I'm a fan of blog challenge prompts. I did this back in March 2015, and I thought it'd be fun to try it again and write about whatever comes to mind now, then look back and see how things may have changed. (Since the month of November is only 30 days, I'm starting today. Get excited!!)
Lindsey Claire Muecke was born February 17, 1984, to parents Mike and Maxine. Her sister, Rachael LaJo, was born two years later. Loving Christian family, Baptist Church, and Christian school 1st through 12th grade. Led to Christ by Mom in December 1990. Healed from Bells Palsy in 1992 and again in 2000. Valedictorian class of 2002, one semester at OBU, then court reporting school. Employed as a stenographer since 2004. Two years in divorce and juvenile court, followed by criminal cases. Moved to Tulsa January 2007. First major loss and heartbreak June 2007. Blogger since 2008. Psychology Bachelor's degree 2013. Second major rejection August 2013. Grew closer to God through suffering. Involved in LifeChurch and LifeGroups since 2005. Phlegmatic INFJ personality, fascinated by psychology and personality types. Writer, reader, calligrapher, painter, poet, sketch artist, and photographer. Aunt to three adventurous nephews and one adorable niece. Woman of God, clothed in strength and dignity. Believes God is good and trusts that she is single because that is His best for her right now. Desires to help women build a stronger identity through Christ. Strong, devoted to family and friends, thankful for God’s grace, committed to seeking Him and choosing life!
(Word count: 199) =)
That's all for today. Hooray for November beginning tomorrow!!
Our Friday dinner this week was interesting... it was gonna be a smaller crowd to begin with, then we had two couples opt out that afternoon/evening, so we had way too much Taco Bueno for the four of us! I'm super thankful Tiffany talked me out of spending $18 on the cheesecake chimis. Chet Lee had bought a 60-count box of chocolate bars from a client, so we had those for our dessert! =) Pippa and I became friends, and she watched over me as we watched the movie (Date Night instead of Pitch Perfect). Chet wrote that FB post just to tease Steve & Sarah, but we had already eaten plenty of tacos, burritos, rice, beans, chips, and salsa! Yay for Bueno... and chocolate bars! lol
Tiffany rode with me to the Wilsons, and when we got back to my place, she helped me carry the gray chair around through the front door and load it into my car! It was definitely a challenge, but we persevered. She wins friend of the year for that endeavor! lol And for bringing me chocolates this morning when she knew I was having a rough day. Anyway, after sleeping in Saturday, I drove home and had a lovely weekend with the fam! We had pizza with the Parrishes that night, and Mom and I helped Rach get stuff ready for the face painting booth at the CHA Fall Festival this Thursday! Charlene joined us for church, a tasty lunch at Chequers, and seeing Let There Be Light at Quail on Sunday (although I like the title, I'd say skip the movie - it represents all that is generally ridiculous and cheesy about Christian movies - I could write a full post on all that was wrong with it, but it'd be a waste of energy.) Side note - I walked into Jace's room to see his Optimus Prime mask on Kyndal's baby doll and had to laugh out loud! =)
Rach painted Jace and his classmates' faces last week, so they'll be the 20 models that people can choose from when they come to her booth! =) Definitely a solid plan, because when I did this a few years ago, we just let the kids request whatever came to mind, and it was kind of a nightmare trying to figure out how to draw some of their ideas. lol
The Miss K and Bampa doing some jumping jacks! lol
Sooo dizzy. lol
A short family Flipagram, just for fun! Whether they're spinning in the living room; playing cards or dominoes; dressing up as their favorite characters; playing on the fort (J can do the monkey bars by himself now, which was very big news!); playing the bear game with Dad; showing off how fast they can run; or playing baseball, basketball (Mom and Dad had a b-ball goal installed last week), skateboarding, or football in the driveway; etc. ...I just love seeing their bubbly childhood joy and playful energy and competitive spirit coming alive! Yay, aunthood!!
And finally, a few recent quotes...
I came to the Clerk's Office with Tiffany and grabbed a donut on my way back upstairs (provided by Amanda, the head Court Clerk, who I saw on the way out)...
Me: "Thanks for the donut!"
Amanda: "Hey, thank you for Tiffany!" lol YAY "Well, don't even worry! ...I mean, I don’t know much about fixing that either, but Kyle is here!" ~Chet Lee, when Laura showed up at his house with a flat tire “It’s a battle between my primal desire to bring a child into this world... and my primal fear of negatively affecting any living thing.” ~Chris Traeger, Parks & Rec (pretty well states my feelings on adoption - lol) Jace: "I saw the scary clown commercial again, but then I looked away." Rach: "Way to turn your eyes away from that. We say, 'Goodbye fear, God is here!!'" ❤ "Hey Linds, umm, I usually sit there when we eat, but it’s okay, I forgive you!!" ~Jaceman, pulling up a different chair and cracking me up! "Mom, you should’ve asked me before you took a bite of my burger, but that's okay, I forgive you!" ~Jaceman, all about the announced forgiveness lately LOL "HEY, LINZ, I NEEJA!!" ~K-Faith, asking for my help, and generally being adorable "Wow, Bud, I'm so impressed with you!" ~Rach, commenting on Jace eating a whole piece of hamburger pizza (he has interesting food aversions, and usually just has soup and avoids the pizza altogether) ...Kyndal had been eating cheese pizza as usual, but ran over and grabbed a hamburger slice... "Now I’m gonna eat one with meat so you can say, 'Kyndal, I’m so impressed with YOU!'" ~presh Kyndal Faith lol "Well, how was the bread??" ~Dad, asking about a low-carb bread recipe Mom tried out "Oooh, I mean, it’s not bad. ...But it’s not bread." ~Rach LOL
"Is tomorrow school??" ~Jace
"Yep!" ~Rach
"Noooooo, I love spending time with my Mom!" ~J
A fairly solid effort if he was trying to get out of going. lol Anyway, happy Memory Monday!
Happy Friday! Here's a pic of three little stowaways trying to join me for the trip back to Tulsa last weekend!! =)
Here's T&C five years ago when they were 4 and 5, and J&K at the same ages now! =)
Some trick-or-treating pics Rach texted me... Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Elsa (that dress fit much better than Belle). =)
Shocking revelation... "Mamaw, guess what? This isn't even my real hair!" ~The preshface Miss K! lol ❤❤
Elizabeth hosted a Pampered Chef party last night, and it was fun times! The PC lady fixed us chicken fajitas for dinner and some tasty fruit with whipped cream and caramel dip. As she talked about the vacations she's gotten to take and how her job feels like having a girls night out most of the time, I found myself pondering what it would be like to be a PC saleswoman... then I asked her if she's ever had anything go terribly wrong at a party, and she told a story about being at a host house with a roach problem where a roach fell onto the stoneware right as she was taking the meal out of the oven (and died immediately because it was so hot)... and then I thought it probably isn't the career for me. LOL
=
This = my Litograph scarf with the Bible printed on it. =) They have several different books, but I thought it would be cool to do the Bible on a scarf because I'm cheesy and it makes me think of the verses that talk about tying God's words around your neck.
Yay, Bible scarf! It goes nicely with my YouVersion PJs shirt. lol (I took this to text and show Mom).
In more random news, I waaaaaant curls!! lol The wild and wavy, perfectly spiraly corkscrew curls! I need someone to invent a perm that can give me this kind of hair instead of a crazy tight mess of curls, stat!
Now I'm off to pick up Taco Bueno for tonight's Friday dinner, then heading to the Wilsons to eat and watch Pitch Perfect!! After a long and draining day of bailiffing (Laura is out with pink eye), a relaxing movie night sounds like perfection! =)
My thoughts are in a bit of a jumble tonight... I've been listening to the Little Women audiobook, and it is so precious to me. I can't even explain how much my soul is soaking up the purity and innocence and beauty and goodness in these stories, the way that virtuous character is honored and praised and pursued. I need more of that in my life -- more wholehearted devotion to God, more excellence and integrity, more inner strength of spirit, more clean laughter and joy, more genuine selflessness that matures and develops over time. ❤ I have felt disheartened by the downward spiral of our culture lately... that applies in a thousand different directions, but specifically, I'm disturbed by the lack of dignity and respect in the way women are viewed by men and the way women value themselves. The #MeToo campaign on social media has been interesting - the point is for women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to post the "Me, too" status so that people will understand the widespread nature of the problem. However, many women are hesitating to post because they struggle to believe that what was said or done to them was bad enough to count, or because the person harassing them is in a position of authority that would threaten their career. And because of the rampant victim blaming and shaming that pervades our culture. It's just not okay. October is "breast cancer awareness month," and without fail, people are quick to make idiotic jokes about their love of boobs rather than honor the women suffering from a terrible disease... sporting t-shirts with "Fight breast cancer and save man's real best friends," "Save a life and grope your wife," "Save the tatas," "Save the rack," "Don't let cancer steal second base," "Save the hooters, "Support the girls," and "I'm here for the boobs!" This is all particularly irksome to me, so for the record, the women wearing pink Survivor t-shirts who have undergone a double mastectomy should feel nothing but empowered and supported and loved and proud of their victory over cancer! Cancer was not a cutesy lil' joke to them, but a true fight for their life and something they pray to never face again. So for the love, do not wear something that might make them for one second feel sad or diminished or less than or righteously angry. (Forget the breasts; save the women!) *soapbox speech over... whew* While waiting at the dentist earlier, I read an article about the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and initially found myself surprised that these seemingly confident celebrity women would not have banded together and taken this guy down much sooner. Then I read about how he used his industry power to threaten and harm the careers of certain women who dared to reject or report him early on, and I understood it more. I know one female attorney who quit her job after being sexually harassed repeatedly by her boss. And it's a sad and pathetic thing when I can honestly say that I've heard more inappropriate comments, sexual innuendo, crude jokes, "locker room talk," etc. in my work life from those sworn to uphold the law than from the criminals charged with breaking it.Ugh. The need for men of Godly character and bold leadership and integrity is real. As is the need for women with self-respect, feminine modesty, and courage. Seeing this post by Lysa TerKeurst was encouraging... I am not naive or arrogant enough to believe I can stop the downward spiral of our culture, but I can live with dignity and kindness, and I can command respect from the people I interact with day to day. Brittany Bolt was the best example of this I have seen, and I so admired her courage in speaking up for Christ and for herself when the situation called for it. "Excuse me, gentlemen, there's a lady present" when men around her were starting to tell crude jokes. Or "Witness check - where is our witness for Christ?" when the Christian friends she was hanging out with were drinking and getting ridiculous...
So in spite of all that is wrong in the world, let's be a light in our little corner of it and "bring the atmosphere we want to live in today." ❤❤ ...yes, please! An atmosphere of God's presence and goodness and courage and virtue and joy!!
I'm having lots of deep thoughts today about creativity and why it matters...
All my life, I've leaned toward the artistic and creative side... drawing Mickey and Minnie cartoons as a young girl, sketching horses in my spare time, asking for a calligraphy kit and teaching myself to do that in third grade, journaling a lot and writing a poem about the bombing in fifth grade, making creative little gifts for my friends and teachers with lots of help and encouragement from mom, abstract paintings, filling several blog books, etc. It's been a natural overflow and part of who I am for as long as I can remember. However, a few years back, I managed to convince myself that crafty projects and paintings and home redecorating and Pinterest and such were mostly frivolous and trivial, and that I needed to let it go and pursue things with more lasting value...I was sincere about wanting to pursue things that mattered, but my stance on creativity was an arrogant position that didn't come from God, and one that may have unintentionally belittled people who find great joy in it (ironically including myself).
I read a post this morning by a friend who's a very talented graphic designer, homemaker, and interior decorator. She wrote about another friend questioning the eternal value and purpose of what she does for a living, and about struggling with that for a while and wondering whether only certain careers (mainly ministry jobs or life-saving medical roles) have true value...
The struggle is real. I think so many Christian women put unfair pressure on ourselves here. We listen to the enemy and give in to feeling shame and guilt over things that God meant to be wonderful gifts that bring us joy and add beauty to our lives!
God Himself is the author of all creativity... He loves beauty, and He loves to create! His creation reflects His creative heart in a million different ways from the epic mountains and waterfalls and sunsets to the intimate flowers and butterflies. His design specifications for the tabernacle show that He cares deeply about the details and chooses to be surrounded by beauty. The way He made each person, animal, and even snowflake so wonderfully unique proves that He loves authenticity and originality. And the fact that Jesus spent years practicing and learning the trade of carpentry tells us something, too. I'm sure He put His heart into the work and took joy in the end result.
Over the years, Mom and I have worked together on a plethora of creative projects! That includes creating awesome scrapbooks for our family and a few for friends, painting projects, lots of calligraphy work, photography fun, redecorating the homes of others, redecorating our own homes, decorating for Christmas, etc. More recently, Rachael has come into her own with amazing creative skill that even she didn't realize she had in her! Her wreaths, chalkboards, and other creative gifts have brought a little more joy and color to so many homes! All these creative projects take time - often more than people realize - but I'm realizing that not one second of that time has been wasted. Creating things together is always a great way to build memories and strengthen relationships, and creating things that add beauty, comfort, color, personality, and cozy warmth to any home is truly a gift!! I see all of that much more clearly now, and have spent more time on writing and photography and other creative projects without that guilt or shame that I used to feel - like it was small and meaningless and I wasn't doing enough serious work for God. I believe that God made us creative on purpose, and He delights in it when we use the gifts He gave us well. I understand more deeply the value and sacredness of having a beautiful place to call home, something warm and inviting that uniquely reflects you and what you love!
I do want to spend my life focused on things that really matter, and pressing into the joy and creative gifts God has given me is on that list! =) So hoorah and huzzah for creativity!! Don't let anyone make you feel like what you're creating doesn't matter, even if it's something only you will ever see!!
...Scrapbook we all made for Dad's 60th Birthday.
Decorating Kyndal's nursery room when Rach was pregnant.
Scrapbooks that help us remember all the fun times with Mark & Co.
Painting the Donna Dewberry magnolias for my bathroom wall...
The messy fun of drizzle-painting this mirror for my bedroom!
My pink-tastic living room that is so very ME! lol
"So I will continue to feather my nest, and to color my tiny corner of this world something brighter in the midst of so much beige and blandness. Because the world is a hard, hard place — and we all need a soft place to land." ~Rachel Shingleton
LOVE that!! ❤
"God is into beauty, food, fun, and naps. It often feels unchristian to enjoy life, especially knowing what we know and seeing what we see… But a Christian in tune with God’s whole character neither regards herself as too important or too unworthy to enjoy this life… God gave humanity many healing tools - some are spiritual, but so many others are tactile, physical... Creating a beautiful home is fun. Find colors and styles that make you feel alive and inspired and at home. Go with what you love, not necessarily what you see on design shows or in your neighbor’s house… The biggest waste of non-refundable years is closing your home to guests because it’s ‘not pretty enough’ …Making your home pretty is nice, but making it nourishing is holy. Home is the scene of so much love and happiness. It’s where you invite people in and say, ‘You are so welcome in this place.’ It is the reel our children will replay in memory, the leather chair you read in, the farmhouse table you shared, the braided rug where you played eleventy-billion games of Chutes and Ladders. It is your little corner of earth, entirely yours to make lovely. In a world increasingly dominated by fear and violence and isolation and loneliness, you can claim restoration under your small roof, where people are nurtured and fed and loved and embraced, where God reigns and hope is spoken…” ~Jen Hatmaker
"Please keep believing that life can be better, brighter, broader, because of the art that you make. Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to-day world a little more bearable." ~Shauna Niequist
Catching up and throwing in aaaaall the pictures today! lol
Starting with yesterday's Friday night dinner at the Wilson Farmhouse, where I succeeded in getting a group pic! =) Our "topic" this week was simply to encourage each other, and it. was. awesome!! We focused on one person at a time, and everyone went around the circle saying nice things to/about them. It was lovely and meaningful and made me extra-thankful for my friends!!
Jon and Kristin found a heart-shaped BBQ chip. lol All the cuteness! Then it's LB peeking through the card circle, Chet Lee bringing in the grilled hot dogs, TK helping Chet re-hang the vent covers, and Kristin putting their names in on the girl vs. boy chalkboard wall vote!
In spite of being the Nertz champion, Kyle left before the game started! This pic = everyone else - I'm counting Tiffany too because her reflection is there in the window! lol
This morning, I went to see my nephews, T&C, in their soccer tournament! I was there for the only game their team won all season, so I'm gonna say I'm a good luck charm and should've come to more of them!! ;-) I'm so glad I got to be there for that one where they were all excited and proud of themselves! It was fun times with the fam!
Jace, Kyndal, and Mason, who they were SO EXCITED to see! =)
After the game, I got to go see the girlfranz and wish them a very Happy 4th Birthday today!! (28 in dog years). Dad went with me, so he talked to David while I caught up with the girlfranz with all the baby-talk! lol It was so great to see them again, and good to hear that they're doing great there and getting so much love and attention!! My allergies kicked in almost instantly, and my eyes have been watering the rest of the night, but it was worth it, and I'll have to go see them again soon! =)
Fun baseball times with the fam this afternoon. Miss K looks ever so sassy when she holds the bat up! lol
Carter and T-man in their Patriotic Program... so much cheesy goodness! =)
The Jaceman and friends being true flag-waving patriots! lol ...I love how expressive his face is - I think he'll be like Chet in that way - it's never hard to tell what he's thinking! Hahaha!!
Got my hair done by Dena this week... she's a little scatterbrained and crazy, but she's great with hair! Two shades of red with a little blonde thrown in, then she curled it before I left. =) ...Side note: Whilst shampooing me, she very randomly said, "You just have the face of a cherub. Such porcelain skin and great eyelashes." Then someone walked in and she immediately proceeded to spray my cherub-face with water as she wasn't paying attention! lolol It was startling as my eyes were closed, then she grabbed a towel and patted my face dry, and I struggled to stop laughing for a minute after that! LOL
This is my new chair for reals... the other one is heading to Rach's house as a bedroom chair - it wasn't quite comfy enough to work in the living room!
Justin, Alan, Dad in a golf tournament a couple weeks back! =)
I'm LOVING Parks and Rec right now - watching it for the first time, and I'm a big fan. Every character is fantastic and funny in different ways! Chris Traeger may be my favorite! lol
What colors do you see here? It's another pic like the black/gold dress. Mom, Dad, and I see light pink and white. Rach and the Miss K see gray and teal blue! So weird how that works...
I took a screenshot of this lyric right when it popped up on my phone - I just love it!
In that spirit, All Will Be Well = my song of the week, which I found thanks to Park & Rec. Enjoy, and hope you're having a great weekend!!
NYC - Eataly and Junior's Restaurant (specifically the mac n' cheese and cheesecake!!)
First rickshaw bike ride (through Central Park).
Major home revamp -- repainted and redecorated with the help of the fam and Tiffany!
First time projects included: Framing the bathroom mirror ourselves, Upper Case Living canvases with Mom, the Picture Wall, and putting my totes-adorbs new pink couch together on my own... be impressed! lol
Read: How's Your Soul? -Judah Smith, Friendships Don't Just Happen - Shasta Nelson, Presence -Amy Cuddy, Harry Potter 99-CD full audiobook series, etc.
Joined my first book club (with Elizabeth & Co.) =)
PetSmart obedience classes with a Sammich-puff! :)
Said a very bittersweet goodbye to the girlfranz this summer - they're now living with a couple in OKC who can spend lots more time with them and give them a happier, more free life - (for the best all around, but still hard).
Watched:Parks & Rec, Blue Bloods, The Good Doctor, the new Will & Grace, and the new Wonder Woman and Beauty and the Beast movies!
Songs:All Will Be Well -Gabe Dixon Band, Rivers and Roads -The Head and the Heart, Perfect -Ed Sheeran, It Is Well With My Soul -Audrey Assad, Father and Son -Cat Stevens, Someday at Christmas -Stevie Wonder & Andra Day, etc.
Otezla -- thank God for Otezla!! I spent months trying to find something that would help my painful psoriasis-covered fingers, and this was the cure! =)
"Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, 'O Lord, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, You are our God; do not let mere men prevail against You!'" ~2 Chronicles 14:11 How awesome is that verse!? A friend posted it on Facebook and I really loved it! I threw it into this blog post even though it really has little to do with anything else in this post. But randomness is always fine with me! lol In other news, here's the Missa-K looking precious as ever, sitting with her dad at the CHA Patriotic Program! Hello, All-American Girl cuteness!! ❤ Rach texted me some videos of the boys who all had a song or part to perform in it (Jace & classmates singing "You're a Grand Old Flag," T-man and classmates playing the role of sailors on a rocky boat - he hammed it up and did great, and Carter looking ever so serious in his role as a Continental Army drummer.) It was all the perfectly cheesy cuteness you would expect from that event! If it had been at night rather than during the school day, I would've definitely tried to be there for it!! But I'll make sure I don't miss the Christmas program! =)
Good gosh, I love her so much!!!
Yay for the PhotoMix collage software. Rach decided to update her pics of the kids with more recent ones, so Mom and I had fun making a 4-pic collage for each of them! :)
I actually did all the cooking for this Friday's dinner... we had two kinds of crock-pot chili (regular and white chicken chili), cornbread muffins, Aunt Carol's crunchy salad (thanks to Jen Hatmaker raving about it - first time I've really made a salad and not used a pre-made kit - it went well!), and the gooey s'mores brownies!! Yaaaay for fall foods! =) It was a fun group of 8, but I failed to get a group pic of us - sadness. It was Chet, Karli, Kyle, Sarah, Angie, Laura, Tiffany, and me! After dinner (and after Tall Kyle washed the dishes because he's awesome and always does that without being asked), our topic was sharing places where God has brought good out of bad in our lives - where He has used something painful or hard to teach us something or give us a new perspective, or where He has redeemed something we thought was irredeemable. Lots of great stories were shared, and it was just really encouraging to think about God's hand working through my own life, each of those friends' lives, and how He has worked to weave our lives together. We talked about how God orchestrated those connections, and that was cool to think about, too. Yay, God! He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, and what the enemy means for harm, He is able to use for His glory and our good!! I may do a full post on that topic soon... Anyway, I was proud I pulled this off, and I did not fail to get food pics. lol The top left = Chet and Kyle being sad they can't eat sweets. lol
Ending this post with another fantastic verse that speaks to me right now, especially the last part about trusting God and walking in His light rather than trying to live in our own light... our delight and our sustaining joy and what our hearts turn to in worship has to be God Himself, or it will end in great torment for us. So good and true! “The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will... See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? ...If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment." ~Isaiah 50:4–11
