Friday Favorites 8/30/19

Hello Everyone! Happy Friday and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

I am so super duper excited to be able to sleep beside my guy tonight without having to set the alarm for tomorrow! And better yet, we have a weekend with absolutely NO plans!!! I'm not sure if I should be excited about that or slightly sad, but I'm choosing to be excited! Although, I am slightly sad that this is the last week of summer.....

This week was good, but busy. It was officially my first week as a stay at home working Mom.  Turns out, it was a lot busier than I anticipated! Although, I am absolutely loving this ! My favorite part by far is the ability to take my kids to school and pick them up each day, followed by the ability to meet people for lunch / coffee and hear their stories! I am praying that God shows up through me each day so that I can encourage others, no matter what they are going through. 

Without any further waiting.... here are my favorites for the week!

Favorite New Boutique Blue Chic Boutique

I am pretty sure that my sweet mentor has rubbed off on me, because I am loving animal print for fall. I believe that it started with my leopard print bikini that I purchased for our beach trip.... Anyway, I purchased more animal print from Blue Chic this week and I may have done a happy dance when I got the shipping notification!

I'm still not happy about these cooler temperatures, but I am ready to do some wardrobe switching out...

Favorite New Coffee Shop Orchard Coffee

Orchard Coffee is probably my new favorite meeting spot! And bonus that it's within walking distance from our church plant (Haywood Community Church). I just love the atmosphere and how they always seem to have something different each time that I go. And let's talk about this latte art !! Visiting here always brings a smile to my face!

Favorite Moment... lantern prayers with my guy

Last Friday evening we were invited to the most amazing dinner party at one of our Pastor's home. First of all the Asian themed cuisine was to die for, including fortune cookies! We met so many other couple in ministry and it was so encouraging ! We also had communion on his back patio under the starlit sky and then we wrote prayers on our lanterns. What you didn't see is when we let our lantern go it fell onto the ground and we were scared for 30 seconds that it was going to light the ground and house on fire... thankfully it didn't! Ha! 

Favorite Collaboration For King and Country and Dolly Parton

And no, I'm not kidding about this one! For King and Country and Dolly Parton have teamed up for the most unique sound! I have always loved this song, but adding Dolly to the mix made it just so ....wow! You have got to check it out!

I hope that you all enjoy the love of your family this weekend (and the ability to not set your alarm for a day or two)! 

Until next time!

xoxo

"I Don't Feel Like I Belong Here..."

So...I have entered a new season. I am now a work from home Mom. I absolutely love it. It's a joy to take my kids to school each day and pick them up every afternoon. It's a blessing to see their little mouths singing along to praise and worship music as we make our way through the car line. I decided to do something new in this season, something that I have not done in 20 years...

I went to the gym. I should have known how this was going to go down at 7:15 that morning when my son asked me 10 times if I was sure that I was dropping him off at school while wearing my yoga pants and t shirt. I was so excited, I even took a selfie outside in the parking lot to document this momentous occasion. 

I happily walked in and told the lady who hands you a locker key that I hadn't been to the gym in 20 years and she gave me a half smile / you're pathetic look and I skipped off to the locker room. After dropping my stuff off I made my way upstairs (I totally ditched the elevator even though I was tempted). And after walking up the stairs, my anxiety kicked in to 110%. 

My first thought was to join a class, but the class that was occurring at that time said "tone" in it and everyone in there looked like they were about to complete on Ninja Warrior, so I decided that it wasn't the class for me. And besides it was already starting. I was not going to walk in "fashionably late" without anything toned on my body. Not happening. 

I decided to walk around the track. I made one lap and I was only passed by two ladies with silver hair. I decided to walk another lap and another....and another. At this point I thought that I should probably keep track of how much I was walking, but I was too embarrassed to ask one of the young 20 somethings that were working how many laps made a mile. I was super impressed that all of these people at the gym knew exactly how to work out. They were sweaty and laughing and having fun. And I just felt alone. Clueless. Because I do not know how to gym. I know the benefits of going to the gym. I see what I can look like if I make this a part of my routine. But I just don't know how to gym. 

After being dizzy from walking in circles around the track I settled upon a bike. And there were so many buttons. So I just peddled. With all of the lights flashing to pick a program or count calories. I just wanted the buttons to stop flashing. I wanted to look like I knew what I was doing. But I didn't. I felt like I had blazing red lights all around me because I was clueless about how to do this thing. I don't know how to gym. 

And then it hit me. I bet this is how people feel when they come to church for the first time. Or the first time in a long time. They feel like I did at the gym. Alone. They see the benefits of coming to church. They desire to turn their life around. They feel the calling of Jesus. But it's different and awkward. They just want to blend in. They don't want to fill out the connect card because then everyone will know that they're new here. They just want to blend in and slip out. 

So, for my fellow church loving people. Show some love to the people who look like they don't belong, because like the gym, we all belong at church. Don't get upset when someone new takes your parking space or your seat or who gets the last cup of coffee at the coffee bar. Show a little extra love and grace and give them something to smile about!

The People Around You....

Greetings from my favorite place in the world...the beach! My family and I are here this week enjoying togetherness, sun, sand and memory making! We are having a wonderful time so far!

One of my favorite things about our beach time is morning coffee with my husband on the balcony where we people watch, have quite time and sip on our daily infusion of caffeine before heading out to be parents of two kids at the beach (and by the way..it takes a lot of arms to carry all the things out each day)!

Yesterday morning, my husband and I began watching two guys paddle boarding on the shore. I was immediately intrigued as I have witnessed paddle boarding many times, but never in the ocean. I was impressed that these guys were standing on their boards despite the waves. Then, the guys began riding the waves in on their boards. One guy was doing a really good job, but the other guy seemed to be knocked off of his board each time a big wave came. I felt sorry for him and I noticed that I began cheering for him to get back on each time that he was knocked off (and no, I don't know him).

It brought me back to the dark times of my life, those times when I was knocked down and sometimes others would rally around me and encourage me. Sometimes after the battle was over and I survived, people would tell me how proud they were that I got back up. In this life, we will have trouble...it is inevitable. However, sometimes we need to get back up not only for ourselves, but for others!

Other people are watching us and the battles that we face, they are secretly cheering for us and wanting us to get back up again. Sometimes they too are fighting a battle that we know nothing about, but when they see us get back up, it encourages them to do the same!

My new paddle boarding friend continued to paddle board for the next hour and I cheered him on the entire time. I have to say that he got better as the hour continued. I am just happy that he continued to get back on the board, despite the waves.