simply Tuesday

I have this routine in the mornings, and it is that I drink a cup of coffee and watch a tiny bit of news.  As soon as that first cup of coffee is empty, I make my way into the kitchen and listen to a Revive Our Hearts Ministries podcast and make lunches and to go cups of coffee.

This is today's newest podcast series, on Psalm 46.  It'll go for eight days and she will break down this chapter verse by verse.

After I'm done making their lunches and coffee, I make my second cup for the day and sit down at the kitchen table to read all the blogs I love, and then maybe write a blog post if I haven't already done that the night before, and then I'll have my quiet time.  I go in this order because while I'm reading other blogs I love or writing my own post, it's a busy time and people are coming downstairs and leaving and playing with the dogs.  I like to have my quiet time after they leave so I won't be distracted.

I say all this to say, where are all my blog people?!  It seems as if the dreaded c word has shut down even the internet world, and many of them are not writing.  I NEED SOME NORMAL, though, so if that's you I'm talking to, may I encourage you to keep writing?  I need some lighthearted and easy thrown in with the serious.  (I say this partly in jest, partly in truth and love.  It's so easy to become overwhelmed, and while we need to take serious all the precautions, while we're all at home, let's have some nice and positive things on the internet.  All the people I'm friends with on social media may get tired of me overposting during this time, but I do that because that's the kind of stuff I want to see and read about or listen to.)

So, I thought I'd share some things here about things we can do during this time, and some things we shouldn't do during this time.

First up on the list is that now is a good time to start a new habit!  If you're a believer and don't regularly read the word of God, why not start now?  Get the YouVersion app and get a plan to follow.  It's best to have a plan to stick to, because you'll be less likely to miss.

How about trying to write out Scripture?  Some suggestions are Psalm 34, 37, 46, 91, and Psalm 144 through 150.  Take a few verses at a time and write them out.  You could also seek out your own passages and use Google to look up keywords about attributes of God, like Him being trustworthy and in control.  Just a suggestion.

I'm going to start memorizing some Scripture again.  I used to love to do this and would memorize chapters at a time, but it's beeen a minute.  I'm starting with a few verses out of Psalm 62, because my Pastor preached out of that chapter on Sunday.  For this, I like to write out the passages on notecards and keep them with me and I'll go over them again and again and again until I've got it.

Listen to a podcast!  I've already covered that multiple times.

Read books.  Use an e-reader if you have one, because you can purchase and have it immediately.  I love to read a funny memoir, and some of my favorites are Sophie Hudson and Melanie Shankle.  If you have a favorite series, re-visit them and start all over.  That's what I'm doing right now, and here is the series that is my most favorite of all time.

These are all so good!  These are easy and lighthearted and make me smile.  It's just what I need right now.

Make some phone calls!  My mom and I talked for almost an hour yesterday.  I've done the same with my mom-in-love.  I called her on Friday and we talked for a while.  I've also been calling my dad almost everyday.  And of course, I call my friend all the time.  If I'm not going to be seeing them for the unforseeable future, at least a good long phone call makes me feel as if I've spent quality time with them.

Use the time you have at home to do projects in your house.  I'm cleaning things out right now, tackling cabinets, drawers, and closets.  I love to purge, and since it's Spring time officially this week, what better time?

Cook!  Clean out your pantry like I did yesterday and make a game out of what you can make using what you have on hand.  I actually thought it was fun and dinner was pretty good last night.

Pick a show to start watching.  Here are some of my favorites right now: The Good Doctor, New Amsterdam, This Is Us, Behind the Design, Home Town, and all the Giada, Barefoot Contessa, and Pioneer Woman episodes on Hulu.  I also love documentaries, old movies from Disney Plus, and almost any Brittish show.

Listen to music.  The only kind I listen to is worship music.  I love Casting Crowns, Hillsong, Travis Cottrell, Brooklyn Tabernacle choir, Bethel, Crowder, Tauren Wells, Matthew West, Selah, and Kristin Getty just to name a few.

Do a Bible study!  Now is a great time to start one.

Here are some things you should not do:

Don't read every article your friends post.  I have unfollowed more people in the last few days over this, because if I don't, it'll keep being all I'm seeing on social media.  I need lighthearted stuff to look at and read to save my sanity.

Don't watch the news.

Don't just stay glued to your phone.

Don't stay home, but go for a drive.  (I didn't say go out in public.  I love to drive around, and I plan on doing this some this week.  Our town is bursting with beautiful blooms right now, and I want to go see them.)

Go for a walk.  If that's not possible where you live, find a park nearby that has a trail and go there.  I may do this later in the week if the weather permits.  (It's raining every single day this week.)

Don't let fear and uncertainty overtake you.  I know times are strange and that makes me a little on edge, but try to not look too far ahead and don't overthink things.  Just take things nice and slow, and a few days at a time.

I'll leave you with something that made me laugh out loud.

I pray this gives you some practical things to put into motion during these days spent at home.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.

weekending/new normal/Hello Monday

I didn't realize until just a day or so ago that I've not really gotten out of my house much in the last week.  Not because I'm fearful or anxious (right now, at least), but because in true introvert fashion, when things go a little crazy, my instinct is to stay put.  And here's something cool: in my life right now, there is nowhere I have to be everyday.  In light of that, I'm just staying home and doing things in my house.  I've already cleaned out some cabinets and my bookshelf in our bedroom, and I've got other plans like that in the back of my head.  I'm taking full advantage of this, because for the next few weeks, this may be the new normal.

Now, about the weekend...I'll start there.

On Friday, Drew came home from his early morning shift at work not feeling well, and him thinking he had fever.  We used our thermometer (the swiping kind) and didn't fully trust the reading.  He just took some medicine and went to bed, and I called my dad to cancel our day together.  I hated to do that, but I do know it's better to be safe than sorry.  I just did more of the same that day...cleaned a little, did some laundry, and I read.  Todd worked a shift with the sheriff's department that night, and I watched some episodes of Behind the Design on Hulu.  I also got caught up on the other shows I watch.  I ate leftovers for dinner, and was here alone all evening.

On Saturday, I got up and braved the crowds, in need of a few things.  I needed mousse for my hair, and gas in my car, and while I was out, I decided to drive by Kroger to check out the situation on the groceries.  I didn't get meat or produce, but I was able to find some very green bananas and a bag of little oranges, and a few other things.  I sincerely hope and pray that everyone stops all the madness with the hoarding, and that I'm able to find some grocery necessities this week.

I came home and put it all away, and read while Todd watched his shows on TV.  And then all the boys gave all the dogs a bath.

Noah took this picture of Crash after his bath.  Is he not the most adorable thing EVER?  I shared this on Instagram and FB, and told people to stop talking about the corona virus and to instead share pictures of their cute kids and/or pets, and they did.  About eighty people commented on that post, so apparently, I am not the only one needing people to stop with all those type posts.

Even the ones that people keep posting to "help" or "inform" are becoming like fear mongers.  I'm over it and have already unfollowed a bunch of people.  I'm about to do that for more!  FOR THE LOVE, STOP WITH THE CORONA VIRUS POSTS.

Saturday night found Toddley and I eating Popeyes chicken and home alone.  We watched some Live PD, and I finished one book and started another.  As far as the books go, last week I cleaned off the bookshelf in my bedroom.  I did that because I wanted the books back in order according to author/genre.  I am re-reading my favorite series of books right now, the Sisterchicks books, by Robin Jones Gunn.  I'm not keen on the thought of getting books from the library for a few weeks, so I thought this was a good idea.  And also, because though I'm not scared of all that is going on, or fearful, sensing the panic in others has made me very anxious.

This is a screenshot I took this morning that I wanted to share. This was from Shannon, the lady over at SwtBlessings.com who writes the scripture writing plans I always post about.  That is one reason why I so love writing out the word of God: because of anxiety.  Yes, I struggle with that, and yes, this helps me out.  If this resonates with you, why not try it for yourself to test what I say?  You'll see for yourself.  You could write out what she did in this post, Psalm 91, or you could scroll through this blog and use the scripture writing plans I've shared in the past.

Now, here's some more cute dog pictures.

That first one with the red and white chair was two years ago today.  Chip loved that chair!  He was so little.  And this was him, in the bottom one, keeping Todd's spot in bed warm last night.  We were watching Netflix and going to sleep by the light of the twinkle lights I have hanging in there.

As for the rest of yesterday before I fell asleep, we all went to church, and never have I been more happy to be there.  It was so good to be with my church family, to worship the Lord with other believers, and to hear a special message that the Lord gave to my Pastor.  He'd been plannign to preach on Isaiah 43, but the Lord gave him an entirely different message on a day later in the week.  I love it when that happens, and know that when it does, it's going to be good.  I'll share it on here tomorrow or Wednesday, when they send the link out in an email.

I came home and ate more leftovers for lunch, took a nap, watched more of Behind the Design, then tried watching some movies, but nothing sounded good.  I called it a night at nine and went upstairs to bed.

On the agenda for today is grocery shopping.  I'm going to try and see what I can come up with for all of us eating at home this week.  Other than that, you'll find me catching up on bible reading, scripture writing, other writing stuff, and doing the ten loads of laundry that must be waiting on me upstairs.  It's always there!  I'll also be reading, maybe listening to another book on Audible, trying to get Chip to eat his food, cleaning a bit and vacuuming.  It's a pretty low key day around here.  This is spring break week, and the boys are glad for no school work.  Now next week is a different story.  The schools here are closed next week, and they asked me if they had to do school work.  My answer was YES.  We have homeschooled for years now, and life goes on as normal for us, though their friends are out.

Needless to say, they love me for that decision, as you can imagine seventeen year old boys would.

Don't forget, if you're anxious, TURN OFF THE NEWS.  Stop watching it, and find other things to do.  Turn on some music, read, listen to podcasts.  That's what I've been doing.  I'm watching enough news to get the weather report, and that's about it.  And if you've never been good at reading the bible, start now!  You could start in the book of John, or read the sermon on the mount, in Matthew.  Just turn off the TV and that alone will help with anxiety, if you're having an issue with that.

Those are just my two cents.

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.

Edited to add that I'm linking up with Tanya over at The Other Side of the Road for this blog post.

Friday Favorites {edition eleven}

Happy Friday, Friends! 

I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friends Erika and Narci, for this blog post. 

WHAT A CRAZY WEEK. 

The world has lost its mind, it seems, and I'm officially over it all.  I've banned myself from watching the news, getting on Facebook too often (mainly, I'm checking notifications because I'm selling some books), and talking about it too much at home.  I'm not scared and fearful like most of the people the media keeps talking about, but hearing about all the panic and seeing how bare the shelves are at grocery stores is actually causing me anxiety.  Anxiety cannot be helped, let me remind you, and it's something I have no control over.  The weirdest things set it off in me, and apparently, the panic in others is one of the things. 

Drew has an extra week of spring break and his classes will be online until mid-April, so this virus might be his favorite thing ever. 

Here is a look back at the week of crazy that we've had here, what with the three birthdays we've had in our house. 

The Revive Our Hearts ministries app is my current favorite thing.  I've been listening to the podcasts for these two topics for the second full week in a row, and they are all so good.  If you don't, you should download the free app and start listening.  It's easy to navigate, and who doesn't love Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth?  The app is Revive Our Hearts.

These cuties turned seventeen on Tuesday!  They're definitely a couple of my favorites.  I love celebrating their birthdays, even if the things they get are much more boring than they used to be.  Jonah wanted money, and Noah wanted a nice bottle of cologne.  (Who knew that stuff was so expensive?!)  My pastor's wife helped me with this, because she's an expert in this department.  He tried what she suggested, and that's what he wanted.  I was glad that she gave me the suggestion.

Then, on Wednesday, my oldest favorite son turned 21.  We celebrated at home Monday night with a really good dinner (steak and baked potatoes), then had the family over for the three of them on Tuesday night.  So on Wednesday, since we didn't have plans, he went to his friend's house to help him with something on his truck, then he and a couple of guys went out and celebrated last night.  I cannot BELIEVE he is 21.

I listened to this on Audible this week, and was reminded of why she is my favorite author and blogger.  She narrated the book, which made it even more funny.

I started reading in one of my favorite books of the Bible yesterday.  I'm reading along in chronological order this year, and that's when we started here. 

Bookshelves are my favorite pieces of furniture.  For two years now, this set of shelves has been arranged in rainbow color order, and I'd had enough as of yesterday.  Basically I did this so that I can bury my nose in books for the next few weeks, and I needed to find all my favorites.  I pulled off every book and dusted it, and arranged them according to genre (fiction/nonfiction) and author.  I have a whole shelf of Karen Kingsbury, almsot a whole shelf of Robin Jones Gunn, and the same for Neta Jackson.  I decided to re-read all of my favorite books of all time, which is the Sisterchicks series by Robin Jones Gunn.  And then, I may just go ahead and read them all again, starting with the Christy Miller series. 

Yesterday, Todd came home early from work to meet with someone about treating our yard, and just stayed home the rest of the day.  We proceeded to watch The Lion King and Aladdin (the remake) together and had a little home version of a date night.  All the boys were gone so it was the two of us for hours on end, and we ate and enjoyed quality time together as we watched those movies and a couple of other shows.  It was a good night, and helped soothe my anxious soul. 

All I can say is about all of this paranoia right now is one thing: do you know Jesus?  When you know Him and walk with Him, He is the giver of peace.  I'm not anxious about this virus, it's like any other virus and will eventually run its course.  We should take some precaution as we usually do, like washing our hands often and staying home if we're sick, but I'm not freaking out about this.  But I cannot imagine walking through these crazy times without Jesus.  If you don't know Him, reach out to me or to anyone you know and trust, and make today the day of your salvation.  You will never regret living a life with Jesus as your Savior. 

Thanks for reading, friends.  Love to all. 

a post of random things

This week has been busy!  This week always wears me out and I usually need two or three days to recover.  I'm such an introvert, and I realize that as I write that sentence out.  Being around people really does drain me, and I need days after to recharge.  And, in usual introvert style, my batteries are recharged by alone time.  This is both good and bad.  Good, because with older sons, I'm alone a lot.  Bad, because though my hubby does work a lot at night, lately he hasn't been, and well...we're getting to the verge of too much time together and alone.

I'll move on from that now.

I saw this on social media earlier in the week and cracked up.

Welcome to my childhood.  This waterpark existed in Memphis in the eighties, and I spent many a day here with friends.  The words that someone had posted with this picture are what made me laugh.  Someone said about this place: If you can survive the eighties swimming in this, chances are, you can survive the corona virus.

I feel this to be so true, because back then, nobody knew about all the sanitary issues that come with a waterpark as the breeding ground for germs galore.  And I think I like the thought of going to this way of thinking, when all the information in the world wasn't at their fingertips.  Not that we will ever go back in time like this, but can I just say one other thing about the stupidity that is our world right now in America?  And I'll say this and then I'm not talking about it anymore.  This virus is not the end of the world.  Yes, it may take some lives, and that is always sad, but most people who catch it will get it and then they'll heal.  No big deal. 

And also, my husband just tried for the THIRD TIME to buy toilet paper from Costco, and finally succeeded.  Not because we're paranoid and stockpiling, but because by the end of the weekend, we will legitimately be out of it and will need it for our family. 

And do you know how many cases of toilet paper he just bought at Costco?  One.  One case or package, or whatever you call it.  LIKE ALWAYS.

People need to chill out.

I'm moving on, once again.

If you're a woman reading this, you need to read this book.  Or buy it on Audible and try out Audible for free for thirty days if you don't already have a subscription.  To hear Melanie Shankle narrate this encouraging and hilarious book is even better than reading it.  I finished it yesterday afternoon and promptly downloaded my next free book.  You know I love to read and lately, nothing has been good to me.  I had two library books left to read, and I had Noah take them back for me this week because I couldn't get into either one. 

I got onto Audible the other day and saw this one and downloaded it and started it right away.  That was on Monday, and I finished it yesterday afternoon.  Depending on the length of the book, it usually takes around fifteen hours to listen to it be narrated.  You can adjust the speed of the narration, but I don't listen too fast, or it'll just go into one ear and out the other. 

In lieu of watching the news each day, I've been listening to podcasts.  This week, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth started this new series on the Revive Our Hearts app.  This day was so good and is always something I need to be encouraged in.  I just finished day two, and will listen to day three after I read in my Bible.

And finally, also in lieu of social media and/or the news, when I saw that two of my favorite bloggers/authors had a new podcast out, I started listening right away.  (Sophie Hudson and Melanie Shankle.)  They're so funny, and it's like you're having a conversation with your best friend.  If you want to listen for yourself, you can go here to do that. 

Well, that's about all I've got.  I hope you have a great day!  Thanks for reading, and love to all. 

a walk down memory lane and Graham

Today is Graham's 21st birthday!  I can't believe that, even as I write that.  It seems like yesterday he was in the fifth grade, and living his best life.  (Although he's still living his best life.)

I posted on Instagram this morning that the years between sixth grade and now are just a blur.  I've heard so many people say this, but it's so true, that once they get to middle school, you blink and it's graduation or after graduation.  I am so glad for all the memories we have made with our sons in our family, I can honestly say that I don't feel like we wished the years away.  We were busy, and though we may not have traveled extensively, they have gotten to do some pretty amazing things.

I thought I'd share some stand-out moments from years gone by, both for him and his brothers.

I'll never forget the night my neighbor Beth called me and asked me to check if her oven was turned off.  I don't remember how it went from that request to Graham being the one checking, like as he'd been walking by her house, but when he passed by, he saw smoke in her house and called 911.  Her oven was turned off, but there was eye on the stove that had been left on by one of her boys with noodles in it.  Needless to say, it was a good thing Beth called me and asked us to check.  He was out there talking with the firefighters when they came, and they wanted to talk to him, since he'd been the one to make the call.  He has never been intimidated around adults, not since he was two years old.

I remember these years and thinking they would never grow up.  They were all so good, really, I just had my hands full with all those active boys.  If one didn't do it, the other one thought it and convinced them all to participate.  (Usually the instigator was Drew.)  My hands may have been full, but my heart was even more so.  We used to go out to eat pretty often (hello, kids eat free nights), and we could hardly even finish a meal without someone stopping by and complimenting how well behaved they all were.  And they were!  Out in the public, as I always said.  They saved their crazy for home, which was a good thing, but man, they ran me ragged.  I really wanted people to like us all and I wanted to be invited over to friend's houses; I was afraid once we found out that we would have four boys, that people would be scared of us.  (I didn't want my boys to be known for how obnoxious and mean they were, which are how people think of boys.)  I remember crying about this and Todd telling me that we would just make sure we raised them to be polite and kind.

I got my drill sergeant tendencies from them, because I had to be like one.  I was pretty strict when they were this little, and there were several things I never stood for, a few of them being meanness, hitting/punching, saying the words "I hate you", tattle taling, and whining.  They all knew what all those things meant by the time they'd reached the age of two.

I like to think that all that paid off, because these days, they all get along great.  (Mostly.)  They're all very close to one another, and that's something  I always prayed for.  I would always tell them as they sat around the kitchen table, that friends would come and friends would go, but that their relationship with one another would be something they would have for life.  Plus, between Jonah and Noah and Graham, there were only four years, so of course they would be close.

This will always be one of my favorite memories.  These boys were all obsessed with the Fab Five gymnast stars from the Summer Olympics (and Makayla Maroney), and we surprised them with tickets to see them perform on this night.  We never told them what we were doing until we pulled into this garage, and they all guessed.  That excitement you see on their faces was genuine.

I share these, because Graham loves our friend Marissa.  We never guessed when we went on a family mission trip to the Navajo reservation that we would gain a lifetime friend in her.  She and Graham clicked instantly, and she is like the big sister to him he never knew he wanted.  He is such a great and loyal friend, but for some reason, he's never had a ton of friends.  He's always preferred adults or people who were years older than him, so maybe that's why.  He's also always had a lot of friends who were girls, since he was in elementary school.  The friends he did have in elementary school are friendships that are no longer a thing, but he's okay with that, because I think he realizes that sometimes those types of relationships are just for a season.  I did get excited when he told me one friend from elementary school that would always come over is living here in Memphis again.  Brayden moved away when they were young, and Graham actually ran into him as he was leaving work a couple of weeks ago.  He stopped and they both recognized each other and made plans to get together.  The guys he hangs out with now are friends he's made in the last couple of years.

These days, Graham works full time and volunteers as a first responder with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.  He is constantly stopping and assisting people when he drives by, and thanks to his constant smile and personable ways, they're always so thankful.  He works as a part of the tech team at church and is occasionally paid for doing things like running the sound for weddings or funerals.  He loves his truck more than anything else, pretty much, and he loves going to and participating in truck meets.  He loves life and enjoys it all to the fullest, and it's evident when you talk to him.  He's a pretty great big brother, too, except for when he initiates arguments with them.  (He can aggravate like no other.)

I'm so proud of him, though, and for the godly man he's grown into.  I know he's not reading this, but happy birthday, Graham.  I love you more.

(And again, if you're still around, thanks for reading!  Love to all.)

all about Jonah and Noah

I cannot believe that today my twins are seventeen years old.  I used to refer to them as the babies, and then later on, the littles.  They'll always be that to me.

I thought I'd share seventeen things I love about them both, and though I'll stop at seventeen, there are a million more small and little things.

Jonah:

I love how hard he works; he is JUST like his dad.
I love that he enjoys life to the fullest.
I love that he is dependable.
I love that he loves to talk to us.
I love that he still grabs my hand when he talks to me.
I love that he will sometimes dance with me in the kitchen.
I love to hear him sing, he has a beautiful voice and listens to songs while he showers.
I love how much he loves shoes.
I love that he is a neat freak.
I love that he is so smart with all things tech.
I love that he knows how to communicate.
I love how much he loves to drive.
I love that he loves to work, and that he has had his own business for two years now.
I love that he loves our animals so much.
I love that he knows how to make decisions and will, when no one else does.
I love that though he can be stubborn, he's humble enough to own up to when he makes a mistake.
I love that he loves Jesus and that he will always stand up for what is right.

Noah:

I love that he is so dependable.
I love that he could be described as faithful.
I love that he thanks me for and compliments dinner every single night, even if it was bad.
I love that he is loyal.
I love how great of a friend he is.
I love that he always initiates a hug.
I love that he is so thoughtful.
I love that he laughs easily.
I love that he understands all of Drew's inside jokes.  (He is Drew's favorite.)
I love that he is always thinking ahead.
I love that he communicates so well.
I love that he will come downstairs and talk to us.
I love that he feels deeply and won't sit back and take someone being mean to one of his brothers.
I love how much he still loves animals.
I love that he is very quick to forgive.
I love that he enjoys life to the fullest.
I love that he loves Jesus and will always do what is right.

These young men make me proud every single day.  They love others well and are full of integrity.  They tell us everything, and I do mean that, because some of the things they say to us are not necessarily the things we want to hear.  They're honest and hard-working and are smart and kind beyond their years. 

They may not be the ones who in the spotlight at church, they are not in what I would consider part of the "popular" crowd, and they've had their hearts hurt over the last year and a half to two years, but through it all, they stood strong together and just changed up a lot of the relationships in their lives.  One thing is sure-they sure do stand out and look different than a lot of the people around them.  I wouldn't want things any other way.

My greatest prayer for them is that they would always love the Lord their God with all their hearts, with all their souls, with all their minds, and with all their strength and that they would love others as they love themselves.  I also pray that as God has been faithful to them, that they would be faithful to Him, and that they would always do what is right, especially when nobody is watching.  It's been one of the biggest blessings in my life to raise all these boys God gave to us, and they're not mine-they're His.  I know He has big plans for all of them, and it's been a joy to watch it all play out.  I trust Him with the next years in their life as they live this last year of their "childhood" (though in my mind, eighteen years of age is not an adult).  Happy birthday to you both, Jonah and Noah.  I love you so much.

(If you're still around, thanks for reading.  Love to all.)

Friday Favorites {edition ten}

Happy Friday, friends!  I think I'm literally limping into the weekend.  (I'm having an issue with pain in my heel, and Toddley thinks it's arthritis.)

Boo.  Getting older is not my favorite.

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

I love a new month!  One of my favorite things in a new month is starting over with a new Scripture writing plan, and Shannon from www.swtblessings.com puts out a great one. 

This month is all about perseverance, which is ironic because of life right now.  I limped through all of yesterday, as I sat at my kitchen table and drowned out life in general as I wrote for several hours, but I got it done, with the Lord's help.  I don't say that lightly, and most of you know that.  I went upstairs to get dressed after I'd finished the portion I needed to finish, and I just went straight to my knees to humbly thank the Lord for providing me with exactly what I needed.  I had to do that, I was so grateful to Him.

Speaking of gratitude...

I've been listening to this podcast all week on the Revive Our Hearts ministries app on my phone.  This has been such a blessing!  And even if you think you already know this, consider listening to it for yourself.  I promise, you will learn something new.  She is one of my very favorite speakers of all time, and you can know that every thing she puts out is gold.  I love her heart, and it's evident that she loves the Lord so much. 

And, speaking of Revive Our Hearts, at our women's conference last weekend, Leslie Bennett from there came and spoke to us about Titus 2.

(That's her, the second from the right.)  It was so, so good!  I was encouraged, challenged, and hopeful for the ladies in our church to start living this out. 

I met several new friends, too, which is alway a favorite, like this dear lady, Ann.

We had assigned seats this year, which was different, but I am so glad we did.  It forced us out of our little circle of friends, and after each of the three sessions, Leslie provided some table hosts with questions to go over for table talk.  That was a blessing, and again, I am so glad for how things were.  My friend Amy did a great job with the whole thing. 

The rest of my week looked like this...

This was me with a portion of the materials I needed to work on a writing project.  I was also catching up on reading in my chronological Bible, Scripture writing, and then marking things in my calendar. 

Studying is one of my favorite things to do, and this felt good.

And believe it or not, but who knew Numbers would be some of my favorite passages this week?  I got so much out of the life of Caleb that I wrote an article about it that will (hopefully) be published soon for the online magazine I write for.  Well... I take that back, I forgot how to submit an article and I need my husband to show me again.  My brain is not working at the moment, and all the things I knew just marched their way back out.

This felt good this week, too.  I love to take my time and just pour over the word of God.  I don't always get so much out of it, but when I make the time, this does seem to happen frequently. 

Well, I'm going to go sit and put my feet up, because everything hurts from sitting here at my kitchen table all day.  (It's 7 pm Thursday night as I write, and Mama's tired.)

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.