5 Friday Favorites: July 30, 2021

 It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Greetings from Maine! At least I hope I've made it here this weekend at some point. I'm writing this beforehand as I sit in a hotel in Richmond on Jenn and Drew's Summer 2021 Mid-Atlantic/East Coast Baseball Tour. This weekend I am going to visit my son, Joe, who graduated from Penn State last year with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and is working as a Broadcaster for the Sanford Mainers baseball team this summer. I have never been to Maine and I'm thrilled to be here. (I mean, I assume I am - mainly because it has been so hot in Virginia that it's a miracle I haven't died.)

It appears that the highest temperature we will see in Maine is 75 degrees which sounds positively arctic. I hope that as you're reading this, I am wearing some sort of long-sleeved garment, eating a lobster, and devising my plan to get the Bush Family to invite me to hang out with them in Kennebunkport. Here are some of my favorite things from this week.

1. Spirit Wear for the Olympics

The Olympics gets me all up in my feelings about my country and hopes and dreams and hard work and all the things. Also, whenever that one commercial comes out about how the parents sacrificed so much for their children's dreams, I bawl my eyes out. I bought a 'Merica tshirt to wear on the 4th of July. The exact one I bought sold out, but  this tshirt  is similar and of course, it works at any time - especially when you're watching the Olympics. 

This Stick the Landing tshirt is PERFECT for the gymnastics events where I sit on the couch and imagine I have birthed every single member of the team. It comes in all the colors, but I really feel like we need to stick with red, white or blue. 

2. Smells Like a Citrus Grove Body Lotion

A long time ago, I mentioned this Smells Like a Citrus Grove All Purpose Cleaner that I got at Target. I love it. It smells so great  - like a citrus grove, if you will. Imagine my great joy to find that now there is a body lotion that smells like a citrus grove and it costs less than TWO DOLLARS! I'm disappointed that when I looked online hoping for a trifecta, I did not find Smells Like a Citrus Grove Body Wash. I felt like it was the inevitable next step in the Citrus Grove product roll-out. I found Smells Like Summertime Body Wash and Smells Like a Rain Shower Body Wash, but no Citrus Grove. This is a gross oversight, Target. Pull it together.

3. All the Long Sleeves for Maine

As I mentioned, I had a few near-death experiences while watching baseball in Richmond this week because of the heat and humidity. I literally tried to cross my ankle over my knee at one point and it slid off. So gross.  A couple of weeks ago I mentioned this color block zip-up hoodie that I ordered for Maine. It arrived, I love it, and can't wait to wear it in an environment in which it wouldn't suffocate me. 

I guess I have a color block obsession right now, because I ordered this long cardigan sweater and I hope it came in on time for me to take it with me. It looks too long for my height in the photo, but the reviews say otherwise. 

If it didn't come in time, I do have this Long Line Open Cardigan that I got from Old Navy years ago and it's still in stock. I love its lightweight material and the fact that it keeps it's shape. 

I also ran into JCrew in Richmond in between games this week and found they were having 50% off on Sale Styles. I grabbed this cute, comfy hoodie and I hope I wear it the entire weekend.

4. Never Have I Ever Season 2

I know I just included Season 1 of Never Have I Ever in my Friday Favorites like one minute ago. I started Never Have I Ever Season 2 and I love it just as much. These characters are hilarious and sweet. The writing is so clever. This show was made for me.

5. Watching this Kid Play Even if I think I Might Stroke Out

#5 this week is just an excuse to show you some pictures of Drew. And also, to say, "Have I mentioned the heat this week?" It's stupid. At one point I was standing behind home plate snapping these pictures like the sappy mother that I am thinking that I had surely never experienced such temperatures in my entire life. I went to look at my weather app fully expecting it to be some where around 127 degrees, but it was only 87. This caused me enormous shame because when I played tennis when I was younger in Texas I would've laughed at 87 degrees. I feel I owe an apology to my Texas brethren and sisterern. I have brought disgrace upon my people with my constant complaining. And I don't even have to wear polyester pants and catcher's gear.

 

Still no matter what, I continue to do my best to appreciate every second of normal life this summer. I know this is totally new news, but Goshdarnit, I love to watch this boy play baseball. ;-) I'd watch him play in any weather any time.

I don't think it will offend my other boys to say that he works harder than any of the three of them ever did at this sport. He loves the game as much as anyone I've ever known.

And it's pretty sweet to watch someone do his thing the way he does this thing. I'm so grateful for the time we've had this summer. I know that it is a blessing to be along for the ride especially when I'm well aware that the ride doesn't last forever. 

Also, I will be purchasing this rechargeable battery-operated fan for the rest of said ride which my fellow baseball mom and high school friend, Julie, recommended to me. She has a baseball player who will play for the Texas A&M Aggies next year. It will take an enormous amount of the Holy Spirit to convict this Longhorn heart to do so, but I will cheer for him and hope he kills it at A&M which makes me a very gracious person. If you know, you know. #hookem

Lastly, a special note of love and prayers to my friend, Sandy, and her family today. Her boy, Gavin, who inspired a generation of baseball players and their families in our area with his battle against brain cancer passed away eight years ago today. Gavin's story changed my life and the lives of many young men I know. He's one of the main reasons I will sit behind home plate in the stifling heat and smile and cheer and cherish every sweaty moment. You can read about him here . God bless you, Rupp Family. Your boy will never be forgotten.

PS Friends. 

If you have subscribed by email to this blog and get the posts to your email inbox every week, first of all, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. This means a lot to me and is super important for the day that I actually get my book written and need publishers to know how many people read here. (I know, I've said the book thing was going to happen for ten years give or take, but it's just that there's just so many sports to watch and so much darn laundry. And also, Netflix.) 

Secondly, I need to tell you that Blogger, which is the platform/service/site/whatever it's called that I write all this mess on, has sent me numerous notifications that they are taking away the email service portion of this situation in August of 2021. I have promptly ignored these messages with the best, "Fiddle Dee Dee, I'll worry about that tomorrow!" Scarlet O'Hara impersonation I can muster. And now it seems that August of 2021 is, like, tomorrow.  If you subscribe by email, I have access to those email addresses and will try to figure out how to get you the posts each week in a new way. I would like to tell you that I'll figure it out by next week and the transition will be seamless, but I know myself and that is highly unlikely. In the meantime, you can always find my posts on my Facebook page. Just go click the icon over there on the right hand side of the page and you can follow me there. If you don't want to do Facebook, I get it because goodness gracious it's a mess there some days, so if you want to receive the emails you can send me yours at jlpskinner@gmail.com. I'll figure this thing out eventually.

Thanks, y'all.  Have the best weekend!

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

5 Friday Favorites: July 23, 2021

 It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Happy Friday, Friends. I am back at home in Virginia after a week in Atlanta watching baseball, alternating between sweating my tail off and dodging rain drops, watching more baseball, soaking muddy baseball pants in the bathroom sink, watching more baseball, telling the front desk gal at the Courtyard Marriott that she was my very best friend when she found a wine bottle opener for me, watching more baseball, and spending a lot of time sitting in officially the worst traffic I have ever seen. Hey, Atlanta, y'all need to figure some stuff out. Goodness gracious. 

My favorite thing was watching this kid play, but here are some other favorite things from the week.

1. Marietta, Georgia

Timing of the games and the aforementioned traffic prevented me from seeing the Gone with the Wind Museum or the Coca-Cola Headquarters, but I did have some great times with Steve and Drew. We hit quite a few towns during our stay including Kennesaw, Cartersville, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Milton, and Powder Springs. Our favorite little town was Marietta which we found had some beautiful homes and great restaurants. 

We ate at Taqueria Tsunami which was recommended to us by some friends who had been there/done that on the travel baseball circuit in Georgia a few years ago. Taqueria Tsunami is a Latin-Asian Kitchen which sounded weird and amazing all at the same time. It was so good. I highly recommend it if you find yourself in Marietta or in one of their other locations.  

Marietta also had the most adorable town square which Drew thought was the perfect place for taking a selfie with your mom. 

2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I've seen this book recommended quite a bit this summer. Recently both my mom and sister read it and loved it, so I started it while I was away. It is by the author of Daisy Jones and the Six which I never read, but heard good things about, also. I'm barely into it, but I already know I'm going to fly through it. 

3. Summer Hair Situation

First, let's clarify that my summer hair situation is not my favorite. My hair this summer is a disaster. This could be because I've been traveling so much that I haven't been able to get to my hair stylist since February. It could be that it's 700 degrees with 1000% humidity every where I go and my hair just gives up in that type of weather. Also, peri-menopause apparently messes with your hair as much as the rest of your body. (So.Rude.) Luckily, I have found a few products that have been helpful this summer though.

I guess there are other dry shampoos on the market, but I don't think there is one better than Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. I've used the fire out of this stuff this summer. It's great for traveling when you're sharing a hotel bathroom with too many people and don't have time to shampoo and style your hair as often. It's great for a touch up when you come back in from a sweaty baseball game or the beach. It gives texture to newly washed hair and keeps 2nd, 3rd and even 4th day hair from looking grimy. I love this stuff. 

These knotted headbands are a game changer because I am finding that I do not want my hair touching my person at all lately. You can get nine different solid colors for less than $9.99. For a patterned headband this leopard print is my favorite. I also like these bandana prints for summer.

These spiral hair ties are the absolute best. They secure your ponytail without tearing your hair. I like the clear ones. When they stretch out you just put them in hot water and they shrink back to their original size.

Even though I know that hormones are likely the cause of my hair falling out more often now, I'm still trying to do all the things to keep my hair healthy. I've never used a heat protectant spray before, but I decided that I would add it to the hair vitamins, collagen powder, biotin thickening shampoo, and pleas to Jesus that I'm using to try to keep my hair on my actual head. This Kenra Professional Thermal Styling Spray is supposed to protect your hair from the heat of styling tools. I'm going to give it a try.

4. Road Trip Snacks

While Steve flew in and out of Atlanta for weekend, Drew and I drove there and back. We stopped in Knoxville on the way there, but drove the entire 10 plus hours in one day on the way home. We were really ready to be in our own beds, so we tried to limit our stops and keep ourselves going with snacks. 

I've always thought that pretzels were the most useless snack food of all time. I could live without a regular ol' pretzel for the rest of my life. HOWEVER. We discovered these Dot's Pretzels at a gas station in Pennsylvania in the spring and now we are hooked. These pretzels are so delicious that I had to make Drew throw them in the trunk with the luggage at one point so I couldn't eat them anymore.

Drew is really into working out and eating a ton of protein. Who knew that now there is something called protein chips? Quest makes lots of different flavors. Each bag has 19 grams of protein. Drew loves these chips.

I've mentioned Lara Bars before. I started buying them when I did the Whole30 program. The lemon ones are my favorite, but I also like the Cashew Cookie and the Chocolate Coconut Chew. They are made with clean ingredients and taste great. 

5. The Holy Mystery of Today

So much of my writing in the past nine years here has been about urging people (and myself) to seek God, listen for Him, and fully expect to find Him in the most mundane, ordinary circumstances of our lives. I do not have a remarkable life spent in remarkable places. I spend lots of time sitting at baseball fields and basketball gyms, strolling through grocery stores, shuttling wet clothes from washer to dryer, and tapping out words on this laptop. I decided long ago that I would not wait to look for God only standing at the top of a snow-capped mountain or walking beside a vast ocean or just between the hours of 11:00 am and 12:00 pm in a church sanctuary on Sunday mornings.

I have come to expect Him to show up anywhere - at any time - whether I am looking for Him or not. This summer it has been in an Uber on the way to an early morning flight, on a walk through suburban streets with a friend who listens intently, on a screened-in porch with my dog, in the waiting room of a hospital, in the 7th hour of a road trip with a kid who I enjoy so darn much that I could've driven 10 more hours with him, and of course, behind home plate. 

Just as 2020 did, 2021 has brought some hard things. Things that were unexpected and difficult and required me to trust Him to be who I always said He was.  As well, this year has brought us back to our normal, ordinary routines in familiar places. God has shown up to teach me in all of it. . .so many times, in so many ways, in so many places. He's been in places where I begged Him to be near and places where I was kind of surprised to notice Him. I think facing the difficult things with Him has made me even more aware of His presence in the plain ol' everyday things. 

Frederick Buechner, in Listening to Your Life, says it this way - so much better than I could:

Who knows what He will say to me today or to you today or into the midst of what kind of unlikely moment He will choose to say it. Not knowing is what makes today a holy mystery as every day is a holy mystery. . . Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance - not words that are written in the stars but words that are written into the raw stuff and nonsense of our days. And the words He says to each of us differently are: be brave . . . be merciful. . .  feed my lambs. . .  press on toward the goal."

This life, this day, these moments (and even this 16 year old kid of mine who gladly posed for exactly TWO pictures with me this week) are holy mysteries waiting to be discovered if I'm just willing to recognize them. Thank you for reading about the nonsense of my days and how I find God speaking words of great significance to me in the raw stuff - whether serious or silly. It's so helpful for me to work it all out here in this space and I pray that it helps you, too. 

Enjoy your holy, mysterious day. I know you'll find Him there. Happy Weekend! 

  Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

5 Friday Favorites: July 16, 2021

 

 It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello from somewhere in the vicinity of Atlanta, Georgia! I continue to live out of a suitcase this summer while we shuttle the kid around the country to watch him play baseball. I have never been to this area so I'm excited to explore it during the hours that I'm not sweating my tail off in the bleachers. I was told that there is a Gone with the Wind Museum here which thrills me to pieces. I'm also informed that the Coca-Cola factory offers tours where I can go to express my undying gratitude for the production of Diet Coke. Then the employees can thank me for their salaries and health insurance. My traveling companions do not seem to share my excitement for these two destinations, so those might be solo adventures for me. In any event, I continue to embrace the post-Covid world by traveling to as many places as I can and smiling at all the people without my mask. 

The best part of road trips is that sometimes you find out that your journey will be taking you directly through a town where someone you love lives. Sometimes it's your very own son who is just trying to live his life without his mother texting him that she's afraid he's not eating enough these days and she'll be there shortly to take him out for a steak. ;-)  The best part of this week was getting to stop over in Knoxville for a quick visit and dinner with Kyle and his girlfriend. Pause for a cute picture of my Wednesday night dinner dates. 

Now, I've got to hustle because I'm off to the ball park in a few minutes. Here are some of my other favorite things from this week.

1. Tom Brown's Body Podcast

When you've been on as many road trips as I have this summer you're in need of something to keep you going. This podcast is a really good one. Skip Hollandsworth of Texas Monthly goes to Canadian, Texas to investigate the 2016 disappearance of a popular teenager. It's not an uplifting story, but Hollandsworth handles his interviews with the townspeople with compassion and kindness. It's great storytelling and will keep you occupied while you sit in traffic.

2. A Couple of Books for In-Between Games

Stephen King's memoir, On Writing, is listed on just about every single "Best Books for Writers" list I have ever seen. I've had it on my "To Read" list forever and was lucky recently when my friend, Rob, gave me a copy. I've not read a word of any of King's novels, but this is a really interesting look at his early career and writing process. Of course, I could never expect to write like the brilliant master that King is, but he gives some very useful, practical advice to us non-geniuses. He's also pretty darn funny. I'm loving this read.

Also, just keeping with the Atlanta theme, if you have never read Gone with the Wind, you must. It is in my top ten books of all time. It's intimidating because it's long, but it's an incredible novel. The movie was amazing, of course, but there is so much more to the book.  

3. Knox Rose Eyelet Top

I love a white top for the summer and this Knox Rose White Eyelet Top from Target is so pretty. It's lined and also comes in navy, yellow, and red. 

4. Essentials for Living with a 16 Year Old Sweaty Human in a Small Space for an Extended Period of Time

If you're going to be living in a Courtyard Marriott for a week - especially with a 16 year old who has been playing baseball in the heat - you're going to need to plan for it. There are a few things I've learned are helpful for this life. 

If you've read here long enough, you know that I love candles and seem to buy a new one every week. I'm not sure how the hotel would feel about me burning a candle in the room though, especially as I have a tendency to forget I lit one. The Capri Blue Volcano candle is the GOAT of all candles, but in the interest of not being implicated in an arson situation by the Marriott Corporation, I think a room spray is a better idea. Luckily, there is now a  Capri Blue Room Spray which might just be the key to Drew and me living in harmony this week.

Another idea is to put these Diva Glamorous Sachets in the drawers, bed, and even in your son's suitcase or catcher's equipment bag. I've expressed my undying love for the laundry detergent and these sachets have the same amazing scent. Does my 16 year old athlete want to smell like something called Diva Glamorous? Perhaps, not. Do I think his teammates would actually appreciate it? I do.

A less expensive option is your good ol' Glade Plug-in. I like the Clean Linen scent.

5. A Fun Graphic T-Shirt

Some of the people I follow on Instagram are in Nantucket and Cape Cod and all manner of lovely beach resort-y places. They're wearing crisp linen pants and sweet sun dresses with light cardigan sweaters draped over their shoulders. Unfortunately, I would stroke out in the heat if I tried to sport that look here, never mind the fact that my white linen pants would have baseball dirt all over them. It's all tshirts and shorts all the time around here. 

I do not have this shirt, but my friend Christine posted it recently when she wore it to a basketball game and it cracked me right up. Unfortunately, I don't think I could pull this shirt off because my husband and son would take one look at me in it and say, "You are a stone-cold liar." 

Anyway, I am off right now to be a better version of myself. I will repeat this mantra today over and over again. I just hope both teams have fun. And maybe I just want my team to have a tiny bit more fun. Because you know what's fun? 

Winning. Winning is fun. 

Your prayers that the Holy Spirit will give me all the sportsmanship He can deliver are appreciated. Have a great weekend!

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

5 Friday Favorites: July 9, 2021

 It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello, Friends. I've had lots of travel lately and very little time to sit at my computer (or even sleep in my own bed) so it's been a minute since I wrote anything for Friday Favorites. It's insane to think about the fact that last year at this time my summer travel consisted of moving from my bedroom to my kitchen. Since the spring, I've traveled to Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. In the past three weeks, I've lived out of a suitcase and have swiped more than a few key cards at hotel rooms. I've been to beautiful baseball fields watching the kid behind the plate all around Virginia and at one very sketchy field in Atlantic City, New Jersey that had sort of a Breaking Bad vibe going for it. (No offense, Atlantic City, but YIKES.) Anyway, it doesn't matter if Betty White or Walter White is hanging around, I'll watch him play anywhere.

Next on the travel baseball circuit, we've got North Carolina and Georgia. After that we plan to go to Maine to visit my oldest son, Joe. Then we have an actual concert to attend in August. Thank  you, doctors, scientists, and Jesus. We seem to have our life back. And even though I sure have enjoyed being in my own bed and taking a break from public toilets this week, I love being able to be with my parents and my brother and sister again. I love sitting next to strangers and eating in restaurants. I loved seeing the stands in Omaha filled up with people for the College World Series. I love watching baseball games live and in person. Basically, I'm just enjoying the fire out of the world lately. Sometimes it seems so normal again that I forget and then other times I look around at the people I pass by like:

Also, I know there's a Delta variant and not everyone is vaccinated and lots of people still want to wear masks. Fine with me. God bless us everyone and proceed with your life as you like. Here are some other things that I loved in the past couple of weeks.

1. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

When I ordered The Last Thing He Told Me and started to read it, I had no idea that much of the story would take place in Austin. I didn't know that The University of Texas - including the football stadium - would be referenced so often. As you might guess, this made me giddy and I immediately loved the book. In addition to my favorite place in the world figuring into the plot so often, I liked the story and found it to be fast-paced and interesting. I will say that I didn't love the ending, but it was still worth the read.

2. Never Have I Ever on Netflix

I love pretty much anything that Mindy Kaling does so when I heard about this show and found out that she executive produces it, I was in before I even hit play. I was even more in when I realized that John McEnroe was narrating it because what the heck and why? This is the kind of random humor I am here for all day. The show follows the life of a 15 year old girl who recently suffered the loss of her father as she and her friends navigate high school. It is so well cast. My favorite might be Niecy Nash as the lead character's therapist. She's amazing. Never Have I Ever is sweet, charming, and hilarious. Perfect for summertime.

3. Spicy Ranch Crackers 

eatingonadime.com

My mother-in-law made Spicy Ranch Crackers while we were all together at Lake Anna last week and they are officially the best snack of Summer 2021. There are lots of recipes online, but I think this one is the most similar to hers. We have found it practically impossible to stop eating them. Proceed with caution.

4. Zip Up Color Block Hoodie

As I mentioned, we're planning to go to Maine in a few weeks to visit Joe. When I talked to him on the 4th of July the temperature in Maine was 58 degrees. I could not even wrap my head around it. What life are those people living that they're not sweating their eyeballs off while they're watching fireworks?  I mean, is that even American?

Anyway, it made me think I better be prepared for cooler weather and I found that my lightweight-zip-up-sweatshirt-hoodie situation is inadequate. For the record, my husband probably doesn't believe that a lightweight-zip-up-sweatshirt-hoodie-situation is even a thing much less a thing that requires a solution. He still owns a sweatshirt from when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, so I'm not sure his opinion counts here. To help fill this void in my life, I just ordered this Casual-Zip Up- Hoodie-Lightweight-Sweatshirt-Hoodies-Drawstring-Sweater-With Pockets .

(Y'all what the heck is going on in the Product-Naming Department at Amazon? What in the world?) 

Anyway, this multi-named piece of clothing comes in some solid colors and some color block stripes and if you click the "coupon", it's 30% off certain sizes.  

5. Into the Mystery - Needtobreathe

In this week's installment of "Which song made Jenn ugly-cry while running in the neighborhood?", I present Needtobreathe's Into the Mystery. Of course, moms pray for their children all of their lives, but I'm finding that as mine are adult-ish now there is much more fear of the unknown. Of course, I'm unable to predict what their futures hold. But now, with two being away from home, I literally know very little about their day-to-day lives. Will they be kind? Will the world be kind to them? Will they remember the good that I tried to teach?  Will they let go of the ways I screwed up? Will their dreams come true? And if they don't, will they believe God has good for them? Will they continue even to believe in Him at all?

The whole darn thing is a mystery that I can't predict and I can't explain and I can't monitor, manipulate, and control. When they were little it was easier to feel like I could do that. (Spoiler alert, young mamas: I was, in fact, not in control then either.) Now, I officially cannot follow them directly into the mystery that their lives hold. Not only because I have to let them go, but because I have my own mystery to walk into. What a gift that wherever they go and wherever I go, God will be there. He'll follow us anywhere. Always. Forever and ever. Goodness gracious, this song has me undone.

PS I also recommend every single thing Needtobreathe has ever sung. Ever. 

Y'all have a beautiful weekend. 

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.