Phoning It In (#12)

This = a quick and simple post where I share tons of recent pics from my iPhone that make me happy! =)

My new scrapbook arrived, and it matches with my living room decor pretty perfectly! ❤

Got my second hot stone massage with Amanda at Ihloff last weekend. #relaxi-taxi  I decided to make the effort to take better care of myself toward the end of summer, and the first massage was step one in that decision (something that felt harder for me after stress-related weight gain, but I decided to go for it anyway, and it was super relaxing and awesome).  Joining WW was just around the corner after that, and I'm thankful for the way both of those are helping me feel healthier and happier!  =) 

Dad and his SF staff in their cute Friends-themed t-shirts!

I commented that I loved those new shirts, and this was an ad on my FB the next day. lol #stalkers #supercute

Dinner at Panera before seeing Downton Abbey! =)

Fun map I got on Etsy to inspire me to travel more...

I'm working on filling up the states where I've been, but it's harder than I expected to find pictures that fit the random state shapes!

My fav zero-point meal = taco soup with fat free cheese (I'd only use it as a soup topping, but it works well for that). Yum!

Got an Series 4 Apple Watch last week, much to T-man's delight!!  (My nephew who loves all things Apple.)  It's already inspiring me to stand more often and walk more to complete my "Activity rings" so I'm happy about that!

My fav zero-point dessert lately = strawberrys and fat-free whipped cream! =)

Friday was the last day of our self-defense class with Brian Bryan!  It was Kristina, me, Jan, and Kelly!  #fierce #unagi ;-)

Chettles making burgers for us with the smoker he won at a work event! =)

The Wilsons hosted a cookout/pool party on Friday, but the water was chilly thanks to recent rain, so there wasn't much swimming.

Tater-tot with Uncle Evan and Aunt Sarah! =)

We sat around their table by the pool and talked from about 6:30-10, which was super nice (aside from the grasshopper that landed on my arm).  We covered everything from bathroom stories to vacation memories to intense talks about politics and religion, so that was fun times!

Saturday was the OSU game with Dad and Charlene!

All things considered, it was a much nicer day than our November game last year, where I was FREEZING without a coat. =)

We ran into my Uncle Alan who was going to the game with their friend, Jim Young, so the five of us had an early dinner together at Louie's! =)

Game time!  I did the #okstate thing, but they never posted our pic on the big screen.  Charlene and I kept watching for it, and they kept rotating through the same ones over and over. #lamesauce lol

This was the first home game since the death of Boone Pickens, so they did several mini-tribute videos about him, which was nice!

Despite my Weather App's assurance that there would be no rain until Sunday (which made us decide to leave our ponchos and rain jackets behind on the bright sunny day), sure enough, there was an hour-long rain delay halfway through the second quarter!!

Thanks to my lightning-related anxieties, we made it under the cover of the bleachers just a couple minutes before it started POURING rain.  It was a standing-room-only mass chaos crowd down there, but still better than being drenched!

Dad walked around a bit, and Charlene and I found a place where we could lean against the rail and chat for a while. =)

Finally, the game started back up again!  At halftime, the band did a mini-tribute to Boone Pickens, as well!

This kid in front of us was cracking me up.  Every time Charlene yelled to cheer, he would put his hands over his ears! lol  (She was really not that loud, and sometimes he did it even when we weren't cheering.)

My very favorite part of the game -- which of course had nothing at all to do with sports -- was when they played Friends in Low Places during one of the timeouts.  (Garth was an OSU grad, so they do that every once in a while.)  The game resumed and they cut the song off right after "I'm not big on social graces," which just felt wrong, but the crowd LOUDLY finished the song acapella, "think I'll slip on down to the OOOO-ASIS, oh, I've got friends in low places!!" and it all made my heart really happy. lol

Our drive home was also nice.  I can't remember how we got there, but Charlene got to hear my crazy church group stories (3) and Dad shared a couple similar stories of his own (one of which was new to me), and we had a really good talk about all that and our beliefs about the Holy Spirit and gifts of the Spirit!

Sunday was LifeChurch then meeting JB and Babah for lunch at Johnnie's in Edmond!  Rach made JB a new sign for her classroom, which she loved!

The fam, minus Mom who was our photographer!  I looked at the pic and was sad that Miss K had a straw in front of her face...

But she thought that was funny and wanted another pic like that. lolol #preshface

She often asks to sit by me, and it makes me happy every time!

Then we took some stuff to Babah's for her upcoming garage sale.  She's a strong woman and she seems to be doing pretty well overall, but I know it's a huge adjustment after 65 years of marriage!

Finally, last night was lifegroup (Evergreen has finally started their groups back up this month).  I'm in a group that has 10 adults and 7 kids, so it's pretty chaotic, but everyone's been really nice!  We did a breakfast-for-dinner thing, and I brought donuts since it was a busy Sunday for me.  (I only had half of one, and I tracked it, so yay for WW keeping me accountable!)

That's all I've got for today!  Hope you have a fantastic week ahead!! =)

MM ~ Brittany Runs a Marathon

Hey, friends!  Happy Movie Monday!

I've already seen the new Downton Abbey movie twice (really good), but I'm actually writing about another movie I saw this weekend called Brittany Runs a Marathon. ❤

As per usual, I knew I wanted to see it as soon as I saw this preview!


Partying lifestyle aside, I could identify with a lot of Brittany's story.  I really enjoyed the movie and definitely cried during the final race scene.  I know the pains and the joys of both running and weight loss, and especially the awesome feeling of building friendships through that effort and having people who sincerely cheer for you in your goals!  The friendships and her deciding to simultaneously take responsibility for her life and put in more effort AND to have more grace for herself and others (to be less cynical and quick to judge) was my favorite thing about this movie!! 

She had a critical friend who was insecure and always condescending about her decision to run, so she had to stop listening to that and choose to take herself seriously.  (Even if we don't have "friends" like that, I think we all have that critical inner voice, or the discouraging voice of the enemy, that we need to stop listening to.)  A mentor of hers told her that she has to learn to accept support and help and love from people who care about her, that some people really do want good things for her, and I loved that whole scene.  And my favorite quote came from her friend, Seth... she was being judgy about a mutual friend and he said, "Cut her some slack.  Come on, she's trying.  It's hard to start a new life!"

That's so true, right!?  But I've thought about this a lot lately, and I've realized that the people I admire most are people who have had to get back up again and keep fighting after experiencing massive setbacks.  The people who did not give up on themselves or throw in the towel on their goals, even when they had a major delay or relapse into old patterns.  I have some friends who are great examples of this right now, and I'm in the process of joining them (starting WW this month and planning to seriously train for races next year).  It's not easy to start over, but it's pretty freaking awesome when you find the courage to do just that!  When you look ahead and you know there's a long uphill road in front of you because you've walked that hill before, but you find the inner grit and resilience to believe that it's worth starting again.  When you learn from your mistakes and refuse to give up on yourself and your goals! ❤

My apologies for hijacking this Movie Monday and making it about me. lol 

Hope you have a great week, and hope you feel strengthened and encouraged today!

Gentleness

This little verse is sandwiched between "Rejoice in the Lord always..." and "Do not be anxious about anything."  In all the richness of Philippians 4, this one probably gets overlooked sometimes.  But it's been on my heart lately as something I want to work on.  With good reason, I have become more suspicious and guarded over time, especially around church people.  There are a lot of crazies out there doing A LOT of damage within the church, and I seem to be a magnet for them. #backupoffme  There are also a lot of church leaders who are morally corrupt and/or proudly supporting the morally corrupt, and I have a pretty big problem with that, as well.  So part of my guardedness is wisdom, but it's also partly pride and the desire never to be seen as weak or gullible again.  And I don't want to become too sharp or too cynical or too quick to judge.  I want to keep a soft heart and a GENTLE and quiet spirit that walks in step with the Holy Spirit, which is easier said than done in this easily offended time and culture!

I remind myself often that there is more to the story than I know.  And while it is never an excuse for abusive or criminal behavior, it is good to remember that hurting people hurt people.  That our enemy is behind it all, and he is good at what he does.  It helps to keep your heart free of bitterness and hatred toward people God created and loves!

Another Lysa TerKeurst Therapy & Theology podcast talked about forgiveness.  They said people think you can simply forgive the offense and move forward, but those who have walked through a massive betrayal understand it very differently. #truth  You have to forgive the offense first, yes, but then you have to forgive the impact -- repeatedly forgiving them for the myriad of ways that their sinful decisions and actions hurt you and other people you love, the way those things continue to affect and shape the hearts and futures of innocent and undeserving people, and the way it affects your own heart and the course of your own life.  And that is something you have to do over and over, time and time again, every time the emotional impact hits you like a ton of bricks or the negative reality consequences play out in front of you and make you wanna scream.  It is NOT easy, and it can feel exhausting.

...Hearing that was crazy helpful for me, because it's so simple to forgive the offense, but forgiving the impact literally takes years of small decisions to forgive again and keep your heart gentle toward others and free from bitterness, as well as the hard work of choosing wisdom and setting healthier boundaries and protecting yourself and others from further pain whenever it's in your power to do so.

Anyway, healthy boundaries plus a gentle and bitterness-free spirit... these go together and complement each other, but it's such a delicate balance, and it's something I am determined to work with God to improve on! ❤

Thankful Thursday (99)

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Fun plans to look forward to... like going to dinner then seeing the Downton Abbey movie with friends tonight!

2. A thoughtful good luck note from Laura and for passing one leg of my RMR test yesterday (two down, one to go - huzzah!).  =)

3. Sarah giving me an easy pizza recipe (equal parts Greek yogurt and self-rising flour make the crust, plus a zero-point crockpot marinara sauce).  It's delish - which surprised me bc of my hatred for Greek yogurt - lol, and it's only 10 points for two of these pizzas (a really good deal if you're on WW)!

4.  Having this chair that Grandad made and that belonged to Mom during her sophomore year of high school! ❤

5. Our courthouse fountain - it makes me happy every time I see it!

6. The women's self-defense class I'm taking at Evergreen!  It's been fun and informative!  Unfortunately, I have no pictures at the moment, but I'll try to remedy that soon.

7.  That we have the power to encourage, be kind, and brighten other people's day!! ❤

Happy Thurdsay, friends!!

Through Deep Waters

In Lysa TerKeurst's Therapy and Theology podcasts, they talked about the terminology of "getting over it" versus "getting through it."  Most everyone who is hit with a crisis or unexpected suffering says that they want to get over it or get back to normal.  We want so much to skip the hard part and the heavy emotions and just pretend all is well again, but it's a false hope that leads to an eventual crash (and makes getting through it that much more difficult).  God says He will be with us when we go through deep waters (Isaiah 41:10), not that He will fly us over them.  There is a valley or a hard season that we'll have to face and walk through to get to a healthy place on the other side of any major crisis.  And facing it head on is the healthiest thing we can do.  This was a helpful concept and clear mental image for me, so I took a minute to actually draw the picture:

(*That whole 6-episode series was good and helpful, and if you're interested, you can go back into the archives and listen to them on the Proverbs 31 Podcast, or you can watch them on YouTube HERE!)

* * * * * * *

On another deeper subject, this is Suicide Prevention Month.  This little graphic made so much sense to me, and I've been thinking about it a lot...

The trifecta of negative thoughts that lead to suicidal desires:

1. I am alone.
2. I am a burden.
3. Things will never get better.

That rings so true - these are the lies Satan uses to push people toward suicide.  It has been true in my own life in the past and in the lives of several others I know who have struggled with those thoughts.  

1)  Feeling lonely and misunderstood hits hardest when you are going through physical or emotional suffering you don't believe anyone around you can relate to, OR when you have been deeply disappointed or rejected/abandoned by someone you loved or idolized.  The truth, of course, is that no matter how many people hurt us, we are never truly alone.  God is always with us and will never forsake us, and He knows our hearts in a way no one else can.  We can turn to Him in any season of life, now and forever. 

2)  People may feel like they are a burden when they need constant physical help and care OR when they worry that the sadness and darkness they feel inside is seeping out of them and draining the life out of everyone around them.  (Which is sometimes confirmed by those closest to them.)  In reality, people talk a lot about being there for us, but actions speak louder than words and very few live up to their promises.  We cannot entrust ourselves and our hearts to the care of other people (John 2:23-25).  So again, we should be thankful for those who will walk with us and pray for us, but the best answer we have is found in God Himself.  He is the only one that we can never exhaust and the only one who always keeps His promises to walk with us!

3)  The last one is the most dangerous lie for us to believe:  Things will never get better.  Our enemy tends to hit hardest when we are most vulnerable... so when you are already feeling alone and burdensome, he will come at you hard with despair and hopelessness.  Often, this hits when someone tries to jump over the hard part rather than taking the slow and painful walk through it (see above).  The number of physically healthy young people who commit suicide because of deep relational pain is staggering.  I've heard several Christians say that they can't relate or understand, but saying that when this topic comes up is more boastful than helpful, and I am definitely not in that group.  I get it, and I am a safe person to write or talk to if ever you are struggling in that area.  Our enemy's goal is to steal, kill, and destroy, and he loves to whisper lies that bring hopelessness.  To make us feel like if we can't have ______, then life is no longer worth living.  (The blank will be different things for different people, but when you can fill that sentence in with anything but Jesus, then you are vulnerable.  When that is true and you realize that thing or person is gone, things can get really dark very quickly.)  Everything else in this world is absolutely subject to change and loss, so our security and hope have to be rooted in Christ.  I have learned to find a lot of hope in the coming kingdom, in the promise of heaven and eternal life, and I think that is vital.  Even in a season of suffering from declining health or relational loss, you can hold on to that and know that things will get better someday, even if it is not in this lifetime.  That may not sound super comforting, but it's the best hope we have to cling to in a broken world that is currently "subject to death and decay."  Hope and healing and freedom and full redemption are coming, and there is life after death that is better than our very best days here!

So Jesus is always with you, and He created you and knows your heart inside and out.  His love is merciful and unfailing and inexhaustible.  As long as you are alive, He has a purpose in mind for your life, and you are not useless or a burden to Him!  And because He is alive today, things will get much better in the end for everyone who trusts and believes in Him.  

Okay, that's all I've got for today.  I hope it's helpful to someone! ❤

Family Fun!

Mini Miss K trying on my glasses! =)

Charlene, Georgia, Nancy, and Dad getting things ready for the Taco Bar at Al and Hilary's wedding reception party!

Gracie (the youngest Muecke girl) in her little OSU cheer outfit... 

Wesson saying "That's me!" when I showed him the selfie cam... 

Jake bringing Alan his wedding love story mad lib saying, "Read this!  It's funny!!" 

Our table at the reception!

Georgia and Nancy watching the game and talking about how they should've brought craft projects to kill time. lol

K-Faith telling Gene a story "and then I was like this, and then she was like..." lol  

Jace and Mom having a convo...

K showing off her tricks on the workout equipment... I was the only one in there and she said, "Can you go get some audience!??" lol  I laughed pretty hard at that, and several people came to watch after I told them that quote!

J-Michael dramatically throwing off his "cast net" towel. lol

Jace showing me a beetle friend he found - yikes! - and Kyndal holding Buzzy, their class mascot!

Me, Miss K, and Buzzy Bee! =)

Thanks to Google Photos new memories section, I realized Jace apparently got to take him home on the same weekend last year.  That first pic is September 13, 2018 at Pelican's, and the next is September 14, 2019 at Mom and Dad's. =)

These are from earlier this summer... my cousin, Justin, swimming with all the boys was such a hit!  He's super fun and great with kids!

So much summery cuteness! (That bottom pic is J in perfect diving form, but it's very cut off.)

That's my picture update for now.  It was a fun weekend with the fam!  

Hope you have a lovely week ahead!