a few things I love on Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends. I thought I'd share a few things I haven't shared about lately that I am loving right now. Also, it's Thursday and I never know what to post on Thursdays, but I love to write a blog post most everyday.

One thing I always love and listen to pretty frequently are podcasts. My very favorite podcast is one that is put out each weekday by Revive Our Hearts ministries. I haven't listened to this in a while and while I was sitting in my chair writing this post Tuesday night after dinner, I looked at an email that I'd received from them talking about a new book that is available through them right now. It's all about kindness, which caught my eye. As you know, most people aren't too kind these days and the world needs more of us willing to be that way, myself included. I try to extend grace and kindness to everyone, but I certainly have my moments when my humanness overtakes my good intentions. Here is the passage of Scripture she spoke from on the particular episode I listened to that night, called Instruments of Grace. She read from Titus 2.

In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands so that God's word will not be slandered (Titus 2:3-5).

I love this passage—it goes on to list some other characteristics that we are to live out: Our lives should be an example of good works, we should  display integrity and dignity, we should live in a way that is beyond reproach and that nobody would have anything bad to say about us. That's a  tall order, is it not? Thankfully the Lord extends grace to us and so we should extend that both to others and to ourselves. We should also ALWAYS be on the lookout for opportunities to pour into others, especially those of us who are "older" women.

I can't write all of this without thinking of several women God has put into my life to be this for me—ones I consider spiritual sisters—my friend Dedee, my friend Barbee and my friend Eileen, who is now with Jesus. They all have (had) one thing in common: they are (or were) always looking for someone younger than them who they can befriend and encourage. What examples they have been to me! 

Other podcasts that I love are Jennie Allen, Sally Clarkson, Joanne Weaver and The Big Boo Cast with Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson—this one is fluffy and makes me feel like I'm sitting in the kitchen talking to my best friend. 

Another thing I have always loved is to have music playing in our home. When my sons were young, I  had the kitchen radio on all the time. We no longer have that kitchen radio, but my husband has speakers set up in a few key locations in our home so that I can listen to my music on Spotify. I have some playlists that I love on there, of course and I thought I'd share them with you.

One is a playlist called String Quarter—Modern Songs. I love This is Ben Rector radio as well, especially his Christmas music! Another is JJ Heller—her songs are very peaceful and quiet. I love any and all (or most) instrumental music, so that means classical in the spring, beachy in the summer and Christmas from November through January. I love worship music, I love French café music (Google it, it's a thing), I love Steve Tyrell in the fall, I love Harry Potter music played by a string quartet and I even love string quartet wedding music. I like it all, pretty much and even lean toward the pop music that my sons used to love and have been known to play it loud in my car as I drive. (Think One Direction.) 

Music makes my quiet home seem full again. I have so many memories of my boys when they were young, of us dancing around the kitchen while we made lunches and dinners, of riding in my car with the windows down and the music turned up, and of them performing for me. It makes my heart happy, the sounds that music brings. 

This is so random, but in the summer months I love glowy makeup. I use a face brightening primer, bronzer and blushing nudes pallet for eyeshadow. Lately I've taken to wearing neutral lip color, which is UNHEARD OF, because I love a bright or dark lipstick. Who am I?

What are some things you love right now? I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, love to all.