Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friends, for this blog post.

This was a busy week for us!  We had new things start up at church this week, and it just seems like I had multiple places to be every single day.  Yesterday afternoon ended up clearing up for me, though, and it was kinda nice to not have anywhere to be until seven last night.  But more about that in a minute. 

Also, I was enjoying the last of our lazy mornings, because starting on Monday of this coming week, it is back to college classes for Drew.  That just means that when he leaves, he will need have had a hearty breakfast to help him last until early or later in the afternoon.  His schedule is different this semester, and he is at the downtown campus four days a week, with very little time in between classes.  He has a lab at a campus closer to our home, on Fridays. 

On Monday, I grocery shopped for the week, and got an easy dinner ready for the boys, before they watched the big championship game.  We are fans of Alabama football (well, I don't really care about sports at all), and they played (and lost to) Clemson.  I heard Dabo Swinney (the Clemson coach) give an interview a couple of weeks ago, and the minute I heard him speak, I knew he was a believer and follower of Jesus.  Isn't that funny how one can determine that about someone else so quickly?  He was being congratulated on a game well played (and won) in that interview, but he gave accolades to the opposing team and said that they played a great game.  Anyone that humble always stands out to me.  And then after the game Monday night, I heard an interview with him the next day, and he mentioned Jesus and gave all the glory to God. 

Anyone that does that is my favorite type of person.  Someone else said about him that anytime anyone gives Dabo Swinney a microphone, he uses it to tell others about his relationship with Jesus. 

While the game was on, I escaped to dinner with a couple of really sweet friends.  We like to avoid football, if given the opportunity.  ;)

On Tuesday, after a quick morning meeting at my church, I got to go visit my friend Eileen, whom I haven't seen in ages, due to family health problems.  On my way back out later on, I took this picture.

Isn't this beautiful?  First, I love cute apartment complexes.  Second, that sky and the sun shining so brightly, and all those airplane vapor trails are a few of my favorite things. 

I mentioned our church starting back up with regular activities this week, and we started our bible study on the book of Malachi.  I'm so excited about this at my church!  There were so many women who signed up for this, and the "small groups" on Wednesday nights aren't so small!  That is a really great thing to be able to say, and I'm excited at new opportunities God has given some friends of mine and me as we begin this together. 

This was me, the next day, during my quiet time and then afterward, doing bible study homework.  Bible study homework is one of my very favorite things to do, and even though I just completed this one in December, I'm excited to do it again with all these ladies on Wednesdays.  (That bible at the top of this picture is the new Keyword Study Bible I got as a birthday/Christmas gift.) 

While running errands this week, I ran by here, which is one of my favorite places to be.  I plan on going back there today with my Dad to grab some books.  (He loves going here, too.)  I'm almost finished with one and I don't want to be stuck all weekend without another one.

I didn't really get any pictures worth sharing, but last night we celebrated my husband's birthday with dinner out downtown, and then afterward, we passed out blankets and food to homeless people.  The only reason I even mention that, because you know I never want or mean to sound like I'm bragging, is to thank you all for your help in this.  We put out on Facebook that we would be doing this again this year, and many of you donated blankets, food, and money for us to buy food for this night.  If you had any part in that at all, THANK YOU!  We handed out about thirty bags of food (sandwiches, granola bars, peanut butter crackers) and more blankets than that, because many of the ones we saw didn't have anything. 

We are very thankful for your help in that. 

Well, thanks for reading, friends.  See you back here on Monday.  Love to all! 

"Let's look at..." (a year long monthly series)

I'm linking up with Shay from Mix and Match Mama (and her friend) for this post, called "Let's look at...", and this month it's on the coziest spot in my house.  (Also, I am a day late, so I'll plan better next time.)

I have three favorite cozy spots in my home, and I love them all equally.  They're all very different, too, and serve very different purposes.

Here's my number one spot, though.

This is "my" chair.  If I'm sitting, this is where I'm sitting, and even if someone else is sitting there when I walk in the room, they'll get up to give me the chair.  We bought it back in the late summer/early fall from a friend of mine who was downsizing, and it was in great condition.  It's a Lane recliner, and I am not kidding when I say that this chair feels like a hug.  Everyone should have one such spot in their home, and they should also have an amazing recliner to sit in, because life is short.  It's my best spot to read (and I have an AWESOME reading light that my sweet hubby bought for me when my eyes started giving me fits over bad lighting) because of the light, it's where I sometimes sit and eat lunch while watching a favorite show, and it's the best nap spot in the whole house.  I also sometimes sit and have quiet time here in this spot while our Christmas tree is up.  I love this spot, and I love this chair.

But I also love this spot, in the above picture.  My kitchen table is where I sit and do all my talking to Jesus (other than when I'm driving or doing my makeup) and it's where I read the bible and have quiet time.  (Except for sometimes in the Christmas season, like I said before.)  I love this spot.  Not pictured is a red cabinet that used to belong to my dad that is where I keep all my quiet time resources stored away.  I sit with my back to the kitchen windows, and in the winter time it feels especially nice and cozy when that south morning sun pours in and warms my back.

And finally, I have a third favorite cozy spot, and it is pictured below.

It's our bedroom!  A year ago we redid some rooms in our house and in the process, spruced up ours as well, with new paint in here and in the connecting bathroom, and we got all new bedding.  I have so much to say on this topic of the bedroom you sleep in.  For years, Todd and I neglected this room in our home, because we had young kids, and it was never a priority.  We would redo their rooms and just shove things into our own space, thinking it was better in our room, than in theirs, because it would make their rooms messy.  But our kids are older now, and I have no idea why we waited so long to do this to our room.  We also bought an excellent mattress for ourselves several years ago, and again, I wonder why we waited so long.  Everyone should have an excellent mattress.  Everyone.  If you don't, consider making that a priority to make happen in 2019.

Even if the mattress isn't a possibility, consider switching to a great new pillow, instead, or even change up the bedding.  Small touches like that make such a huge difference.  All this bedding came from Steinmart, and I think that white coverlet was $30.  I ordered a long, drapey dust ruffle off of Amazon, one like this, and the pillows were inexpensive as well.  Like I said, even small changes pack a big punch.

So, those are my spots.  I look forward to seeing other people's spots in their own homes.  Anyone else love looking at other people's houses?!  No?  Okay.

Thanks for reading, friends.  Love to all!

bible study and resources

I thought I'd share a few resources with you, and the way I have my own personal quiet time each day.  There is no right or wrong way to this, by the way.  The point is to just start, and then be consistent, or as much as you can.  It's still early enough in the month, that anything I am doing, if this is something you want to do alongside me, you can join me and easily get caught up.  These are things I used to share with the teenage girls I helped lead...I don't know if any of them read this anymore, but they loved these kinds of ideas.  Surely someone else will, too.  And who doesn't need inspiration from time to time?

Moving on. 

The first thing I'd like to recommend is joining a bible study.  If you are local to me, and this sounds something you'd like to be a part of, we have one starting tomorrow, at my church, and it is not too late to join!  We are studying the book of Malachi, and this is a thirteen week commitment.  There will be a time to meet with your small group and we will talk about the homework.  The large session is where the author of the study and my friend Amy will teach. 

The "mirror image" part is where we then take what we've learned and see it reflected in our lives.  You can go to CFBCFamily.org and sign up!  The times and days are listed in this picture.  I love this type of study, and this large/small group thing and hope to see a lot of women joining us.  Lord willing, this will continue as the women in our church write more and more studies like this one on Malachi. 

The bible study thing I love most is that it brings about accountability.  To be consistent and to grow in our faith, accountability helps tremendously. 

Aside from bible study, I have quiet time each day.  I always begin with praying and then I ask God to pierce my heart with His word and to change me and help me to know Him more. 

This year, we are reading through the new testament in the bible as a church family.  We were given opportunity to purchase these journals to help us along in that, and though it is GREAT and I have one, it's not needed to read and study this way.  (We are using the HEAR method: Highlight a verse that jumps out, Explain the context, Apply it to your own life, and then Respond to God in prayer.)  I've done this for years now, using a similar method called SOAK (Scripture, Observe, Apply, Kneel in prayer).  I've done this in a spiral notebook and in my current journal.  

I love to "pretty things up" and used Washi tape to decorate the plain old spiral notebook.  Again, the point is to just start reading the word each and everyday and as best you can, be consistent.  

This was the verse I chose that stood out to me today, when I read Matthew six.  I love this verse.

Another thing I do is mark up my bible.  I love to highlight inside wherever I'm reading, and I love to put notes in the margins.  I use black pens and I use Papermate Flair felt tip colored pens, as well.  

The bible I'm currently using is the She Reads Truth bible with wide margins.  The cover is gray linen, and though it won't last long (it's like a hardback book), I love this bible.  

See?  I've done this for so long that I no longer even think about it.  I do this so my boys will have my bibles someday when I am no longer here.  (I have my grandmother's and it is something I treasure.)  

Bibles are meant to be USED, not kept perfect and put on a display shelf.  That is my thinking, at least.  I do know some people who are physically unable to ever ever write inside of a book.  

I love to write scripture and do this in a journal.  You can go to swtblessings.com to print out the January copy.  Writing out the word plants it deep within my heart.  I have pages and pages filled out with scripture I've written out over the years.  This never gets old.  

This last image is one from a couple of years ago.  A sweet lady I follow on Instagram diagrammed something like this and it inspired me to do one of my own.  

This is still pretty much the way I have my quiet time.  (And see?  I really do love that verse...Matthew 6:33.)  In the last year or so (when Chip came to live with us), I pushed back my quiet time until I've had my coffee and "woken up" a bit.  I felt like I was sleep walking my way through it some mornings, and now I sit down to do this around eight something most mornings.  On the mornings when I have to be somewhere early, I really try to be early at this, because I don't like to leave until I've had this time with the Lord.  There are some mornings that there is an exception to this rule, but for the most part, it holds true.  (Sunday morning would be one such day, especially if I'm singing on frontline that day and have to be on stage at eight thirty for rehearsal and sound checks.)  

I am also still using a journal.  I wrote about that last week.  I keep track of everything inside whatever journal I'm currently using, including sermon notes from my pastor's sermons each week.  I take A LOT of notes.  :)  I use one at a time, because if I have too many going, I lose my mind a little.  

So that's how I do things.  I pray this helps someone understand a little more of how to read and study the word of God.  My favorite method is to just go slow.  And the key is starting with prayer.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.  

weekending

Today is our get back to normal day.  After the Christmas break, I always love the day when things return to normal.  I don't know if the boys feel the same, but I am such a creature of habit and routine.  With teenagers, everyone is in and out all the time, and I am never really quite sure of who is at home, or who will be at home on a certain night.  Just this weekend, on Saturday night, I had no idea that Jonah had left home with his brothers.  I knew that Noah was upstairs, but I thought Jonah was too.  When I started calling him, Todd looked at me like I was crazy.  Maybe I just didn't hear him say goodbye when they left.  Who knows.  Life is crazy, ninety-five percent of the time. 

My hubby and oldest son have left for work, and Drew has one more week of break, before his spring semester starts at the local college.  He will be working this week, but only in the afternoons, so he was looking forward to some sleeping in time before reality sets back in.  Jonah and Noah will start back to school tomorrow.  We like to have a day of nothing after a break, and then we hit the books again.  (I love homeschooling for a million reasons, this is a huge one.)  I feel like today is my only day that I don't have a ton of things to do.  That's not really true, but I do have to be somewhere at a certain time for the next two mornings.  (I'm starting a bible study this week, and it's a thirteen week commitment, two times each Wednesday.  I'm excited to be a small group leader, and it'll mean I'm gone a lot that one day, but I know I will get adjusted quickly.  To give everyone a chance to be able to come, it is offered both on Wednesday mornings and Wednesday nights.) 

Like I said above, this is a busy week for us as we settle back into our normal routines.  All that being said, I'm thankful for the weekend we just came off of.  On Friday night, Todd and I ended up being home alone.  We like to go out on those types of nights, sometimes, but this night we stayed home.  We warmed up leftovers and sat at the table and ate together.  Then he watched an old show on tv and I read half of the book I started that night.  It was a lovely night.  The next morning, three of my sons and I left to go to my dad's house.  Every November we put up Christmas lights for him (he lives out in the country, and he likes a lot of lights spread all over the place), and this year we met to take them down, along with the hundreds of extension cords (not really, but I bet there were at least forty).  We got out there at nine thirty and were leaving again at ten fifty five.  It went really fast! 

That wagon he was pulling behind the riding mower was jammed to the brim with lights, twisty ties, and extension cords.  We put it all away for him again, until next November, and my sister even swept out his garage. 

My dad (for anyone who doesn't know) is eighty seven years young and he has lived at this house for fifty years, come this spring.  He lives on eleven or so acres and though he is able to still do a lot, he knows that for his own safety and well being, he shouldn't .  So while we do this, he supervises, but THAT IS ALL.  He knows his limits and is good about not doing too much, for the most part.  These lights bring him so much joy, though, and every year he prays that the lights will represent Jesus, who is the Light of the world (John 8:12).  To be able to do this for him is a huge blessing for my sister and me, and we will continue to do this for as long as he wants.  On Saturday, he was saying this was the last time, but I don't really believe him.  Ha!  It truly does not take long.  We will lay the extension cords for him for next Christmas one Saturday, the tree on the flag pole will go up a different day, then on another Saturday, it'll take around two and a half hours to put all the lights up.  And I told you how fast it all came down.  We love being able to do this for him.  And I do not say all this to brag, I promise, I am just grateful that God has given both my sister Trish and me this opportunity to be able to serve him in this way.  I know my other sister and brother would too, if they lived in town!  I know if given the chance, any of you would do this same thing for your aging parents, if it was something they looked forward to all year long.  It's just another one of our yearly traditions. 

When we left his house, I dropped Noah off at his friend's house, and the rest of the boys left for a basketball game they wanted to watch.  They were gone all afternoon, pretty much.  Todd worked on his truck a little, and I took a nap.  (Not even kidding.)  That night, Noah was the only one home, so we went to dinner at my favorite Chinese place in town.  I was in bed pretty early that night, and then yesterday was church.  I always have choir practice starting at three o'clock on Sunday afternoons (unless we are on a break, or if there is a special occasion), and I was glad to be back.  We were on a break all of December, and that was so nice, but I always like to be back.  My hubby worked last night, and the rest of us just hung around here.  I watched a couple of shows on Netflix and the last time I looked at the clock, it was ten twelve.  (I love Sundays, but they are LONG, and all that singing wears me out.) 

It was a good weekend.  I hope yours was too!  I need to go plan out the rest of this week, before I forget a couple of appointments I just made.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, Friends!  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friend, for this Friday blog post. 

I thought I'd share some favorite things and moments from the past week or so. 

Who else loves these best nine things everyone posted on Instagram?!  I love pictures and seeing what everyone's year looked like, so it was right up my alley.  All these little snippets you see are some of my favorite parts of 2018.  The year involved reminder after reminder of God's unending faithfulness, the power of praying family and friends and seeing miracles, my middlest boy graduating high school, my oldest boy graduating from the academy he attended for four months in order to work with the sheriff's department, a best friend trip, opportunities to display hospitality and to serve others, date nights with my lobster, a sisters and mom 50th birthday trip to Nashville that was EPIC, and the cutest little girls I ever did see, as family was here to celebrate the wedding of my nephew and his beautiful bride. 

I don't say these things lightly, I promise, because I know for so many of you that the year was not great, and you were glad to see it go.  Though there were some rough parts of 2018 for my family, overall, I'm just thankful to God.  He got us through every moment, and guided our every step.  He always will, regardless of times that are good or bad. 

I promise, I don't say that lightly.  One thing I read in His word that stood out to me this week is that He is always with us.  His name - Jesus (Immanuel) - literally means, "God with us". 

That was in Matthew one. 

Speaking of Matthew one, this journal is one of my newest favorite things.  Our church sold them for a small amount of money, for us all to read through the new testament this year as a church family.  Being a perfectionist, and because we are doing one chapter a day for five days a week, I started on Monday, even though it was still December of 2018.  I know.  I'm rolling my eyes at my own self.  I can't help it, really, it's just how the Lord saw fit to make me.

I'm also doing scripture writing through Psalms, on all the "I will" statements that Shannon from Sweet Blessings puts out each month. 

This verse is one of my favorites, and I wrote it out so that I could memorize it.  I love the reminder to only boast on God, and nothing else. 

This is not a picture of it, but one of my new favorite things from Christmas and my birthday was the bible my dad and stepmom bought for me.  It's a keyword bible, meaning that there are underlined words all throughout the text.  Beside the underlined words are numbers, and in the back is a dictionary of what those words mean in their original language. 

For example, this morning, I read in Matthew 5:1 that after Jesus sat, His disciples came to Him.  That word "came" (proserchomai in the Greek) means to draw near to, to visit, to worship.  I do not say this to brag, because the desire to learn more about God and His word only could come from Him, but He continually blows my mind.  If not for my own pastor and a friend of mine (Amy), I don't know if I would have known about this bible.  Once I saw hers, though, I knew that I wanted one similar to it, so I just asked for it for my birthday and Christmas.  (It's not cheap, but they did get it on a black Friday sale, for half off.)  I'm glad I have this, because these types of things I'm learning, like what I mentioned about that one word, help me to better understand His word.

Moving on.

Last night my in-love's came over and it was my favorite night of the week so far.  I made a new recipe that was delicious, and then we played our favorite game.

I don't know why we don't play cards more often.  I love playing games like this, and if Phyllis hadn't asked if we could do this, I wouldn't have thought about it.  I'm so glad she mentioned it, though, because we had a blast and they were here way later than they ever are.  (It was close to ten when they left!)  But it was a fun night.  I was kidding about Noah's column, by the way, I only wrote that because he wouldn't come play.  Jonah never likes games, but Noah does!  We couldn't convince him, though. 

I hope you had a great week!  Thanks for reading my blog.  Love to all! 

The New Year and a bit of Life Lately

Today's post is MUCH more lighthearted than yesterday's.

Yesterday a friend of mine shared a blog post she wrote for another blog called Missional Motherhood.  I shared it on Facebook, but thought I would put it here as well, in case you're not on Facebook.  You don't have to be a mom or a woman to use this, so if you're not one of those, feel free to check it out for yourself and your family.  You all know my passion for prayer, and that is what this blog post is all about, the one I'm sharing the link for.  It's written by my friend Jean Stockdale, who is also a bible teacher and author, and someone ahead of me both in years and in the faith.  The whole post is dedicated on scripture to pray over your family.

Here's the link:

http://missionalmotherhood.com/uncategorized/the-power-of-a-praying-momma/?fbclid=IwAR14TwV51e-QxMG7kf6U29NlCBHONm4YY6mOD5JV_RzJCfL1KOzsDcGLdBs

Also, just a little tidbit, on this same blog is where the idea for a prayer notebook came from.  That post is written by Donna Gaines, and she shares a personal testimony and how she uses her prayer notebook, and there are printables available for free. 

Here is the link for that post:

http://missionalmotherhood.com/intimacy-with-god/make-prayer-notebook-personal-prayer-testimony/

I'll share some other resources here one day next week, but for now, those are enough to get you started in your faith journey this year, if you are looking for something. 

Do you make resolutions?  I used to, but stopped years ago, since I feel like they're invitations to fail.  I used to do the "word a year" thing, too, before that was anything even remotely talked about, but I no longer do that, either, because it stopped meaning anything to me.  (If you do those things, that's awesome!  You'll be far better at keeping them than I ever was, I'm sure.  Sometimes I think I have the disorder that I like to call "failure to follow through".)  Also, the older I get the more I'm becoming a realist.  That being said, last year I made a commitment to read through the bible again in chronological order.  I kept at it, too, even though I did miss some days, but I was usually able to get caught up again.  I learned the key was for me to not get too far behind.  If I didn't read for more than three days, I knew that realistically, I would have a hard time getting caught up.

I like to set goals for myself, though, like reading through the bible, or reading books more.  I think that has to do more with self discipline instead of setting a goal.  I know that as a believer, I need to always be reading the bible, and I also know that reading a book is so much more healthy than me sitting me in front of the television and watching a show on Hulu or Netflix.  (I still will do that, don't get me wrong, but not until I've done other things.)   

Have you heard of bullet journaling?  I read about this a few years ago, but I kind of modified this that I do now to my own version of it.  So, a few months ago, I started doing this, I just didn't write about it.  I shared a tiny bit of this with my friend Missy the other night, though, and I thought I'd share it with you, in case this sounds like something you would want to do for yourself.  I noticed a few months ago that I had stopped using my journal.  To remedy this, because I love to write all the things down, I started writing down what my days looked like.  It honestly looks like a to-do list, but I go into more detail than I would on just a regular to-do list.  Anyway, I do that with my day, every single day, and to keep myself disciplined, I make a deal with myself that I cannot do one thing (like watch a show or go to the grocery store) until I've done several of what is on my bullet journal page.  I know, it sounds so simple, but for me, it works and helps me stay on track with my day.  I've been reading books a whole lot more than I was before October because through doing this, and I've been more intentional about trips to my happy place (the local library).  I keep an ongoing list on my phone and in my purse (and on my computer desk) of books I want to read, and when I notice people talking about books, I decide whether or not I want to try one for myself.  Also included on the pages in my journal are things I want to remember, like when God showed me something really cool in scripture that morning, or when some prayer request I'd been praying for gets answered.  The purpose in my journaling is to REMEMBER. 

(Go to Deuteronomy and read about how over and over God tells them to remember all He has done for them!  It'll make you want to start your own journal.)

That all ties in with me setting goals for myself or trying to be more self disciplined.  I really love to read, but Netflix and Hulu messed me up, because I also love television.  I don't always make time to sit and watch a movie, but a forty-two minute episode of Gilmore Girls?  Sure!  The whole bullet journaling thing has also helped me keep my house cleaner and tidier than I have in the past, and it helps me keep things organized and cleaned out.  I love to pick a room of the house and go through it and organize it really well.  Simplistic living appeals to me so much, so I do this pretty often.  I don't like a lot of tools and gadgets (or papers, for that matter) in the kitchen.  I know some people don't understand this, and that's okay.  God made us all differently.  I won't buy something unless I KNOW I will use it and use all of it.  Like candles.  I love them, but I will only buy one at a time.  I will burn the new candle until it is completely used up, then I will go buy a new one.  If the season changes before I've used it all, I store it in a cabinet in the kitchen until the next year.  This also helps me not to be wasteful. 

This has also taught me good stewardship, and I always pray that the Lord would help me to be a good steward of both our money and my time.  I this this way that I am is because He has made me into being this way.  He has taught me so much on the whole stewardship thing and also on being content, no matter the circumstance.  (He is STILL teaching me on these topics, by the way.  I pray He never stops.) 

Moving on, now, so far this year, I have yet to apply makeup.  Our New Year day was glorious.  We watched television, I read a whole book and part of another, we took naps, and the boys were in and out all day.  We never got out of pajamas.  And then yesterday I was going to get out, but Todd offered to run my errand for me, so again, I did not leave the house.  Well, I did actually leave, but it was to pick up Noah from a friend's house.  The boys went to church last night, and Todd, Graham, and Drew worked during the day.  I made an easy dinner and watched a movie on Amazon. 

I have no idea what I'm doing today, but I know it'll include catching up on laundry and running the vacuum. 

Also, the whole time I've been writing, I've had videos from YouTube playing worship music, thanks to my friend Kim on Facebook and a song she shared.  Then after that song was done, my little playlist on YouTube just kept playing the next song, and here is one that is currently on repeat.  When Missy and I went to Jackson for my birthday, we got to hear them sing this song, and it was the best song of the night, in my opinion, because the whole sanctuary ERUPTED in praise.  I could not physically sit down while they were singing this song, and I could not lower my arms.  Have you ever felt the presence of God like that?  He was in that place that night and I know His name was lifted high as we worshiped and that it was an aroma pleasing to Him.

Here's the song, but listen to it all the way through, even if you think you've heard it a million times:



Well, I have gone on long enough.  I need to get started on things I want to do around the house today.  Thanks for reading, friends.  Love to all. 

sunshine after the rain

I have started and stopped so many posts since last week.  Maybe this one will stick.  

There have been so many thoughts and emotions rolling around in my brain since my friend passed away.  Her family is never far from my thoughts, and every time I think of them, I pray for them, and also for the family who lost their three precious teenagers.  I don't know that family at all, but I can't stop thinking about them, either.  Just today I watched a video memorial that someone from the family shared on Facebook, and they seem like the sweetest, most loving family.  

I feel like the last week was wrapped around all of this, and the tragedy that took place.  It's not just me that this gave such pause to, my husband has also been thinking about this as well.  It's interesting how when something like this happens, it changes the course of your life.  Since their house fire happened, Todd has been busy ordering replacements for our fire detectors, because who knew that you should replace them every few years.  He ordered fire escape ladders for us, as well, and we've been talking about what we would do, if we were in that situation.  

Kari's visitation and funeral were last weekend.  The night of the visitation was a huge testament to how much that family is loved around town.  We waited in line for over two hours to see her family, and everywhere around us were people we knew that knew them.  Our town felt small that night, as so many people were touched by her life in some way.  The funeral the next day was not a funeral at all, but a worship service and celebration of her life.  Women lined the stage, wanting to share some way in which Kari impacted their lives.  She was a godly wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, beloved friend, and mentor.  Her middle son spoke, as well as her husband, and he spoke about the kind of wife she was.  More than once, I wished for something to write with, as even in her death, she was such a biblical example of we are to be, as wives and mothers, and I was learning from her life.

Several things have stood out to me, since all of this took place.  I have been reminded of some things, and I have been personally challenged in my own walk with the Lord.  I thought I'd share some things I've really been thinking about.

One thing I have thought a lot about is the way I love my family.  I already love them, of course, but I could definitely change some things, like my attitude.  Meaning, when I pray and ask God to help me better serve them, maybe I could also ask for more joy in my doing.  Because I already serve them, but my attitude is not always the greatest.  A good reminder for me is to put everyone else first and think of myself less.  This is opposite of the way that most of us are wired to live, and it is DEFINITELY opposite of how the world thinks we should live.  

Philippians 2:8 says this: Do nothing out of selfish ambition of conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.   

A characteristic about Kari that I loved the most was how she would speak the truth, but with so much love.  She didn't sugar coat things, she did not flatter, she told you how it was and what you should do.  This is a way I would like to be more often.  I have major people pleasing tendencies and everything within me wants to do all that I can to prevent ever rocking the boat, so to speak.  But that is not healthy, and it is not biblical.  I am not saying that I should go around and randomly tell people to do this or that, and to stop doing something else.  But the Lord has given me lots of opportunities with people, and they come to me about things.  They share life stories with me, they tell me they want to "be a better Christian" (I am cringing at that), and they ask me to pray, or they'll ask me where to get started in reading the bible.  

In these circumstances when I am asked, I want to be more like my friend, and gently and lovingly speak truth to them.  This comes from Ephesians 4:15.  He has already given me one such opportunity with a young lady that has been on my heart for months and months.  I didn't really go looking for that opportunity, either, but He handed it to me, and I obeyed.  I don't ever intend to scare someone away from the faith, or to be pushy with them, but when given opportunities, I need to not waste them.  

I've been reminded, AGAIN, that nothing in life is supposed to be a competition.  Friends are not supposed to be envious or jealous, churches should not compete against with one another, denominations should never divide.  As friends, we should all be champions or cheerleaders for one another.  There are circumstances in life sometimes, when certain friends are for a season, and then life kind of moves you on.  Just because that may or may not happen doesn't mean we should ever stop loving one another.  Churches should not compete against one another, but should come together.  This has been one beautiful thing to happen from such a tragedy.  Churches in our town have joined together and embraced the Coudriet family.  Offerings have been taken up for and given to them, and churches have served one another.  Denominations shouldn't divide, because it's not going to be a whole bunch of Southern Baptist folks up in heaven someday, worshiping Jesus.  It's also not going to be just Methodists, or non-denominationals, or Pentecostals, or Church of Christ folks, or Assembly of God folks.  We will ALL be together someday in heaven, if we are believers in and followers of Him.

Something else I have thought about a lot is the act of investing in someone else, that is not in my family.  The priority should be God, spouse, family, then all else should follow.  After I've taken care of them, and in my spare time (and trust me, I have some), I should be actively involved in the lives of younger women.  Here is a news flash: we should never just be concentrating on ourselves and our own personal walk with the Lord.  We should be living as Titus 2 tells us.  Read the whole chapter, because it is so good, but here are a few characteristics we should have: we should be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking.  We should be teaching what is good, encouraging younger women to love their husbands, and children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home (meaning we should focus FIRST on our family, even if working outside of the home, it does not mean to not work outside of the home), kind, and in submission to our husbands.  There will always be someone younger than us to share with, and if you are able to, try to also find someone older than you who will pour into you.  See how this should all work?  It is such a beautiful thing, this life lived out for and with others.

As long as I live, God will never be finished with me.  As long as He is still working on me and teaching me things out of His word, I have a responsibility to share with others.  We should continually look for opportunities to serve others!  I think of a dear lady who has gone on to her home in eternity, Mrs. Audrey, who is someone I strive to be like.  This was a precious saint who adopted a group of teenage girls and poured into them.  She prayed for them, she taught them, and she lived a life worthy of example.  She added my friend and myself into that mix, and would mail us cards, or call us on the phone, out of the blue.  She did this until the day Jesus called her home.  

We should be living out this responsibility, and we should be living like there is an urgency in life.  There is!  It's a matter of life or death, meaning without the love of God, or WITH the love of God.  I want everyone I know to be in heaven with me someday, and I want to share about Him and speak of Him all that I can.  

These are just a few of the things I've been thinking on in the last several days.  I know there are more things still, but I am processing so much of it all.  I am sure that as time continues moving forward, more things will pop into my mind.  One thing I know is that life is precious.  I have said goodbye to THREE good friends in two years, two of which were the mothers of some of the best friends Drew ever had.  Two were victims of cancer, and one was Kari.  Tarin was a friend I prayed with for years at our local neighborhood school, and her son Canon was one of my bonus sons for many years.  Esther was another friend from this same bible study I knew Kari from.  In saying all these goodbyes, I am even more grateful for the fact that even in grief, we grieve with hope.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and we know that we will see these loved ones again someday.  I don't know if we'll be looking for each other or if we'll be too busy worshiping Jesus, but just knowing they're already there is comforting.  Life WITH Jesus is hard sometimes (a lot of times), but I truly cannot even comprehend how impossible life without Him must be! 

I don't mean to be dramatic in writing this, y'all.  Most of you know my heart when I write things like this, but in case you don't, here it is.  The Lord has helped me grapple with all of this in these last several days.  As He has helped me, I want to try and help others.  Maybe some of you are struggling with thoughts or emotions as well, and reading this will help give a little perspective.  I don't write this to get attention or to make you think I've got all my stuff together.  I don't, trust me.  But the Lord has helped me with all of this, and I want to share it with you.  As I have prayed and read His word, He has given me comfort and peace.  He brings to mind often, all the family effected by these deaths, and every time I think of them, I pray for them.  I also pray for my friend who lost her niece last week, and another friend I used to attend church with, who lost her son.  Grief and death are all around us, every day of our lives, and we need to learn how to deal with it when it happens, especially when it's a friend, or the family member of a friend, and we need to learn how to help others.  (I don't mean deal with it, as in deal with it and move on.  I mean go to God with it.  I've talked to the Lord more times in the last week than I have in a long time, because every time I am alone, my mind starts working, and instead of trying to make sense of it all, I just start to pray.)  We share life with so many people, and we can all help one another when things are bleak.

It does help, I promise, praying.  I am still dealing with emotions that are raw and pop up out of nowhere, like when a song comes on the radio, but even in those moments, I just pray and/or worship.  (Before all this happened, my son mutually gave up a long relationship he had been in, and y'all.  That is not for the faint of heart.  This momma hurts when her boys hurt, and I love wholeheartedly, all the people my sons have relationships with, whether just a friend, or a girlfriend.  There is no "just turning off" all those feelings and emotions.  It is a process, and one I will be going through for a long time to come.) 


Because regardless of this crazy life, God is good, strictly because He is God.  He knows what it's like to grieve (like when His friend Lazarus died) and He definitely knows what it's like to hurt (like when He knew that one of the twelve disciples was about to betray Him) on the inside.  I take comfort in knowing all of that, don't you?  And if you don't have that, I implore of you (AGAIN) to not wait.  If you don't know Jesus, don't wait another minute.  If you need a better relationship with Him, pray and read His word.  That is all there is to it, it's so simple.  Just don't wait.  I have said it a million times, and will continue to: none of us are promised tomorrow.  

Thanks for reading all of my thoughts.  If you made it this far, way to go!  Love to all.  

p.s. 

About that picture at the top, isn't it always good to see the sunshine after the rain?  There is so much about that emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I've already agreed to stop writing, but I was so encouraged by that glorious sunset last Thursday night.  It didn't even last, because as we drove to Cordova for dinner that night, the rain started back up.  We looked at the weather, and it was totally a fluke that we even witnessed this.  But you know what?  I was heavy in heart that day, and my Jesus knew that I needed a little sunshine (SONshine) at that exact moment.  My sweet friend Kari used to call these type of things kisses from God.  (And, cue the tears.  Again.)