5 Friday Favorites: October 5, 2018

Happy Friday, Friends. 

It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, 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! 

1. War Room

As I've mentioned before I'm in the middle of a Bible Study based on Priscilla Shirer's book, Discerning the Voice of God. I'm really learning so much from both Priscilla's teaching and from the women in my group. I remembered that Priscilla had starred in the movie, War Room, which I hadn't seen so last week when Steve and Drew were away at a baseball tournament and Kyle was at the Homecoming Game, I decided to rent it.  (It's available on Amazon Prime) To be honest, sometimes the acting in these movies is less than stellar and the dialogue can come off as kind of cheesy, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn't bad. I loved the message and the idea of creating a War Room. This one is worth your time.

2. Dry Shampoo

I was skeptical about using dry shampoo because as a Texas girl fully committed to the process of creating an appropriate 'do, this seems like an unfair shortcut that couldn't possibly work out. Despite that, I picked up this Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo a month or so ago after reading some really good reviews on it. Turns out that this stuff is really great if you're a busy woman in a hurry and don't have time to deal with the washing, conditioning, moussing/gelling, and blowdrying of your hair. Also, to be honest it's also helpful when all you really have planned for your day is to stay in your house in your pajamas alternating between writing words, wandering around your house trying to think of words, looking for words in the fridge, and asking your dog what another word for "amazing" is. I recommend it.

3. A McDonald's Diet Coke

For many days and nights our community has struggled through the renovation of our McDonald's. It's been difficult, but we know we were never promised a life of ease, so we thank the Lord for sustaining us through this dark time. This week the Promised Land finally reopened. The teenagers whose cars seem to automatically end up there after school everyday are rejoicing with song and praise. And although I generally do not partake in the sophisticated cuisine there, there really is no better Diet Coke in all the land then the one they mix up at McDonald's. This fact is a mystery that we might not understand this side of heaven, but I feel no need to question greatness. When I pulled up to the window with my $1.06 and saw the sweet lady holding my Large Diet with extra ice, it was pretty much exactly like those viral videos of dogs welcoming their owners home who've been away at war. I'm sure it wasn't awkward for her at all.

4. The Berkey Creamery at Penn State University

The Berkey Creamery is a famous institution on the campus of Penn State University where they make their very own ice cream and boast some pretty unique flavors. Joe and I went yesterday and I had the Grilled Stickies flavor. I had never heard of Grilled Stickies in my life until Joe went to school at PSU, but apparently they are famous in State College as well. They are basically a cinnamon roll type of pastry thingy. Anyway the ice cream is cinnamon bun flavored ice cream with pieces of sticky bun dough and cinnamon streusal swirl. I don't think I need to say another word to explain why this made the list this week. Except this: you can order online and they will send you ice cream packed in dry ice and all of your best hopes and dreams for the United States Postal Service will come true even if you never knew you had hopes and dreams about the postal service.

5. This Boy

All of the bedrooms in my house were full last night. I went to get Joe at Penn State yesterday to bring him home for my niece's wedding which we are thrilled and excited to celebrate tomorrow. It will also be this little chubby cheeked boy's 20th birthday. 

This morning I wish I could go back and talk to the scared first time mom I was when this picture was taken.

Hey, Girl. Remember that time he ripped up that Clifford the Big Red Dog book at Pre-School and you got a note saying "we do not destroy property that does not belong to us."? Calm down, sister. That did not, in fact, indicate that he would end up living the life of a destructive vandal like you thought. Or that time when he came home from kindergarten wearing a paper bracelet indicating that he had not turned in his library book? This was not a foretaste of his career in grand larceny. Guess what? Just because you forgot that one time out of the seven million times you've reminded him to say, "Please and Thank you" does not mean he will become an ungrateful, entitled pain in the world's butt. Trust yourself. Trust him. For the love, can you just have a little bit of trust, dummy?

One day he will be 19 and 363 days old. You will pick him up in front of the apartment he lives in without you and that he found without you. He did it on his own and with his friends at school. He was able to call and get the cable hooked up and make his own food and do his own laundry. He met you outside with his bag packed. He did it himself and he didn't even forget his underwear. He will tell you he'll drive and you'll hop out of the car and he'll take you to a new restaurant in his college town. You'll laugh and share videos and talk about football and his friends and his life and his classes. You'll walk the campus with him and grab some ice cream and buy him a Penn State tie for his birthday. He'll pump the gas in the car on the way home and when you can't figure out how to get to the next episode on the Serial podcast you're listening to he'll do it for you without making you feel like a moron.

You will realize that you could not be more proud of the man he is becoming. You could not be more grateful for the way God has guided him. You could not be more in awe of the way he bulldozes toward his dreams with a confidence you yourself had never known at his age. You could not be more comforted by the example he has become that God heard all of your prayers and all of your worries when you were a terrified, confused mom of toddlers and little kids. And you will be reminded that today and in the days ahead you must continue to follow the command in Hebrews 10:23. You must hold unswervingly to the hope that He who promised is faithful. He was faithful those many years ago, He is faithful today, and He will be faithful in all the days to come. 

The Lord will prove His character, His love, and His trustworthiness over and over and over again to you during the years that you watch this boy grow. You will not believe how great the ride will be, girlfriend. You are the luckiest girl in the world.

I wish you a very happy weekend, Friends. Now I have to go because the last time we had a family wedding I did a whole lot of Elanie Benes style dancing with my boys and my nephew and I fully intend to do that this weekend as well. If called upon, it will be my duty to participate in any and all cheesy wedding dances including but not limited to the Electric Slide, the Cha-Cha Slide, the Cupid Shuffle, and if things get really crazy, The Macarena.

Time to stretch and hydrate. My children would appreciate your prayers. Godspeed.

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