Thursday Things #83
A snack (let's be honest, it's a treat), a book of blessings, two songs, an IG suggestion, and also: my brother is getting married. 🍫📖🎶📲💍
Welcome! Every other Thursday, I share a handful of things I'm loving, reading, watching, listening to or just discovered. In other words . . . what I'd text you about if I had your number or mention if we met up for coffee! I'm so glad you're here. :)
Anyone else crawling to the end of Thursday after a week of Mondays? I don’t know where January went (it’s the longest of the months, yes?) but February is essentially a blur of writing deadlines, travel, and major work projects.
Partly because . . .
My babiest brother is getting married!
How is that possible!
Make it make sense!
I promise to have all the feelings and report back in Thursday Things #84 with a wedding picture. (If you’re also part of All The Things, this is your advance warning that IG Stories will be filled with All The Wedding Things next week.)
ANYWHO. I have another late work night ahead of me (see: deadlines and trying to get ahead for traveling home), but it’s always worth pausing on a Thursday to share a Good Thing or two (or five, as it turns out this time).
I’d love if you’d click the comment button at the end and pass along a Good Thing, too!
It’s healthy because it’s fruit, right?
Hello I have found a new snack (treat) (it’s literally just chocolate covered fruit so, treat) and it’s delicious, so I’m passing it along. Just here to serve, you know. 😉
I’ve seen Tru Fru in the snack aisle + the frozen aisle, admired the packaging (I am who I am), but never bit the bullet. Last week their products were Buy One, Get One at my grocery store and, well, I can only speak for myself but their marketing effort has received an ROI of at least one new loyal customer.
I tried the dark chocolate coconut melts (similar to an Almond Joy) but they have milk/dark/white chocolate bananas, strawberries, raspberries, pineapples, mangoes, and cherries. Oh! And peanut butter + dark chocolate banana which is 100% going in my shopping cart next time.
A book of blessings.
It happens like clockwork: A month or two after I share a book with a collection of prayers or blessings, you message asking if I know of any others. You love these (as do I) and so may I present: The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days
You might recognize it from the January book list, but by 25% of the way through this book I knew I’d mention it on its own, too.
I read an early digital copy but it’s one I want in my hands—so much so that my copy arrives next Tuesday (release day). Five stars. Many pages (digitally) bookmarked. Multiple encouraging entries highlighted to soon snapshot a line and send to a friend. This book is a gift I'll return to again and again.
Something more is happening.
On a similar note, you’re following Tanner Olson right? Poems, prayers, simple and meaningful reminders —> @writtentospeak
Surprising absolutely no one, this recent one hit home:
You are not alone.
There’s a running Thursday Things list on my phone with bullet points of things I want to share with you in the next email. I had two songs listed, one that just released and another that I keep hitting “repeat” on every time it shuffles through my current favorite playlist.
But then Sunday happened.
The summary? I woke up before my alarm. (Why? Dear Lord, actually why?) (It truly confounds me that I get two hours of sleep a night but my body says Time to get up! Forget the extra half hour! You’re exhausted but open your eyes! Look, the sun! How lovely!) (Alas.) To be honest, I’d usually have a Not Great Attitude about it. But, you know, Sunday. The first thing I needed to do was get ready for church and that realization helped reframe the Upsetness. I quickly selected 5 worship songs to play one after another, attempted to curl my hair (it is 100% true and 0% false humility when I say I’m terrible at this) while singing along, and drove across town. One of the five songs: You Are With Me.
What did we sing at church? You Are With Me.
A few hours later, a friend texted about attending an afternoon worship service at another church. Did I want to go? Sure, just send the address! What did they sing? Yeah, you already know the answer.
You Are With Me.
OH.KAY. God, message received. I couldn’t help but laugh the third time, thinking You were there then, You’re here now, and You’ll be there then—again. Past, present, future. So, allow me to share this Good Thing with you today. Apparently it’s the soundtrack I needed on Sunday . . . maybe it’s the one you need on Thursday.
I’ll save the shuffled song on repeat for another time, but the new single that just released beautifully, unexpectedly, ties in. It’s from JJ Heller and honestly, I could ramble about her songs for 500 words. I’ll spare you and simply say that every I Dream Of You album is delightful.
May you lean on Him, knowing He really is with you. Always, always, always.
I love that I finally have gotten back into reading again after months of not reading at all. Currently reading The Lord is My Courage by KJ Ramsey and The Record Keeper by Charles Martin. Both booth and their authors are amazing!
I’m loving “No Place Better (Psalm 84)” by Caroline Cobb and “Believe” by Blessing Offor!