Diesel's 1st Birthday!!

Yesterday was a birthday-filled day for me...  I drove down to OKC to help decorate and attend Diesel's 1st birthday party, then came back to Tulsa to celebrate Chet Lee's 27th b-day!  (My fam has been sick with a stomach virus that's made it through everyone but Dad and Josh, so I opted not to go home and see them this time. #catchyalater)

Anyway, here are several fun pics I took at Diesel's Party!! =)  It was a fun day getting to celebrate him, and he really went for it on the smash cake! lol

And finally, a flashback pic to one year ago! =)

"It's that time of year again..." ;-)

Happy Birthday-eve to my dear friend, Chet Lee!!  It makes me really happy that tomorrow will be the 7th birthday I've celebrated with him - perfect number - get excited! =)

21 -- I knew about this party several months in advance, and even Rach came for this one! lol  We had dinner at PF Changs, went to Carl's apartment for Wanda's cake and line dancing practice, then went to the Caravan for the very first time... the beginning of a LG tradition! =)

22 -- Red Rock dinner then cookiecake and the shake-weight gift at my place! lol

23 -- A huge group progressive dinner party that ended with dessert at my house!  I mostly remember his event invite saying "It's that time of year again!" lol  And Sarah's scooter thing and Kyle helping her to my car, and us taking this awesome group pic at the end of the night, with School of Rock playing in the background! lol

24 -- I definitely applaud Karli for pulling off a surprise party for Chettles, which can't be an easy task!  We met in an upstairs room at Fellowship Bible Church, and he was definitely surprised when he walked in!  Then we went to Steve's house for dinner, cake, and a memorable murder mystery game (Nater-tot being the murderer)! lol

25 -- Dinner and a fun game of left-right-center (which came down to me and Chet, and he won) at Jeff's house!  I remember Chet making a speech that ended with "So you guys can keep these as little keepsakes to remind you to make a difference in my 25th year of life!" lol

26 -- A fun road trip to Sam n' Ella's for dinner, followed by Ludger's cake and a night swim at Gary's house!  (Full post here.)

27 will be tomorrow, of course... The plan is dinner and a movie in Gar-Bear's theater room, the "spooky ice cream bar 2.0," then a "judgment-free swim under the cover of darkness." LOL  The way he phrased that on the event invite definitely cracked me up! :)

Finally, here's a fun through-the-years memories slideshow... to a great OneRepublic song, which seems appropriate since we've been to four of their concerts together! lol

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"It is a pleasure to a real lover of nature to give winter all the glory he can,

for summer will make its own way and speak its own praises."

~Dorothy Wodsworth

(I love this one, mostly as a quiet personality metaphor... but I also love the season of winter and think it's often under-appreciated!)

"What can this incessant craving and this impotence of attainment mean, unless there was once a happiness belonging to man, of which only the faintest traces remain, in that void which he attempts to fill with everything within his grasp?"

~Blaise Pascal

"Our heart will carry us either to God or to addiction... Whatever the object of our addiction is, it attaches itself to our intense desire for eternal and intimate communion with God and each other in the midst of Paradise - the desire that Jesus himself placed in us before the beginning of the world.  Nothing less than this kind of unfallen communion will ever satisfy our desire or allow it to drink freely without imprisoning us."

~John Eldredge

"People can be broken, sure, but any surgeon knows what's broken can be mended, what's hurt can be healed, and no matter how dark it gets, the sun's gonna rise again."

~Meredith Grey

*I know this show is overdramatic and Meredith is not really anyone's favorite character, but I like what they've done with her lately... I've had some very Cristina-like friends in the past, but I never liked the idea of me being "the Meredith."  However, she's gone from being "all dark and twisty" and the whiny girl who nearly drowned because she stopped trying to swim... to becoming resilient and strong and compassionate in the wake of several crises that included losing the person closest to her.  They may, of course, totally ruin that next season, but I'm choosing to identify with that version of her (and hopefully stop watching the show now) -- no best friend or husband around, no one "person" but several people that love her, and she's determined to fight and survive and make the most of the rest of her life! ❤

Birthday Fun!

We celebrated Sarah's 27th birthday this weekend... fun times!  

I copied Rach's style on my envelope decoration... :)

Sarah and I went to LifeChurch at 5:00 for At the Movies (The Good Lie), then we met the rest of the gang for a tasty Italian dinner at Mondo's on Brookside!

Only JEM had been there before, but everyone liked it!  A good atmosphere and great food (I recommend the chicken parm), in spite of us all being a bit crowded in our round booth! lol

We had Merritt's cupcakes for dessert (only 6 because Tall Kyle is not eating sweets)!

After dinner, Sarah tried calling The Escape several times with no luck... and we checked movie times but couldn't all find seats together... so we walked around Brookside and talked outside for a bit!

We also hit Ida Red, which was full of tons of fun, random, state-themed things.  Here's Sarah repping the homeschool crowd with her magnet! lol  (JEM made a comment about homeschool kids and she was quick to say she was one of them... but we decided it doesn't exactly count since she hasn't been homeschooled since elementary.)

Me and Sarah and the Wilsons and our owl mugs - totes adorbs! lol

After all that, Sarah and I went to a 10:10 showing of Minions, then talked in my car till 1am.  I slept in on Sunday, then she came over... we got dinner to-go at Tulsa Hills and came back and watched one of her old movies, a suspense film that was actually pretty funny at points named Laura.  Sarah blended oreos, milk, and ice cream to make us cookies-and-cream shakes - #yummers - we both seem to agree that nothing can be too rich or too sweet! :)  And it gave me a reason to use my Andy mug!! lol

Aww, memories... the night we met at my New Years Eve Party on 12-31-2008.  Me, Sarah, and Chettles were a Scavenger Hunt group, and I was not uber-thrilled to be on a team with two random new people who were already best friends... but God was probably laughing at me, seeing as they're two of my closest friends today and two of only four people from that party that are still a major part of my life! lol  

The top pic = us fake bowling for the Scavenger Hunt. lol

Middle pic = me and Sarah at the Eugene Field cookout in 2009.

Bottom pic = our cooking night hangout in 2010... precious, right?  =)

All that to say, I'm very thankful for Sarah!!  She's expressive and entertaining and funny, and also a deep, loyal, and genuine friend.  We've been hanging out more and more lately... we've had a lot of laughs and a lot of serious talks at this point, and it's been fun learning all that we have in common!  :)  

Since we forgot to sing when we had our cupcakes, I'll end this post with:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR SARAH!!

Happy Birthday to you! ;-)

*CORRECTION:  I actually met Sarah on 12-17-2008 at the LG Christmas Party, but the NYE thing was the first time we really talked much!  Just wanted to clear that up. lol

Humanize Everyone.

The rainbow flag... The Bible. Intolerance. Equality.
The stars-and-bars flag... Racism. Slavery. Heritage. Southern pride.
Abortion... Women's rights. Choice. Murder.
Christianity... Love. Grace. Truth. Hypocrisy. Bigotry. Ignorance.

Facebook is full of heated debates lately - much of it is over the four topics above, with harsh words flying back and forth provoking people to anger on both sides. The division and the lack of compassion makes me sad, particularly among Christians...

We should live our lives believing deeply that every person matters to God.  Every human being was created by God on purpose in His image, and every person has a unique back-story that has made them who they are and shaped and influenced how they view the world today!

We are all born sinful, so it's natural for people to find like-minded friends and categorize those who see the world differently into groups. Then it becomes easy to "dehumanize" those groups and fight for your own viewpoint, speaking what may or may not be truth without a trace of Godly love.

Republicans. Democrats. Liberals. Conservatives. Criminals. Atheists. Christians. Homosexuals... All real people with real lives and stories and hearts that matter.  It's not a hard concept to grasp, but it can be difficult to live out.  I think about it a lot in the courtroom - how easy it is to lump all criminals into one category and ignore their individuality and humanity.  
How easy and how wrong.

EVERY person wants to be heard and to be valued.  In the face of those who disagree with or belittle them, many people become louder and more prideful and aggressive in their stance, while others get quieter and shut down over the confrontation.  (I'm usually in that second category - I've become somewhat politically apathetic because I cannot stomach the brutal personal attacks and vitriolic nature of most political conversations.)  But neither one is the Biblically correct response -- we need to care enough to speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15). 

Both words are equally important there.

As a follower of Christ, you cannot love someone without valuing their story.  Without caring enough to stop and pray for them, think about where they're coming from, and speak gently.  Don't discount entire people groups or make assumptions about who they are based on very limited information. And don't deliberately hurt or offend others, even when they have deliberately offended you.

I'm not perfect at this, and I know that.  I can be very black and white in my own beliefs, but I'm thankful that I've come a long way in my level of sensitivity and grace for others.  There is a lot of truth to the phrase, "When you know better, you do better."  (And we need to remember that for everyone -- that people can change and improve, and that each of us should constantly seek God's guidance and grow in wisdom.)  I look back at my old journals where I would use "gay" or "retarded" as if they were harmless adjectives, and everything in me cringes now.  It was how the kids in my circle talked at the time.  Hearing my aunt (a Special Ed teacher) correct someone for saying that was the first time it truly occurred to me why it was wrong and how it might hurt people.  I know it was done out of ignorance and that my heart was never to offend anyone, but I certainly could have, and I am far more careful about that today...

As I should be!  We do not need to people-please, but we absolutely do need to be considerate and treat others with kindness, as we would want to be treated. Knowing that even one person might feel belittled or dehumanized by something that we're passionately supporting should be enough to make us stop and question our motives and the importance of our public stance...  

My thought is, if you're standing firm for God's Word with a heart of love for people, then STAND STRONG.  If you are standing for anything less important that is more about your own pride, then pray about letting it go!

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves... Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another... Do not be conceited. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." ~Romans 12:9-17

I was also reading recently in Samuel, where Eli sees Hannah crying and her lips are moving in prayer, but he mistakenly condemns her for being drunk...

"But Hannah answered, 'No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.'"  ~I Samuel 1:15-16

It made me laugh a little because our assumptions can be so very wrong... time and time again, I've learned it to be true that knowing someone's story changes everything.

A great number of people are troubled and hurting over things that no one knows about, and we need to care enough to show them grace.  In close relationships and with complete strangers, I want to be better at this!  To humanize everyone ...to care about individual hearts and stories, even when I will never fully know them. To acknowledge that many of the criminal defendants in our courtroom had an extremely difficult past, and to pray that each of them will have the hope necessary to work toward improving their future.  To remember the history and humanizing details that stop me from demonizing a former friend. To factor in the other person's pain and insecurities when I feel frustrated by what seems insensitive.  To be willing to listen and give people the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to conclusions.  To be gentle, realizing that there are people on both sides of each political issue fighting for what they genuinely believe will make the world a better place.  To stay quiet and pray until I'm certain that I am speaking out of love...  To understand that all people are flawed and a complex mix of good and bad, that only God can always be trusted, and that Satan and his forces are always the real enemy!

"For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom... But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere."  ~James 3:15,17

Thankful Thursday!! (69)

Today, I'm thankful for:
1. The Flipagram app and iPhone videos!! ;)  It's free and simple and a great way to preserve memories... so that all makes me happy!

2. Rachael and Joshua, who are celebrating their 4th Anniversary today!!  

3. Getting to go to "Tea Time" at McAlister's with JEM, Chet, and Karli! :)  
*And randomly getting my tea and brownie for free - awesomesauce!!

4. Having a fun reunion at Charlotte's house with Ruth's lifegroup on Tuesday! :)

5. Judge taking a vacation this entire week (verrrry rare for him)... and that means I've been able to have a "stay-cation" with the girlfranz, which has been fantastic! :)

6. That it looks like Babah is going to make a full recovery... 
To make a long story short, Grandad was backing up so she could get in and accidentally hit her with his car yesterday... she had a mild concussion, a dislocated hip, four broken ribs, and it reopened her head wound so she got more staples! :( 
(We're obviously very thankful that it didn't end worse... but prayers appreciated for them both - I know sweet Grandad feels so terrible about it, and it will be a painful road to recovery for her!)

7. LifeChurch's At the Movies (normally my favorite sermon series) starting this weekend!!

Happy Thursday, and Happy Anniversary to my sister and brother-in-law!! =)

Picture Update & a 7-7 Celebration!

Here are a few pics from Emily's wedding on June 27th... J&K made an adorable ring bearer and flower girl, and Emily was a beautiful bride! :)

I just love and adore the soft, cuddly, shy-but-spunky cuteness that is K-Faith!! lol

Preparing to eat her roll with two forks at Texas Roadhouse. :)

Reading my book (The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer... powerful) in our jury room while the AC guy worked on the leak in my office!

Los Cabos dinner then "Rockets Over Rhema" fireworks with Sarah and Beka... Josh getting a Missy kiss on the 4th... the #awesome Josh's Sno Shack I just learned about a mile from my house... Judge Woolery looking mischievous after being silly stringed at Dianna's retirement party (the stories of his latest pranks were pretty funny)...them fixing the leak in my ceiling & my desk with everything cleared out of the way.

Dianna's Margaritaville-themed Retirement Party! lol  We'll definitely miss her in the Clerk's Office - she's always been joyful and friendly and helpful, and any time I ask her how she's doing, she says, "Oh, I'm just peachy!" :)

Also, this = the most festive our courtroom will probably ever look, although we did joke about leaving the "Congratulations" banner up for our felony Tuesday docket! ;)

Wreath Rach made for Kristin... my "Butterbeer Frappuccino" at Starbucks - yum... presh Bellsy Bells being happy about life... a new year-long devotional by Beth that I won in an LPM blog giveaway! #HOORAY #winning ;)

Sassafrass Kyndal Faith getting her hair done - PRECIOUS... She wasn't as amused by Nancy's patriotic flair as Rach and I. lol  Bottom pic = Kyndal, Rach, me, Jayme, Kristin, and Diesel! :)  I love that Nancy set up a photo-booth thing again... so fun!!

The Parrishes watching the MWC fireworks from Mom and Dad's driveway (...they started about 40 minutes later than planned, but it was still fun when they finally started up!)

Happy Tuesday, and Happy 7-7-15!