picking up on that.)

Does the social media world really need ONE MORE PERSON sharing their thoughts? 

Is it glorifying to God?

Have I prayed about this instead of sharing the words running through my brain?

And so, I've not been posting a lot and I still haven't been on there all that much. I'm good with all of this and I don't miss reaching for my phone. I've been filling up my time with reading, listening to music, doing Bible study homework and planning out days and weeks ahead. 

My pastor is one of my favorite people to pray for and to hear speak. Last week he began a new series on the book of Mark and he will be preaching from this gospel for the weeks to come. I love this book in the new testament and a good sermon series is my favorite. I love reading along in the book I know someone is preaching from and it's on my list of things to read before Sunday.

Speaking of reading, it's my favorite past time and though I said I would share the books I've read this month, I don't know what I was thinking. I will be reading right up until the last day of the month, so I will start writing the post over the weekend and share it at the beginning of the week. 

I spent a great portion of the month of January right here in my chair, happily reading #allthepages.

Anyone else love all the memories that come each day on Timehop? They're my favorite! This picture was taken approximately nine years ago and left to right are Jonah, Noah, Graham and Drew. Those were the days! We left the school books behind and went and had a day of fun at a local trampoline park. They were so excited to walk in and I made them stop and pose for me so we'd always remember the day.

Winter is my favorite (but really, I love every season) because we can enjoy fires in the fireplace. I took this picture on Sunday when it was so cold outside. Todd came home from church and started a fire and kept it going until late that night.

Like I said, reading is my favorite and so are books. This is one of four spots in our home that is stuffed with books. They're in every nook and cranny. Some people like shoes, jewelry or trinkets, I like books. I love to display them and I love how they bring a feel of coziness to the decor. 

I wholeheartedly agree with the statement in this picture, because as far back as I can remember, books have transported me to another place. They've helped me through some hard times and the ones I love most are like old friends. My dad used to drop me off at my favorite used bookstore and would come back for me four hours later. (I did this at least every other Saturday and never got tired of it.) I am still this way today and love to read books over and over again. 

On another note, fresh flowers are another favorite of mine. I bought these this week at my grocery store and think they're beautiful. Nothing beats the $4 bouquet from the grocery store!

I love it when things look pretty.


This Bible study is so good! Bible study is another favorite of mine and I'm not raving because my name is one of the ones listed as co-author. It really is a GREAT Bible study and I am loving digging into the Word of God with friends in small group each week.


This Bible is another favorite—yesterday's reading was so good, as was the devotion that tied it all together after. I posted this yesterday, a quote the writer made about not holding a grudge, then pretty much had to turn around and eat my words. Like I said, #perspective.


I wish this picture above was a video instead of merely a picture. Jonah's truck has been broken down for weeks and mechanics are booked for weeks and months and it's impossible to get into one right now. We have waited on our guy because he is good and reliable and reasonably priced. Saturday is the day it gets to go into the repair shop! A tow truck will come and pick her up tomorrow and tow her to the shop and this was Jonah and Noah pushed the truck into the driveway yesterday afternoon. I was DYING laughing, as were they. I did manage to video it on Snapchat to send to all the boys.

That's about all I've got, friends. How was your week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog...love to all!

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

What's Up Wednesday (January)

 


Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Shay from Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer from A Little Bit of Everything for this blog post. I will jump right in with this post.

What we're eating this week—

Well, this is hard to answer because it's still Monday! But on that night we had breakfast casserole and orange rolls. For the rest of the week, I foresee something with ground beef, something with chicken (probably my crock pot chicken made with taco seasoning and chicken broth) and maybe a vegetarian pasta night. Those are the meats I have leftover in my freezer from my Costco run last week, but all my meals are easy and yummy. 

What I'm reminiscing about—

Christmas. I still miss my favorite time of year and am still watching the movies I recorded from Hallmark. I watch about two each week to help clear up some of the space on the DVR of my Frndly app on tv.


Also, I miss the twinkling lights and the cozy feeling that I so love. Between you and me, I still have a few Christmas things left out that I never took down. Nobody has mentioned them, so let's see how long that lasts. I made myself laugh.

What I'm loving—


My husband is the master at making an awesome fire. We've thorougly enjoyed using it this season and are quickly going through the firewood we have stored out in the side yard at our house. I think this is Todd's favorite past time lately and it's like a game to him, getting a fire going each night when it's cold.

What we've been up to—

What haven't we been up to, would be the more accurate question. Todd has been riding shifts a lot lately with the sheriff's department, Graham and Drew just came back from Nashville, Jonah and Noah have been hanging out with friends (they've all been doing that), and I am about to start writing for our women's Bible study that will be for in August of 2021. Up until I start writing, I keep reading and re-reading the book we're writing on for our study, in several different versions. 

What I'm dreading—

I honestly can't think of anything I'm dreading at the moment and I know that seems shocking, but it's true. 

What I'm working on—

See above statement. I'm also trying to stay on top of laundry and organizing things at home. I have two projects in my home that I'm hoping to finish soon, but I've not been in any hurry for either. It seems like things keep popping up to take precedence over those things, but surely they'll be done before the spring comes.

What I'm excited about—

Bible study with new friends (and some returning ladies) at our church, a new worship pastor coming in a couple of weeks, hope that things will turn around soon and fully open once more, an upcoming retreat with some friends in April...lots more, but I don't have all the details yet.

What I'm watching/reading—

On tv, I'm watching Hallmark movies and Army Wives (again). Just this weekend I finished When Calls the Heart on Netflix (if left on the 24th) because the newest season starts in February. 

I'm reading lots these days and will write about it more tomorrow, but here is a sneak peak:


This book is AMAZING. I think everyone should read it and go slowly through the book. I'm only on chapter two, but I am taking my time and writing down things I want to remember. It's both good and very practical. 

What I'm listening to—

Have you heard of the group (or seen the movie on Netflix) The Fisherman's Friends? I was talking to Todd about this movie on Sunday night and when I read the description to Todd, Jonah overheard me say "sea shanties" and then proceeded to tell us how much he loves this music. We cracked up, because he's seventeen and loves the sound of Irish (Cornall?) music. Google it and/or look it up on Netflix, I can't wait to watch the movie. 

Other favorites include Rend Collective, The Cranberries, Casting Crowns, Elevation Worship, Jonathan McReynolds, Passion 2021 Worship on Spotify, JJ Heller and a couple of winter playlists by The Nester and Sophie Hudson on Spotify.


What I'm wearing—

A coat and scarf when it's cold, but mainly cozy fleece pants and a hooded sweatshirt because I'm home more often than not. 

What I'm doing this weekend—

Reading, watching movies, cooking (most likely), seeing Mom and Trish (hopefully), going to church in person for the first time in two weeks.


What I'm looking forward to next month

Ummm, I have no idea. Maybe making a special meal to celebrate Valentine's? I'm going back in time to a few years ago when the boys were young and I'd make something special. I think I'll do that again, including their favorite chocolate molten lava cakes.

What else is new

I think I've covered it all! Thanks for reading along. Love to all!

Monday, January 25, 2021

weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? Mine was very low-key for the second weekend in a row, but I am definitely not complaining. My introverted self charges up by time like that. I'm linking up with Tanya from The Other Side of the Road for this blog post. 

My weekend kicked off with my dad coming over on Friday—I am glad that some things never change. I love our Fridays together and lately the time has been going by so fast. I took him home and stayed to visit for about a half hour, then came home so my oldest sons could have it for the weekend. They went to Nashville for the weekend to stay with a friend and to watch the big fight. I am so glad they have good friends, one thing I have always asked the Lord for was for them each to have at least one good friend and He has been faithful to hear my prayer and answer that plea. I am happy to say they each have more than just one, though. 



I love what both of these images remind us about friends—and I am also very thankful for the fact that my sons are not just brothers, they are friends with each other and they all hang out together all the time. It's another prayer that the Lord answered for me and I don't take it for granted. I pray they always remain this way, because it's how they were brought up.

Todd worked both Friday and Saturday nights, so I watched movies and a few episodes of a show on Netflix. On Saturday in the daytime, I went out with Mom and Trish and we had fun going in just a few stores for something Mom was looking for. We had the best lunch—hibachi chicken and sides for them and sushi for me—at Stix.

I watched church online Sunday, because my car was still gone and also because I didn't feel great. I think I bruised a rib by sneezing a few days ago, because my side has been hurting and it hurts to laugh or sing (or sneeze). I am feeling a little better today, so I'm glad for that and also that livestream is an option for when I'm under the weather. It was a great service and I always love when our Pastor starts a new series. He will be preaching on Mark for the next fifteen weeks, so I may also be reading some in that book as extra time with Jesus each day. I miss doing that as he preaches—a couple of years ago as a church family, we read through the new testament by reading one chapter a day for five days each week. At the end of each week, Pastor Chuck would preach on something we'd read that week. We journaled as we did this together, using the H.E.A.R. method: Highlight a verse that stands out, Explain what it means, Apply it to your life, Respond in prayer. I LOVED doing that and so did many of my friends.

Todd built a roaring fire for us for the rest of Sunday and I read my book and worked on blog stuff for the week. I feel ready for the week and am looking forward to the days ahead. How was your weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, love to all. 

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Four Somethings, January Edition

 


I love this link-up each month! It's become a favorite post to write and I will love having them to look back on over the years. I am linking up with Heather over at Living the Full Life blog.

Something loved:





Winter! If you're reading this and live somewhere where it snows a lot, then ignore this, but we don't normally have a lot of winter weather here near Memphis, Tn. I love the winter season (I love all the seasons) and have thoroughly enjoyed the cold days. I've been able to wear both a coat AND a scarf, which says a lot because I am hot natured and as I'm writing this and am sitting here about to start sweating because my husband has a fire going. I can breathe so much better when it's cold outside! I even love the short and dreary days.

I've also loved all the Winter Hallmark movies this month. I've even been watching some of the Christmas ones I'd recorded, so it still feels like Christmas in my heart.

Something read:


Check back in a few days for more of what I read this month, but for now I'll share this Bible. I am loving reading the Bible in this way and after a year of chronological order, this seems very refreshing. I love chronological Bible reading, don't get me wrong, I just can't do it year after year. I have to give myself year long breaks, because it's pretty intense.

I've read lots of other books this month, too, so come back and visit when I share about that this week.

Something treasured:


Time with Jesus each day has been something I've treasured this month and so was a very unexpected lunch with one of my best friends. 


I don't take these moments for granted—life has been hard lately and it's felt forced. What I mean by that is that I've been trying to live in the moments that make up each day and enjoying the things that make me smile. Time with Jesus and time to catch up with friends both bless my soul in ways you can't imagine, even if it's only a phone call. I was able to have two friend lunches this month, with Christa pictured above and with my friend Teresa and I was able to have dinner out with a couple of young ladies who are younger in years and faith than me. I hope to have more of that in February. 

Something ahead:

In the past week, I have stepped way back from social media. My blog automatically posts there, so it may look like I'm on more than I am, but I've not been. I've done this intentionally because it just seems exhausting lately. I am fine and nothing is wrong, I've just stepped back and am spending my time doing other things like Bible study homework, extra Bible reading, watching a good show or movie and reading books. I hope to continue on in this in the coming days and remember to step away from my phone in general. I feel like I'm too plugged in all the time and I don't like the feeling all of a sudden. I may post some on social media, or I may not, but if I do that I plan to get right back off. If I don't comment there, that will be the reason why. 

Thanks for reading my blog! Love to all. 

Friday, January 22, 2021

Friday Favorites 1.22.21

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for this weekly blog link-up.  

Other than the week feeling like when it rains it pours, it was a really good week! We had two things in our home break this week, both of which were pretty significant. The first thing was a cabinet door. Never in the seventeen years that we've been here has anything like this been broken in our house. With four sons, I consider this a miracle. On Monday night, Graham was crouched down in front of a cabinet loving on a dog and when he stood up, the knob got hung on his pants pocket and literally ripped the door apart at the seam in the wood.

I sincerely wish I had a picture of what his face looked like when this happened, but his eyes about bugged out of his head. My husband had it put back on the next night, thankfully the break was clean and he just glued it back together with wood glue and left it clamped tight for almost 24 hours. The other thing that broke, also on Monday, was our washing machine. It stopped spinning and it isn't that old and has already been repaired once. We decided because of that and because Todd found one on sale that we would just buy a new one. Laundry is one of my favorite things that I do in our house, if you didn't know that about me and I particularly love folding clothes. Yes, I'm serious.


We went with another Maytag/Whirlpool, because that's our favorite brand and this one has the least amount of bells and whistles. About that, my husband and I agree that the more fancy a machine like this is, the more stuff that can go wrong on it. We just need it to wash clothes, please. This one is my favorite yet, because though it is high efficiency, you can turn the knob for a deep water wash instead of the auto sensing option that all the newer models have. There also is an option to always double rinse things and there IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC LOCKING LID. Excuse me for yelling, but I was forever dropping socks on the way to the washer. Welcome to adulting 101.

I am excited about new appliances years old.

We also bought a new rug because our old dog Crash was scared to walk on the floor when a fire was going. He thought it was on fire, I suppose and literally would shake violently if he went anywhere near the fireplace. 



I went to my favorite store for this purchase (HomeGoods) and love the rug. That led me to reposition the living room furniture some, but I love the new way it is now. 

On Sunday I stayed home and livestreamed our church service. All the others were gone and this was me at the end of the service. I love and appreciate our pastor so much! He always gives a call to pray at the end of the service and if I'd been there I'd have gone down to the altar. Since I wasn't, I knelt here at the end of the service and prayed over what he'd just preached on. It was such a great message and I am always so excited to hear him each week. Do you pray for your pastor? If you don't, will you start? I always pray for the Lord to meet him in his quiet times everyday and to give him a clear message for the following week. I always ask Him to fill him a fresh annointing of His Holy Spirit and to guard him in what he says. I always ask the Lord to multiply the time Pastor Chuck spends with Him each day and to speak to him through the Word of God. I also pray for the Lord to protect our pastor from anyone with impure intentions and to help him keep guard over his eyes, ears, mouth and heart.

In my humble opinion, the two kinds of pastors that need fervent prayer the most are the head pastor and the worship pastor, because he is the out front man. Both of these men are prone to lots of complaints, so I always try to show my gratitude to them by prayer.

On a much lighter note, these little bowls are my favorite. I bought them at my favorite store several years ago and I still love them as much as I did back then. They came in a set of four and they're the perfect snack size. Also? These cookies from Trader Joe's are another favorite.

While you see the tv in the background, I should probably confess that I'm still watching Hallmark Christmas movies. I recorded so many! I'm still working through them, but my favorite thing to do if I'm home is to have lunch while I sit and watch a movie. 


My sons are grown up these days, but it's still my favorite thing to have their friends over. This was them on Saturday night last weekend as they watched a basketball game while sitting very close to the firepit. It was FREEZING! 


Saturday was a fun day doing my favorite thing with a couple of my favorite people—running errands/shopping with my mom and Trish. It was so cold that day, like I already said and I wore this cozy sweatshirt I bought at Marshall's back in the early fall. It's literally the softest thing I own and it's currently my favorite thing to wear, whether I'm at home or out and about. I wore it with jeans and my favorite shoes from Amazon. 


These are the most comfortable shoes and when the weather is cold and I need something a little more substantial, I reach for these because they're my favorite.


Bible study is my favorite and we started back in person this week! This is the second study I've had the privilege of helping write—and I never want to take that for granted. It seems like yesterday that I sat and dreamed about this day with my friend Amy and now I'm part of the writing team at my church. If you only knew how long I've prayed for an opportunity like this you'd be amazed, but God's timing is always perfect. I'm so excited about doing this study! We offer it twice on Wednesdays: from 9:30-11:30 and from 6:30-7:30. There is a video that is recorded in the morning sessions that will be sent out each week and you can participate in person, alone or with a group in your home by watching the video, or via a Zoom call. If you're interested in this, let me know! I'd love to have you join in with us and it's not too late. 


This quote came up on my Timehop this week and it's still a favorite. It's so true! We are so quick to need God when things are hard, but the truth is, we should always need Him. I try to live like this and I try to be grateful each and every day. I don't always succeed, but I give it my best try.

I'll end this post with one last thing and it's something I don't like to talk about much, because I don't ever want to come across here as boastful. I said earlier this week that most of you should know my heart and intentions by now and I only want to boast in the Lord Jesus, because He is who made me who I am today. My favorite part of every week comes at 3:00 a.m. every Thursday morning. We have a full 24 hours of prayer one day each week at my church and that's the slot I purposefully chose. There was a need for someone at that time, so I simply filled the need, but I've come to love this hour so much! I have to go bed early on Wednesday nights each week and I always ask the Lord to wake me up at 2:58 a.m., right before my alarm goes off. Would you believe that He does just that every single week? I also pray for my prayer partner who is awake with me at that time praying at her house.

Here is how it works: the person who prays from 2:30-3:00 texts me and then I reply to let them know I'm awake. I pray for my 30 minutes, then I text the next person. It's like tag, but with prayer. Sometime on Wednesday during the day, I also text my prayer partner to tell her I'm praying for her and I ask the Lord to wake the four of us up for our time slots, because they all directly affect me. I always go to a room where I know I won't disturb anyone and I start praying. I pray for my pastor and worship pastor specifically each time and if I remember, I pray for the staff. I pray that the Lord would always give us opportunities to serve Him through serving in our community and that He would keep inspiring us to do this outside of our own walls. I pray for my own family under my roof and I pray for our country. If I still have time left over after all of that, I go to the church website's prayer wall and I begin to pray for those submissions. When I go back to bed, I can't ever just fall back to sleep, so usually I keep praying for at least another half hour.

Friends, I want to encourage you to pray diligently. Pray fervently! And pray often, all that you can. There is nothing quite like prayer that will form a bond between you and another person (of the same sex, I need to add) and it's how I've become close to a few of my best friends. As much as I trust that this chair I'm sitting in will support my body weight, I am that certain that there is a very real, very jealous enemy who is after those of us who belong to Jesus. He comes to steal, kill and destroy, we're told in the book of John and he is after our families, our marriages, our time and our minds.

If we don't stay rooted in the Word of God and in constant prayer, he will have his way with us and if we're not careful, we could easily fall prey to him. There is a battle raging around us in the spiritual realm and the Bible refers to satan (he doesn't deserve a capitol s) as the prince of the world (or air). He may be the prince, but I am a daughter of the Most High King and greater is HE that is in me, than he that is in the world. The only way we can adequately fight the enemy is through prayer and through being suited up for battle in our spiritual armor that Paul wrote of in Ephesians 6. (Read that chapter.) Prayer is crucial in fighting the battle and so is a mind that is renewed daily in the Word of God. If you're not serving Jesus and living your life for Him, you're serving and living for the enemy.

Do you know Jesus? Do you pray? Do you read the Bible? If your answer is no, what is stopping you? Dear friend, we are not promised tomorrow. If you feel Him drawing you, take a leap of faith and trust Him! One of the friends' who hangs out here always says that when he comes in, he feels peaceful. It's the Holy Spirit that he feels and the peace that He brings. I urge you, don't wait. If you died today, would you go to Heaven? The reality is if you don't end up in Heaven, you'll end up in Hell. 

Our world is so lost right now and things won't get much better, maybe ever again. The world needs Jesus. He is our only hope and salvation. I pray that if you're reading this and you're feeling an internal tug, would you respond? That may be the Lord drawing you to Him. The Bible says that all we have to do is believe to have faith, but we also need to acknowledge our sin and ask the Lord's forgiveness for being a sinner. When you acknowledge that you need a Savior, you've asked forgiveness from your sin and you believe in your heart, that's all you have to do! If you died today, you'd be in Heaven with me someday and I want you there! God wants you there too, His Word tells us that it's not His desire that even one should perish without knowing Him. All of Heaven rejoices over one lost person who is saved. 

(You can read about that in the story in the Gospels of the prodigal son.)

Thanks for reading my blog, know that I've prayed for you as you read. Love to all. 

Thursday, January 21, 2021

a few things

 


Happy Thursday, friends. I am copying this idea from another blogger today and am sharing a few things about my sons. I don't talk about them as much anymore because they're growing up! It's bittersweet, this whole parenting gig.

I'll start with Graham.


(He's so cute...and all of his friends are starting to get married, which is so strange to me.)

Graham is moving out soon! I say that with an exclaimation point, because how exciting that is to be out on your own for the first time. Know that on the inside, I feel like crying. It's time though, and I couldn't be happier for him and that he FINALLY FOUND A ROOMMATE. He's been looking at rental houses and has found one that may work great. I'm praying it's the one the Lord wants them in and I take great comfort in knowing he will be very close to his Mimi and Papa. 

Graham works full time and is very responsible with work. Their small business is family owned and Graham is VP. He is loved by customers and has taken ownership in the company in the last year and for the most part, loves going to work everyday. 

The love of his life is still his truck.

Next up is Drewby. 

(He's been making us laugh ever since he was about nine months old. Some things never change.)

Drew also has plans to move out soon, probably in the late spring or early summer. Do you know how much our grocery bill is going to go down? I still expect to see him a lot, because he works nearby and will probably come here for lunch most days. I hope so, anyway. I made him promise he'd come see us sometimes—he's my one that I always said would leave and rarely come back to visit. I could be completely wrong about spending his lunch break here, he may not want to do that. He has plans of living in an apartment with a friend or two.

Drew loves his job and is so perfect for what he does everyday. He works at a local daycare, but not just any daycare—one that is great with very little turnover. That means that he works with wonderful people who love their jobs. He's been there two and a half years now and he enjoys going there each day. He occasionally will buy things and take the kids to surprise them with, which I think is the sweetest thing ever.

The older he gets, the more of an interest he is showing in things he never has before, things like cooking and mechanics. He's been learning how to do more things that will pay off in the future and he's gotten pretty good at cooking. He likes to eat so it's important that he knows how to make good food. 

I'll end with a more recent picture of Drew, from when he graduated a few years ago, though he has lost about sixty pounds since then.



Jonah loves the dogs more than he loves people and some things never change. I love the fact that Jonah tells us EVERYTHING. I love that he is always excited to share bits and pieces of life with us and that he is so honest about everything. Sometimes he gets fired up over things and when he does, it's pretty funny. 

He is very handy, just like his dad and older brother Graham. The three of them are just alike, with Drew and Noah having more of my personality. Jonah can do anything he sets his mind to and he loves learning how to do new things. Recently he's done some cool things to his truck and had several people copy his idea. He was upset about it, until I reminded him that such behavior is the highest form of a compliment.

He recently had a job offer and after talking it over with his dad for a couple of days and having phone conversations about it, decided to take the man up on his offer. He will be running a mobile detailing service for a young entrepreneur—I call this young man (he's 20) that because this will be his second business that he owns. He will be paying Jonah a very reasonable amount and he's excited to get started once his truck is running again and when the trailer is finished being customized for all of the products that it needs to hold. (It's also being painted with the name and logo of the company.) I'm so proud of him! He has other plans on the backburner, in case this doesn't work out quite like he'd hoped. 

Last, but not least is Noah.


He's the only one who will ever willingly pose for me to take a picture. 

Noah is gone more than his brothers and loves being with his friends. It's a little weird that he goes out for this, when all the others always came here to do that. He does bring them here, but they never stay. Maybe it's because we're tight on space. 

Noah has two jobs that he works when they need him—one is making deliveries for Nothing Bundt Cakes and the other is as an employee of a landscaping company. He is diligent in both and makes pretty good money when he works, it's just that both jobs are sporadic. He may need to change this soon, as graduation and his eighteenth birthday approach and though he's not sure yet on what his plans after that will be, I know the Lord is faithful and will guide him in this next part of his life.

He is still loving having his own car and the freedom that brings to him—that being said, he doesn't always drive it and sometimes leaves it for Jonah because the truck is broken down. (It's finally going to the mechanic next week—every mechanic my husband has contacted is booked solid for months out!) Though he definitely has a snarky side to him, Noah has always been one of the more thoughtful ones of our four sons.

As far as the rest of us go, the dogs are still living their best lives and being treated like royalty. Crash recently started being afraid of fire and thought the floor was on fire (he could see the reflection of the fire on the floor), so we bought him a rug and now he's fine. Chip is the same cute dog he's always been and Callie still loves to chase the kitty around.

Todd is always busy at work and could always use prayer for that with new things that come up each day and working with the sheriff's department is a great hobby for him, as well as a whole other job. Lately he's been having fun building us fires each night and we love hanging out together to watch tv.

I am keeping busy here at home and being involved in things at church—the worship ministry and the women's ministry. I'm thrilled that Bible started back yesterday and look forward to a new semester of studying Philippians with the ladies in our church. If you'd like to join us and are local, it's not too late! Reach out and I can get you some information. You can also join in if you're not local and the church will ship your book to you. You can either watch the video that will be emailed out each week or you can join over a Zoom meeting. Let me know if you're interested!

This is what we're studying and it's the second study I've had the honor of helping write. 

That was a fun post to write, I'll try to do this a little more often. Thanks for reading along with me! Love to all. 

underrated products that I love/use

  Happy Tuesday, friends! I was getting dressed on Saturday and had the idea for this post as I used one of these products. I'm linking ...