the good news girl
A beautiful message to remember every day ~ by every person and for every person.
“You weren’t an accident.
You weren’t mass produced.
You aren’t an assembly-line product.
You were deliberately planned …
specifically gifted …
and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.”
~ Max Lucado {The Christmas Candle}
You’re probably checking off your to-do list, just like me. Busy, busy. I’m fixing to run back by the grocery store to pick up one last ingredient that I missed yesterday. Then, it’s pie time. I’m baking two pies: Buttermilk and pumpkin.
I’ve got the girls to help set the table and I’m just plain excited. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the way things look and smell and of course, how they taste.
But mostly, I’m just so thankful to God. For his continuous care of me. His endless expression of love to me. And for the people he gave me that I call family.
About ten years ago, I started a tradition. [Read more...]
I’ve had lots of jobs …
In high school, I worked at a Hallmark store. In college, I was a hostess at the Hyatt downtown. When my youngest was in preschool, I taught theater arts part-time at Regents. A few years later, I did some writing and speaking with my friend, Vicki Courtney. And most recently, I found myself working on air on at Spirit.
All of these jobs have been really fun. I’ve loved them all. But yesterday, I saw a couple people that reminded me of the best job ever.
I was at the barn yesterday, when Kalli (my trainer) arrived with Carlysle.
Well, here we are at the end of 31 days of simple thanksgiving. I want to thank Nester for coming up with such a brilliant idea and being such a charming hostess.
I learned a lot about me this month but much more interesting is what I learned about you. I looked at the top posts in this series over the last month and found out that …
you like messy stuff. :)
Messy Mondays, messy (amazing) mac & cheese and my messy 80′s mother/daughter portrait. [Read more...]
Robin just brought over a big ole dish of enchiladas. Robin is my enchilada friend. She brings them at the best times. Always.
Like today. Perfect.
“I was thinking it would be really fabulous” … but I couldn’t seem to get my words out. And then Will kept hassling me and I couldn’t stop laughing.
This weekend, Will and I are teaching together about marriage at ACF.
For better or for worse …
{If you’re having trouble viewing this video, click here. }
I’m eating lunch with my brother and sister today. More belated birthday goodness.
Emily will roll in some time after noon ~ Baylor is on Fall Break.
And early this evening Kate is swinging by to celebrate with a little happy hour here at the house. I’m sure we’ll talk Big God Dreams and eat delicious whatnot. Just because.
I love this …
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust
Praying you’ll spend time with some charming gardeners.
prepare your heart for the season :: 31 days of simple thanksgiving
I’d love to keep in touch, check out the ‘Good News’ Newsletter every Friday.
I was making a nice cup of hot tea yesterday morning when I heard my phone ping with a text.
It was from Will 3, our oldest, now living in Denver. Not sure if you remember but I had a mini melt-down last summer when I realized that he was moving away forever …
My mom and I went to Cheesecake Factory yesterday ~ a belated birthday lunch. It was spontaneous. And spectacular. Because it wasn’t my birthday (that was last month) and because we ate Pumpkin Cheesecake in the middle of the afternoon. Mmmm.
I love October. Fabulous coffee drinks. Autumny foods. Cool, blue skies. And time spent reflecting.
We sat and savored lunch. Drank far too much mango tea. And talked about Thanksgiving. Then about whether she wanted to put up her tree this Christmas or not.
After lunch, we cleaned out one of her bathroom cabinets. Gathered a couple bags of whatnot for Goodwill. And way at the back of the cabinet, I found an unopened bottle of Laura Ashley No. 1 … that classic 80′s perfume. It reminds me of when Emily (now 21) was a baby. Because we had these matching Laura Ashley dresses. Pink. Corduroy. Sateen ribbons. [Read more...]
At Thanksgiving, “there are no presents to buy, no lights to put up, no eggs to hide. It’s simply a time to laugh in the kitchen.” You’ll love Ronne’s memory of her mom in the kitchen. Welcome to 31 days of simple thanksgiving …
Maybe it’s because my mother promptly went into labor after serving what she said was the ‘best fried chicken dinner ever’ to friends and family, or because special meals served on her lovely, ‘formal dining room’ china always meant there would be extra folks sitting with us at the table (we called them ‘strays’), but Thanksgiving has always been in my blood. The season, the sharing, the table filled with good food and amazing grace make it my absolute favorite holiday.
My earliest memories of mom are in the kitchen, her hips swaying to the tunes of Sergio Mendez or Herb Alpert as she stirred whatever goodness was in the simmering pots. That kitchen offered safe haven in the midst of a troubled marriage, and the food that came out of it had the power to brighten even the darkest day. Christmas always made her long for her tiny hometown of Lynch Station, Virginia, and for snuggling up by the wood-burning stove in the home her dad had built. And Easter was for picnics and park visits, cleaning up messy chocolate-covered faces and chasing after little brightly colored baby chicks purchased from dime-stores. But Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving was her favorite time of the year.
