The God Who Carries and Sustains Us

All of my emotions feel *heightened* right now - I'm more reactive than usual, incredibly sensitive to the emotions of others, more aware of the pains and irritations in life, but also more aware of the joys and the love and beauty surrounding me.  When I feel like this, it helps to write, so here I am.

I found myself thinking about this quote on my drive back to Tulsa yesterday, and it remains one of the most helpful things I have ever read:

"When our souls feel crushed and overwhelmed, we believe ourselves to be tired of life; but it is death, not life, that wearies us.  In all our troubles, let us remember that what we lack is life – what we need is more life, more of God’s powerful presence in us that makes us more alive and whole!  When we feel broken and tired of life, let us recognize that it is actually the presence of death in this world that we are tired of.  When we feel most inclined to give up, let us rouse ourselves to live.  Of all things, let us avoid the false refuge of a weary collapse, a hopeless yielding to things as they are.  The dissatisfied ache we experience is caused by the life of God in us is crying out for more life (more beauty, freedom, restoration, love, and healing).  We are victorious when, in the midst of our pain and weakness, we cry out  -- not for death or numbness  – but for the strength to fight; for more power, more understanding, more of God in us!" ~George MacDonald (paraphrased)

The line "we believe ourselves to be tired of life, but it is death, not life, that wearies us" is fantastic.  It sucks to see people you love suffering, to watch them struggling and feeling helpless, to be unable to fix it yourself.  "What we need is more life, more of God's powerful presence in us that makes us more alive and whole."  Also true. ❤

The hope of full restoration in heaven is the only hope strong enough to anchor our souls.  Mom and I have been talking about that and about trusting that God sees the bigger picture and has a purpose in the things we do not understand.  All authority on heaven and earth belongs to Jesus.  His thoughts are higher than ours, and He knows what He is doing.

^^This is one of my favorite verses.  Mom and I spent several frustrating hours putting that canvas together a couple years back.  The full verse reads:  "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." ~Isaiah 46:4

A comforting promise.

 The Avalon song "Knocking on Heaven's Door" came up on my playlist today.  They repeat these words over and over at the end: "Whisper what you're feeling.  Shout it at the ceiling! Nothing's gonna fall on deaf ears. Ask Him for His mercy. Pray away your worries!  What do you want heaven to hear?"  I have been reminded several times to turn to God in prayer when I feel anxious or overwhelmed.  Sometimes we feel pretty confident and in control of things, but it only takes one crisis to remind us that we are not in control.  The good news is that God sees what is happening with Grandad (or with you or whoever you love that is hurting).  He knows and He cares about how it is affecting every person involved.  God is loving and faithful and worthy of our trust.  We don't know what the future holds, and that can be daunting and scary.  But we can draw near to God and find peace in His presence! ❤

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord!"  ~Psalm 31:24

Phoning It In, Part 10

Today's Photo Friday post = me catching up on random iPhone pics and screenshots I've taken. =)

This = pic I texted Chet saying it was a sign that he should have a cookie! lol

(He's off sweets and had talked about wanting one lately.) #badinfluence #iapplaudhim

Someone posted this on Facebook, and I liked it - I've done it a few times when I feel overwhelmed about random stuff.  If you're like me, you can dive into your own little internal world and feel stressed out thinking about the past or the future, and this helps bring you back to the very present reality - "be here now!" I've been in a really secure, happy place for a while, but I have to work a little harder than some people to stay there. I'm learning what works and doesn't work for me, and I'm so deeply thankful for the places where I can see growth and marked improvement in my thinking... I am FAR less self-critical and less likely to suppress and stifle my negative emotions nowadays, and that is lovely progress!! ❤

Here's the Mini Miss K picking the marshmallows out of her Froot Loops. =)

This is that same day (last Wednesday).  They both have Dr. Pepper in their mugs and are "drinking" it with a spoon.  Don't know why, but it made me laugh and I had to snap a picture!

Casey, Me, Tiffany, and Jenny (1995) ...We worked surprisingly hard to make this happen! lol

Jenny loved Shelly, and we were all Point of Grace fans when the group became popular in the '90s.  We did this CD cover pic and then made multiple music videos which I'm okay with never seeing again. lol

I got Pei Wei to go last week - here's hoping these prove true!

(I'm a fan of fortune cookies.  And all cookies, for that matter - I don't discriminate!)

I created an image on the Youversion app with this verse - so good!

I'm not holding my breath, but here's hoping the legislature gets it together on this one!!

#13yearslater

Here's a happy Michael Scott meme. lol  (Elizabeth tagged me in a post about Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure, so this was my reply.)

Then I found these 2009 pics of me wearing the T-shirt (setting up for At the Movies with Haley, then Halloween at Lifegroup when I went as Pam).

 Crazy powerful winds here in Oklahoma lately!  It took down this playhouse, along with their trampoline.

And it knocked over two semis in Texas... scary!

And finally, here's my new favorite commercial. lol

I was watching Brooklyn 99 on Hulu, scrolling through Facebook during the commercials... so I was vaguely hearing what they said, then finally looked up toward the end and was cracking up.  I Googled it and realized this guy is a twice-rejected Bachelor contestant, and it became that much funnier! lol  #causeadultsneedalotoficecream =)

Your Soul Could Never Grow Old...

...It's Evergreen!  (#edsheeranlyrics #thinkingoutloud #mynewchurch)

I took the Evergreen 101 class and signed the Membership Covenant yesterday, so I officially have a home church that feels like a good fit, which is super exciting and refreshing... hooray for God leading me here and making it clear!  And hooray for solid Biblical teaching and strong church leadership and awesome follow-up and a very friendly congregation!! ❤

And hooray for my pink Bible and my new "Choose Life" t-shirt, even though it's stained in the above pic!

* * * * * * *

In other news, it's been back and forth, but Grandad seems to be making improvements and doing better now.  They're saying it will be around 3 weeks of inpatient rehab, so he's still got a while before he can go home, but the visits from his great-grandkids have cheered him up and helped him to keep fighting.  I know he's really tired, and I know he's really trying, and I admire that perseverance!  Thanks for praying. ❤

That's all I've got for today.  Hope it's a good week ahead for you!

Thankful Thursday (92)

“I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.”
~Psalm 69:30

Today, I am thankful for...

1. My Grandad.  He had a stroke two days ago that has affected him physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I saw this old Christmas pic go by on my digital frame at work that morning and wanted to cry. I drove down yesterday, and it was hard to see him struggling to regain speech and movement that was totally normal for him at the beginning of this week.  (Prayers appreciated for the fam.)  Life can change so quickly, and I'm thankful for this reminder to love people well and make it count! *Also thankful for his friend, Buster, who was having breakfast with him and called 911 in time to save his life... Jace suggested we should "bake him a brownie as a reward!" lol

2. Getting to see my wonderful aunts, Nancy and Charlene, for lunch and shopping while they were in Tulsa for a women's conference! =)

3.  Fresh, happy flowers... and for daylight savings time coming this weekend!!  Yes, please! #moresunshine #springforward

4. On a lighter note, I'm thankful for dry shampoo and hair extensions that help me look better on work mornings when time is somewhat limited. lol #snoozebutton #cashmerehair

5. Getting to spend time with these three... hearing the Jaceman read a book (and the Miss K pretend to read one - both equally thrilling). lol  

6. Discovering Humble Donut Co. in OKC - YUM!!  And for a fun birthday celebration night with Elizabeth! :-)  Earl's BBQ + Orange Leaf fro-yo + awesomesauce donuts + 3 hours catching up on life = fantastic!

7.  Finally getting to see Chet's "new" office whilst stopping by for his "Lunch & Learn" event today! =)

*Also thankful for getting to see the Moss fam again on Tuesday night, and for seeing Zac Brown Band in concert at BOK with Sarah last Friday!!  ...This = one of the songs I had to download that night after hearing them perform it.  Great lyrics, and their harmony at the end is so on point!
(Song of the Week = Day That I Die by Zac Brown Band)

Kyndal Faith

Today's tribute goes to my one and only favorite niece, Kyndal! ❤

Kyndal Faith, you are awesome because...

• You are kind, you are smart, and you are important!!  #thehelp
• You Facetime call or MarcoPolo me when you're really excited about something (like your cute new shoes or your loose tooth or the daddy/daughter dance), and I love that!!
• You're confident and tough and opinionated, not afraid to shine and be heard!
• You are also sweet and gentle, and you give such great hugs and compliments!
• You are beautiful and strong inside and out, bringing light and joy wherever you go!
• You like to color and sing songs, and I love the color-book-page gifts and hearing you sing! =)
• You love all things glittery and girly, and at age 5, you already have good fashion sense and know what you like and don't like when it comes to style!

• You are a really smart girl, and you do such a great job on all your school work!
• You have a soft, sensitive heart - you hurt when other people are hurting, and you're happy when you see them happy!
• You are the perfect combo of girly girl who loves to dress up + competitive tomboy who loves sports and knows how to mix with the boys!
• You're the very cutest girl I know, so I had to cheat my normal tribute post pattern and make two photo collages for you! ;-)

• You are a natural beauty who is always camera-ready and willing to pose for pictures, and you have the sweetest smile, bright sparkling eyes, and beautiful blonde hair!
• When we first heard your mom was pregnant with you, we were so excited about adding a girl to the Parrish fam brothers, and you are just the sweet n' sassy preshface we needed! =)
• You have three awesome big brothers to look up to and learn from, and they can practice chivalry and protective strength with you as you all grow up! 

Mini Miss K, you are such a delight, and I am deeply thankful to be your aunt and get to watch you grow up!! Can't wait to see how God continues to use you! ❤

MM ~ Friday Night Dinners

In the summer of 2017, I had the idea to host "Friday Night Dinners" with my core group of friends!  This plan was inspired by Shasta Nelson, who writes about developing closer friendships, and by Shauna Niequist, who writes about the joys of hospitality and gathering around the table.  

So today's "Memory Monday" is the "Friday Night Dinners" from 2017:

1. Tiffany, Angie, Laura, Kyle, Sarah, & Me
I made stuff for people to fix their own nachos/taco salad, and we had strawberry shortcakes with ice cream for dessert.  Kyle prayed for us and helped with the dishes - surprise!  We all shared a highlight and low point from our week, then got deeper sharing something we're looking forward to here and something we’re looking forward to in heaven! This was also the first time the girls got a chance to talk to Sarah, and she shared a lot of her story and testimony.  Then we played Apples to Apples after dinner. 'Twas fun times and great conversation!  =)

2. Jon, Kristin, Jeff, Laura, Kyle, Sarah, Mindi, & Me 

I made pasta, meat sauce, alfredo sauce, French bread, and green beans, plus brownies for dessert. JEM led us in prayer, and cleanup was a group effort.  The pasta got a little cold because I started it too early, but oh well. We all shared one thing we love about our current job/role, and one thing we would change if we could.  No games this time, but fun conversation and reminiscing with Mindi that lasted till around midnight!

3. Mindi, Chet, Karli, Laura, Jon, Kristin, Tiffany, Sarah, Steve, Eric, & Me

I brought pizza, cookiecake, and drinks; Sarah brought salad. We all shared some of the best advice we’ve received or a favorite quote or verse we try to live by. This was a goodbye party for Mindy... and we met at Steve and Sarah’s apartment pool (me, Tiffany, Sarah, Steve, and Eric swam while everyone else stuck their feet in the water). We went around the circle again and everyone shared how we met Mindi and one nice quality about her, then Chet Lee led us in praying over her as she prepared to move to California!  All fantastic!

4. Kyle, Sarah, Laura, Tiffany, Angie, & Me

I made crockpot parmesan chicken, asparagus, mac n’ cheese, and cheddar biscuits, plus strawberries & dip for dessert!  (Dinner turned out great and I timed things better  – yay! - but I failed to get a group pic - sad!)  I led us in prayer, then we each shared about one person who’s had a positive influence on our life and what we most admire about them!  It was a good talk with the original group (all the singles), catching up on life and everyone sharing their answers. We played Scattergories after dinner, and that was fun! Then Tiffany stayed a while to chat after the others left. =)

5. Jon, Kristin, Tiffany, & Me

I made lasagna, salad, and garlic bread, plus Oreo pie for dessert!  It was a smaller group, which ended up being perfect.  We discussed our shared love of Oreos for a while, then we all shared two of our favorite vacation memories, then Jon asked if we could put on our floaties and go deeper - lol - so Tiffany shared a lot more of her story with the Fosters.  It was fantastic conversation ranging from fun to deep topics! =)

6. Sarah, Tiffany, Laura, & Me
This turned into a girls night, so Sarah brought wine and ice cream, and we grabbed some pizza at Tulsa Hills!  We each shared three things we wanted to celebrate about our lives over the past year! We had a great talk about our 3 things + encouraging Sarah as Steve is gone to help with the hurricanes + celebrating Tiffany being hired at the courthouse that morning + watching the awesomeness that is Wonder Woman! #girlsnight #movienight

7. Laura, Jeff, Kelly, Tiffany, Angie, Kyle, & Me

I ordered Dominos and got salad, then made Riced Krispies treats for dessert!  I led us in prayer, then we talked about what we were like in high school, and if we could give our high school self one piece of advice, what would it be? This one was fun - we had a really good talk about our high school days – complete with JEM asking lots of entertaining questions and everyone telling their school, mascot, graduating class numbers, extracurricular activities, and how we’ve changed most since then. Laura and Tiffany stayed late and we watched New Girl and looked at pictures of our high school crushes. lol  Sadly, no group pic again. =( #epicfail

8. Jon, Kristin, Chet, Karli, Tiffany, Laura, & Me

Not so much a Friday night dinner, but a Saturday morning brunch at First Watch because it worked best with our schedules that weekend!  Chettles led us in prayer, then we all shared something God had been teaching us lately.  Fun times, good food, and good talk. Tiffany and I went shopping at Woodland Hills afterward. =)

9. Chet, Karli, Tiffany, Audrey, & Me

I grabbed a Chick-Fil-A nugget tray and some Texas Roadhouse rolls - lol, and I made Mom's broccoli-cheese casserole and a chocolate sheetcake for dessert!  Chet led prayer again, then we shared about how our goals and desires have shifted over the course of our adult lives. I shared some personal stuff and felt more vulnerable/nervous than I expected (maybe because we had someone new then), but it was a solid group and people had good things to share about what has changed and how God has worked and shifted our desires! =)

10. Tiffany, Angie, & Me

This doesn't technically count, but it did happen on a Friday because no one else could make it for dinner.  We went to the Tulsa State Fair and enjoyed the cheese curds, chocolate fried pie, cotton candy, corn dogs, etc. =) We listened to fun music, caught up on each other's lives, and came back to my house to watch TV for a while!

11. Kyle, Sarah, Chet, Karli, Angie, Laura, Tiffany, & Me

This was the night I worked hardest. lol  I made regular chili and white chicken chili, "Aunt Carol’s crunchy salad," cornbread muffins, and s’mores brownies for dessert!  Tall Kyle led the prayer, then we all shared a time when God brought good out of something bad - redemption out of something difficult or painful. (Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20) It was a really good night – fun conversation through dinner, then that question led us into a deeper talk about the timing of how God connected our lives and brought us together. ❤

12. Jon, Kristin, Chet, Karli, Laura, Tiffany, Kyle, & Me

The Wilsons hosted the next three at the Farmhouse... we had grilled hot dogs, salad, and brownies - yum!  Chet led us in prayer, then we focused on one person at a time and shared encouraging things with/about them… it was really great - one of my favorite things! We chatted for a while, then played a few rounds of Nertz after dinner!! =)

13. Tiffany, Chet, Karli, & Me

I brought boxes with tacos, burritos, chips & dip from Bueno, and we ate some of the chocolate bars Chet bought for dessert! lol  (We were expecting more people, so we had WAY too much food.)  We never got into a specific question that night, but we had fun laughing and talking, and we watched Date Night after dinner!

14. Chet, Karli, Don, Kantrell, Sarah, Steve, Kyle, Jeff, Tiffany, Laura, & Me

One of our biggest groups that felt more like a Friendsgiving - (we naturally divided into smaller groups for conversation, and I didn't wanna force it, so we never got into any group sharing topic). I brought Bueno again, and we had potato salad from the Bradleys because Chet forgot to tell them it wasn’t a potluck. lol  We watched parts of Pitch Perfect 2, and the sing-along moments with Chet and Kantrell were definitely entertaining!  Sarah, Kantrell, and Chet also serenaded us with Mariah’s Jesus - Oh, What a Wonderful Child! Lol

15. Chet, Karli, Jeff, Kelly, Kyle, Sarah, Evan, Jessica, Kevin, John, Me, & several more...
This also doesn't technically count, but it was a weekend dinner with lots of people I'd been inviting to my dinners that year, so I threw it in... JEM's Pre-Marathon surprise carb-loading dinner party at the Moss Manor before his big race!!  Yummy pasta, salad, and garlic bread from Kelly, and fun times with good friends! =)

16.  Kyle, Sarah, Tiffany, & Me

This was between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it was getting more and more impossible to get people's schedules to work together.  For our last dinner, we met at Andolini’s at the Jenks Riverwalk.  Kyle led the prayer and paid for all of our dinners because he's awesome... he was the only guy there for the first and last one, and he wrote me a really kind thank you note after the first dinner, so three cheers for Tall Kyle!! lol  Anyway, this last night, we all discussed our favorite Christmas holiday memories, which was more interesting than I'd even expected because Sarah’s childhood Christmas memories were during summertime (she grew up in New Zealand). =)  It was another fun night with good friends!

Looking back, I can see that this plan was not the failure I often believed it to be - I put unfair pressure on myself sometimes when I would cook, then I felt too disappointed and frustrated when people backed out or never showed, but none of that really matters now.  I am thankful for all these memories - for the groups both small and large, for friends who pray together and help with cleaning up, for getting to practice my cooking and hosting skills, and for all the wonderful talks we had... laughing and sharing and celebrating and encouraging each other, and remembering God's faithfulness to us!!!  ❤❤❤

#fridaynightdinners #maystartagain

Photo Friday + Quotables! =)

Discussing Jeff's North-Korean-Prison-tattoo question:
"I think everyone here has heard that question by now!" ~Chet
"You haven't ever asked that one with the family. You should ask that next Thanksgiving!" ~Kelly
"I don’t know if I’d wanna know what my mom would want." ~JEM lol

Jeff and Ellie in their Jurassic Park shirts!  Cuteness!!

"Well, you know what they say? Your first instinct is always correct!" ~JEM as we played Code Names
"...do they say that, or is that a Jeff quote?" ~Me

"Did we get everyone in the picture!?" ~Karli

"Oh, we got it, and I look enormous!!"  ~Chet
"Well, why’d you lay back like that?" ~Karli, looking at said photo
"I was trying to sit back at a slimming angle!!" ~Chettles lol
"Are you still big?" ~JEM, after we resituated and tried the pic again 

"Does anyone else feel like they’re a dragon breathing out garlic!?" ~Mom after eating at Olive Garden - she's NOT a garlic fan and not a fan of that restaurant for that very reason lol

"I was a grumpfish that day!" ~Jace reminiscing about a rough day and making me laugh!

"It has sensors that can read your heartrate and show you data like on an ECG." ~Triston, encouraging me to buy an Apple Watch
"We gotta go, T!!" ~Rach, already halfway to their car
"IT'S THE FIRST SMART-WATCH THAT CAN DO THAAAT!!!" ~T, yelling across the parking lot as he was running away lol

Text conversation:
"So did you cave and have something sweet or stay strong!?" ~Me
"Stayed strong boo" ~Chet Lee lol

~Chet's gif response to my pics of all the ridiculous guys on Match lol

"Lindsey Claire Muecke, is this Sarah Heiskell Fulton?" ~Chet tagging us in the above photo on FB lolol

Rach and I texting New Girl quotes:
"Somebody has to stay sober to fight you later!!" ~Nick Miller (Landlord episode)

"Classic human/bear team-up!!"  ~Schmidt mocking Nick

"My scapula!!"  ~Schmidt falling into his own "trap"

"Mighty big hole there, Nick! Whatrya tryin to catch? A refrigerator!?" ~Schmidt

"Dude why are you smiling!?  I'm baring my soul to you and you're freakin' smiling in my face!" ~Coach
"No, this is the face I make when I listen!!" ~Schmidty (all in the season 3 Thanksgiving episode... so funny!!)

Mmkay that's all for now!  Happy Friday, and make it a great weekend!! ~LCM