Happy October, friends and fam! I'm in my living room watching Bull and blogging from my laptop. I'm grateful to report the month of September ended well, and this month is off to a good start.
Yesterday I had a hair appointment in Tulsa, then I met the Wilson/Weatherford crew for dinner at Society Burger in Tulsa. They had been to see Aladdin that day, so Tate was pretending the knives were swords… he and Parker were both in fun, playful moods, and these pics make me happy! I noticed later that the ceiling behind him gives him a halo effect, and it made me laugh pairing that with the knives. =)
Parker pics - photos of Parker, with Parker, and by Parker (+ two pics of Tate by me)
Time with the Wilson fam is good for my soul, so this was a great way to end a hard month! ❤
Today was church + a nap + a family dinner at Hideaway downtown. The Whitaker boys wore button-front shirts to match Dad, and Nancy got a couple group pics of our table! =)
Cousin pic with Kristin!
Fun times and good food and cute kids... two nights in a row!
A quick throwback to the Mini Miss K and Rach seven years ago! ❤
I stayed up stupidly late watching TV last night then nearly skipped church this morning, but I pushed myself to go, wanting to do better there in October. It was definitely a God thing, as the sermon was on point and exactly what I've needed to hear... preaching from Malachi and focusing on repentance, returning to God on His terms, and tearing down the "high places" by resisting the pull of the world. This has been a repeated theme God is putting in my life... and I'm grateful He has been patient with my failures in responding well here. Full surrender is hard. Sanctification and dying to self is a painful process. It's also the whole key to having God's anointing on my life and future career and relationships. It matters.
Pastor Charlie talked about Solomon having multiple wives and his heart being pulled away from God by their influence. He compared that to us being entwined with the worldly cultural values surrounding us, saying that "we need to divorce ourselves from the things of this world." And I appreciated that analogy/metaphor, because that's how deeply I'm feeling this. The pain of divorce is sharp and intense, and it's not a single decision but a process where your heart is involved and your emotions are high and other relationships are affected. But sometimes it's worth the sacrifice and it works out for the best. Divorcing ourselves from the world out of loyalty to God would be one of those times. We are called to be the bride of Christ, not to be entangled with the world.
In a related marriage metaphor, the pastor said that he wants his wife to remain faithful to him because she loves him, not because she believes that divorce is wrong. And that God is the same way. He wants our hearts and our affection and desire for Him to motivate us to obedience, not a sense of duty or obligation. That's part of where I've been failing lately. The Donald Miller quote I posted yesterday really hit me - so much of my spiritual life has become habitual... I listen to 5-7 chapters of the Bible every morning while getting ready, then spend several minutes listening to the daily Power Thoughts videos, along with multiple sermon podcasts every week. Those are obviously not bad habits or disciplines, but my heart hasn't been fully engaged for a while, and that's something I need to pay attention to and correct. I'm praying in that direction - for Godly sorrow over sin, for deeper love for God, to overcome this cognitive dissonance and be a woman who lives by her convictions and beliefs!
This = my BeReal photos from this afternoon.
Today begins the fourth quarter of 2023... always the best time to rally for an epic comeback! ...So my sanctification focus for this month is tuning in, pressing in, and pursuing a deeper heart-level connection with Jesus!!
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