The Bright Eyed Brunette

 It seems that every year, when the new church year rolls around, I am looking for fresh activities for my kids to do. I have most of the same church kids on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings (small rural church problems), and although the lessons aren't the same, I feel the need to make them two very different experiences.  Sunday mornings are a little more structured, while Wednesday nights are more fun and laid-back. If you find yourself a similar situation, I'm going to share a couple of ideas that I absolutely love and plan to try in my class this year. If you try them, let me know what you like and works for you! I really love this first idea for my Wednesday night class do before we start our lesson.  Sometimes we have new kids, but even if we don't, I still think it would be a fun way for the kids to get to know a little more about each other (and help me get to know them better). I will change some of the prompts, but you can find this particular one on E...

 It can start with something as simple as a glance down the pew. You notice her perfectly styled hair, her kids sitting quietly, her beautifully color-coordinated Bible journal- and suddenly, without even realizing it, your thoughts spiral: She's more put together than I am. She's probably more spiritual. Why can't I get it right like her? Comparison is as quiet as a thief. It slips into our hearts, even in sacred spaces like the church, and it robs us of joy, peace, and connection. This seems to be even more true among women. Whether is spiritual maturity, parenting style, leadership roles, or even who's serving the best Bible study appetizers. The temptation is real. At its root, comparison often stems from insecurity and a misplaced sense of identity. When we forget that our worth comes from Christ (not our performance or appearance), we begin looking sideways for affirmation instead of looking up. Of course, social media doesn't help. It magnifies curated moment...

I have read/listened to a surprising number of books this summer. I'm warning you that my list of books are all over the place :) Here are the most recent ones: The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea This is a suspenseful book with many twists and turns. It is about two abducted girls- one who returns and one who doesn't. Ya'll, I never guessed the ending of this book! It is a must-read!  The Most Overlooked Women of the Bible by Mary DeMuth Many of us believe we are unseen. Memories of being on the outside still haunt us today. We somehow believe that we are unique in being overlooked. And yet, the Bible is full of women just like us, women who felt on the outside of life, unseen and voiceless.  This book will help you find your place in this world, rest in being seen, and empower you to find your unique voice. There Is a River by Patricia Sweet This is a wonderful Christian Fiction book. It is set against the backdrop of a small church community in upstate New York. It ...

Happy Monday, friends! We had a fun and productive weekend here on the homestead. It has been so hot here for around 2 weeks now. I'm talking 100 degrees with a heat index of 113. I don't think any of my plants are thriving. In fact, they are barely surviving! Thankfully we got a break this weekend! Eighty-four degrees is much better than 100! Carl helped me give our plants a little TLC and they are looking so much better. I have also vowed to do better about keeping them trimmed up and watered (fingers crossed!)! Last week was a busy week. We celebrated the 150th Anniversary of our church on Homecoming Sunday, then had Revival on Monday through Wednesday. It was a lot of celebrating, cooking, eating, and preaching!  A beacon of light in our community for 150 years Noah and Trey This is my face after wrestling a wild two-year-old for over an hour! During Revival we also celebrated Grammy's 90th Birthday! She is a wild one, but I sure do love her! Nanny, Carlie, Wrenley, and...

 Pride is a sneaky thing. Unlike other sins that show up boldly and publicly--pride often creeps in quietly. It hides behind compliments, achievements, and even behind good intentions. It whispers, " You deserve the credit", or "You're better than that person".  Sometimes it even disguises itself as humility, when in reality, we're still just thinking about ourselves. In the Bible, pride is not just considered a sin-it's described as one of the deadliest. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."  That verse isn't just poetic. It's a serious warning. Pride separates us from others, but more dangerously, it separates us from God. Pride isn't just arrogance. It can show up in everyday ways like refusing to ask for help, needing to always be right, holding grudges because we are above forgiveness, comparing ourselves to others (feeling inferior OR superior), and taking credit for things that ...

  Happy Birthday to my beautiful Makena!  Makena's birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Those are always hard birthdays for us. We have church on Sunday morning and early Sunday evening, so we had her party later in the evening. She wanted pizza and swimming, so that is exactly what we did. Everyone deserves to wake up feeling special on their birthday! Her daddy made her number pancakes. He has done this for the kids almost every year since they were little. Makena and Wrenley Wrenley had to help Aunt Kena blow out her candles. She is practicing for her birthday next month! Wrenley is her sidekick :) We are so proud of you Makena Faith! I'm excited to see what the next year holds for you! Much Love,  Beth

The sand in your toes, the salt in the air; nothing beats a trip to the beach! We had the most wonderful time last week in Gulf Shores, Alabama, or as we like to call it, "our beach". We could venture out, but we know where we are going, we know the good places to eat, we know the good places to stay and shop, and for this type A mom, that is a little slice of heaven! Note to self: check Trey's bag and make sure there is no harmonica next year! PERFECTION! We ate at the Pink Pony Pub as soon as we got settled in our condo. Love these two! He was the most excited to be out of the car! He's the best :) This was his idea 💕 Seeing your name on the back of 4 chairs and 2 umbrellas means it's gonna be a good week :) The best view with my little fine-feathered friends One day Trey talked us into going out on the banana ride. I thought, "oh yeah, that looks pretty tame". That was not the case. The four of us along with two older ladies (probably in their 60...

 We had the most laid-back 4th of July celebration in the history of our family! We were leaving to go on vacation on the 7th, so we were more ready to leave than to have a celebration. We bought very few fireworks. For once we didn't have to worry about some people wanting to go to the river and others wanting to go to the pool because the river was too high and there were no sandbars available...so the pool it was!  We celebrated at lunch with a fish fry (duh). If there is a family function in the summer, you can bet your bottom dollar that fried fish will be involved! My dad, Trey, and Carl were the main cooks Tim and Toby (the dog) supervised :) Wrenley showed us her scooter-ing skills My big girls Makena and Miss Wrenley Aunt Jamie sitting at Wrenley's little table Elijah and Ellie Kate Noah was with his girlfriend. Me and my girls with my mom. I have no clue where Wrenley was :) Mi familia :) All the girls The boys (minus Noah) After our yummy lunch, we went out to the p...