So this isn’t going to be a “normal” post, but just an update on why I’ve been absent from the blog lately.

First of all, it’s summer.  Our schedule’s been different every week, and it’s been hard to get into a writing routine.

Secondly, my dad’s had some health issues, so I took a trip up to Virginia last week.

I don’t think I’ve ever been away for several days while my husband and daughters were still at home.  In spite of the difficult circumstances that caused me to leave town, I was so thankful for the following:

~ a new realization that my siblings are some of my favorite people on the planet

~ two teenage daughters who managed the house while I was gone

~ two sweet friends who delivered the girls where they needed to be (and entertained them as well)

~ a husband who told me to take as long as I needed to help my family

I’ve certainly been looking for encouragement in this season, and, as always, God’s Word and good music have been a blessing to my heart.

After praying through much of the night, and feeling like my prayers weren’t being answered, I read Psalm 65:2.  Here David addresses God as “O Thou that hearest prayer…”  What a reminder that God is hearing, and will answer in His time and His way.

When I looked at the circumstances and thought, “Lord, it’s hard to trust you now,” I found Psalm 62:8 that says “Trust in Him at all times…”

When I said “Yes, Lord, but this is really hard,” I remembered Job 13:15, which says “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”

And a comforting hymn to remind me of God’s care…

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain:
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

~Civilla D. Martin

I know I’ve shared the video below on the blog before, but it’s been a fresh blessing to me in these days.  When it seems like God isn’t at work, I have to trust that He is, and keep taking my burdens and needs to Him in prayer.

[If you’re reading in e-mail, you’ll have to click over to the blog to see the video.}

We have Vacation Bible School at our church this week.  I’m looking forward to working with the 3rd and 4th graders each night!

Hoping to be back to a more regular blogging schedule soon.  In the meantime, I hope your summer is going well!!

When I was in elementary school, three friends and I formed a club.  I can’t remember what we called it, but I do remember that we bought matching jackets.  They were green with rainbow stripes down the sleeves!  (And a belated thank you to Dad and Mom for paying for that special jacket!)

For many of us, wanting a group of friends to belong to starts at an early age.  I can vouch for the importance of teen friendships as I watch my daughters learn how to navigate peer relationships.  And even in my forties, I recognize the value of having friends to confide in as we walk through the seasons of life.

Because we have different personalities, you and I likely have unique struggles when it comes to friendships.  But perhaps many of us can relate to this Instagram post from Lisa-Jo Baker that I scrolled past recently.

Sometimes — even when we’re minivan driving moms — I think our brains play tricks on us and make us think there is an elusive “cool kids” table. This is totally bogus. Instead I’m trying to retrain my brain to focus on the seat and the woman (or next door neighbor kid or family member) siting right in front of me or right next to me. It just takes practice.

I love this on so many levels.  First of all, it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one who thinks I’m not invited to the “cool kids” table!

And she mentions that this table is elusive.  Yes, we’ve thankfully moved past the middle school days where there may have been an actual table in the cafeteria for what were considered the “cool kids.”  But when we see that group of besties posting a picture on Facebook or Instagram of all the fun they’re having, we can feel like we’re missing out.  If we’re not road tripping with our girlfriends or getting together for coffee with them once a week, we can feel lonely or left out.  Insecurities about ourselves and our relationships can pop up at a moment’s notice.

So what’s the point of Lisa’s post?  The question that came to my mind was, “Where’s my focus when I’m having those kind of thoughts?”  On myself.  It’s all “Woe is me.”

Lisa’s challenge is to focus on another person.  Who needs a friend?  Who do I come into contact with on a daily or weekly basis that would love for someone to connect with them?  Whether it’s my husband, my daughter, or my next door neighbor, I’ll likely have the chance to be a friend to someone today.

We could probably all quote Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly…”  But sometimes I’m so wrapped up in myself that I don’t think about how to meet the need of another woman who may be lonely.  Instead of wishing I had been invited to hang out with a particular group of women, I can ask to spend time with someone I’d like to know better.

As Lisa says, it takes practice.  Putting others first, in any area of life, usually does.  And every gesture of friendship I make may not lead to a long-term relationship with a “kindred spirit.”  But reaching out to encourage another woman is always a good thing.

So instead of thinking about what I might be missing by sitting at a different table, let me focus on who is right beside me that I can befriend today.

Related posts:
6 Quotes About Friends for My Teenager
Finding Our Ministry Right Where We Are
God Has a Purpose for You Today

While it’s been quiet here on the blog over the last week and a half, it’s been busy in real life!

Last week our family enjoyed a wonderful trip out west.  We spent time at the Grand Canyon, toured the red rocks of Sedona, and ended up in San Diego, where our daughters got their first look at the Pacific Ocean.  (We also took an unintended detour.  Thanks to Google Maps, we ended up right at the Mexican border, which our girls thought was really cool!)

I took more pictures than I thought possible!  Just know that I restrained myself by only including these below as a sample.

I know it sounds cliche, but you truly can’t capture the Grand Canyon in photos. It is vast, beautiful, and an amazing testament to a creative God.

We hiked about a mile down, then back up.  That was definitely enough of a hike for me!

We took a Pink Jeep tour at the Grand Canyon and in Sedona.

Sedona had a beauty all its own.

The picture above was one of my favorites from the whole trip.

San Diego was a beautiful city.  We took a boat tour of the harbor, spent a day at the zoo, enjoyed the seals and sea lions at La Jolla, and hiked in Torrey Pines.

I’m so thankful for safe travels, good health while we were away, and the special memories we made as a family.

We’ve pretty much caught up on our sleep after taking the red-eye home Friday night.  My 16-year-old started work this week, and I think (hope!) we’re getting used to a summer routine.

I should be back later this week with a new blog post.  I’ve been studying humility, reading about Abraham’s faith, thinking on verses 2 and 3 of the hymn Wherever He Leads I’ll Go, and considering what it means to have two daughters in high school…  Not sure yet which of those (if any) will turn into a post!!

Hope your week is going well!  I’d love to know if you’ve visited the Grand Canyon – and whether you prefer the dry heat of summer out there or the humid conditions here in the South!

Since it’s been almost a week since I posted on the blog, I just wanted to share some thoughts – and hopefully some encouragement – today.

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the national fine arts competition for the first time!  My girls’ school won first place in band!  Here’s a video of one of the songs they performed.  (My 16-year-old is on the left in the back row.  She plays percussion, and is on the cymbals for much of this song.  My 14-year-old plays the tenor saxophone, and you have no hope of seeing her as she’s seated directly in front of the director!)

Friday was my birthday.  I purposely had no expectations.  I knew it was going to be a regular day, filled with errands of all sorts, and generally catching up from being out-of-town the last few days.  And it was a perfect day.  Why?  Because I chose to celebrate the little things.

~ an early morning “happy birthday” text from my older daughter, who was in the midst of packing up to leave the college campus where she’d stayed for the competition

~ a nice morning walk

~ a Starbucks drink and a good podcast while I ran errands

A coconutmilk mocha macchiato

~ a totally unexpected birthday card from this sweet friend and blog reader

~ family time shooting baskets on the new basketball hoop in our backyard

~ many precious birthday wishes from family and friends

~ our family back together under one roof Friday night

And then I cried a little…I was listening to an episode of the Family Life Today podcast in the car on the way to get my girls from school.  The hosts were talking specifically to parents of seniors in high school.  Now my daughter’s only a high school sophomore.  Yet knowing how fast the last two years of high school have gone, I feel like she’ll be a senior in the blink of an eye.

If you’d like to know what brought tears to my eyes, here’s a link to Preparing Your Teen for the Future.  Around the 14-minute mark, Dennis and Barbara Rainey talk about a poem that was read during a special graduation service at their church.  Below the podcast episode, you’ll see a graphic you can click to download and read “With These Hands.”  While the poem is good on its own, hearing the Raineys read it aloud just about did me in!

I’ve read blog posts before about how someone does random acts of kindness for other people on their birthday.  I think that’s a great idea, and maybe one that I’ll try someday!  But this year, I chose to focus on the ordinariness of the day, the health I’ve been blessed with, and that I get to do all the little normal, every day tasks that I so often take for granted.  God is good all the time.  All the time, God is good.

And finally, I think I’ve gotten a little perspective lately from a chapter on time in Ann Voskamp’s book The Broken Way.  She says,

“We all get one container of time – but no one gets to know what size that container is…Take your one container of time and believe it contains exactly the time you need for a meaningful life.”

And then there’s this…

“Your time is limited – so don’t limit your life by wanting someone else’s.”

And maybe the best of all…

“You have only one decision every day:  how will you use your time?“

Time is a resource that we can never get more of.  I show who and what I love by the way that I spend that time.  May we challenge ourselves to make the most of today and of every day we’re given!

Just a quick post to let you know that Girls to Grow is getting a new look!  I’ve made the switch from Blogger to WordPress, and will be having fun (maybe?) tweaking the blog design.  I’ll be able to customize more of the blog’s features in this format.  All I’ve tackled so far is updating the header.  (If you’re reading in a feed reader or by email, you can click here to check it out.)

I hope that the changes result in a better experience when you visit the blog.  In the long run, I want to make it easier for newcomers to navigate the sight by adding more pages and offering better search options.

I’m also using this post as a test run to make sure my emails are going through correctly, so if you see anything strange, please let me know!

In the meantime, here’s the verse I taped to my kitchen cabinet door this week.

“Order my steps in thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” ~Psalm 119:133

Reading through Psalm 119 has been such a blessing as it reminds me how precious and valuable the Word of God is in our lives.

Let me know if you have a verse you’re meditating on this week, and have a great Wednesday!