Hello Monday linkup & Weekending

Happy Monday to you, friends!  I am linking up with Tanya over at The Other Side of the Road, and friends, for this blog post today. 

I actually started to sit down to write this post at eight a.m., but instead, I spent time with Jesus at the kitchen table.  I've been having my quiet time each day, but these past few weeks, I've been using the bible app on my phone to read each morning first thing, but I really do not like using that app anymore.  It doesn't feel the same to me, and I know there's nothing wrong with that, for anyone who does use it, it's just not for me.  I like the feel of my bible, and I like making notes in the margins to look back on, so I think that is the reason behind my crazy brain. 

Can I just stop here a minute, and say that I am so glad I went back to the table for this?  I don't know what it is that does this, but for some reason, when I sit in there, I am far less distracted.  I sat down to write out some things I want to pray for this week, and a few things I want to pray AGAINST (a critical spirit, a bad mood, discontentment, comparison), and I had such sweet time with the Lord as a result.  When I can write things down like that, it helps me concentrate more.  I also turned my phone to completely silent, and I turned it over so that it wouldn't interrupt and be a distraction. 

I was inspired in my quiet time this morning because of the sermon our pastor preached yesterday.  He mentioned those things I prayed against during his message on overcoming temptation.  I loved the message, because I do not want to fall into that, and temptation doesn't just come in the forms of drugs or alcohol.  He mentioned the ones I listed above, and he also mentioned gambling, lust, pride, and a few other ones.  It's funny when we think in the terms of being tempted, how we don't realize all the other ways the enemy can tempt us.  One huge area for me is distraction, which is why I turned off all the sounds on my phone and turned it over.  I think that I am overly connected a lot of times.  While it's not a bad thing to use social media in positive ways, for me, I have realized that I need to set limits on the time I spend there.  (I just removed the app from my easy access folder that I have on the main screen of my phone.) 

Anyway...it was a sweet morning with Jesus, and I just wanted to share about that.  As for the rest, I thought I'd document some of my weekend.  (You know that a lot of the reason I blog is for my own self.  I love using this little slice of internet to remember things in my own family, but I also love to share about Jesus and the quiet time I have with Him, and I love sharing about food and good recipes, books I love or don't love, and I love to encourage on here.  For anyone who didn't already know that, those are the reasons why I've done this for more than ten years.  The blog has evolved a lot over those years, the older the boys have gotten, but I am so fond of looking back.)

I don't think I ever shared this last week, but I found this picture on Instagram that Rachel Martin posted, and immediately loved it and the message of what it says about friendship. 

I have said this to my boys for as far back as I can remember...that to have a good friend, you need to be one first.  That has been the case most of my life~I've been a better friend than the ones I used to hang around with, and the Lord finally showed me this and helped me in letting go of them.  I love them and will pray for them always, but sometimes, we just have to move on.  In the last fifteen years or so, all this has changed, but I am so thankful to God for the friends He has put into our lives.  Not only for ME, but for our whole family. 

Just this weekend, we spent time with a family we used to attend church with.  We were so close with them, that when my husband and I went on a mission trip together, we made them our "just in case" people, meaning that if anything had happened to us, they would have taken our children.  Years may go by without us seeing one another, but we always just pick right back up.  When we saw them Saturday night, it was like no time at all had passed.  That, my friends, is some kind of special, and incredibly rare.  They're more like family than friends. 

The Lord has also given me some of the best, most godly women that I am so fortunate to walk alongside.  For anyone who is reading this and is discouraged in this area, keep praying about this and stay faithful in attending a church home.  That helps tremendously.  The more you plug in somewhere, the more people you meet.  Just remember, you don't have to be best friends with everybody.  There are some women who are more like acquaintances to me, and there are some that I am extremely close to and comfortable with, and whom I share things with that I don't share with others.  (Hello, just last Wednesday night in our small group class, I mentioned something I made them promise to keep within those walls.  It pertained to the faithfulness of God, and how He intervened in my family.)

You can see why this picture above encouraged my heart so much.

On a much lighter note, I spent some time with my best friend Friday night, catching up and watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.

And her dog.  I can't forget sweet Max.  He sat in my lap a lot, and I shared my ice with him. 

On Saturday, I ran a few errands, then I went to the first birthday party of the baby girl of one of my best friends.  I don't want to share pictures yet, because they haven't done that yet, so out of respect for them, I'll share them after she actually turns one. 

That night we went to our friends house that I mentioned above, the Colemans.  The older boys weren't with us, and her older sons weren't there either, but we did take Jonah, Noah, and a couple of their friends who are girls, Shea and Madeline.  Shea and their daughter Hannah are best friends, and it gave them time to spend together as well.  They had a blast, as did we, and I loved hearing all the laughter coming from upstairs as we played cards downstairs.  It was such a fun night, and we all left with full hearts. 

I was at church by eight yesterday morning (I rode with my hubby), and then back by three for choir practice.

This cutie dropped me off.  (Partly because I thought he may need my car, but mainly because it was raining and he kept me from getting wet.) 

My husband and Graham worked last night, and Drew had a couple of friends over for a guys' night.  We ate pizza and cookies for dessert, and as they sat at the dining room table and played poker, I watched a show or a few on Hulu.  Jonah and Noah were with their friends and swimming.  I turned in early, because I was falling asleep. 

Today I have a hair appointment to get my hair colored.  (Praise hands emoji.)  I love hair day.  I've already bought groceries for the week, and I know what's for dinner tonight.  It's like a miracle.  Dinner rut, anyone?   

I thought I'd share this, if you're local to me.

This is a free event we have coming up, on August 6th, which is a Tuesday night.  Dinner will be served, and we will be talking about bible studies and classes that will be offered this fall.  Sign up online!  Here is a link for you: cfbcfamily.org/wmkickoff.  Let me know if you come, we can sit together! 

I need to run and eat lunch really quick, so I'll end with that.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.