Playing Catch-Up

 So remember last April when I posted about these lovely dishes by the Pioneer Woman?  No, I'm strongly guessing you don't - not a big event in your life. lol  But I LOVED them and was excited to order them, and I put myself on the list to be alerted when they came back in stock at Walmart.  I checked a month ago and checked again this month... still out of stock!  So I went back and found Ree's blog where she'd talked about these, and I commented saying that I really love them, but they'd been out of stock since April of 2020, and I was just wondering if she'd discontinued them.  Literally the next day, I got an email alert that my item was in stock!!  YAAAAY!  So I've ordered them, and they should arrive on Monday - get excited! #thanksRee

I also baked some frosted brownies this week. lol  #yummers #noragrets

Beth and Melissa co-wrote a Bible study on Galatians together.  That all makes me happy!  #notgoinghome #strengthandcourage #womenofGod

Kate sent me a wonderful and heartfelt Marco Polo message after getting my Christmas letter, and we've been messaging back and forth a bit, which has been great!  She's hilarious and fun and oh so comfortable and natural with this app, chatting away while driving or folding laundry or whatever else.  I, on the other hand, am awkward and nervous and sooo aware of the video and too self-conscious about how I look and the camera angle and if my eye is being weird and if I'm making sense or saying too much or too little and how I'm saying "umm" way too often (this is why my main communication method is writing - you can't backspace and delete and rephrase things you say on video, and apparently I don't trust myself enough to say what I mean), so anyway, yesterday, I jotted down some notes for myself to stay on point, and then I showed her pictures instead of filming myself. lolol  #introvertproblems I am honestly gonna try to get better at this, though!  It's not the impossible dream, and I can be both a good writer and learn to be a more natural speaker, and this app is good, low-key practice for that! =)  *Also, super thankful for Kate and her general awesomeness and strong love for Jesus and her church that is making me feel inspired to find a good church again!!

I made some cheesy taco soup recently - yum!

The memes are on point this month, especially since the crazy events that unfolded at the US Capitol last week!

 

 

This one had me laughing out loud for real!

 

Speaking of all that, I watched part of the Senate hearing that night, and I couldn't stop thinking about those court reporters.  They are wearing masks and standing the entire time (and everyone in that room is long-winded), one of them had on tall stiletto heels - YIKES, and they're wearing their steno machines as a crazy-heavy necklace of sorts, trying to capture word for word a huge room full of politicians talking over each other and sometimes mumbling and wearing masks themselves.  I'm sure they're paid well, but I'd say a huge no, thank you, to all of that!!

 

Regarding the more serious stuff that took place that day, I have lots of thoughts, most of which are summed up in this post by my friend, Josh Lewis (HERE), a fellow conservative Christian who never voted for Trump.  My stance on him has never wavered from the day I wrote THIS POST five years ago to now.  The bar is very low, and he keeps lowering it.  I've felt exhausted and disappointed by the response of many in the church over the past four years, and that is a long time to feel disheartened... but I have not lost my hope or my faith or my clarity about who God really is and what Christlike character actually looks like!  So let's live that out and hold our leaders to a higher standard moving forward, shall we!?

Deal! ❤