Blog Hoppers: September and my favorite things

Summer officially died today. Not because it's cool or because school started. Because this happened....

                                    

Math. It snuck into our afternoon and totally killed the summer vibe we were rocking just yesterday. 

School doesn't kill it. I like school. 

We have a schedule and we wake on time and get going. I have the opportunity to miss my children because they are away from me with qualified adults who care about learning things...like multiplication and long division. I enjoy seeing their faces mid-afternoon. I enjoy the re-telling of every minute of the day. (It's just the second week...this will get old soon). 

We don't spend the summer mathing. We spend the summer avoiding the multiplication table and run away from any type of division. (And also spelling).

Since it's here and there's nothing we can do about it, I thought I'd post some of the things I'm loving right now. 

1. All things Hatmaker-ed. Of course "For the  Love" came out a few weeks ago and Jen Hatmaker has been everywhere. For her virtual BFF/stalker, this has been a fantastic couple of weeks. 

What you may not know is that she has a very talented husband and talented friends that are worth noting.

Brandon (the hubs) has a book "Barefoot Church" that I'm working my way through. It steps on my toes and makes me think (which was hard up until summer died today...). He is witty and worth a read. 

Legacy Collective. This is a new kind of giving community focused on partnering, pioneering, and funding sustainable solutions to systemic social issues. Please visit their website for more. It is a worthy cause to consider. It's new and truly looks to meet needs. 

Noonday collection uses fashion to create meaningful opportunities around the world. They partner with people around the world and provide jobs to women to get them out of trafficking situations and help them provide an income for their families. They also have beautiful pieces. 

Tiffany Wade has some fantastic earrings (those over there <----) that I'm waiting impatiently to receive. I'm not sure I'm cool enough to pull them off but I'm totally gonna try. 

2. I love our new small town. There is ease in the car line. I can walk sister in her school freely. There are about 40 kids in the pickup line at the middle school. I have my car line time back where I read books and listen to podcasts or just sit without any words. 

We went to the football game and saw all our friends and cheered like we knew what was going on. We wore our school colors and yelled "go go go" at the boy with the ball. Also, they have blizzards at the concessions stand....

This small town has a slower pace that I'm learning. We have to leave the house to beat the train in the mornings. We have to leave the house early enough to follow the farmer into town because he takes his time. I want that to be a beautiful thing instead of an annoying thing. I'm not there yet. Like I said, I'm learning. 

3. Books. I love books. I'm always reading several at a time. Besides the two mentions above, I'm reading Savanah by Eugenia Price (because I read about too many vampires and teen girls this summer), Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler (because my soul sister loves me and knows how to meet me when me when I'm low and need to remember that HE LIVES and SAVES and LOVES ME), and Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson (because he is 11 and is killing me slowly....). 

4. Podcasts. Have you tried out these things yet?

I have a pod cast for 20 minutes of yoga that I don't do daily, but I have the app and that's about 7 1/2 calories worth. (Caloric math is hard.... diet coke plus hamburger equals zero calories, especially if you have on your yoga pants.)

Torah Class is so good. I listened to Torah Class podcast for the three years I commuted to Gladewater. It takes each chapter of the bible and studies it from a Hebrew Roots perspective. It is wonderful. I learned so much about the Hebrew culture and Jesus and really understood Leviticus. It is worth an hour a week of you have it. I made it from Genesis to 2 Samuel.

The newest podcast I discovered is Happy Hour by Jamie Ivey. She interviews the people I want to hear from and asks their 3 favorite things. It's like having two friends sit in your car and talk about all things random and interesting.

5. MUSIC. (This will always be on my favorite list).

Music sustains me. It lifts my spirits. Lifts my soul. Gets my feet moving and my face smiling. It effects my family in beautiful ways. Pulls us from ruts and prepares us for the next ball game. Sits me still in my car or gets my feet moving in an awkward car dance. We love music. I didn't realize how much is was a part of our lives and how that was not the norm until we made new friends and they rode with us in our car. Sweet new friend still likes us but made mention to his mama that we listened to some stuff not on KVNE.

We listened to MercyMe, All Sons and Daughters, David Bowie, George Ezra, and Wiz Khalifa all on a drive into Tyler. MUSIC. (Click on the artist for the song we play from them in the car).

But here are a two of my favorites....

The whole album is excellent. This song, "Flawless", is soul quenching our family right now. We actually listened to it last night during homework sessions and this morning to start the morning centered...

I love everything All Sons and Daughters releases. They are beautiful worship songs. These are the songs that make me look like a crazy women in my car...sitting still, eyes closed, singing, maybe a tear...

The others mentioned (David Bowie, George Ezra, and Wiz Kalifa) aren't so much soul quenchers but are feet movers. I think those types of songs are important too.

There you go...5 things that don't include math.... except for the caloric math equation which will save your life one day unlike long division.

This post is a part of the Blog Hoppers circle for September. Click HERE for The Lavender Drop and my holla momma Jana. Almond Oat Muffins are on the blog this month...YUM! Follow her link to the next blog and hop on our circle until you get back here. 

Joyfully Full of It....
Tiff