Let's Bust a Recap : Women of the Word

Hi again! This is the second post this week for the second week in a row. Look at us go! Dare I say the blog is officially revived? I think I'm going to try to keep up this Monday/Thursday schedule until we're all caught up. But of course now that I've said it, you probably won't see another post around here for a month or so. (And if you're sitting there thinking, "There she goes, trying to hedge her bets"—you know me so well.) 

Anyway, today we're picking up another one of the books that's been sitting in my trusty book cart since I finished it last year: Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. This Bible study aid published back in 2014 is Wilkin's first book and probably her most well-known. I know it's the one that has been recommended to me the most often. I read it over the course of two months last year—mid-August to mid-October—with three of my friends. This was a great book to read with company and there are helpful discussion questions at the end of each chapter for that exact purpose. 

Although I've had this book for several years and, as aforementioned, it's the Jen Wilkin book most often recommended to me, it's the one I've been most hesitant to read. I have long felt cautious about treating the Bible like a textbook or just another source of helpful information as opposed to what it actually is: the very Word of God to His people. Jen Wilkin's study method seemed intense to me (SPOILER ALERT: it is) which put it—in my mind—in the danger zone of making the Bible wholly academic. The perilous flip side of my own way of thinking is never studying the Bible at all. I certainly don't want to fall into that trap either. Jen Wilkin comes out swinging at the beginning of her book with the challenge that if we love God, we will want to know Him intimately. And the place we go to know Him is His Word. 

Touché, Jen. 

She also argues that you can't love something with your heart that you don't know with your mind.

Chalk another point up for Jen.

So right away she got me thinking and one of the conclusions I came to before even getting into the meat of the book is that if I say I love God with my heart, but I don't know Him—through His Word—with my mind, I'm prone to love a God of my own making, not the God who has actually revealed Himself to me in Scripture. 

All right then, Jen, let's get into it. 

She goes on to outline some common Bible study methods that aren't great, giving them amusing nicknames like The Pinball Approach, or The Magic 8-Ball Method, or The Personal Shopper. She then encourages her reader to take in the whole counsel of God. As a rule, tackle it expositionally rather than topically. 

Then she really gets into the nitty-gritty of Bible study. Some of this part of the book felt a bit like I was in an English Lit class, but it was a good review of how to read well. I appreciated her point that if we don't look at the context—Who wrote it? When was it written? To whom was it written? In what style was it written? Why was it written?—we are apt to misinterpret what we're reading. The Bible can't mean something to me that it didn't mean to its original audience. 

Although the process that Wilkin outlines and recommends is intensive and I have not used all of her methods; in reading Women of the Word I felt, if truth be told, affirmed in my own approach to Scripture. That is definitely not a credit to me. I'm very thankful that I was raised by parents who taught me the whole counsel of God—at home and from the pulpit—and encouraged me to read and study the Scriptures for myself. I particularly resonated with Wilkin's encouragement to treat Bible study like a savings account. Her advice is to keep reading and studying God's Word even when we don't understand it. Save that away. The Holy Spirit may illuminate a particularly tricky passage years later after we've read it hundreds of times. I know I've experienced this in my own study, and it was validating to hear her articulate my own experiences back to me.

She closes out her book with a chapter about teaching and common teaching pitfalls. I especially appreciated her warning about feminizing the Bible. It seems to be a trap that modern Christian writers can fall into and my radar is constantly up when I'm reading books by female authors I haven't encountered before. 

Ultimately though, I think the best thing Wilkin says in her entire book has to do with bathing our study of Scripture in prayer. 

"Without prayer, our study is nothing but an intellectual pursuit. With prayer, it is a means of communing with the Lord. Prayer is what changes our study from the pursuit of knowledge to the pursuit of God Himself."

Exactly right, Jen.  

You can read my reviews of the other Jen Wilkin books I've read here and here. How do you approach the Bible? Has your study of God's Word benefited from other books? And if yes, what books?

Let's Bust a Recap : Graced

Okay, I've mentioned several Bible studies over the years on this blog, but I don't typically review them here because to be completely 💯 with you: I rarely complete a study from cover to cover. The number one reason for this is because in the past, I have participated in group studies, and if I miss even one video session, or if I skip some of the homework because I'm getting behind, then I don't consider the study complete. 

But last year, a dear friend of mine published her first Bible study so, of course, I ordered it immediately.

And then it sat in my book cart for over eight months. I could give you a lot of excuses for this like how crazy 2023 was for us, or the holidays, or sickness, et cetera et cetera. But the truth is that this study is geared toward the sexually broken woman, and that's just not me. I am eternally grateful that God has put men in my life who have always protected me, cherished me, and treated me with dignity. So as I got the updates from Teresa about the study and joined her launch team, I wasn't really sure how DisGraced would land for me personally. And I put it off. But finally in March, I was telling my BFF Christina that I was ready to start it and she agreed to go through it with me. And it took me just under seven weeks to complete. 

In DisGraced, Teresa invites women to dive deep into the Bible and discover the heart of God toward six broken women in Scripture. Their stories still resonate with us today and can offer hope and healing for us all, but particularly for the woman who thinks she is beyond the grace of God or that healing will never be possible. 

Watching the introductory video before really diving in to the study, I immediately felt welcomed and encouraged that there was space in this study for me. It was emotional listening to Teresa tell a bit about her personal story. She is truly a wonderful and engaging speaker, and you can feel the compassion she has for women as you listen to her. 

As for the study itself: I felt like I did two distinct Bible studies. The first three weeks focusing on three Old Testament women—Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba—were one study; and the three remaining weeks focusing on three New Testament women—the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and the sinful woman—felt like a separate study. I can't exactly pinpoint why there was a disconnect for me, but it was definitely there. In the first half, Teresa's questions challenged my thinking and gave me a lot to work through, but I had a hard time connecting with it and ultimately there were some things I disagreed with (for example, calling Tamar's actions righteous or that David raped Bathsheba). But the second half of DisGraced was some of the most meaningful Bible study I have ever experienced. I have read the Bible several times in the course of my life so I was very familiar with all six of these women, but the study on the three New Testament women impacted me so strongly. They prompted some of the most beautiful times of personal prayer, praise, and communion with my loving Savior I have ever had. Throughout the whole of DisGraced, I loved working through one of the Psalms each week, and I appreciated the weekly challenge to write down one key takeaway I wanted to remember. 

All things considered, this is a study I would absolutely recommend. Even the tougher weeks I encountered or the things I didn't agree with didn't negatively impact Teresa's applications which were biblically solid. Her teaching sessions are excellent, and one of the biggest practical things I appreciated about DisGraced is that you can access the videos online any time. (Can we please make that standard fare for all Bible studies??) This study is for any woman no matter where she is spiritually. There is a clear gospel presentation and a warm invitation to come to Jesus, but there is also grace and encouragement for the seasoned follower of Christ. I'm glad I finally did it and I'm thankful for the ways God used this study in my personal relationship with Him. I'm looking forward to Teresa's next one!

Get DisGraced here.

Learn more about how to connect with Teresa here. 

Casual Fridays

Congratulations on making it through another week! I don't know about y'all, but April has been the crazy month this year. Our calendar has been slammed. But it's all good stuff so who can complain about that? I can. I mean, not that I'm complaining exactly, but I feel like I haven't slept in a year and a half. I'm ready for things to slow down just a smidge. I still haven't made it to the beach (notwithstanding my cruise to Mexico!), and it's looking like I won't be able to catch a beach day till about halfway through May. C'est la vie.

So in keeping with the craziness of this month, I'm just going to throw a bunch of random pictures at you and call this a Photo-Prompted Post. 

First of all, my pink camo iPhone case has officially bitten the dust. It never exactly fit properly in the first place, but now it is prohibiting the proper functions of my phone so it's time to go. Sad. R.I.P my happy pink camo OtterBox. You lasted almost two years so I guess that's pretty good.

Look at this gorgeous bouquet! As I was running around the house in a crazed everyone-is-coming-here-tomorrow-and-I-have-to-stay-through-both-morning-services-so-this-house-and-all-the-food-needs-to-be-ready-NOW frenzy Saturday night, my husband came home bearing these beautiful flowers and proceeded to arrange them into this fabulous bouquet which made the perfect centerpiece for our Easter celebration Sunday afternoon. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: he is the best. 

And speaking of Easter, it was perfect. The services at my church were poignantly beautiful, almost my entire family gathered at my house (we missed you, S-Baby! oh and you too, Oak and Caroline), and we ate a lot of food and shared a lot of laughter. Jesus is alive and He is good! And for the record: there were people in my life who thought I was a little ridiculous for registering for 16 place settings when I got married. But let me tell you, there were 14 adults and 3 children at my house Sunday afternoon and not a one of them had to eat off a Dixie plate, I'm just sayin'. The picture above is of the adorable salt and pepper shakers my mom gave me for Easter this year. How cute, right?!

Y'all. I got this letter from my Compassion girl this week, and I died. This is the first letter she has ever written all by herself, and she did it in English! She turned 9 last November, and up until now, she has drawn us lots of pictures, but an adult always wrote what she wanted to tell us in her "letters". I'm so proud of her. I want to frame it. How precious! 

My niece is playing soccer again, and y'all should see what an outstanding defensive player she is. She picks her man and literally becomes a human shield between that player and the ball. In fact, at the game after which this photo was taken, it was getting hot and the game was almost over and girlfriend had been working hard in that Florida sunshine, so she turned around to the little boy she was guarding and let him know he needed to "stop moving around so much!" I mean, really. Insert all the laughing/crying emoji faces here. Seriously. 

And while we're on the topic of my niece, she lost her very first tooth! How did this happen?? She was just born yesterday, wasn't she? I can't believe she's big enough to be getting visits from the Tooth Fairy. Go ahead and insert all the flat-out sobbing emoji faces here.

The new Christy book arrived Tuesday night, and I promptly read the entire thing on Wednesday. It was wonderful (of course), but in this book, Todd and Christy took a roadtrip to Glenbrooke so now all I want to do is re-read the entire Glenbrooke series. Stay on track, Hannah. For anyone wondering (since this blog is actually supposed to be about reading the books on my book list), I am slowly working my way through The Three Musketeers. It hasn't exactly grabbed me yet, so when I say "slowly", I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. 

I started a new Bible study this week, and it's Priscilla Shirer so naturally it's going to be good. For whatever reason, I find that Priscilla's studies challenge me the most. I've done a lot of Bible studies that encourage me or that I've learned a lot from, but Priscilla always seems to get in my face and tell me a thing or two I need to change or do better. In the very first video, she said the devil is strategic about his attacks on us so we need to get strategic about our prayer life. Ouch. How often am I haphazard about prayer? She's good. 

And to wrap this all up: Wednesday was haircut day for the boys! Don't they look sharp? The baby boy I nanny was not too happy that his buddies were missing most of the day Wednesday, but boy did they need some grooming. I love when their hair is long and shaggy, but I do not love how much dirt they bring in when it's like that. Yay! for not having to vacuum every single day. At least for a while. 

How's life with you lately? What did you do for Easter? Have you done any good Bible studies or read any good books recently? Do you sponsor a child with Compassion? What do you write in your letters to your Compassion child? 

Casual Fridays

Well, it has been a hot minute since we've had a Casual Friday around here. I attribute this to getting used to being a substitute teacher (oh did I forget to mention that? I'm a sub for Polk County, y'all), being dragged closer and closer to Election Day (this is not a fun one--I'm sure you've noticed), and just general life and busy-ness. I've rejoined the choir at my church after a 10-year hiatus, AWANA is in full swing, and Bible study has started back up. I've barely been home. So let's take a breath and catch up with each other. I think I'll dump some recent photos on ya and call it a Photo-Prompted Post, but don't worry, it won't be as intense as the last one. *insert one of those winky faces here*

Dogs first because aren't they sweet and haven't you missed them? They are loving this cool weather and being outside which is a nice change of pace for Colonel since he typically just goes out to do his business and then comes straight back to the door and sits there until I let him back in. Major, of course, is just always happy. It doesn't matter if it's 110 degrees outside, he still loves it. He loves everything.

And now one of us because people are important too. Arguably more important than dogs even. This was just this past Sunday after Sunday morning service and we took it because we were looking and feeling fabulous. I mean, look at us. I have one smokin' hot husband, you guys. 

This was from our last big Class of '06 outing. We planned several fun activities this summer to celebrate the fact that it's been 10 years since we graduated from high school, but this was the Grand Finale, and it was so fun. We ate like kings and just had a generally great time together like we always do. I love these people, and I loved getting to reconnect with everyone so much this summer. Let's not wait another 10 years to keep doing fun things together. 

My BFF Erin randomly texted me this photo this week. I had not ever even seen it, and I absolutely love it. This was from our Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl (2012, I think?). Every year, a huge gaggle of us go down to the soccer fields and work up a hearty appetite with a little friendly competition. This is my brother and me with Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim. Love, love, love it.

I mentioned that Bible study has started back up, and this is what we're working through right now. I can't get enough of this one, and it's impossible to believe that we're already on the very last week of it. I'm sad we're coming to the close of this precious study. If you're looking for a good Bible study to sink your teeth into, I highly recommend Fight Back With Joy by Margaret Feinberg. 

I think this is the first year since we've been married that Cody had to miss out on the Polk Fall Fest because of work and that's a bummer because it's a fun tradition we have together, but I got to spend it walking around with these two beautiful women so it wasn't a total bust. I don't think I've seen TamiLeigh since last year's Fall Fest, and we decided that absolutely wasn't acceptable so she came over for lunch yesterday. Isn't it just the best catching up with longtime friends? I love these sweet women, and I also love that there was a stand at the Fall Fest selling pumpkin-spiced sweet tea in orange mason jars. $5 well spent.

This was also from Sunday after church. We went to Manny's to celebrate Christina's last birthday in her 20s. (Don't even get me started.) If you've been reading this blog long, you know these are two of my favorite girls on the planet and have been for a long time. I love that we still live in the same town and can hang out on a Sunday afternoon. (That was a veiled plea for you to never leave me.)

And while we're getting all caught up today, how about some Link Love?

- The Scandal of Election 2016 : Yes. Ms. Beth says (much more eloquently) everything I've been feeling during this rough election year. Thank you.

- Julie Andrews is Getting Her Own Netflix Show : If you're anything like me, it's going to take you a minute to pick your jaw back up from off the floor. I'm pretty psyched about this. 

- Latest Features : Listen. I could share every single comic this guy posts. But then we'd be here all day because he posts every.single.day. He is hilarious and you should seriously follow him. I shared this one in particular because it's just so me.

So are we sufficiently caught up? Well, we will be once you leave me a comment and fill me in on what's happening in your life these days. Have a wonderful weekend and soak up these last sweet days of October!

Casual Fridays

Another Friday, another casual post. And how about making this one a Photo-Prompted Post since it's been a couple weeks and lots of stuff has been going on, ok? Good. 

First up: the Major. I feel like I haven't put up as many pictures of him as I have of the Colonel because he always just looks like a big black shadow whenever I try to snap a photo. But he's just the sweetest most lovable puppy in the world. He's every bit as big as Colonel now, and I think he's still got some growing left to do yet. He'd eat everything (including my ChapStick--remember when Colonel did that? what is it with puppies and ChapStick?!) and then keep going if we'd let him. He's the best. You should meet him.

This was back from St. Patrick's Day a.k.a (and more importantly) Danette's birthday! We surprised her with a little party at Manny's, and y'all, you've never seen true joy if you haven't seen this chick being surprised by her two nieces coming all the way from Tallahassee a day early and showing up at her school. I only saw a video of it myself, but it was too. good. Think green mullet and two cute blondes. Anyway, I love these ladies and I love this picture. iPhones for the win, amiright?!

Thought you were going to make it out of here without a photo collage or two? Think again. Collages are a game changer for our Photo-Prompted Posts in a fabulous way. Instead of posting 11 individual pictures for a specific event: voila! Collage it and now maybe you'll actually make it to the end of this post without quitting or hating me. Anyway, this is Gatorland! We took our Guard girls there on March 19th, and yes, those are real gators, you guys. And they were everywhere. This was actually my very first visit to Gatorland, and I can't believe I've never been before. Even though we got rained on, the girls had a fabulous time, and I have to admit, I want to go back and try out their (apparently) world-famous zipline. Cody thinks I'm totally crazy 'cause ain't no way brother's gonna' be suspended by a string over a multitude of hungry gators. But I'm down to try it. As long as I'm not suspended over any snakes which, as you can see if you look to the bottom right of our collage, ain't got nothin' on Miss Mary. Those same guys tried to put two gigantic, hairy, disgusting tarantulas on me (and no, I'm not kidding), but they picked the wrong girl for that trick. I was back to my seat in about 6 seconds flat and they got some willing sucker to hold those nasty things. #notthiswhitegirl  #notever

Y'all. Apparently, Colonel is just as big of an Austen fan as I am. I had been lying (laying?) on the floor reading with Colonel nearby (like he always is), and I got up to get a tissue because allergies, and when I turn around, this is what I see. I can't even. How sweet is he?!

Speaking of allergies, it rained a whole bunch last week, and I haven't been suffering very much at all anymore. All the praise hands! And the weather this week has been perfect. Cool in the mornings and evenings and sunny with a breeze during the day. It's what I like to call Be Out In It Weather and believe me, I have. I've pretty much just been coming in to sleep. #floridagirlforeverrrr

Umm...the most recent bag of carrots I bought has been a little funky. As in: every handful I've grabbed has included 2 or 3 of these mutant, siamese carrots. Should I be concerned? 

So I've instituted a monthly Girls Movie Night at my house, and I can always count on these two to stay till they have to wake me up and tell me they're leaving. It's been so fun, and I hope we can keep it up because every girl needs girl time, and really, how am I ever supposed to break in to the twenty-first century without girlfriends to teach me how to snapchat?

Am I doing it right?

This past weekend was Living Proof Live in Miami. I've been looking forward to this since they posted the schedule for this year, and I bought my early-bird ticket about as soon as they went on sale. Up till just a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd be going all by my lonesome, but I finally convinced this girl that she needed to come with me, and I'm so glad she did. I can honestly echo the same words I used last year when I told you about Living Proof Live in Tampa: it was a powerful, Spirit-filled weekend of edification and worship. This time around, Ms. Beth brought us some lessons from the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 and challenged us to pray for GIANT DEFIANT faith. I'm so thankful for special pockets of focused time geared specifically toward worshipping our Mighty God, and I'm also thankful for sweet sisters in Christ, especially Amy. The recap video for this particular event can be found here, and did you notice our little secret Siesta photo? There were only 6 of us this year! We each got to hug Ms. Beth's sweet neck and chat with her for a couple minutes. How fun! #becausecheese #insidejoke #1samuel17:18

Because can you get enough of my dogs? I can't. This is a new favorite picture of them. Since our new house is almost completely carpeted, they love to lie (lay?) on the little square of tiles at the front door or in one of the bathrooms to keep cool while we're all just relaxing inside, but I caught them like this on the linoleum in the kitchen the other night. I think this picture might give me diabetes it's just so stinkin' sweet. 

Have you had just about enough yet? We're almost done, I promise.

Speaking of precious sisters in Christ, one of mine just handed my husband and me an envelope on Sunday completely out of the blue, and inside was my new favorite thing. An American flag ChapStick keychain. Which I can only assume she made. And it even had a brand new tube of lip balm in it. Y'all. Remember how excited I was when I found this one? It doesn't even compare to this new one, mostly because it wasn't made especially for me by such a thoughtful, praying lady. Thank you, Miss Rhonda! I absolutely love it!

I started a new Bible study this week, and I'm really excited about the study and the group of women I'll be studying alongside of. This is the first Bible study I've ever done by Jennifer Rothschild, and she is just as sweet as sugar. I can tell I'm going to love it. The very first day of homework already had me crying some tender tears. What a blessing to have God's Word in my own two hands and to see His unfailing love for His own on every page! Hallelujah!

Alright. Last one. Just me and my boys soaking up that gorgeous Florida sunshine this week. Lookin' a hot mess per usual. If you made it all the way down to this, I congratulate you. Tell me what's going on with you! And if you can figure out how to leave your own photo in the comments, all the better. Have a fantastic weekend!

Casual Fridays

This post is probably just going to be all over the place so try and stick with me. Wait? What's that you say? All my Casual Friday posts are all over the place? Well, I'm tapping into a serious stream of consciousness today so it might even be more random than usual. Don't judge me.

First of all, this is my jam lately. I am not ashamed to admit that I love a totally mainstream, upbeat pop hit. In fact, I'm probably the biggest Jonas Brothers fan you'll ever meet. (When they were a cute, brother-band. Not all this ridiculous solo nonsense they've got going on recently. I can't even.) Anyway, this song has got me car-dancing in a major way. I think it's super-fun.

**Disclaimer: I have no idea what else these guys sing so if you're the kinda person who likes one song so then you go and listen to all their music, do not hold me responsible if the rest of it's crap. Just sayin'.**

My mom sent me this little poem this week. (She and my husband totally supply me with blog fodder for days. My husband is probably responsible for like, 63% of the Link Love I shout out here. So thanks, babe. Thanks, Mom.) 

Isn't that perfect and just so true? And speaking of making friends, sharing tears and laughter, can I just say....

I mean, it's just the truth. And why isn't my new Christy book here yet? I'm dying to catch up with her and Todd and the rest of my BFFs. Twenty-two days and counting. Not obsessed or anything.

Can I just share a few quotes from my Jonah Bible study that squeezed my heart this week? Here they are:

"While we may want to find the easiest road to complete obedience, our heart must be set on doing God's will--His way and in its entirety--even if it takes longer than we'd prefer or requires more effort."

"Jesus knows a thing or two about timing...While our insatiable desire to know it all seems to rarely be satisfied, we must discipline ourselves to place confidence in His decision to give us the information we need to successfully accomplish the step we are on in the journey. He doesn't withhold information because He doesn't love you but because of His great love for you."

"Knowing the endless kindness of our God should not only catapult us to our knees to experience it but to our feet, to walk out a lifestyle of obedience that prioritizes submission to His will over all else." (See Romans 6:1-2 to really get a handle on this particular quote.)

So this is where my husband proposed marriage to me on January 13, 2012:

I know, super-dreamy, right? It's only the most romantic spot on God's green earth, and I only wanted to be proposed to in that spot since I was 10 years old. He nailed it.

And this is me showing my niece the exact spot where her Uncle Cody popped the question:

And here I am going in for a smooch because, hey, we were re-enacting the magical moment, ok?

Where is this gorgeous and wonderful place, you ask? The beautiful (and historic) Cypress Gardens. Which is now a part of LegoLand. Which I have mixed feelings about. And when I say "mixed", I really just mean that I don't like it. I don't like change, alright? I wish Cypress Gardens was exactly the same as it was when I was a kid. But I loved going on a spur-of-the-moment trip to LegoLand Wednesday with these chickies (not pictured: my mommy-in-law and my other niece, although Lynds, you made a heroic effort trying to fit her into that selfie. You are so pro.):

Anyone still with me? I'll wrap it up soon. 

Maybe.

I did want to share a Psalm of the Week. So let's do that now.

"The Lord is gracious and merciful;

Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all,

And His mercies are over all His works."

Psalm 145:8-9

This hit me when I read it because you know what? God is good to ALL, His mercies are over ALL His works. Even those who will suffer His wrath because they rejected Him. He is good to even them. God loves His creation, and He is slow to anger, steadfast in lovingkindness. Why should I be any less? I'm not God. My job is to love unconditionally and show kindness and mercy without exceptions. Oh that I would get this right.

My honey is taking me on a date-day tomorrow. The Cheesecake Factory is on the table as one of our destinations. Have I ever mentioned he's the best? Wild Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, here I come.

Okay, okay, I really will wrap it up now. How about we end this post with a picture of my other sweetie since I feel like he's been neglected on the blog lately and I'm sure you're all dying to know how he's been. 

Early morning walks with the Colonel. Good times. 

Peace out, cub scouts, and I'll just go ahead and tell you that there may not be a post on Monday because jury duty. Yay. (I used the sarcasm font there, can you tell?)

Oh and tell me all your favorite pop songs that I can jam to. I won't tell anyone. Promise.

Casual Fridays

Where do I even begin this week? I skipped Casual Friday last week because I pretty much poured my soul into this post, and now I feel like we have a lot to catch up on. Because, you know, I'm sure you're all dying to know every last little detail about my life. Right? Wait, Lyndsey and Christina are the only two reading this? Why aren't you two doing a better job of promoting my blog already? Kidding. (kindof) Anyway, here goes nothin'. 

First on the agenda: I started a new Bible study last week. Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. My sister-in-love is leading this study in her home, and I'm already being challenged by it in a big way. This is my second study by Priscilla Shirer. I did Gideon a while back and LOVED it so I was really excited to jump into this one. 

*SAP ALERT* Skip ahead if you're not into it.

Last Thursday (after our new Bible study group met for the first time), I came home to these gorgeous roses. It had just been one of those weeks, ya feel me? And even though my man had just worked his third 12-hour shift in a row, he went out and got me roses. 

I don't know if you've picked up on it yet, but flowers are my love language. What? You didn't know there was a sixth love language that was just FLOWERS? Gary Chapman ain't got nothin' on me. I'll write my own dang book. 

The point of all this? My husband is the best, and he speaks my love language fluently.

I mean really, how pretty are those roses?!

Friday night and Saturday was Living Proof Live in Tampa, finally! I've been looking forward to this all year. Not kidding. And believe me when I say, I was not disappointed. It was a powerful, Spirit-filled weekend of worship and edification, and I was so glad to share it with all these sweethearts:

Our motto for the weekend was "R-E the most beautiful prefix in history." We talked about reverberating, restoring, reframing, replanting, repenting, and remembering. It was awesome. And of course, we Siestas had to meet up for our clandestine photo op with Mama Beth afterwards:

It was a fabulous weekend, and it left me begging for more. I mean, seriously Ms. Beth, don't throw out the idea of a Women's VBS if we can't follow through on that, amiright? Anyway, if you want to watch the beautiful recap they made of the weekend, click here.

Moving on...

I'm well into the Psalms right now, and I think we may have to install a little Psalm of the Week segment here on our Casual Fridays posts. This first one comes out of the 37th Psalm verses 23-26 (NASB):

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, 

And He delights in his way.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

I have been young and now I am old

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

Or his descendants begging bread.

All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing."

What a beautiful promise: I will not be hurled headlong because the Lord is holding my hand. That's something I can hang on tight to.

Elisabeth Elliot, December 21, 1926 ~ June 15, 2015

In other news, Elisabeth Elliot went home to be with our precious Lord this week. This dear woman has influenced thousands--maybe millions--of people during her life, and I am so thankful for her dedication to God and furthering the truth of His Word. Her books have challenged me and also encouraged me during some dark times. She lived a good long life, and I hope that her words continue to challenge and encourage the generations to come. One quote of hers that I love is this:

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering."

Colonel's Corner

This sweet thing went under the knife this week, y'all. There will never be any little Colonels running around because on Monday, June 15, Colonel's manhood was stripped from him. 

Poor guy.

He apparently did really well. When we got there to pick him up, we could hear him before we could see him, and the techs informed us that he was ready to go home 5 minutes after the surgery was complete.

Excuse me?! Why didn't you call me to come get my baby immediately?? (Yes, I'm turning into that girl.)

Anyway, the pain meds do weird things to him, and so far, I haven't observed him being any calmer than he was before, which is supposed to be one of the  benefits of neutering a dog. 

But it hasn't even been a whole week yet, so here's hoping.

Let's close this week out with a little Link Love, shall we?

One of the Biggest Lies the Church Has Taught You : I know, I hate posts with buzz word kinda titles, too. But this one is really good. 

Doghouse Diaries: Self-Diagnoses : Because HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Benny the Bull Kiss Cam : Because pay attention to your woman!

Disney Princess Medley : Because Bonnie Milligan is frickin' hilarious.

Annnnnnd....I think that's it for this week, folks. Do you feel sufficiently caught up on my life?

Oh and P.S. I didn't win the contest if anyone was wondering. I know. Devastating. 

Wonderstruck Wednesdays

I posted several weeks ago about a new Bible study I was working through called Wonderstruck by Margaret Feinberg. For anyone wondering, I am still loving it, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone out there looking for a study to do. In the study, Margaret highlights six areas of wonder in our lives: the wonder of divine expectation, the wonder of God's presence, the wonder of rest, the wonder of prayer, the wonder of friendship, and the wonder of forgiveness. This past week I completed the homework portion on the wonder of friendship. God has blessed me with so many beautiful friendships throughout my life, and I wanted to take today to talk about just a few of these sweet women. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of all my friends, but these five women have stuck around and been my friends for a very long time, and I can't thank God enough for them. 

First, there's Amy. If I remember correctly, Amy was the first girl my age I met when I moved to Florida at the fresh age of seven years old. From the moment we met, we were bosom buddies and if you ask any of the members who attended Faith Baptist Church when we were children, they'd tell you they rarely saw one of us without the other. We've been friends for over 20 years now, and Amy is one of the most loyal women I know. When I spent six months in Johannesburg, South Africa, Amy wrote me letters every week without fail. Amy, I love you with all my heart and I look forward to the next 20 years of friendship we'll share.

Next is Erin. I also met Erin when I was seven years old right after moving to Florida. Erin is probably one of the most steady people I know. I have said on different occasions that Erin has probably been the most consistent friend I have ever had, and that remains true today. Even though she has been living in Arizona for the last several years (which is killing me, Erin. get your butt back to Florida!), I never feel as if our friendship has stopped or even lagged. Whether it's a phone call or a visit, I enjoy spending time with her, and I know I can trust her with anything. I love you, Erin, and your friendship is a treasure to me. 

Lyndsey is another one of my lifers who is now my sister-in-law. That's right. I married her brother. Over the past 20 years, we have gone through times where we haven't seen each other as much as other times. In those times, we never missed each other's birthday parties, talked on the phone for hours, and wrote each other real, send-it-in-the-mail-with-a-stamp letters. Lyndsey and I can't tell each other a story without one of us stopping to ask, "Wait, what were you wearing? What time was it? Was it before or after such-and-such?" We have to know every single detail about each others' lives, and I wouldn't change that for anything. Now we have been sisters for three years and she'll never be able to get rid of me even if she wanted to! Lynds, I love you to the stars, and I'm so glad you've always been my sister....even before I married Cody.

Christina and I met during our turbulent middle school years and instantly became BFFs. Nearly 15 years later, we can't go for a week without at least texting each other, and I can't imagine my life without her in it. From countless sleepovers where absolutely no sleeping occurred, to our shared love of music and singing together (come on, Shania), to our Ben & Jerry's chic flic therapy, to our appreciation for and strict enforcement of correct grammar, to our blogging endeavors, to our love for Christ and our desire to walk closer with Him; she is my girl and she's always got my back. Christina, I love you forever.

Danette has been my friend for almost a decade now, and I can't even begin to talk about how much joy and fun she has brought into my life. Even over this past weekend when I was deep in a pit, she brought me out of it just by being available to spend time with me talking, laughing, and shopping. And then following all of that up with a trip to the beach! Whether it's wearing green wigs to a wedding, lathering each other up with sunscreen, broadening our horizons by sharing books and movies together, exaggerating merely for the sake of exaggerating, or frequenting one of the many fine eateries in the greater Winter Haven area, I would pick Danette every time. Danette, I love you, buddy, and count on me frequenting all of the fine eateries in the greater Talla-assee area with you in the future!

Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." You five women bring out the best in me, and I thank God for each and every one of you. 

I am wonderstruck by my friends.