Friday, December 2, 2022

Friday Favorites: December 2, 2022


 

 

 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!

Hope all of you had the best Thanksgiving week. We had a blast - lots of football and food and movies and laughing. Also something that is fairly new to our family - we watched every second of the World Cup. We are all the way into it now. There was much screaming and cheering and "NOW, SHOOT IT NOW!" from a bunch of us who don't know a bunch about soccer. From me there was a lot of, "GET UP, YOUNG MAN. YOU'RE FINE." (This might give you a window into my parenting philosophy. The boys' therapist bills might be high.) But, why does every single one of them act like they've snapped a femur every single time they hit the ground?

I mean, except for Christian Pulisic. God bless and keep you, young man. Also, please be back tomorrow. Please.

Anyway, the big boys left so the family group text will be blowing up tomorrow as we watch in different places. That's one of my favorite things about the Iphone. Here are some other favorite things from the week:


1. Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders

acozykitchen.com

We read In the Wild Light which is partially set in Tennessee for our book club this month. As it was my time to host, I tried to get all cutesy and go with a theme, so I made these Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders and they were a big hit among the book club ladies. They were an even bigger hit among my guys. Super easy and so good.

2. Hooded Flannel 


I was shopping for a hooded flannel for my son for Christmas and I accidentally found this one for me. I love the colors and it's perfectly oversized without being too boxy. 

3. Lightweight Puffer Coat with Hood



This lightweight hooded puffer coat is only $32 today! I really like the length for wearing with long sweaters and tunic tops. Bonus: it will keep your tush warm! It comes in a ton of colors, so if you're looking to buy a fun color that you might not normally want to spend the big bucks on, at only $32, this is your chance to try something new! 

4. College Ceramic Christmas Tree



This is the cutest gift for your college kid or your kid who just got accepted to college. This is the Texas one, of course, but someone posted the Tennessee one on the University of Tennessee Parents Facebook page. They seem to have a tree available for a whole lot of colleges, so cross your fingers that the one you want is there. They also have other collegiate ornaments. How cute would this be to send to your kiddo for finals? To be honest, I don't think Kyle would be jumping out of his shoes with excitement about a Tennessee lit tree, but maybe his girlfriend would? It's $35. 


5. Advent Series by Annie F Downs


I try to do an Advent devotional every year and this year one of my favorite podcasters and writers, Annie F. Downs, released one. You can purchase the series to have the guidebook and watch her videos, but if you don't want to pay anything you can listen each day on her podcast for free. 

This week she's talking about hope - which is my favorite of the Advent candles. I mean, are we allowed to have a favorite? 

While we did have a beautiful Thanksgiving with so much gratitude, there was a whole lot of worry fighting against me last week. Seemed like every time I thought of something to celebrate I was reminded of something that was scary. Cancer, Cancer and Cancer again. Gah. I hate it. Covid, addiction, the flu, mental health issues, a friend who is trying with all her might to keep her baby from coming prematurely, kids struggling in college, kids trying to get jobs, kids waiting for college acceptances, Ukraine, that amazing quarterback from Tennessee who was having a heckuva season before he tore his ACL and Leslie Jordan died and now Instagram will never be as happy as it once was with him. HOW MUCH, O LORD? 

It's rough being in my brain, friends. 

This week Annie said the most simple thing: Hope is the promise that things will not always be this way. And the only way we get to "this" hope that Romans 5:3-5 tells us does not disappoint is by suffering which produces perseverance which produces character which produces hope. It's not a great system, I'll admit. I'd much rather skip straight to the hope. But I have seen how it plays out and I believe it to be true. When we suffer we see that our suffering matters to Jesus. We see how He will show up for us. We see how He is who He says He is. In my life, it has been during times of suffering when I've seen Him most clearly.

Anyway, I highly recommend Annie's words and her devotional. She says it so much better than I do. If you need some hope today, go here. It started on Sunday, but you can catch up! 

Have a great weekend and GO USA!!!

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