When’s the last time you thanked God for how He created you? If you’re like me, it probably doesn’t cross your mind. I’m thankful to God for a lot of things; I tell Him so when I pray. I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for my friends. I’m thankful for Jesus. I’m thankful for my home. I’m thankful for forgiveness. I’m thankful for books. I’m thankful that I get to be a mom. I’m thankful for neighbors that feel like family. I’m thankful for my kids’ schools and their teachers. I’m thankful for my church. I’m thankful for almond extract and guacamole, obviously not combined. All that to say, I’m thankful for a lot of things, a lot of people, a lot of blessings. One thing that hardly dawns on me to thank Him for is…me. 

It’s no secret we’re all getting older. No matter who you are, every day you’re one day older than you were the day before. I’m entering my 39thyear next month and was thinking about all the things I do now that remind me I’m getting old-ish. The things on this list are things I’ve noticed myself and/or others doing that remind me I’m no spring chicken. See if you can relate.

HGTV is quite possibly my favorite network on television. I could leave it on all day and never tire of it. Give me all the home renovation shows and all the house hunters and I could be parked on the couch for hours on end. I mean, I would NEVER do that since I pride myself on always being super productive…but I could.  Have I mentioned sometimes I have a tendency to lie?

Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only mom that gets completely overwhelmed by Advent activities at Christmas time. I love Christmas but the amount of Christmas magic moms feel the pressure of creating is intense. And when people post 17 quintillion Christmas activities to do with your kids, it’s hard not to feel like we need to do them all.

What? I’m confused. That doesn’t even make sense. Prodigal is about getting lost and being found, right? Nope. How could I have missed it? How could I not have known? I literally can’t remember a time when I didn’t know The Prodigal Son story and you’re telling me I’ve had the definition of “prodigal” wrong this whole time? Yep. Sigh. Still so much to learn.

The company, Banded, is here in the Nashville area and has created such a fantastic product and it was a dream to work on a book to go along with it. Let me show you the product first…

Several years ago, I took my boys to get haircuts at a salon. While there, a man came into the salon advertising wholesale beef and chicken. (You guys, I know.) He wasn’t just selling it; he was declaring it to the world. This meat was top grade and the deal we’d get was even better. He claimed he was delivering to restaurants in the area and had a surplus he was willing to sell for a discounted price. He was persuasive, he was high energy, he had a binder. What more information did I need?

Maybe it’s because I can’t stomach seeing another school shooting come across the TV. Maybe it’s because I just finished To Kill A Mockingbird and I’m channeling my inner Atticus Finch. Maybe it’s because Paxton is starting high school in the fall. The exact reason is hard to know but I feel something needs to be said.

Can we chat for a second about getting older and living “healthy”? Apparently my body did NOT get the memo that these days it seems I’m working out more regularly than I ever have AND eating better and she needs to follow suit by dropping some lbs. I’m ready for my heavenly body now, guys. This earthly shell is getting doughier by the minute and it’s highly irritating.

“But Martha was distracted with much serving.” Lk.10:40a

Sweet Martha. I identify with this chick, as I know many of you do too. She’s getting things ready, preparing food, picking up the house, trying to get it just right FOR JESUS. To me this makes total sense. I mean it’s Jesus for crying out loud.

2 more days. 48 hours until I can relax. Just 2 more sleeps until school’s out for Christmas break. I don’t know about you but at the Allen household, we will be limping to the finish of the semester. Let me rephrase, I, I WILL BE LIMPING TO THE FINISH LINE. Between the shopping, the baking, the projects, the studying, the parties, and just the normal, every day things, I’m whipped.