{30 Before 30} :: Read an Entire Book in One Day

I knew this would be a long shot, partly because of time, and partly because I'm a slow reader. But I was able to do it thanks to jury duty :)

I got called for federal jury service, so I had to go to the courthouse in Plano. While there was still a lot of sitting and waiting {hence the reason I was able to finish an entire book in one day}, it actually was a really interesting process. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I am glad I didn't get picked to sit on the jury! I was thanked for my service to the eastern district court, and I don't have to serve again {in federal court} for another 2 years!

Because I had most of a day to devote to one book, I was able to finish You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis and Lisa Chan.

Amazon

It was a good book, though it kind of felt like a mirror of Crazy Love, just with some marriage references thrown in. I believe marriages were designed to be a reflection of the gospel, so everything they said was spot on. But I probably would only recommend this book to someone who has been married several years as a good reminder of what marriage should be built on, not necessarily for an engaged couple looking for pre-marital resources. It was a solid book, just not what I expected.

I do however, LOVE, that 100% of the proceeds from this book go to providing food, shelter, and rehabilitation for suffering people around the world. That in itself is worth purchasing a copy :)

{30 Before 30} :: Make and Send More Cards to People

I have always enjoyed making cards for people, but haven't really committed the time to do it recently. So I decided I was going to be more intentional, both in making cards {instead of buying them} and in sending cards "just because." We were gifted with an over-abundance of forever stamps, so it made sending cards that much easier! :)

I have pinned tons of ideas on Pinterest, and I have tons of ideas rolling around in my brain, so it was finally time to put those ideas to good use. I really enjoyed creating and sending cards to people, but it was time-consuming. So I don't know how often I will be making handmade cards in the future...but I did make and send more this year than I have in the past! :)

Here are a few of the cards I made this year:

High Five for Friday!

{one} Ahh...crazy Texas weather. It has been 90 degrees all week, but tonight it will get down to 48 degrees. And will most likely be 80 tomorrow. Nothing like a 40 degree drop {and then rise} in temperature in a 24-hour period! ;)

{two} So everyone is talking about Ebola. I get it. It's a scary thing. I am sad for the families in West Africa that have been affected by the epidemic. I pray that those suffering would find comfort and rest, and that those helping take care of the sick are protected. But can I just say that people in the US of A need to get a handle on their panic/emotions?? I understand that they need to quarantine this thing so that it doesn't spread, and there need to be steps taken to ensure public safety. But the media chaos is just causing so much misinformation and unnecessary panic. Plastering the face of the Dallas patient all over the news has made him and his poor family pariahs. We live in a country that has an abundance of resources and sanitation, so we should be focusing on helping those who don't have access to those things. Instead, people are panicking, cancelling their luxury vacations and stocking up on even more of the abundant items we already have. Ugh. I'm all about taking precautions, but the gravity of Ebola here is laughable compared to those actually suffering. Be smart: if you're sick, stay home. Wash your hands and don't touch the body fluids of someone who is sick. That simple. //End rant.  :)

{three} Ya'll. I am just a tad excited that Gilmore Girls is now available on Netflix! I watched this show in high school/college and loved the craziness of Lorelai and Rory, and was sad when the show ended. It could be dangerous that it's on Netflix...

{four} Last Saturday we had our last Redeemer Church service. On Wednesday, we had our last Redeemer missional community group. We are having a family dinner/meeting tomorrow, then will meet in homes for 3 more weeks to walk through what it looks like to find another church home. We ask for your continued prayers in this transition. We are saying goodbye to this chapter of our lives, and it's definitely hard and sad; we are emotionally, spiritually, and physically spent. But we are hopeful for what the Lord has planned for us next.

{five} I realized the other day that I still have quite a few things left to check off on my {30 Before 30} list! I have officially crossed off 7 items, and currently have 8 things in progress and 4 things actually planned on the calendar. Not too terrible, but I better get a move on some of these...I only have about 4 months left!

Happy Friday! :) 

{iPhone Rewind} :: September

We headed out to the ball field to play a little baseball with some friends. Their boys are in baseball and wanted to get some practice in. I got to hang out with their youngest boy {who is too young for baseball} and play tee ball and chase butterflies :)

I'm a nerd and I cannot help it...our new fancy copier arrived at work!! It's the cadillac of copiers, and it makes my job SO much easier :)

I was surprised with this sweet gift from Lindsay! She was going to give me her old machine, but it turned out to be more expensive to fix/service that one than to get a brand new one. So when she showed up with this, I was SO excited :)

Our niece Sarah turned 11, and she had a pajama breakfast birthday party {best idea ever!} We enjoyed a morning with family, filled with waffles and pajamas. Such a fun day!

My husband found the most amazing thing ever: dark chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. He jokes that I need to take a couple every day to make me feel better. I'm ok with that recommended dose!

I finally got a hair cut. Apparently I have this bad habit of waiting 4+ months between haircuts. Anyway, it was finally time, as my hair had become SO long and SO heavy. I didn't do anything drastic, but I feel like it's healthier and more manageable.

We headed over to the McCulloughs for an afternoon cooking class. Mike's favorite meal is his dad's crawfish etouffe, and he has been wanting to learn how to make it. And his dad was finally offering the recipe :)

Who takes medicine like a toddler? I do! With my pill-induced esophagitis incident, I was thankful for the liquid medication to coat and heal my irritated esophagus.

I love Fall decor :)

High Five for Friday!

Ya'll. I'm so glad it's Friday.

 

{one} It is now officially Fall! It's still fairly warm here, but the days have been absolutely beautiful: lots of sunshine and a light breeze. I wish that I could hit pause on this weather :) I am sad that the summer is over, but I guess it's time to embrace the cooler weather ahead. It's still too warm for boots and sweaters, but I do plan to pull out my Fall decorations this weekend.

 

{two} We love living in McKinney, and it's really fun that our city was recently named the best place to live in America! We have been moving up the ranks over the past few years and finally made it to the top. Of course, we're biased about the nomination, but it really is a great place to live!

 

 

{three} Have you seen the Look at the Book labs by John Piper? They're awesome!! He basically walks you through how to study the Bible for yourself- complete with pen underlining, circling, and scribbling notes. I love it because it goes hand in hand with the method that Jen Wilkin outlines in her book Women of the Word, and the way I have started doing my own personal study. You should check out Piper's labs and read Jen's book! :)

 

{four} My esophagus is finally starting to feel better. The liquid medication my GI prescribed is doing it's job to coat and heal, and I am so thankful. I am still on a non-solid diet, as I can still feel the lingering effects of irritation, but it no longer hurts to swallow. Progress :) Other than being really hungry {turns out that smoothies and yogurt don't go very far}, I think I'm doing much better. Lessons learned.

 

{five} We are so thankful for all of the love and support after our announcement about Redeemer Church. It's definitely a difficult time, but God is taking care of us. We have had such an outpouring of love and encouragement, and we will try to connect with everyone we can, but please give us grace if we do not respond to you right away. At this time, we are trying to finish well by pouring all of our energy into loving our church family well through this transition.