Back to School

Last week I had to tell my 9-year-old girl her best friend from school wasn’t coming back this year. This summer, they’ve written some letters, gone to camp and VBS together, and looked forward to the new school year as fourth-graders together. And then sometimes life changes unexpectedly, and it hurts.

Cate processes life much like I do so I knew this was going to be a conversation we’d have to have more than once. I knew the news would well up in her heart at random moments. So I pulled her aside while we were on vacation and everyone else was occupied. We talked and cried and sat in silence.

Later that day, cousins were swimming in the pool at the beach house we were calling home for a week. With tears dried for the moment, Cate asked, “Is it really okay to do something happy when I’m sad?”

Y’all. It’s a question I asked when my father-in-law died unexpectedly more than six years ago. It’s a question I wrestled with while processing what God was doing in my heart and life after we returned from Guatemala last summer. It’s a question that rises up when I read headlines.

And it’s a question Jennifer Dukes Lee had me thinking about earlier this summer as I read “The Happiness Dare.” There in Hilton Head, where sand was in places it didn’t belong and my girl’s heart was aching, I got to share what God has taught me.

Yes, it’s okay to do something happy even when we’re sad. {Tweet that.}

“Pay attention. Savor the life God has given to you. Thank God for the good when life is beautiful. And fight hard to find the happy when life is brutal.”

–Jennifer Dukes Lee in “The Happiness Dare”

This truth that happiness and sadness can co-exist is something I learned, thanks to “Inside Out,” “The Happiness Dare” and plenty of real-life experiences. Do you remember the movie “Inside Out”? It’s such a sweet story of Joy and Sadness realizing they’re best together.

On a slightly lighter note of two extremes coexisting, I’m never really ready for summer to end, but I’m craving routine. We’ve had a wild summer that involved moving, going on three trips, and squeezing in afternoons at the pool.

I will miss summer, but I appreciate the way God created seasons. {Tweet that.}

My fourth-grade girl who devours books has the same teacher as last year, which we are glad about. She has mixed emotions about getting up early and diving back into a routine, especially without her best friend.

My boy is starting first grade and he’s the one who entertains and makes friends easily. I’m never really sure what all he’s learned because he doesn’t like to recite on demand his newfound knowledge. His teacher has worked at the school for awhile and I’m glad one of my kids gets to have her.

I’m thinking about my own schedule that will involve volunteering at our local crisis pregnancy center one morning a week, hopefully settling into our still-new-to-us house, and, you know, chasing baby girl who turns 1 in less than two months and is pretty much into everything.

Summer has been full of adventure and life lessons. There’s been good books and slow mornings. Thanks for hanging with me here, where it’s been quieter. The longer days have gone quickly and we didn’t do everything I had hoped to do. But we enjoyed our break from routine yet are excited for the new routine to begin today.
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I'm on "The Happiness Dare" launch team, so I got an advanced PDF copy of the book to read. But the way the message has seeped into my everyday life is real. I do recommend this book if you're needing some encouragement to find the happy. You can read my review here. 
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An InLinkz Link-up

11 Things I Learned in July

Oh, July, you’ve been too quick. But you’ve been fun. I’ve driven more new-to-me roads than even before and been on some more familiar ones, but I’ve also learned more deeply to appreciate the journey. This month the journey has included road trips, boat rides on the lake, and afternoons at the pool.

People ask if we’re settled in our new house and I usually say, “Pretty much.” And that’s the short-answer truth. But the long answer: We’re as settled as much as we can be while there are still guys working on the enormous garage we’re renovating. That garage will house the piles of outdoor toys on our side porch that also serves as our everyday entrance. That garage will also house all my husband’s tools and camo attire and hunting accessories that are stored in various other places.

I’ve hung some pictures but there are stacks of others elsewhere, sitting out of our walking paths through the house but in plain sight. And we have this beautiful 10-foot long, floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelf that is still missing cabinets on the bottom cabinets where the board games still in boxes in another corner.

So, you know, we’re pretty much settled. Sort of.

I figure there will be more time for all of that when the kids start Aug. 10.

There you have it, July. You’re making me mourn the end of summer but look forward with great anticipation to a schedule. But, before you go, how about some things you’ve taught me …

1. The last several episodes of season 11 of “Grey’s Anatomy” we’re really good.

I burnt out on this show years ago but occasionally binge watch episodes I haven’t seen. Yes, Derek dies, which I knew before I even watched, but that storyline leads to some great TV.

And the last quote of the season? Perfection, nearly.

“You can build a house out of anything, make it as strong as you want, but a home, a home is more fragile than that. A home is made of the people you fill it with. And people can be broken, sure, but any surgeon knows what’s broken can be mended, what’s hurt can be healed, that no matter how dark it gets, the sun’s gonna rise again.”

– Meredith Gray in season 11 finale

Yes, then I kept watching into the 12th season. I know. So. Many. Seasons.

2. Elin Hilderbrand is a great new-to-me author. 

I saw her name when her endorsement was on the front of another book I was reading. I randomly chose “Summerland” from the library and then moved on to “The Rumor.”

{I’ve been on a bit of a fiction binge lately, as you can tell from my list of books I’ve read so far this year. And it seems Hilderbrand has many books, so that’ll keep me going!}

3. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is prettier than the U.S. side. Of course, it’s also busy when it’s a double holiday weekend with U.S. folks celebrating Independence Day and Canadians having their own Canada Day. But, hey, it’s pretty!

We went to Buffalo, NY for a long weekend at the beginning of the month for the baptisms of my twin niece and nephew. It was a fun trip and we’re looking forward to being with my siblings and their families again next week ... at the beach!

4. Hand, foot and mouth disease is no joke. That’s what Rachel brought home from Buffalo. Thankfully, turns out the case she had wasn’t even that bad, but there were still a few rough days.

5. Sometimes driving 180 miles one way with one friend for lunch with another friend is worth it. 

Of course, her van may break down and kids end up playing in the sprinkles at the park in their clothes. Road trips and friendships are always adventures worth having. {Here’s a little more on that.}

6. My kids and husband don’t have the same love of Krispy Kreme doughnuts that I do – even when the doughnuts are hot and fresh. Yeah, I can’t explain it either. But they do like watching them be made.

7. New Needtobreathe music is my happy place. Okay, this isn’t something I learned, but I love the new album so I needed to include it. My favorite songs are “Happiness, “Hard Love,” and “Testify.”

8. Detours keep us focused on the journey, giving us opportunities to see new places and appreciate the details around us. 

The most direct route to our new house in the country has been closed for three weeks – the majority of the time we’ve lived here. I've discovered various routes home, and I have my favorite that includes a beautiful field of sunflowers.

9. Even when a friendship spans decades, new traditions can be made. 

We went to St. Louis for the third year in late July {hello, hotness …} so we could go to Six Flags with our best friends. We spent three nights there and also went to a Cardinals game, Soulard Market, the {free!} science center, and the {free!} zoo.

And, really, I know the attractions aren’t actually totally free because local property owners pay for the science center and zoo, but it’s such a nice treat to tourists like us!

10. And when in STL in July, don’t buy right field bleacher seats for an evening game at Busch Stadium. With a 6:15 p.m. start time, we were in the sun until the sixth inning – and the last section to feel shade. Trust me, it makes a difference.

11. An old-fashioned DiscMan provides my son hours of entertainment. Hours, really. {And he’s cute!}

Tell me about your July.
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I'm linking with Emily Freeman like I do at the end of every month. 

A Special Rest

I love the change of seasons as I look forward to the change in scenery, each bringing a beauty all their own. The same trees, out back in our yard, bring an awareness and an awe all their own.

I never tire of the orange, red, and yellow hues of fall. Then the branches, devoid of any leaves, hold the splash of white as the snow falls, reflecting the brilliance of the sun. They change once more as little bursts of pale green and red buds peek through the tips, eventually giving way to full out green when the leaves fill in again. Every year I marvel at the varied shades of green.

Only our God, infinite in His creativity, could design seasons which would help us also manage the seasons of our lives:

• Fall. This season often reminds me of a fresh start, beginnings, perhaps because it brings a new school year. The smells of crisp leaves, the first fires, pumpkin candles, and apple pies bring a comfort all their own which is both familiar and unique. The season of harvest reminds us to be thankful for all that He has done in our lives.
• Winter. There is a reverence and peace which comes with the first snowfall. No matter how many snowfalls I have now experienced, each reminds me that I have been made whiter than snow.
• Spring. The season of growth. All that has been dormant, lying under the surface, begins to come to life and grow once anew. Spring brings a hope – of greater growth and production. It encourages us to get back out there in the arena of life and enjoy all that is before us.
• Summer ...

The season we are currently enjoying. The season of rest. These are the months we long for throughout the year. We desire the break from our busy schedules and routines which dictate our days. It’s the season of rest. I have found myself asking the question, “What is rest?” More so, what does God want us to do in resting?

“Rest” can mean a physical settling down of something at a particular place. “To rest” sometimes indicates a complete envelopment and thus permeation (both definitions come from Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary). To rest should then mean a period of mental or spiritual calm, a relief or freedom from that which pressures us each day.

The messages are heard all around us. You know, the ones which keep pushing us to achieve more and work harder. “Do it now.” “Work hard!” “You’ll never get ahead unless you do more!” “Don’t stop.”

We need to close the lids of our laptops. Lay those cell phones down. And take a rest.

God knew the earth needed the season of summer in order to rest. {Tweet that.} How much more do His people need this same season? Listen to what He says:

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest.” {Hebrews 4:9-11, NLT}

God Himself worked hard yet He knew to take a rest. We need to do the same. But notice, we are exhorted to “do our best to enter that rest.” It strikes me funny that we need to work at resting or we will not rest at all. As we rest and our minds are calm, we are better able to focus on Him, gaining renewed perspective. Our hearts are softened, malleable to His touch. Remember the definition of “rest”? We become completely enveloped and thus permeated by His Spirit.

Enjoy these days of summer. Relax with family and friends. Laugh. Play games.

This special rest.

It is the most productive thing we can do this summer. {Tweet that.}
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Joanne Viola is a wife, mom to now adult children, and “Mimi” to two granddaughters. She began blogging so that her family would always know her thoughts as she processed through the journey of life. She is the director of partner care for The Lulu Tree, a non-profit serving women and children both in Uganda and Sierra Leone. You can find her on her blog, Days & Thoughts, or on Facebook and Twitter.
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An InLinkz Link-up

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#ThreeWordWednesday has been full of guest posting goodness this summer, so be sure to read any posts you may have missed. 

Susan Shipe shared about summertime fun. Melody Hester offered advice for navigating new seasons. Tiffany Parry shared about the joy that comes with freedom. Alecia Simersky talked about rejoicing in the day God has made, even with the day involves hard changes. Lyli Dunbar offered lessons on surviving summer storms. 

You can also download The Summer Not-To-Do List I made for you, if you haven't already, and find some book recommendations among the books I've read {so far} this year. 

Surviving Summer Showers

The internet is full of good people, and Lyli Dunbar is one of them. I'm not entirely sure where we first crossed paths, but I'm glad we did. She's the kind of person who asks how to pray and then follows up with encouragement. On the blog today, Lyli is sharing what being a lifelong Florida girl has taught her about surviving storms, both the natural kind and the literal kind. 

I am a Florida girl. I live in the land of perpetual summer where flip flops are the uniform year round.
In June, however, we do experience a bizarre weather phenomenon that I like to call the 3 p.m. shower. Almost every day at 2:30 or so, I will look out the window and see a gradual shift in the atmosphere. Dark clouds roll in and cover the pretty blue skies like a blanket, and the wind starts howling through the trees. Everything changes.

I’ve lived in the Sunshine State since I was 5 years old, but this always catches me by surprise. Honestly, I am not a fan of the rain. I know that the green blades of grass need the water like a baby needs milk, but I hate having to pull out my umbrella.

I was lamenting the stormy weather one afternoon at work when my co-worker Lorene, who is a living ray of sunshine, shared she doesn’t mind the rain one bit.

“Every summer, I tell the Lord that I am okay with the daily rain showers. Just don’t send a hurricane.” We haven’t put up our storm shutters in more than a decade, and her comment woke me up and reminded me that I really shouldn’t complain about a sprinkle because God is mercifully sparing me from an onslaught.

Yes, summer is cannon balls in the pool, popsicle smiles, and bare feet in the sand. I just got back from spending three days at the beach with my husband, and my heart is bursting with happiness. But, before we left, the transmission blew out on his car and rained on my parade.

God is teaching me that I always need to pack an umbrella. Rain will come. I must expect it, even on sunny summer days.

Thankfully, I don’t need to fear that the sky is falling because He is sheltering me from the storm. The umbrella of His favor never leaves me.

Maybe like me, you are facing a little wind and rain right now. How do we keep smiling when the weather is suddenly dark and gloomy?

Three Survival Tips for Summer Showers

1. Keep pressing in: Stormy days remind us that we can’t do today without leaning into God’s strength. Let Him renew you.

“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; His going out is sure as the dawn; He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3, ESV).

2. Stay prayed up: Don’t get distracted by the weather. The enemy of our souls loves to get us moody, mad, and miserable. Combat the blues by getting on your knees regularly.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth” (James 5:16-17).

3. Offer up your heart: Let the rain soak into your broken places and soften you to the needs around you, rather than hardening your heart.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).

It takes both sunshine and rain to make a rainbow. {Tweet that.} Summer showers will bring growth and refresh our souls if we surrender our expectations and trust that God’s timing is perfect.
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Lyli Dunbar enjoys road trips with her husband, connecting with women through Bible study, and reading way too many books. She shares how everyday experiences help flesh out her faith at 3-D Lessons for Life. A disciple, wife, educator, and mentor, Lyli is just a girl working to keep the faith day by day. She serves as Social Media Manager for Missional Women and is a contributor at Start Marriage Right and Daily Devo. You can also connect with Lyli on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.
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An InLinkz Link-up

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#ThreeWordWednesday has been full of guest posting goodness this summer, so be sure to read any posts you may have missed. 

Susan Shipe shared about summertime fun. Melody Hester offered advice for navigating new seasons. Tiffany Parry shared about the joy that comes with freedom. Alecia Simersky talked about rejoicing in the day God has made, even with the day involves hard changes. 

You can also download The Summer Not-To-Do List I made for you, if you haven't already, and find some book recommendations among the books I've read {so far} this year. 

She is home {to me}

I can hear the hammering four houses down from my yard, the one with a For Sale sign. I would have told you there wasn’t enough room for anyone to build a house there, but they made room when they cleared some trees. It sits back more than some of the other houses on Sharpe Street.

But the sounds of nails going into the wood to make walls reminds of Schureck Court. Our house at the edge of the cul-de-sac was one of the first. We heard and saw so many of our neighbors’ houses go up, eventually circling our end of the street.

We played on the mounds of dirt and ran through the structures as the walls went up. These days, my kids would get in trouble for doing that. But as much as the fields were our playgrounds, so were the new houses.

I remember being excited to see who would move in next door. As I eyed the newly completed house, I was less interested in the floor plan and more intrigued with the family who came from Pennsylvania in October of 1990.

Turns out, that family included a girl who was a grade behind me in school, shared my hair color, and became my best friend.

Katie could sing and play the piano – hobbies that never interested me. But we could tell you exactly how many steps it was from her bedroom door – the first door on the left of her house’s first floor hallway – to mine at the end of the far end of our house’s second floor. We dreamed and cried and laughed and wished we were older. I don’t know how many games of flashlight tag we played, boys we talked about, or Dr Peppers we drank. Summers were running through the neighbors’ sprinklers, staying up late, and trying to get tans. We shared meals, secrets, and bags of circus peanuts.

Perhaps the best part of this story soaked in childhood memories is the girl from next door is still my dear friend. For more than two-thirds of my life, Katie has been part of it, somehow. She lives farther away now, but our lives are still intertwined.

My kids know when it’s Katie I’m talking to on the phone. I really don’t talk to many other people (hello, texting), but our conversations are unlike the ones I have with anyone else. Silly and serious are spoken in the same sentence. Greg says we think each other are funnier than we actually are.

From across the state, she still gets me. And when we’re together, we pick up where we left off during our previous visit several months earlier or finish whatever conversation we were having when we had to end our phone conversation because one of our kids needed something.

Katie is the first person I think of when all these years later I hear the builders at the new neighbors’ house in the Summer of 2016. They’re hammering out a family’s floor plan, building a foundation for new memories for people I probably won’t really know because we’re moving to our new land soon.

Yes, I wish it was Katie’s boys who rode their bikes past my house. I get sad thinking about how much our society has changed that I can’t let my kids run as free as we did – on mounds of dirt, through houses without walls, around our horseshoe-shaped neighborhood.

But I’m grateful for a recent visit with her and the way my boy was excited to play with hers. I will forever hold onto the childhood memories, thank God she’s still my friend, and embrace the adventure that’s still to come. And if Katie isn’t here to experience it with me, I’ll be sure to tell her about it because she is home to me.
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Have you downloaded my Summer Not-To-Do List? Reminiscing certainly isn't on there! I often myself thinking of the summers we've already lived as we experience the new one. If you are encouraged by the not-to-do list, be sure to share it with a friend ... or all your friends on social media! 
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An InLinkz Link-up

Books to share with YOU!

There’s nothing like packing your entire house to realize you have too much stuff. And by “your” and “you,” I really mean “mine” and “me.” Too. Much. Stuff.

I spent a good portion of the weekend packing and purging and organizing. We even loaded up the mini van and car with boxes and delivered them to our new house. The actual big move is happening Saturday.

So this week is going to include more packing and purging and organizing and hauling. And there will afternoon breaks at the pool, if you were wondering. Probably some errands too.

But while we’ve been uncovering all sorts of treasures and memories in our house and Greg and I have told the kids stories they may or may not actually care about, I discovered we have some duplicate chapter books that I want to share with one of you – well, really, the young reader in your life.

Specifically, the chapters books I’m sharing are:


“Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt (Grades 5-8)
“Wayside School is Falling Down” by Louis Sachar (Grades 3-7)
“Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume (Grades 3-7)
“Pippi in the South Seas” by Astrid Lindgren (Grades 2-5)
Boxcar Children Mysteries #2 “Surprise Island” by Gertrude Chandler Warner (Grades 2-5)


Most of these are fairly classic children’s chapter books, but I put the suggested grade level next to them. Obviously, kids are across the board when it comes to reading, but as a point of reference my daughter who is going into fourth grade and reads well above grade level has read and enjoyed all of these in the past couple of years except “Tuck Everlasting,” which she and I are getting ready to read together.

(Meanwhile, I’ve been devouring some adult fiction. Lately I’ve read this one, this one, and this one. And I’m in the middle of this one. Besides afternoons at the pool, what is summer for? Oh, moving, right! Anyway, stay tuned because at the end of the month I’m sharing a whole list of what I’ve read this year!)

Back to the giveaway: use the Rafflecopter widget below for several ways to enter to win the stack of chapter books. The giveaway is open to only U.S. residents through next Monday. Then, from the comforts of my new house, I will choose a winner. Until then, happy reading.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Real-life motherhood {early summer edition}

We're settling into summer. I've been at the computer less (Thanks to my friends Susan Shipe and Melody Hester who have guest posted the last couple of weeks for #ThreeWordWednesday! And there's more guest goodness coming your way in future weeks.)

But with summer comes plenty of real-life motherhood moments, so I thought I'd share some mom confessions from this week ...

1. Immediately upon finishing "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah, I told the kids we needed to go to the library later that same afternoon. But I also told them they couldn't get any books. Cate has many unread books of her own AND we found THREE library books well overdue from the book mobile that comes to their school. Thankfully, the rules for the book mobile are different. But I don't need more books that don't belong to us while I'm trying to pack our house and move.

(Meanwhile, at the library I discovered "Fly Away" was a sequel to "Firefly Lane." YES, PLEASE! And then I finished that one in two days.)

2. One day earlier this week, my kids are fast food for lunch and dinner the same day. And, honestly, I don't feel that bad about it and then fed them fast food more than once later in the week. (I did get a salad for one of the meals ...)

I did start packing so we could move {maybe} next weekend, and I figured starting in the kitchen was fine at this point.

3. Earlier this week at the zoo, I was so thirsty toward the end of the four-hour outing that I took a drink of water out of Rachel's sippy cup with a straw. She hasn't quite figured out how to drink out of it anyway.

4. I had to say no to the pool on Wednesday so I could get some lake house management things done and tend to some chores and errands. We did say yes to blueberry picking and lunch at the park earlier in the day.

(Yes, I may have been as sad as the big kids, but it was a good lesson in responsibility for them. And it reminded me of my Summer Not-To-Do List, which includes not saying no sometimes and not always saying yes.)

Tell me about your real-life motherhood moments, either in the comments or join in the conversation on Facebook.
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Make summertime fun!

Susan Shipe and I connected on Twitter after she linked up here for #ThreeWordWednesday. We've since become Facebook friends and partied together several Thursday nights with the #FMFparty crew on Twitter. We obviously love the internet and the way it connects people. 

Susan is a sweet encourager. I'm happy she's sharing here today and encouraging people to embrace summertime fun. And if you need a reminder on what not to do this summer, be sure to download my printable from last week. 

It’s summertime! And, if you’re a regular reader here at Kristin’s you know, she loves summer! So do I.

But, you know there are a lot of people who don’t. I have a best friend who tolerates summer and prefers the coziness of winter. It’s possible I love it as much as Kristin because I grew up in South Florida, where beach is king and summer is 11 months long.

Do you have plans for Summer 2016? Perhaps you’re going on vacation or you and your family are going to do some stay-cationing; whatever your plans, I encourage you to have some fun.

The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, admonishes us to have fun, enjoy life, enjoy your family, eat well and drink with merriment (don’t overdo it!) and then you will have the perfect balance between leisure and work. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about summertime!

ON EATING 

Jesus knew how to have fun. He had twelve best friends and a whole slew of other close friends – they went everywhere together and they loved to eat.

In Mark 2, it is recorded that Jesus and His friends were eating together and there were people of no reputation around the table! In Matthew 9, he ate at Matthew’s home with sinners. And, shame upon shame, Matthew was a tax collector! EGADS! NO ONE ate with the tax collector! In John 21, the resurrected Jesus cooked breakfast for His best friends.

THIS SUMMER? Fellowship around the table with friends and strangers – don’t worry about the menu and potluck is always a success. JUST DO IT!

ON FUN 

Ecclesiastes 3 encourages us to laugh! There are times of sorrow and grieving, but I hope your summer is filled with laughter! Luke 15 shares the story of the prodigal son who came home to his family after a long time away. The first order of the day? CELEBRATE! Proverbs 15 reminds us to smile – a happy face is the sign of a cheerful heart!

THIS SUMMER? Buy a silly joke book and laugh! Find something or someone to celebrate and have an impromptu party! How fun to walk around with a smile on your face. Everyone will think you know something they don’t! HAVE FUN!

ON DANCING 

Psalm 149 instructs us to make music and dance! In doing so we praise our God! Turn up the music and dance, teaching yourself and those around you that dancing is PRAISE! Exodus 15 shows us Moses’ sister, Miriam, and her fellow sojourners making music and dancing in celebration.

THIS SUMMER? Make some homemade musical instruments out of bells, paper plates, oatmeal containers and make music and dance! Older kids? Create an awesome playlist of praise music and have your own praise and worship sessions! That’ll rev up morning devotions! JUST DANCE!

ON PLAYING 

Zechariah 8 describes a city with boys and girls playing in the streets! Okay, okay, don’t let those little ones play in the street, but be sure there’s lots of play time. Wear them out in the morning and enjoy the peace of a long afternoon nap!

THIS SUMMER? Play. If it’s sunny and dry, play outside. If it’s rainy and dreary, get out the old blankets and make forts around the furniture. Take advantage of city parks and hiking trails, have an adventure. JUST PLAY!

When I was a teenager there was a song, "Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy." Make your summer a time for easy and fun. Lighten up. Enjoy the warm temps and the long days – before you know it, you’ll be packing up the summer gear for winter storage. Make these days count. {Tweet that!} HAVE SOME FUN!
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Susan Chamberlain Shipe, a writer since the age of 8 when she and her neighborhood friend wrote, edited, published, and distributed The Manor News. Things have changed since publishing with the five and dime stamp lettering set! Today, Susan enjoys blogging, writing short devotions and short stories from her empty-nest home in the Appalachian Mountain Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern North Carolina, which she shares with her husband of 30 years, Lowell, and their beloved dog, Sam. Susan can be found musing several times a week at hopehearthome.com.
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An InLinkz Link-up

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable.

8 Things I Learned in May

May is my favorite. Honestly, even for as much as I love summer, I’m a little sad my favorite month has gone by so quickly. There were birthday parties and soccer games and days at the lake. The temperatures changed from cool to humid. And hooray for my big kids finishing up kindergarten and third grade!

Here comes days at the pool – when we aren’t packing up our belongings! But, first, I’m going to share 8 Things I Learned in May ...

1. Bacon tastes really good when it’s cooked on the griddle.

We got a big griddle to cook pancakes for Cate’s Pancakes & Pippi Party. After making four batches of pancakes, Greg threw bacon on the griddle. And it was delicious.

Admittedly, clean up isn’t as easy as baking the bacon on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

2. I may have been looking forward to Summer Break as much as the kids.

Summer is still busy but in a different way. There’s lake house management. And we are still trying to sell our house. Plus I’ve been purging and packing and organizing.

Admittedly, I tried to stay on top of things as much as possible the first week we were out of school because the pool wasn’t open yet.

And, yes, “we” are out of school. It’s a family affair!

3. Trying to sell a house is no joke.

We posted some pictures and info on Facebook at the beginning of April. Then a few days later we put a sign in our yard. We showed it many times and got several phone calls about it.

And then we didn’t for a week or two so we ran an ad in the local newspaper. We got a few more calls and showed it some more.

I will say this: My kids are champs at getting their rooms cleaned and beds made in preparation for a showing.

We listed it with a realtor last week. And the house was shown some more. Hopefully we will get an offer and the perfect buyer soon.

4. I love the color of my new kitchen. It’s called refresh.

Refresh may be the theme of our new house, actually. Pictures coming soon-ish.

5. Mango salsa is back at Qdoba for the summer. Y’all. It’s the best.

(I love it so much I wrote a post about it a couple years ago!)

6. Netflix and I are email friends. 

Just the other day I got an email to inform me the second season of “Bloodlines” is now on Netflix. I also recently got one that say the third season of “Graceland” was on Netflix. Sorry, but I already watched it on Amazon Prime. I couldn’t wait.

Speaking of TV, we are finishing season 10 (!) of “Bones” on Netflix and catching up with “The Blacklist” on our DVD. We recently also caught up on “Madam Secretary” and “Blue Bloods.”

(And, speaking of email friends, I like email friends. Want to be mine?)

7. People like the freedom to say no. I’ve had such good response to The Summer Not-To-Do List printable. Hope you enjoy it!

(Download it here, if you haven’t already!)

8. In the summer, I’m better at letting go – especially of what time dinner should be on the table, bedtimes, and the frequency of my kids’ showers. My most recent Mom Confessions {The Memorial Day Weekend Edition} reminded me of that.

How’s your May been?
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I'm linking up with Emily Freeman like I do at the end of each month. 

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The Summer Not-To-Do List

I originally wrote this post last summer for Circles of Faith, but its message is near and dear to my heart, probably because it's what I'm always learning. I wanted to share it again today, in honor of our first full week of Summer Break. Plus I made a free printable for you! Happy Summer, friends!

{Click here to download a printable version of this Summer Not-To-Do List.} 

Dear Summer,

I’m so glad you’re here. You’re like the best friend who has been gone too long. My 9-year-old daughter who is so very literal would remind me that you don’t officially arrive until June 21, but the kids have been out of school almost a week now so I’m embracing your arrival.

I almost always have a to-do list near me. If a notebook isn’t physically near me, I’m emailing myself something I want to remember or making a mental list. One of my greatest fears is that I will forget. So I make lists.

But I don’t want to forget to live with you, Summer.

I look at our calendar and your days are filling up, especially the weekends in July. We’re going to visit my sister and her family in Buffalo, NY. We have a what’s-becoming-tradition long weekend in St. Louis with our best friends. And we’re wrapping up your days, Summer, at Hilton Head Island with my parents and siblings and their families.

I’m intentionally not filling some days, but even planning not to plan is a plan. Plus I’ve been purging and organizing and packing because we’re moving about 10 minutes away to 33 acres that fit our family well.

Cate’s going to a couple church camps. Ben wants to ride his bike and play in creeks. And Rachel just wants to go wherever everyone else is going.

And, of course, the kids and I want to spend many, many afternoons at the pool with our friends. We want to pack our lunches, go the park, and explore. We want to eat ice cream and read books.

These big plans mixed with ordinary days are why I love you, Summer. {Tweet that.}

You welcome a break from routine and foster adventure. In an effort to embrace this freedom and truly live with my kids, I want to have a not-to-do list that fosters joy and peace and grace and freedom.

Christ alone brings those things, but, you, Summer, help give me perspective on how to live. So I'm making a different kind of list right now. Instead of obsessing over what I need to do, I want to embrace a not-to-do list, a reverse bucket list of sorts that frees my soul.

This kind of list will prompt different kinds of check marks and I hope the victories spill over into your friends – Fall, Winter, and Spring. I want to grasp hold of truth so I can live more abundantly regardless of the season.

Sincerely,
A Momma in Kentucky

What are you looking forward to about summer? What does your Summer Not-To-Do List look like? {Tweet that.}
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An InLinkz Link-up

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On real hope & expectations

Hello, Friday. I'm so very glad you're here, ESPECIALLY this Friday because HELLO, SUMMER BREAK. I'm joining Kate Motaung and friends for Five Minute Friday, when we get a prompt and write for five minutes. Like a brain dump. Like a flash mob. Just write. 

This week the prompt is EXPECT. 

Ready, set, go ... 

I had hoped my kids – 9 years, 6 years, 8 months – would sleep in for the first day of Summer Break, but I didn’t really expect them to.

Hope. Expect.

These words are so similar, but I was thinking about how different they can be, depending on what I’m putting my hope in.

Putting hope in my 6-year-old boy who loves to rise with the sun and the moment he hears anyone else stirring and my 8-month-old girl who has decent but unpredictable nighttime sleeping length isn’t wise. I knew that, so I didn’t expect to sleep past 7 a.m.

My husband got up with Rachel at 6 a.m. and Ben soon followed down the stairs. They woke me at 6:45 a.m., when Greg needed to get in the shower for work. So my husband who knew I wanted a little extra sleep helped some of my expectations be met, but, even so, it was just the best he could do given the circumstances.

On the contrary, we can put our hope in God because he promises to finish what he’s started (Phil. 1:6) and work all things for the good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). We can wait expectantly because he’s not influenced by when the sun rises or what other people are doing. We can believe in what we cannot see because that’s the essence of faith that gives us hope – real hope, the kind of hope we can expect to make a difference.

So, welcome, Summer Break, may our togetherness be full of happy messes, limited sibling pestering, and fun adventures. And, yes, I’m still hoping my kids embrace the summer sleep schedule soon, even if my expectations are low.

And stop.
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Hello, Summer. Goodbye, Mosquitoes.

I’m ready for summer. I know, I know, we’ve hardly had spring. But, let’s just be honest, I’m a summer girl. I like the days at the pool and the lake. I crave soft serve ice cream and snow cones. Dinner time and bed time get pushed back because the days are long and we love to be outside.

And this summer we’re moving! To the country! (And by “country” I mean 10 minutes from the heart of our small town on 33 acres. It’s like the best of both worlds, really.)

We’re excited to explore and make memories at our new home. We have plans for bonfires and camp outs. I’ve been thinking about what the inside will look like and how many people can gather on the deck.

But I may have to deal with pests, like mosquitoes. There is a creek that runs near our house and depending on the amount of rain, there could be some spots on the land that hold water.

As much as I love summer, I don’t love mosquitoes. 

(Or mice or snakes or bees … but we’re talking about mosquitoes today!)

But, let’s be honest, I don’t really know much about mosquitoes. That’s where Orkin’s Buzzer Beater blog app comes in. There’s a quiz to find out if you’re prepared for mosquito season.

(Um, I pretty much failed. But I did learn bug spray wears off quickly so I’ll need to reapply it often when we're outside for a long time and scented lotions and soaps attract mosquitoes.)

The app also includes videos such as “How to Deal With Mosquitoes” and “Do Mosquitoes Prefer Adults over Children” as well as the rest of Orkin’s How-To video series with up-to-date knowledge on dealing with pesky home invaders. You can also download Orkin’s yearly “Mosquito Cities” list and find out if your city made it! (Although that’s not exactly a list on which you want to see your city!)


Now, here’s the fun part, I’m giving away an Orkin Summer Scientist Bug Catching Kit! The kit includes two Bug Catcher Craft Kits, two bug nets, two bug jars, two Magic Color Scratch Little Garden Critters, and glow-in-the-dark creepy crawlers.


Use the Rafflecopter below for the multiple ways to enter. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents through Thursday, April 28. (The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS, so no P.O. Boxes please.) A winner will be randomly selected Friday, April 29.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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In exchange for a blog post about Orkin’s Buzzer Beater app, I’m receiving a bug kit I know my boy will love and offering the second in a giveaway for one of you from Orkin, thanks to the Tether Group! The thoughts here are my own.

Each household is only eligible to win Summer Scientist Bug Catching Kit via blog reviews and giveaways. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again.

Subscribe to get new posts and/or a monthly newsletter with content not available on the blog in your inbox. When you subscribe, I'll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable.

Seven Things About This Season Called Summer

God’s been teaching me about seasons. I’ve been thinking about the natural ones, the ones associated with weather, and I’m learning to embrace them all. Summer’s still my favorite. But without winter, I may not love summer as much. I also love the anticipation of the new season coming – admitting that is coming along way from avoiding change like I’ve been known to do.

And there are life’s seasons – the ones when the kids grow up before my eyes, the ones with friends, the ones in marriage, the ones with my hobbies and dreams, the ones for which we prepare, and the ones that surprise us.

I wanted to document a little bit about this season in our lives – the one happening as we settle into summer and the one that involves having an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy.

1. This is my ninth summer as a mom – and the first one during which nobody naps and nobody needs a Puddle Jumper at the pool. I’m still getting used to both.

2. This is my sixth summer with two kids. For the first time, they’re on completely different schedules. Ben still goes to bed in the 7 o’clock hour most nights and is up around 6 a.m. (And, yes, even if he stays up later, he’s still usually up at 6 a.m. I don’t understand.) Meanwhile, Cate has been staying up later and sleeping later – like 10 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

3. My kids aren’t doing all the fun and good camps offered around here – Robotics Camp, Basketball Camp, Young Authors Camp. It started out as a scheduling thing, and then our schedule changed. But I was still glad we weren’t committed to much like that. Cate is taking horse riding lessons – like one every three weeks – and will go to a two-night, three-day church camp later this month.

4. We haven’t gone yet, but I know our upcoming mission trip to Guatemala will mark this summer. I don’t know what God is going to do there, but I know I will want to remember it.

5. We have much going on in our personal lives. I’m building a relationship with our baby’s birth mom. We closed (yesterday!) on a new-to-use lake house. Kentucky Lake quiets my soul and we love spending time there with our friends. Greg’s been busy at work, which has been a blessing for our family but also kept his calendar filled.

6. I’ve shared our adoption story and that part of my faith journey with two groups already this month. Neither speaking opportunity looked like I expected, but I know God showed up at both the women’s conference and the Methodist women’s group. (Some of those sweet ladies even gifted me my first-ever money as a speaker.)

7. The pool is our happy place. My kids are like fish. I like seeing them play games with each other, make new friends, connect with friends we may not see other places, embrace adventure, and not ask to watch or play any kind of screen – all of which happens at the pool.

I may say I’m taking them to the pool, but it’s for me too. I grew up swimming nearly every summer day as a kid and was a lifeguard the summer I was 16. I like talking with my friends, reading fiction books, and getting in the water with my kids – all of which happens around the pool too.

What’s your season of summer look like?
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Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

Three Word Wednesday :: Welcoming Summer's Ways

Dear Summer,

I’m so glad you’re here. My daughter who is so very literal would remind me that you don’t officially arrive until June 21, but today’s the last day of school for us so I’m welcoming you now.

I almost always have a to-do list near me. If a notebook isn’t physically near me, I’m emailing myself something I want to remember or making a mental list. One of my greatest fears is I will forget. So I make lists.

But I don’t want to forget to live with you, Summer, either.

I look at our calendar and your days are filling up. We’re going to visit my sister and her family 11 hours away in mid-June. My husband, 8-year-old daughter and I are going to serve with a local mission team in Guatemala for a week in July. We have a weekend involving an amusement park and St. Louis Cardinals baseball game planned for later in July.

And, of course, the kids and I want to spend many, many afternoons at the pool with our friends. We want to pack our lunches and explore. We want to eat ice cream and read books.

These big plans mixed with these ordinary days are why I love you, Summer. {Tweet that.} You welcome a break from routine and foster adventure. In an effort to embrace this freedom and truly live with my kids, I want to write a not-to-do list that fosters joy and peace and grace and freedom.

{To read my Summer Not-To-Do List, join me at Circles of Faith today.}
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An InLinkz Link-up

Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

Worthwhile words for your weekend

The kids may be back in school, but we're still soaking in some summer. This weekend we'll be at Kentucky Lake with friends, where we'll eat well, laugh much, swap stories, spent time on the water, and surely get in the water with a heat index that's expected to be in triple digits.

We've been spoiled with a cooler-than-usual summer, so I feel bad even discussing this heat. But, you know, it's hard to ignore when sweat is dripping down my back.

So, let's move on. 

How about some worthwhile words for your weekend?

NEEDTOBREATHE has some great live music I found on the Internet this week. You're welcome. {And, yes, now I'm way too eager to see NEEDTOBREATHE live in less than a month in Nashville!} I particularly love this version of "Something Beautiful."

"... And the water is risin' quick / And for years I was scared of it / We can't be sure when it will subside / So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side

Hey now, this is my desire / Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful / To touch me, I know that I'm in reach' / Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful ..."

And now for more somethings beautiful ...

I really can't get enough of Shauna Niequist right now. I'm reading "Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes." And then there's this refreshing blog post that supposed to be about what July taught her but encourages me in what God's teaching me:

"Here’s the good news, new information for a girl like me: I can rest when I’m tired, read when I’m hungry for words, reach out when I’m lonely. I don’t have to be strong all the time, or on all the time, or working all the time. And under that, creating a deep foundation for that, more good news: God made us, he loves us, and he’s inviting us into a way of living that’s drenched in grace, in true rest, in connection and communion with him and with each other."

Speaking of books, the ever-encouraging Holley Gerth has a new one out. It's a devotion called "What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days." I have no doubt it's packed with truth and wisdom. My copy is in the hands of the U.S. Postal Service somewhere. You can get yours from DaySpring, where the code HGFRIENDS will give you 20% off, or Amazon.

Meanwhile, I can't stop listening to "Greater" by MercyMe. My kids know I will turn it up every single time it comes on the radio and may even have it on repeat when they get in the car after school.

"Bring your tired / Bring your shame / Bring your guilt / Bring your pain / Don’t you know that’s not you’re name / You will always be much more to me

Every day I wrestle with the voices / That keep telling me I’m not right / But that’s alright /‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed / When others say I’ll never be enough / And greater is the One living inside of me / Than he who is living in the world ...

Bring your doubts / Bring your fears / Bring your hurt / Bring your tears / There’ll be no condemnation here / You are holy, righteous and redeemed ...

There’ll be days I lose the battle / Grace says that it doesn’t matter / ‘Cause the cross already won the war ..."

You can listen here.

What's on your weekend agenda? Have you read or heard anything worth sharing?
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A Fresh Start :: On Brokenness & Restoration

Sitting on the front porch, the spring-like breeze made me forget today was our last day before school starts tomorrow. The kids played in the front yard while I finished editing a friend’s book. A couple guys worked on building us a deck in the back yard. The kids read/browsed books of their own while I soaked in the silence.

We met Greg for lunch at the Thai restaurant of the kids’ choosing to celebrate summer’s end. Honestly, I haven’t felt like celebrating. Summer went too fast. It’s not that there was more I wanted to do, but I want more of what we’ve done. I want more adventures and more afternoons at the pool.

But today has been good for my weary soul.

This summer has been full of fun times – with friends, at amusement parks, on the road, in our front yard, in our pajamas, on the calendar, and in spontaneous moments.

And this summer also has been a time of processing old wounds.

Watching a dear friend walk through a family situation that reminds of my own history that left the deepest scars has brought me to a place I wasn’t expecting. I’d walk through the hard days with this friend over and over again, but I wasn’t emotionally prepared for where her journey would take me. I wasn’t ready for the scabs in my heart to be ripped off. I thought the scars were fading, but I realized this summer they still need to heal.

So today as the spring breeze blew through my last summer day, I typed out some words I’ve held inside for decades. A relationship that plagued me when I was 8 is still haunting me at 35 years old. Through my husband’s encouragement, my friends’ support, and God’s grace, I’ve realized I need to forgive. The anger I’ve held onto for so long has overflowed into my life as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. The bitterness has robbed me of the joy and peace God wants me to know.

I get the sense there’s freedom on the other side.

Yes, the kids will go back to school tomorrow. But our adventures don’t end here. Hopefully I’ll get to the point of forgiveness sooner rather than later. Because that’s just the beginning of whatever God has for me next.

“I don’t want to get so stressed about bedtime this year,” I told Greg at lunch while my kids listened. They all knew what I meant because they’ve regularly witnessed by nagging, rushing of putting the kids away because I’m often tired by daylight’s end. Really, I’m weary from the inside out.

Bedtime sounds minor, but it’s in the ordinary moments I’m realizing God is continuing a work he started long ago. And it’s here in the process of getting to the other side of forgiveness that I’ve learned only through brokenness does God have a chance to restore.

“Become broken and poured out for hopeless people. Become a living offering, denying yourself for the salvation and restoration of humanity. …

Doesn’t this concept of being broken for others ring true? It’s a spiritual dynamic that bears out physically. Why is it so exhausting to uphold someone’s heavy, inconvenient burden? Why are we spent from shouldering someone’s grief or being an armor bearer? Why is it that lifting someone out of his or her rubble leaves us breathless? Because we are the body of Christ, broken and poured out, just as He was. 

Mercy has a cost: someone must be broken for someone else to be fed. The sermon changed your life? That messenger was poured out so you could hear it. The friends who stood in the gap during your crisis? They embraced some sacrifice of brokenness for your healing.” 

{Jen Hatmaker in “Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity”}

It doesn’t feel like summer anymore – both with this relief in humidity and the school calendar looming. But I want to hold onto a summer mentality that recognizes one more book, an extra song, or an adventure that stretches beyond 7:30 p.m. is okay. More importantly, I want to remember what God’s taught me this summer: Our brokenness can feed each other and give God a chance to make us new.

Perhaps a fresh start with the new school year won’t be so bad after all.
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I'm sharing this post with link-ups at Jen Ferguson's Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood Gathering, Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart, Beth Stiff's Three Word Wednesday, and Jennifer Dukes Lee's #TellHisStory. 

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Soaking in what's left of summer

We’ve been soaking in summer before school starts again. Several of my friends sent their kids back to school this week. I’m thankful we’ve got until Wednesday. Six more days.

I might be ready by then.

I might not.

But it doesn’t matter if I’m ready. School starts Wednesday.

I’m pretty sure my kids will be ready ...

Seasons are like that. They come when they come, even if we’re not ready. They overlap sometimes too. It’s probably not going to cool off just because my kids are going back to school soon. We’ll probably still get to swim on the weekends for the rest of the month.

I left my calendar blank this week so we could fill it as we wanted. So far the kids and I swam with friends two different days, spent another day at a nearby water park, and eaten dinner out with friends. Greg and I watched movies and TV – “The Big Wedding” the other day; “Covert Affairs” on Tuesday night; “Tiger Eyes” on Wednesday night only because I loved the book as a teenager; “Stuck in Love” last night – after the kids crashed in their beds.

{Don’t worry. I bought the kids’ school supplies a couple weeks ago in an effort to take care of business so I could avoid worrying about school until I absolutely had to. Good plan, huh?}

I told Greg I would resume cooking and cleaning eventually. He was satisfied when I made some chocolate chip banana bread out of our too-old bananas.

I may go to the grocery today, which would be a good step toward resuming that cooking chore I’ve neglected. The kids and I may organize and clean a little more. Or perhaps we’ll drop off that pile of stuff I’ve purged.

Of course, we are still in our pajamas and it’s almost lunch time.

The one thing I know for sure about the rest of this week, the weekend, and a couple days next week: We’re still soaking in summer.

When do your kids go back to school? Are you ready? How are you soaking in the remaining tidbits of summer?
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7 Things I Learned in July

Let's not discuss how the year is more than half way over. How about instead of slowing down for a moment and reflecting on July? That's what I'm going to do, although after cranking out multiple blog posts yesterday and working on my ebook edits, I'm feeling short on words today.

So, without further ado, here's what I learned in July ...

1. Shaun Groves is making a Christmas album. I love Christmas music and I love Shaun's sound and ministry. Win-win! Yes, I know, Christmas is months away, but, hey, you can be part of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the album and get some fun rewards in the process. Again, win-win.

2. After years of reading Berenstain Bears, I realized how silly it is Brother and Sister don't have actual names when I was listening to Greg read the story aloud to the kids. Their parents don't either. Then there was an enlightening Facebook conversation about such. And, still more information here. We have a huge stack of these books and they still remain among Cate's favorites.

3. My kids are at great ages for amusement parks. They can actually ride "real" rides! This is only the beginning! {I blogged about our day at Six Flags and offered some tips to tackling amusement parks with kids.}

4. Planes 2 is one of the rare sequels, especially among kid movies, that is better than the original. At least I thought so. The message of thriving in community was loud and welcomed. Plus, I really loved taking my 4-year-old boy on a date to see it one Sunday afternoon.

5. I'm now a regular contributor at God-sized Dreams and Circles of Faith. I actually didn't learn this in July, but you all did! My first post at Circles of Faith was on waiting. God made both of these opportunities possible through other writer friends I've connected with online.

6. July really can be pleasant weather-wise. We've had several stretches of cooler-than-usual temperatures. While it's been lovely, I do need a few more afternoons at the pool with my kids before summers ends in two weeks.

7. Death and life go hand-in-hand. The larger Taylor family attended both a funeral and a wedding this month, within 2 1/2 weeks of each other. Although the events were obviously very different, some of the same perspective about legacy and intentional living was on my mind throughout both.

How was your July? Tell me about it. 
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These monthly posts are linked with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky. Here are previous month's recaps from 2013: June. July. August. September. October. November. And from 2014: January. February. March. April. May. June.

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