I share a lot of purposeful blog posts, but every once in a while I enjoy kicking back and just sharing regular life with you. This is one of those days. I hope that’s okay with you. It has been a mile-marker of a week for me. I finished a MAJOR project (WOOT), stayed up way past my bedtime attending a Mumford & Sons Concert (outside, in Arizona, in June – yes, yes it was 99 degrees at 9pm), and then hit our one-month countdown for the arrival of baby girl. HOLY MOLY. You get the picture. I’m taking a cue from Maria Von Trapp this morning.
Without further delay, here are my favorite things from the past week/month…
1. A backyard concert of Awake My Soul
This has always been my favorite Mumford Song, and after the concert last night… its’ my favorite, favorite, favorite. I loved hearing 20,000 voices sing out
“In these bodies we will live,
in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love,
you invest your life…”
The dogs singing along, the rich harmonies… I thoroughly enjoy this little video.
Check out the subtitle of this book: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions.
I feel like there has been something good to glean out of every chapter of this book. It’s only taken me a year to get around to reading it, but I feel as if it’s entered my life at just the right time.
“I can’t control the things that happen to me each day, but I can control how I think about them. I can say to myself, ‘I have a choice to have destructive or constructive thoughts right now. I can wallow in what’s wrong and make things worse, or I can ask god for a better perspective to help me see good even when I don’t feel good.'” – Lysa TerKeurst, Unglued
3. A blog post by Emily P. Freeman
I enjoy just about everything Emily posts on Chatting at the Sky, but this entry keeps coming to my mind.
“Why You Need to Tell Someone How Scared You Are.”
Intriguing, right? I don’t want to give the whole post away, but suffice it to say, it’s definitely worth you taking the time to click on the link and read the entire entry! Here’s a little taste: Sometimes it’s good to let them see you sweat even when it feels awkward. Fear seems to grow in the darkness of isolation. But when you expose it in the light of community, it tends to lose power. Sharing my fear is often the path that leads to courage.
3. Mentoring Girls 101 from the LivingProof Blog
If you are involved in mentoring teens, tweens, or even college students – this post has some great basic reminders for those relationships. Sometimes the idea of mentoring or discipleship can feel overwhelming, but Lindsee shares some practical steps to get you started. These aren’t the ONLY ways to mentor, disciple, or build a relationship – just some suggestions!
4. The Dollar Section at Target
If you haven’t been to Target in the last week, let me be the first to tell you that there are some great $1 finds. I picked up a new coupon book, some stationary, a cosmetic bag, and a bunch of odds and ends to have on hand for gift baskets.
Thanks to Target, my friends can no longer make fun of me for carrying my lip gloss and lotions in a ziplock bag. Thanks to the brand new photo app #ABeautifulMess for making my kitchen floor look WAY more exciting. (And also, fyi, it’s a great app.)
5. A post from The Storyline Blog
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to read this entry based on the title: “A Question to Ask When Faced with Conflict.”
I figured the answer was simply: fight or flight… cover an offense with love or confront in love.
But then I read the incredible story of Leon Fleisher. And now you should be clicking over to read about this world-famous pianist and a question from the Benedictine Monks: “God, what do you have for me here?”
6. A small medium large Strawberry Slush from Sonic.
I know there are about 1,000 more exciting choices for your next Sonic run, but there is something so cooling and comforting about this drink. Perhaps my preference is related to the high of 106 and being 8 months pregnant, but who cares. It’s good. And now I feel the impulse to drive to Sonic. 😉
Stay cool, my friends! Happy Friday.
Following,
Ginger
