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.
Happy Friday. Well, well, well. What a week it was. I had a lot of work to do on my book. Approving layouts, zoom calls about how to use the editing software for the next revisions, marketing training, etc. It’s all very exciting and we are getting closer and closer to naming an exact release date which makes me equal parts elated and about to throw up.
ALSO . . . happenings in the sports world indicate that I shall only be allowed to watch my favorite athletic teams compete on the television for approximately 2/3 of their respective games from this day forth.
On Saturday night when the Longhorns went from beating Ole Miss 24-3, to letting them come back to tie it up in the beginning of the 4th, I decided I refused to spend the third Saturday in a row participating in an activity that was likely to bring me pain and sorrow again.
I went to bed, only to wake up to find out that we had won the game. I could not have been more shocked.
AND THEN. On Tuesday night I decided to go to bed before the end of Game 4 of the World Series between the Rays vs. the Brewers because our guy, Ben, wasn’t playing. I texted my family sometime during the 10th inning that I was so exhausted that I guessed if Ben happened to get in and win the thing, I was gonna miss it. Ha. Ha. Ha.
I’m not saying I didn’t believe he could, but I was joking because who woulda thunk it? I’ll tell you who thunk it. Coach Kevin Cash did when he sent Benjamin Andrew Williamson to the plate in the bottom of the 12th. I woke up to approximately 7,000 texts because HOLY WALK-OFF, BATMAN:
My phone exploded with texts. My social media feeds exploded with the posts of people from our hometown. My baseball mom girlfriends and I sent a bazillion happy texts in our group chat with Ben’s mom. I watched all manner of replays and interviews. Suffice it to say that not a person on the planet who knows Ben was a productive member of the American workforce on Wednesday. I hopped in my car to go to Northern Virginia that morning and legitimately looked like a complete fool for the hour and 45 minute drive.
So yeah. The Rays lost the Series on Wednesday night. And I know it’s a bummer for the players, but goodness gracious are we grateful to Ben for giving us all the thrill of a lifetime. Here are some other favorite things from the week.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
If I’m honest, I don’t really love romance novels which I guess might make me seem like a real dud, but I usually find them pretty cheesy. I’ve read some heavy stuff lately, so I thought I’d give this novel a try. It’s not my favorite book ever, but it was enjoyable and didn’t make me roll my eyes too often. If you like a sweet romance that doesn’t get overly spicy and weird, this one’s for you. It’s a wonder I don’t get hired to write book reviews, isn’t it? ;-)
2. Caramel Cake
Last week my friend, Nancy, hosted book club where we discussed one of my favorite books of the year, The Calamity Club. She served us the best southern food including a Caramel Cake which was incredible. This is the recipe she used, but she changed it up a little bit. 5 stars and 2 thumbs up
3.Aerie Sunday Soft Polo Sweater
I got this sweater at Aerie this week and it is so soft and comfortable that I might have to get it in another color. There are matching wide-leg lounge pants that looked so cute on the model, but made me look like I was wearing a blanket. Maybe if you’re taller, give the pants a shot because maybe you won’t look like you’re wearing a blanket, but you’ll feel like you’re wearing a blanket which seems pretty cool.
4.Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Cream
I ran out of the night cream I was using and I bought this one. I’m not going to pretend that it makes me look 10 years younger or even 1 week younger, but I like it a lot and it’s reasonably priced. It is a thicker formula than what I use for daytime which I think is great for using in the colder months since my face gets extra dry due to the temperatures and having the heat on inside. PS If you click the coupon box, you can get a few dollars off.
5.Let Them Dream
Some words for the parents of little athletes dreaming big dreams:
Most of us want our children to gain the physical and emotional benefits of athletics while learning about teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. If a kid also achieves excellence in his chosen sport, that’s icing on the cake. Grounding our children in common sense is important, but there is value in recognizing and cultivating the gifts that God has given our kids. What’s more, we are blessed to live in a country where any child can chase any darn dream he or she wants to chase. Especially when our children are young, perhaps we ought to lay off on the hard-nosed realism. In other words, don’t be a buzzkill, Mom.
As we walk our children through the pursuit of any goal, it is important to remind them that God alone holds their future. Every gift, every skill, and every talent has been given by Him in order that they might accomplish His purposes. The ultimate dream God has for us is to be in relationship with Him. What He uses to bring us closer to Him will vary from person to person. Encouraging our kids to seek God and to invite Him to walk alongside them as they pursue their goals allows Him to take the reins of our children’s dreams.
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is easy to misconstrue this verse if we focus more on the “things” we want to do instead of with Whom we do them. Paul’s reminder in Colossians 3:23 points your athlete to the One who is his most important audience. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
These verses emphasize dependence on and alignment with God. If we point our children to that relationship first, we can let them dream as big a dream as they’d like, resting in the assurance that He will take care of the rest. Whether He allows that Big League dream to come true or not, we know His love, grace, and provision will follow them all along the way.
-Excerpts from The View from Behind Home Plate: Looking for God Between the Bleachers and the Bullpen - Available in 2027
PS Thanks, Bdub, for providing the perfect illustration for my words. ;-)
Have a good weekend, Friends.
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