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 or Bible verse, 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.
Well, Friends, I'm going to be honest with you. The last two weeks were not my favorite. I missed my college boys something fierce. I thought I was adjusting pretty well and then out of no where the house seemed startlingly quiet and empty. Then to top it off, poor Drew broke his thumb playing in only the second game of the fall baseball season thus wiping out three weekends of planned baseball activities which we were really looking forward to. It seems I wanted the busy-ness of the traveling weekends to distract me from my missing the big guys as much as I wanted the fun of watching the little man play baseball.
I mention this to let you know something that I am learning this week about general sadness and feelings of loss and the ways I try to deal with them. I'll likely write some more about this next week and in the weeks to come because I think the Lord is doing a big work in me right now and I'm not sure I'm getting it, but I know He'll stick it out with me.
What I do know is that He is using some pretty amazing women in my morning Bible Study to teach me some pretty important things about how community, study, stillness, and you know, Jesus all by His own self, can work wonders to fill in the spaces that seem empty in us.
As you'll see in this post and many Friday Favorites posts, I do have a tendency to pick up a fun $5.00 lipgloss or an $8.00 Target tshirt in an effort to push away sadness and sometimes that can be okay. But a very, very wise woman who has seen a few more seasons of life than I have reminded me this week that if I can get still and sit in my sadness for a minute, Jesus will show up. And I don't have to do a thing, but be open to Him. He is the bread of life who sustains us and the light of the world who overcomes every darkness. Every single week He is with me no matter my mood. He is the one thing in my life who will never change.
I'm going to list a few fun things this week that made me smile, but I don't ever want anyone who stops by here to forget this: Jesus Christ is my number one Friday Favorite every week forever and ever. There is nothing that compares to Him. Nothing.
I mention this to let you know something that I am learning this week about general sadness and feelings of loss and the ways I try to deal with them. I'll likely write some more about this next week and in the weeks to come because I think the Lord is doing a big work in me right now and I'm not sure I'm getting it, but I know He'll stick it out with me.
What I do know is that He is using some pretty amazing women in my morning Bible Study to teach me some pretty important things about how community, study, stillness, and you know, Jesus all by His own self, can work wonders to fill in the spaces that seem empty in us.
As you'll see in this post and many Friday Favorites posts, I do have a tendency to pick up a fun $5.00 lipgloss or an $8.00 Target tshirt in an effort to push away sadness and sometimes that can be okay. But a very, very wise woman who has seen a few more seasons of life than I have reminded me this week that if I can get still and sit in my sadness for a minute, Jesus will show up. And I don't have to do a thing, but be open to Him. He is the bread of life who sustains us and the light of the world who overcomes every darkness. Every single week He is with me no matter my mood. He is the one thing in my life who will never change.
I'm going to list a few fun things this week that made me smile, but I don't ever want anyone who stops by here to forget this: Jesus Christ is my number one Friday Favorite every week forever and ever. There is nothing that compares to Him. Nothing.
1. NYX Butter Gloss in Praline
A few months ago I bought the NYX Butter Gloss in the Creme Brulee color and it was a great shade for summer months. The formula is glossy without being too thick and sticky and it is CHEAP. (Insert praise hands.) Last week I found this Praline color which is a great fall shade. Now if fall could just show up it would be great because the 90 degree days have overstayed their welcome. Hey, Summer, THAT IS JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD-BYE.
2. Aerie White Button Down
I love a white button down shirt any time of the year and this one from Aerie is 40% off right now. It is light and soft with a casual, relaxed fit so you might want to size down one size. I wanted it to be loose, so I kept to my regular size and I love it. It's long enough to wear with leggings or tucked in to jeans. I bought it two weeks ago and I've worn it four times. It comes in two other colors as well.
3. Master Plan Nail Color
On Monday I was feeling particularly low, so I decided a trip to the nail salon would be helpful. (PS I ran into a sweet woman from my Bible Study group there which gave me a boost before I even sat in the chair. Do not doubt that Jesus will shine some light any where you look for Him even at a strip mall nail salon.) Anyway, I had seen this color by Essie on an instagram post. There are so many shades of grey around right now, but I like that this one is lighter since we still seem to be hanging on to summer and I'm not quite ready for darker fall colors.
I know I've mentioned Lauren Daigle's album, Look Up Child, here about eleventy million times, but I'm doing it again. There was not a more perfect song for me to hear this week. Not a single one. Lauren Daigle's words and voice are such a gift and they show up exactly when I need them. I listened to this on a run yesterday three times in a row. I'll listen to it again today and probably tomorrow and the next day. What a powerful, beautiful, truth-filled song.
4. Everything by Lauren Daigle
I know I've mentioned Lauren Daigle's album, Look Up Child, here about eleventy million times, but I'm doing it again. There was not a more perfect song for me to hear this week. Not a single one. Lauren Daigle's words and voice are such a gift and they show up exactly when I need them. I listened to this on a run yesterday three times in a row. I'll listen to it again today and probably tomorrow and the next day. What a powerful, beautiful, truth-filled song.
5. When a Boy Comes Home & Brings More Boys
Penn State played Maryland last Friday night in College Park, so Joe and some friends drove down from State College to go to the game and stayed the night at our house. It was a very quick trip because these guys are all broadcast journalism majors and they had some business to attend to back at school by Saturday evening. I was able to keep them around for a bit by baking an enormous amount of egg casseroles and cinnamon rolls and making sure the tv on the porch was tuned to College Game Day.
I remember my very wise friend Elizabeth - who has nine children - texting me the day Joe left for college. I was a mess of tears and she wrote, "Your babies grow up and they bring you new people to love. It expands. I promise."
Now, to be clear, on that particular day she sent me a photo of a sonogram that her son and daughter-in-law had sent her of her soon-to-be-born twin grandchildren. However, until such time as they give me grandbabies, I'll take a few extra college boys in my house to feed and nag and love. It sure filled some of my empty spaces.
Have a blessed weekend, Friends!
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