I honestly had a great week.
This week was tender and good and I’m grateful. Despite all the tenderness and goodness, I am dragging myself across the finish line and doing everything but my homework. A good weary if you will. I am looking forward to sitting next to my parent’s fireplace, watching cable, sleeping on sheets I did not wash. I can’t wait!
But really, this week was a really good week ministry-wise. All around life-giving and fun, but also conversations where I cried about how sometimes life, and sometimes it feels like God, is not gentle. This week was five years since probably the worst week ministry-wise for me before I moved to Kansas City. So it was a nice full-circle time.
Also on the camera roll from this week: celebrating my sister’s birthday and saying “This place is a like Charming Charlie” a little too loud in a boutique, coordinating a wedding, Friendsgiving, and date night.
I hope you all have a very good Thanksgiving! I’ll see you next Sunday on the first Sunday of Advent! Woo!
Number One: What I accidentally left off last week:
An error from my copying and pasting // it’s a slow week for Five Things. Here’s Nicole on boosting your breakfast:
In a culture that is constantly doing diet “gymanstics” this might sound old school, but breakfast is still an important opportunity for your health. Start slow with something simple within an hour or so of rising. Some places to start: Greek yogurt with honey, berries, granola, an egg and toast, protein smoothie. If this is new to you it may take time for your appetite to come back. Our bodies are incredibly smart and self programmed so it will find another way to get the necessary fuel in lieu of a meal, and the first place it looks to begin breaking down is your precious muscle! When boosting your breakfast the main objective is to emphasize protein, fat, and carbohydrates or color. And while you’re at it, eat more in general. Our bodies rely on fuel and if we are not providing it our digestion, healing, muscle building etc are taking a hit.
Number Two: A boarding school that took away smartphones
I’ve recently become very interested in the idea of learning more about what kinds of people experience low levels of anxiety. I just feel like anxiety is all around us, and what it’s accomplishing isn’t helpful. So who isn’t anxious? And are their circumstances replicable?
Anyway, I enjoyed reading about this Boarding School where they took away smartphones from students and staff.
Because WSJ are on total lock down without a subscription, I’ll give you the skinny: students and staff all turned in their smart phones and instead were given semi-smart, very slow phones. Irksome to use, but after a while, people didn’t miss their smart phones so much.
Number Three: FilterJoy
Whenever the inspector was doing the walk through with me while I was buying my house, he pointed out that the HVAC system had a “weird filter size,” which at the time seemed like a totally surmountable issue, unlike the fact that my HVAC system is older than me. The previous owners left a box of filters, so I didn’t really worry about it until a few months ago.
Not that it’s impossible, but no major store chain carries the exact filter size I need. Enter FilterJoy. I’m for sure paying a premium for the subscription of it all, but they have my filters, so I’ll be glad to do it for now.
Number Four: The Destiny of the Republic
I read this book in college for my favorite history class, and again last week (or rather listened on Libby) for a book club I’m in. The topic doesn’t seem fascinating, but the writing makes the story come to life. If you like non-fiction that reads like fiction, and is well researched, I recommend.
Number Five: Getting your nails done and hair cut on the same day
Is it always the best use of funds and money? Maybe not. But once a quarter? Nails and hair done. It’s a great combo.
Here’s a photo of me and some friends from today! Woo!