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  • Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

    Although I don’t consider myself chronically plagued by fear or anxiety, this year has been hard in ways that I never imagined, and I find myself experiencing a lack of the confidence I usually have in life. Despite this realization, I still wasn’t sure that Max Lucado’s newest book, Fearless, would apply to me, but when I burst into tears on page twenty-three, I knew I had some deep issues with fear.

    I don’t think it’s just me; I think everyone is afraid of something, especially during these precarious days. This book deconstructs some common fears one by one, such as fear of not mattering, of disappointing God, of worst-case scenarios, of what’s next, of not protecting your kids, and that God is not real, for a few examples. He then goes on to show how that fear is misguided and unnecessary, and gives advice and encouragement in how to overcome it.

    I had never read a book by Max Lucado before this one, and I can say that it was certainly inspiring and uplifting. It caused me to look at myself in a different way, and raised questions that might not have otherwise come to the surface, at least not without difficulty. The reason why I’m saying that I liked this book and I didn’t love it is that it struck me as somewhat brief. The chapters are short and easy to read, and because of that some depth is lacking. I think a workbook or study guide would be a helpful addition.

    Overall I definitely recommend it, if for no other reason than to help you take a fresh look at yourself and your fears.

    ***

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • We Survived Our First Camping Trip

    Back in January, my husband David received a bunch of awesome camping gear for his birthday. We originally intended the gear to get its first use in the spring when the weather was nice, but then a bunch of terrible things happened to me and I was kind of a wreck for a few months. We had invited some of our siblings along, and this past weekend was the soonest we could get the trip together. Ninety-five degree weather? Who cares! We were going camping.

    Cleo wanted to come along, but I had to tell her no.

    The Prius was a champ, and we packed her full. Probably overpacked, but we were like first-time parents worrying about every possible little thing. You can never have too many towels or batteries! we said to each other. Turns out that yes, you can. But it didn’t matter.

    We chose a shady little spot just a few steps away from the bathrooms and the lake. Prime.

    We set up camp and then got busy relaxing.

    We played games and cards.

    We went on a guided nature hike.

    We saw a crazy flying thing.

    We cooked yummy food, like my classic hobo meal. Tip: when you’re going to be cooking your meal which is wrapped in foil on the coals of a fire, make sure you a) choose a sturdy brand of foil, and b) double wrap it.

    And there were s’mores, of course. I don’t even like graham crackers or marshmallows particularly, but there’s something about a s’more that is irresistible, wouldn’t you agree?

    We read, we talked, we swam (at least I did), and of course enjoyed the company. David’s brother Scott, his wife Vanessa, and even my nephew Lucas came along.

    He was a little trooper.

    My brother David and his girlfriend Maggie came too. Maggie can go ahead and be my personal chef as far as I’m concerned. The food she made for us was practically gourmet.

    We survived the heat by staying mostly in the shade, and we made it through the night thanks to some fans we brought along. I don’t think any of us would choose to go camping again in the Texas summer, but it was worth it.

    Just watch, one day we’ll either buy an RV and travel the country, or go hard core and hike the Appalachian Trail. Either way, it all started here.

  • Obsession: Pop Chips

    Now, I’ve never been a huge chip person. Sure, I’ll go for the occasional Cheeto, and of course I can never turn down a tortilla chip if queso is involved. But chips by themselves have never been my snack of choice.

    But THESE. Y’all, I have a new addiction. A Pop Chip addiction. One of my friends has been raving about them for ages, and the other day when I was in Georgia’s Farm to Market I saw them by the register. I had no idea they were all-natural! It was destiny! I had to try them. I bought two flavors: cheddar and salt & vinegar.

    In one day, the entire bag of cheddar has somehow disappeared. The salt & vinegar isn’t far behind. What’s so great about these? Let me tell you. They are not fried, so they’re healthy – as long as you don’t eat the whole bag at once, I suppose. It’s an easy thing to do, as I have recently demonstrated, because they’re so delish. Nothing against baked chips, which I don’t mind, but the popped version is far superior.

    As far as I can tell, Pop Chips have only two downsides. One, not enough chips in the bag. I’d probably say that no matter how many there actually were, though. And two, it’s going to be hard to keep them all to myself. I mean, I discovered them, I bought them with my own money, so I should get to eat them all, right? No reason at all that my husband should get any, unless I’m feeling particularly generous, or he goes above and beyond his normal duties. I’m thinking cleaning the bathtubs (worst chore ever), walking all three dogs at once, and then giving me a foot rub.

    I suppose that would earn him a Pop Chip.

  • how my day off turned out

    It all started with coffee. Coffee and breakfast, but mostly coffee.

    Not wanting to wake up any earlier than necessary, I skipped the shower and makeup, threw on some clothes, and harnessed Oliver. Thinking he was getting a walk, he helpfully pointed me in the direction of his leash.

    We arrived at the clinic at 7 a.m. and it opens at 8:30 a.m. We had secured our spot in line, but the following hour and a half was less than pleasant. That length of time in an enclosed space with a 93-pound dog (we found out later that’s how much he weighs), especially one who is naturally anxious and in a situation where he can easily see other cats and dogs through the window, never is.

    I tried to walk him around the parking lot once, but he peed on the storefront. Then I walked him behind the storefront and he peed on my foot. I decided I’d bear with him in the car.

    After an eternity, an eternity in which I somehow managed to read a few chapters of my book, they called his name and I left him there. It was kind of sad, actually. Kind of.

    I drove straight home and began tackling the front room, recently painted, which looked like this:

    After three hours of work, it now looks like this:

    You might be wondering, “What did she do in those three hours? Take a nap?” But what you don’t see is that the piano was splattered with miniature dots of paint all over and required much scrubbing. And you don’t realize the breadth of the joy that I received in organizing our books according to my own personal system.

    The bookshelf isn’t complete, though, and I didn’t even move the piano back in place because the floor still needs to be scrubbed. But this room has come a long way, and I’m proud.

    Soon it was time to head out to my acupuncture appointment. Who doesn’t love getting stuck with tiny needles?

    After that 20 minute nap, I met my pastor at Starbucks to discuss some things about the church we’re planting, specifically website & social media ideas. I had forgotten to eat lunch, so I ate a blueberry muffin to take the edge off so I could make it to dinner.

    I made a quick stop at the grocery store, then swung by to pick up Oliver. He was amazingly calm. I know that he was drugged up, but I still delighted in just one day and one night of calmness.

    At home again it was time to tackle my inbox, as well as do some chores like gathering paperwork for our home refinance, making dinner (grilled cheese sandwiches), and cleaning up a bit.

    Once that was all done, David and I settled in to watch The Bachelorette. For the record, I turned on the Tonys first but David practically BEGGED me to watch The Bachelorette. Looks like I’ll be watching the Tonys by myself later this week.

    A little after 9 p.m. my body demanded to be put to bed, so that’s what I did. And it was good.

  • what are days off for but to work?

    Here is a snapshot of my calendar for the month.

    Everything written down is some sort of engagement that I have planned, and the red numbers in the bottom right-hand corners are my work hours. There is one blissfully blank day next Tuesday, but that’s it. For some reason June has outdone itself.

    On Friday David and I are going camping for the weekend with some of our siblings (an excursion that quite possibly could end in disaster), and since I worked this weekend I haven’t had much time to prepare. If you scrutinize the fuzzy picture of my calendar, you will notice that I work twelve hours on Tuesday, eight hours on Wednesday followed by three hours of leading youth group, and another twelve hours on Thursday. That leaves tomorrow, Monday, as my sole day off before the trip.

    And what have I decided to leave myself to do on that day off? Oh, nothing ambitious. Just:

    • Finally get Oliver fixed/his shots/heartworm pills
    • Buy Father’s Day gifts
    • Acupuncture
    • Meet with my pastor to discuss working with the church’s website & social media
    • Watch the Tonys on DVR
    • Clean & put the front room back together
    • Gather documents needed to refinance the house
    • Procure additional camping supplies

    My day off isn’t looking too restful, especially since Oliver and I need to be at the clinic by 7 a.m. It’s a first come first served place, so even arriving that early doesn’t ensure us a spot, although I have high hopes. I’m not looking forward to shelling out the $300 cash for everything he needs done (it all costs more than double because of his large size), but I can’t tell you how excited I am to get this surgery over with. I’ve been whispering sweet nothings in Oliver’s ear all day long, things like, “Enjoy your last day as a man!” and “You’re about to be turned into a eunuch!”

    I think he’s excited too.