Feeling Grateful...

*My apologies in advance for the ridiculous length of this post.

Last night, I hosted a potluck dinner and movie night with a few of my favorite people (the Vegas 7, to be exact).  I dusted and vacuumed my house, set out my new foldup chairs, went to Reasors for groceries and fresh flowers, then cooked the "KFC" (Kristin Foster Chicken) Recipe and some penne pasta with tomato sauce and parmesan!!  The Wilsons brought the movie (Get Smart, which was fun to see again) and some roasted vegetables, JEM and Kelly brought potatoes with rosemary (all from Jeff's garden), Kyle brought a tasty selection of drinks, and Laura brought a Reeses pie for dessert! =)

Here's a group shot of us after the movie:

(I'm a little shiny, but such is life when I do any cooking... it always makes me hot. lol)

Seven plates, happy yellow daisies, seasoning mix for the chicken, potatoes, chicken, veggies, pasta, more veggies, and drinks! =)

JEM and Kelly reminiscing with my 2014 Scrapbook... The guys ready to spray and kill a wasp by my front door... Lauarlai and the fluffelpuff girlfranz!

Table setup with my new foldup chairs (yay - crazy that it took me 8 years to buy them!)... Karli grading schoolwork, and Tall Kyle wordlessly taking the least comfortable seat for watching the movie - always so thoughtful... the cozy couch - Laura "resting her eyes" and JEM and Kelly watching the movie... and a rare non-posed pic of Chettles! lol

Chet with his Whole30 guacamole and JEM with a random sprig of rosemary! lol ...The leftover Reese's pie... the night is not complete until JEM puts something on his head (it's the same rosemary, but you can't really see it thanks to my decorated cabinet tops... Laura and a smiley Sammich!

All in all, a very fun night!!  I was relieved and happy that everyone seemed to enjoy the chicken, and felt proud of myself for finally stepping up to cook and host! =)  This has been a great season for me trying and cooking some new things, and the best part of it is getting more comfortable with hosting fun dinners with friends!!

* * * * * * *

I read a post today that reminded me that everyone goes through the struggle of waiting and comparing themselves to others who already have what they want -- there are a number of steps we can take in obedience to God, but we all have to lean on His grace and learn to trust Him in the areas that we truly cannot control!  Sometimes Satan can convince us that waiting means we are unworthy of having certain things, but it's a lie -- not having something yet does not mean you don't deserve it.  Everyone's journey is unique, and God is working behind the scenes when we don't see it yet.  I absolutely still want to get married and adopt and have a family, and I believe that wanting that is good.  But today, I am feeling extremely grateful for the strong community of friends and family in my life... that I don't have to go through this time of prayerful waiting alone!!

...I remember vividly my first night in the dorm at OBU, my RA made a speech about how we might miss our families right then, but pretty soon, the girls on our hall would become our new family.  She obviously meant well, but my 18-year-old already homesick self felt repulsed by the thought of anyone there ever replacing my actual family.  Now I have a clearer understanding of what she meant about friends who become like family.  I have my immediate and extended family, two women's lifegroups, a new mentor relationship I'm excited about, my amazing friend Klambster (Kristin Foster), and the nine Tulsa friends that have become "my people" over the past eight years!!  

I am deeply thankful for this group... Laura, Chet, Karli, Jeff, Kelly, Kyle, Sarah, Jessica, and Evan!

So many memories and quotes and trips and celebrations and prayer nights and good times with these people!  They were quick to be there for me in a very real way when I needed them most two years ago.  And at this point, I genuinely feel thankful that I have a solid group of Godly friends rather than one single best friend that I always turn to!

I'm thankful for all the fun we've had, and even more so for the deep conversations and heart connections!

"We can choose to let suffering soften us or harden us... We can choose whether we will love Jesus in it or resent Him for it! Only one set of choices will make us more beautiful." 

~Stasi Eldredge

The above quote is so true.  (It was on my Timehop as something I shared two years ago... I'm sure at the time, I was trying to convince myself to love Jesus enough to let go of bitterness.  Not gonna lie, it took me a while.)

But God is faithful, and He pursues us even when we stop pursuing Him.  And there is abundant grace for us when we struggle and go through suffering, so I feel no condemnation over that!

I am so thankful that Christ in me is stronger than depression, stronger than wrong desires, and stronger than apathy.  I am thankful that God pulled me out of the dark pit I felt trapped in.  And I am thankful that Christ in my friends helped me get through a season when I was too bitter or numb to sense Him working in my life.

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

~Proverbs 13:20

"My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you."

~John 15:12

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

~Proverbs 27:17

"The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."

~Proverbs 12:26

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  ~Romans 15:13

These guys are especially hilarious, and I'm so thankful for all the laughter and joy they've brought to my life!!

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement."

~Philemon 1:7

  

Almost done here!  Just feeling thankful for God's grace, and wanted to write a tribute to this group of friends who have shown me grace and brought a lot of joy and encouragement and fun to my life!!

I know I am weak on my own, but I feel so much stronger lately, and that is purely the joy and power of God!  I'm feeding my spirit and body with better things that foster strength and life, and I'm thankful for the spiritual strength of my friendships to sharpen and keep me going!!

With Love,

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, friends!  

Here are a few "words of wisdom" to encourage you today:

"But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one... May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ."

~2 Thessalonians 3:3,5

"There has never been a single great leader who has self-identified as a victim...  The more a person can self-identify as STRONG (even if they really are a victim) the more they will be chosen to lead!"  ~Donald Miller

Oh, and Happy National Dog Day, apparently!!  It's been fun seeing pics of everyone's puppies on Facebook! =)

I'm sure that Sam-Sue and Bellsy-Bells are making the most of this momentous occasion. lol

Memory Monday (Random)

So first off, here's a cute rainy-day pic from this Saturday morning with the LG girls, before the Walk to End Alzheimer's was officially cancelled due to lightening...

And now, two screenshots with several FB pictures that I'll caption for this Memory Monday post!!

1.  Me and Natalie G. in her new house (in the process of being built.)
2.  Scott, Kim, and Alli in my living room for a Changie LifeGroup hangout!
3.  Me, Kim, Alli, and Natalie in a super-random bathtub pic... (this was right after I bought my house in 2007, and we wanted to see if we could all fit in it.)  :)
4.  Me and Courtney hanging out at Utica Square!
5.  Getting ready for S'mores at the LifeGroup Hayride and bonfire at Camp Loughridge!
6.  LG Halloween 2007...  Kim = Nurse, Alli = Christmas tree, Me = Pam from The Office, Caleb = Mike Gundy, and Chris = Doctor.
7.  Me, Kimberly, and Ruth at the Cheesecake Factory!
8.  Bobbi, Marcy, me, and Tara Lynn ice skating!
9.  Marcy, me, and Natalie Lovenburg in all our wintery cuteness!
10.  Klambster... that's my new nickname for her because it combines them all... being adorable on the ice!
11.  Me, Bobbi, and Angie shopping at Target to fill LifePacks
12.  Natalie and I at a Christmas parade promoting the soon-to-open South Tulsa Campus!
13.  Kristin, Angie, me, and Nat L. at Bobbi's 1st Christmas Shenanigans PJ party!
14.  My awesome halo pic - still love it!!
15.  Duke, Mark, me, and Bobbi on the Bourne Trilogy night during the epic Ice Storm of 2007!
16.  Klambster cheering for Alli playing Jenga at my 2007 Christmas party!

1.  Laura, me, and Liz in our matching bridesmaids dresses at Kristin's wedding (...we each got to pick our own and all 3 of us got that one! lol)
2.  Me and Cassie at her wedding reception!
3.  Me and Jennie Curran after Cassie's wedding
4.  The happy poster to sign for Cassie and Philip
5.  Former roommates pic - Annie, LB, and Sarah
6.  Jon Foster and I at their reception
7.  Me, Michelle, and Rebecca
8.  Kristin and Jon cutting their wedding cake
9.  Kristin, Laura, me, and Ingrid getting ready at the salon (not sure why these are in such a weird order)
10.  Me and Laura at Purple Glaze
11.  Klambster and I at her bachelorette party!
12.  Gabby Douglas winning the gold (whilst we were at the Sand Springs Roller Skating joint! lol)
13.  Group pic at the bachelorette party
14.  LB, me, and Kristin at Charleston's
15.  Grandad and the Jaceman at Cheddar's for Grandad's b-day
16.  Chet's Murder Mystery B-day group pic!!

(And now I feel torn between getting red vs. blonde hair next time I go in. lol  Brown or Red for fall is always fun, though.)

*Happy Sidenote:  This blog (started in September 2013) hit 25,000 pageviews yesterday - yay, milestones!

A couple encouraging verses to end on:
"I felt my strength returning. 'Don't be afraid,' he said, 'for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!'"
~Daniel 10:18-19

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless!"
~I Corinthians 15:58

Thankful Thursday! (70)

Well, it turns out this writing stuff is hard work!!  But I'm keeping my promise to myself not to blog unless I've written 1,000+ words a day, which is why I'm starting this post at 11:08 tonight. lol

This will just be a quick "Thankful Thursday" note!  Today, I'm grateful for...

1.  Getting to take off work today and attend the Catalyst Conference with my Dad and my Aunt Charlene!!  (I didn't expect to be able to get people to cover for me in court, so it was a great happy surprise!)  And it was fun to randomly run into Tall Kyle... "So is this conference gonna be your next blog post?"  "Very possible!"  "I don't have any great quotes for you!" lol

2.  Hearing Craig and Andy Stanley give several great mini-sermons about leadership and influence through the day... and getting to meet Andy and get his autograph - YAY! :) 
(*Andy and Kyle's shirts kinda match!)

3. Getting to have Andolini's Food Truck (Vesuvio pizza) for lunch and Ted's for dinner (plus a McAlister's brownie last night)!! lol  I'm not making any restaurant purchases, but the brownie was my choice of "payment" for this calligraphed verse for Chettles, and Dad bought lunch and dinner today! #awesomesauce

4.  Finally getting the girlfranz vet and grooming appointments out of the way! lol  :) #lionmane

5.  Planet Fitness -- I'm still loving it and feeling good about my new routine!
6.  The Jaceman starting Pre-K yesterday!!  (It's a 2-hours-a-day, 3-days-a-week little school, but he loves it... despite being put in "time out" today. lol)

"I had so much fun, Mamaw!" -Jace when Rach and Mom came to get him

7.  Getting over this bronchitis, slowly but surely!

(You know I had to use this. lol)

Verse for the Day:
"For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of Light! For this Light within you produces only what is good and right and true... Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them."  ~Ephesians 5:8-11


May we be bold and let the light of Christ shine in us and through us!!

Weekend Update!!

A few pics from this weekend... Sarah and Laura joined me for an OKC trip, and after much rocking out to T-Swift and OneRepublic, we met the fam at JoBug's!  Chick-Fil-A lunch then cookiecake and sheet cake to celebrate Kyndal's b-day, then we swam for a while with the kids (they left around 1:30 to go take naps)... then me, Sarah, Laura, and JB chatted and swam until 5!!  #sunburn #ouch  Anyway, enjoy the pics...

The boys muscling up for a pic (although Jace seems to just be celebrating life)! lol  Babah sitting under the umbrella and watching us swim... (the other half of that pic is the center pic on the bottom row - JB and Grandad hanging out and chatting).  Me and K-Faith, then Kyndal proudly squirting her mom with the water gun! lol

Sarah laying out and avoiding a sunburn whilst supporting Disney - funniest thing I've seen in a while, but it was a smart choice! lol   LB reading Sarah's book while on a swimming break (after Jace swam to the edge and got on the top step in the shallow end and then peed right into the pool)! lol #yaychlorine  The bottom row = the girls, then Kyndal Faith giving me a hug - not my fav pic of me, but I love hugs from her, so I had to keep it. =)

The Jaceman = always entertaining!  And Sarah was definitely a favorite amongst the children... she tried to convince Laura and I to put a kid on our shoulders and have a chicken fight with her, but we could not be persuaded! lol  Oh, and the top center pic is Jace being a shark... a game that was loads of fun right up until he bit Triston pretty hard in a play shark attack! lol

Jump zone!! =)  Pools are the best!  The pic where Laura is anticipating the splash makes me laugh, and I love the one of Carter helping Kyndal, and of Kyndal jumping into my arms!

"I feel like a Mermaid Princess from Peter Pan!"  ~Sarah when she sat by the waterfall :)

(I got in the pink chair raft like these for a few minutes, then a wasp came around, and I felt like I needed the ability to duck under water quickly - I'm glad, because now my face is the only thing that's super sunburned!)

We swam for over 5 hours, which was unexpected (on my part) but really fun!  Then we went to Bravo for the crispy mozzarella ravioli appetizer plus bread and red sauce... YUM... then to Johnnie's for cheeseburgers and a grilled PB&J!!

Then we drove home, celebrated the girlfranz making it 12 hours without an accident, then I lathered up with coconut oil to help the sunburn, and CRASHED... so tired!

Today, I went to Fellowship Church (they were doing a message on the Sanctity of Life and I wanted to hear it!) ...then I finally went to Urgent Care, and THREE HOURS later, found out that I officially do have bronchitis. #lamesauce #firsttime They had me do a breathing treatment there, then gave me an antibiotic, steroids, and an inhaler - also a first!!  I think of Albert from Hitch every time I use it. lol  I should be a whole new woman by the end of the week!! ;)

The Wilsons invited Sarah and I over for dinner tonight -- they're in the middle of Whole 30, so we had healthy fajita lettuce wraps that were really cabbage wraps for dinner, and then baked apples with cinnamon and almond butter for dessert!  (Me and Sarah may have added a bit of sugar on ours!)  It was all pretty good, honestly, but I would miss sugar and cheese and all breads dramatically if I tried that diet!!  Also, I'm pretty sure I smell like an odd mix of coconut oil and Vicks Vaporub, so I'm sure that was exciting for everyone. lol

Read this chapter today and was encouraged by this verse.  I love the imagery of God being a protective shield around me, and that all glory and every victory comes from Him!

Happy Sunday, and hope you have a great week!!!