Friday Favorites: January 26, 2018

It's Friday! I'm linking up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love and Momfessionals today to share some favorites from the week (or maybe even a few weeks ago. It's been awhile!)

1. Last Chance U

I just finished Season 2 of Last Chance U on Netflix and cried like a baby. It's a documentary focused on the football team at East Mississippi Community College. Many of the athletes there are trying to get back to the Division I schools that have dismissed them for academic or disciplinary problems. I can't recommend it highly enough. Although, I will tell you in all caps: THE LANGUAGE IS BAD. REAL BAD. I find myself cheering like a maniac for these kids - both in football and in their lives. The best part is the real-live-Tammy-Taylor, Brittany Wagner , who is the Athletic Academic Adviser.  Girlfriend has her work cut out for her, but she loves the fire out of these boys. She forgives and gives grace when you know that she wants to throw a football right at their stubborn heads. It is a joy to watch. Recently I heard writer and podcaster, Sophie Hudson, describe a movie as "having the Gospel written all over it." That is absolutely true of this series. For real. It's so darn good.

Miss Wagner giving somebody a piece of her mind

Miss Wagner is not buying it from Ollie

Miss Wagner tracks down a player who is skipping class

Miss Wagner visits a player who went on to big things

Miss Wagner has to say good-bye to her athletes 

2. Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes

Photo from www.tastesoflizzyt.com

I've been doing the Whole30 program this month and I happened on this chili recipe that is compliant with the program. At first I thought it would be totally weird with the sweet potatoes, but I promise you it was so good. This recipe makes a ton of chili, so you might want to half it or freeze some.

2 lbs of hamburger
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce (29.5 oz.)
2 cups petite diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups beef stock
1 cup carrots, sliced
5 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup chili powder
dash of oregano
dash of red pepper flakes

Brown, hamburger, garlic and onion in large saucepan and drain off fat. Place cooked hamburger in slow cooker and add all other ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6.

3. God Help Me by Plumb

For me, January has been very . . . well . . . January-ish. Nothing terrible, nothing exciting, just kind of blah. January is supposed to be new and exciting. We're supposed to have vision and motivation. I've been intimidated by the goal setting and resolution-ing I see happening on social media because I feel a little stuck. Here's some real talk: You know those periods when you doubt yourself and wonder if your dream or goal is dumb and you've been wrong all along? Those days when you compare your insides to other's outsides by wondering how it is that everyone is killing it and yet for you, just managing what to make for dinner seems a monumental task? Days it also seems that like Paul says in Romans, "I don't understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do and what I hate, I do."? In these periods, sometimes faith feels far away and trust seems difficult. My brain knows that He is there, but I can't seem to find Him. I don't know what season you might be in. Maybe you're kicking butt or maybe you're wondering if and when God will move or even wondering if He hears you at all. Either way, this song I heard this week is a good start for seeking Him when you're having trouble finding the words. 

4. Trader Joe's Face Mask Trio

One of the greatest indicators that I am experiencing January-ish-ness is when I spend more time in pjs and workout clothes than out of them which is not necessarily a bad thing. It might be exactly what we need. When I do that there also tends to be lots of bubble baths, facial masks and Netflix. This is combination I find quite delightful as long as it doesn't extend into Februaryishness.  I bought this set of face masks at Trader Joe's during the holiday season as one of those back up gifts you want to have in emergency situations, but ended up gifting it to my own self. I'm not sure if you can still find it at TJ's, but if not, I also got this Dead Sea Essentials Mud Mask and it was pretty great, too.

5. A Portrait of My Life

Photo Credit: Loudoun Times-Mirror

In thinking about new years goals and learning to say "no" to some things in order to say "yes" to other things, I read something which encouraged writing down where you spend your time to include activities that drain you or take your joy away and then things you love - things that give you life and bring you joy. I love writing, of course, and I'm trying to figure out how to order my life so that I make it priority. But that wasn't the first thing I wrote down. At this point in my life, I'd rather watch my kids play their favorite sports more than just about anything else in the world. It doesn't matter if they are starting players or only hit the floor/field for a minute or two. There is very rarely a time I will miss watching a game. I imagine that some folks might find that pretty pathetic and think that I need to get a life. I imagine that some might think that when these boys are gone I won't know what to do with myself. 

Perhaps, they're right. But, I'll deal with that problem when I get to it. Watching them compete has been the rhythm of my life for so long now. And frankly, I'm not even close to over it. I am unapologetically in love with watching these kids play. And when some photographer catches a moment like this one? It's not only that this perfectly shows the size of the fight in this dog, it's the fact that this shot shows fuzzy ol' me up in the corner, hands clasped in earnest, bearing witness to my kid and his teammates playing their hearts out. This is, in essence, the portrait of my life for the past 10 to 15 years. I know I'm lucky to have the flexibility to be able to be there for these moments. And I do not regret a single road trip, a single time when my back felt like it was going to break from sitting in the bleachers and not even that time when I acted a fool and the ref at a basketball game told me to "Relax, ma'am!".

(Listen, I said I was sorry, okay, but it was a bad call. Really bad. And it was the second bad call in a row from that guy. I didn't know that the whole gym would suddenly fall quiet or that he was standing right next to me when I yelled out "THAT IS JUST TERRIBLE." Also, if you must know, his shorts were too short. Anyway, I learned my lesson. Still: #noregrets)

PS If you are in South Riding and you aren't showing up to watch the Freedom Varsity  basketball games - girls or boys - you are missing out. And this is not remotely a shameless plug about my kid. We've got some players who are magical to watch. We've got a kid who has busted every single basketball record at our school. I'm telling you. Those dudes put on a show. I know everyone has 7,000 things going on, but if you find a free night, check out the schedule here.

PPS This is the same face my kid makes when I serve broccoli.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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