Well, last week I spent so much time trying to get work and home and my people ready for me to be at dotMOM that I never mentioned the fact that we’d spent the previous Saturday at the Mississippi State / Troy U. football game. Since our husbands were out of town, Sister and I cooked up a road trip to the southern part of Alabama, and the little man went along for the ride (well, and for the football, too).

This is Sister and A when we were waiting for Dawg Walk – which turned out to be more of a Wave-At-The-Team-As-The-Bus-Passes Walk as much as anything else.

Away games are weird sometimes.

And this is when A had reached the end of his picture-taking rope and decided that he was no longer content to post for pictures with his mama.

He’s getting so big. And he’s still so much fun.

(By the way, here’s what that little punkin’ looked like when I started this blog.)

(I seriously could bawl my eyes out.)

One thing we didn’t anticipate about the Troy game is that it would turn out to be a lot warmer than the weather forecast indicated. So far a thick blanket of humidity has been the theme of the 2012 football season (at least for me), and by the time we made our way up to our seats and settled in for the game, we were pretty much begging the Lord for a breeze. That air had no intention of moving, though.

The game itself nearly killed us, and we were beyond fortunate to get out of there with a win. I actually attribute the win to Sister, who had the good sense to change seats after Troy scored their last touchdown and went up 24-23. Sister high-tailed it way down the row and kept her distance from A and me, and that, THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. State scored about ten minutes later, and we basically held our collective breath until the end of the game. I’ve never been happier to see a game clock hit 00:00.

However, it’s not officially college football season until you have to close your eyes during some fourth down plays, so I guess from that perspective, the MSU / Troy game was an important milestone for Bulldog fans.

I spent last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in sort of an endless to-do list-related fog, but by Thursday morning, I was ready for some big dotMOM fun. I spent part of my morning with my friend Keely, who was kind enough to look past the fact that I am the most awkward person alive when it comes to having my picture made (I don’t know where to look, and I don’t know what to do with my hands, and I never know what to wear) and take some pictures for book stuff. Hopefully there’s something in that batch of photographs that Keely can salvage, but based solely on my MACH 5 level of discomfort, I am skeptical. You might want to keep Keely and her copy of Photoshop in your prayers.

After the picture fun I drove to the airport and picked up Melanie, Amanda, and Kelly. I was so happy to see them, and even though I’ve known all of them for a while now, it still just tickles me to no end that we met ON THE INTERNET. Love ’em to pieces, I do.

Thursday night we went to dinner with a whole bunch of sweet women, and one of the highlights was getting to visit with Korie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. She is cute as a button – so kind and sincere and darlin’. She’s one of those people who talks about her husband and her children in such a warm, loving way that she reminds you to treasure your people just a little bit more. I was so impressed by that.

Another highlight from the dinner was an appetizer platter that contained some fried cheese, but that’s neither here nor there, really.

dotMOM started Friday afternoon, and while I know I’m a little biased because I love the LifeWay folks so much, it really is such a great conference. There’s a lot of flexibility within the structure, but at the same time everything is oh-so-organized. The main speakers / teachers were Jen Hatmaker, Vicki Courtney, Sissy Goff and David Thomas, and Esther Burroughs. I walked away from every session with conviction and encouragement. Good, good stuff – especially in terms of remembering that our homes should be God-centered, not kid-centered. That theme came up over and over and over again.

There were two big (BIG!) highlights to the weekend for me. One was getting to interview John Croyle, the founder of Big Oak Ranch here in Alabama. I’ve heard wonderful things about him for years, and Mel and I both got such a kick out of him. He’s going to be one of the speakers at dotMOM Dallas (February 2013) and at dotMOM Chattanooga (September 2013), and I cannot wait. We only got to interview him for about 15 minutes, but I’ll remember four or five things that he said for the rest of my life.

The second highlight was getting to hear the story of a woman named Olive. Olive was a Compassion child in Uganda when she was a little girl, and now she’s a Compassion sponsor who lives here in the US. It’s been almost five years since I went to Uganda with Compassion (that is so hard for me to believe), and Olive’s story was a fresh reminder that Compassion’s ministry doesn’t just change the life of one child in a family – it can change that child’s family for generations.

Anyway. I’m close to 1000 words and don’t want to wear out my welcome, but it was a wonderful weekend, and I’m mighty grateful. Melanie and I actually got to debrief with a trip to Chuy’s after the conference was over, and then we drove to my house and put on pajamas and visited with my people for the rest of the night. Even now I think that I could sit on this couch for the next four days, but real life awaits tomorrow.

And I have to say: it’s good to be able to jump back into real life with such a full heart.

Have a great Monday, y’all.

dotMOM is coming up this weekend here in Birmingham. Melanie and I are emceeing again, and I am alternately excited and terrified about that. Last year I was about 90% terrified, 10% excited. This year I’m only 75% terrified. So clearly I have put the smack down on my fear.

I loved the first dotMOM so much, mainly because it was a real shot in the arm for me in terms of being a wife and a mama. Considering that I am a little BROKE DOWN in those two areas of my life right now (nothing serious – just feeling a smidge overwhelmed and like there’s not enough time in the day), I am looking forward to sitting under some great teaching and just listening to whatever the Lord wants to say to me.

I’m also looking forward to meeting Korie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. But that’s not really a spiritual thing as much as it’s an OH MY WORD YOU ARE DARLIN’ thing.

All that to say: I have two dotMOM tickets to give away, so if it’s at all possible for you to get a hotel room or stay with friends and hang out in the ‘Ham this weekend, we would absolutely love to see you there. Or if you live here in Birmingham and have been thinking about buying tickets but just never got around to doing it, this could very well be your lucky day. After all, I tend to think that there are approximately four people in Birmingham who read my blog, so GUESS WHAT, FOUR PEOPLE? YOU HAVE A GREAT CHANCE OF WINNING.

All you have to do is just leave a comment on this post if you’re interested in winning the tickets. I’ll draw for a winner Wednesday night and notify the winner by email.

By the way, if you’re keeping score at home, that makes three giveaways in the last four posts. I do believe I’ve checked the last giveaway off my list.

Which means there’s going to be some seriously excessive rambling and random next week.

I feel that it’s best to warn you in advance.

This giveaway is now closed.

It just occurred to me that this is a fairly serious, grown-up list of links.

Please rest in the peace of knowing that I’ll be back to my regular silliness very, very soon.

After all, it’s football season. We have so much to discuss.

1) Sweet Annie Downs has done it again. In addition to her fantastic new book, Perfectly Unique, she has also written an e-book of devotions for young women. It’s called The Word Revolution: 30 Days to Speaking Life. I can’t even begin to tell you how great, how relatable, and how grounded in Truth it is. Best of all, it’s FREE. I downloaded it today, in fact. This particular series of devotions is so needed in this age of cynicism and mean-spirited criticism and a whole host of other destructive -isms. Be sure to check it out.

2) When I was a newlywed and far from home (okay. I was four hours from home. but it felt like forever.), I had a standing appointment with TRL in the afternoons. I’m super-nostalgic about the music from that time in my life, and I wrote all about it over at Ree’s blog.

3) Lisa-Jo has written a letter to her daughter. And it is beautiful.

4) A few weeks ago I heard about a short film called Be Still. It was created by Lisa Chan (wife of Francis), and this afternoon I finally settled into my favorite chair and watched a preview of it. I was expecting something like a Bible study, but it’s actually a very convicting reminder about why studying the Bible and making time to “Be still and know” is so critical in the midst of our over-scheduled, over-committed lives. To say that it was timely for me would be a big ole understatement. Even better, it’s a very affordable resource (only 7 American dollars for the video download), and it would be an excellent way to kick off some discussion – and maybe even some accountability – with a few of your friends.

5) My friend Nicole’s husband recommended Tim Keller’s The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness to me back in August. It’s been about a week since I finished it, and I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted a book more in my life. It’s only 48 pages (and the Kindle version is only 99 cents), but MY GOODNESS those 48 pages pack a punch. So wise and so good.

6) This seems like a mighty fine way to celebrate Advent.

If your church needs a guest speaker / worship leader in November or December, Shaun Groves is your man.

7) Hope y’all have had a great Tuesday!

If there is any consistent pattern to the way that I operate in the month of August, it’s this: I overcommit. Every single time. I look at the calendar and think that I have all manner of time to cram in this thing and that thing before we jump back into our normal schedule, and by August 15th I am reeling from a to-do list that’s completely out of control.

So today I am making a firm resolution that I’m not committing to a single thing next August. And if my past behavior is a reliable predictor of the future, I am absolutely going to stick with that resolution until about July 25th, at which point I will totally cave.

One of the things I committed to this past August was to tell y’all about some super-cute new stuff from Initials, inc. I agreed to tell y’all about it because I love their products and get the biggest kick out of the folks who work there. Their bags are fun and functional and MONOGRAMMED, so it’s inevitable that I would like them since monogramming is every Southern girl’s love language.

Unfortunately, however, August kicked my tail. It kicked my tail because I let it, just to be clear. In fact, it kicked my tail because I planned it, what with my tendency to overcommit and say “yes” to too many things and waaaaaay overestimating the number of hours that I’m capable of staying away from Bravo.

Anyway, it’s September now – and about a month after I expected to get this post written – but I still want to make good on those last couple of August commitments. I especially want to make sure to carve out some time and ooh and ahh over all the Initials, inc. cuteness.

So that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sling Bags

I am such a fan of a sling bag. I love the unstructured fun of it. I also love a purse that can double as an overnight bag in a pinch.

Zip Totes

These zip totes are perfect to carry around in your regular purse; they are light as a feather, and if you find yourself in need of a tote bag or a grocery bag, all you have to do is unzip the tote and load ‘er up. Super easy – and super cute.

Triple Play

This Triple Play bag is one of my favorite new products in forever. I don’t know about y’all, but I have hauled food to more places than I can count, and packing that food is usually fairly frustrating. I never want to put the hot stuff with the cold stuff, but if I’m going to a tailgate or something like that, I don’t have the luxury of making three trips back and forth to the car. The genius of the triple play bag is that you can buy “hotty bins” or “chilly bins,” and three of those bins fit into the Triple Play bag. That means I can use one of the bins to keep drinks on ice, one for potato salad, pasta salad, etc., and one for whatever hot dish I’m carrying somewhere. The hot stuff stays hot, and the cold stuff stays cold.

And just to reiterate: EVERYTHING IS IN ONE BAG.

Delightful.

So, if you’re starting to do a little early Christmas shopping – or if you just want to do a little shopping for yourself – be sure to take a look at the Initials, inc. catalog. As my mama would say, there is more cute stuff than you can shake a stick at, and you will love their bright colors and modern patterns. It’s always a treat when something is functional and great looking, you know?

If you’d like to win a $50 gift certificate to Initials, inc., check out all their cute merchandise – then come back to this post and tell me one thing you’d like to order if you win. I’ll close this giveaway next Wednesday, September 19th, and draw for a winner using random.org.

Have fun, y’all!

About eight years ago I did a Bible study called Believing God at my church. I decided to go through the study because I knew what a difference Beth Moore’s studies had made in my friend Emma Kate’s walk with the Lord, and since the little guy was every bit of one and a half at the time, I was excited about spending time with other women and maybe even enjoying some snacks that weren’t Cheerios and/or Goldfish.

There is not world enough and time to explain what a difference that study made in my life, but it marked me in ways I could’ve never anticipated. I had walked around with a lot of theological questions for a really long time (I was too embarrassed to ask some of them, quite honestly), and that study was a real catalyst in terms of encouraging me to dig into Scripture for the answers. I walked away from Believing God with a fresh awareness and a deep gratitude for God’s unfathomable grace and mercy throughout my life – especially during my ugly early 20s, a time when I didn’t want a whole lot to do with Him.

(I could veer onto so many rabbit trails right now.)

(TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED.)

(So just suffice it to say that I will forever be astounded by the intricate ways that God orchestrates the events of our lives.)

(And I’ll just leave it at that.)

This Saturday, September 15th, Beth is teaching at a Living Proof Life in Reading, PA, and this particular LPL is a simulcast. In the past the simulcasts have been broadcast at local churches that signed up to be host sites, but now there are even more ways to watch since technology just continues to get fancier and fancier. One of the new options is the individual simulcast, where a person can pay 20 American dollars and watch the simulcast from the comfort of her own home. While wearing pajamas. And eating guacamole. And maybe even rocking a baby.

Today I’m giving away two individual LPL simulcasts – which means that there are two of you who can participate in this event by grabbing your Bible and finding a comfy chair and turning on your computer for a few hours. Travis Cottrell will be leading worship, Beth will be teaching, and you get to soak up every bit of it. Plus, you’ll have the freedom to fix yourself some snacks, drink all the Diet Coke you want, and never wait in line for the restroom. ALL WHILE WEARING YOUR PAJAMAS.

If you’d like to enter to win one of the two individual simulcasts that LifeWay has so graciously provided, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw for winners on Thursday, September 13th.

It might be just the catalyst that you’ve been looking for, you know?

And if you want more info about the LPL simulcast, check out the event page.

This giveaway is now closed. The winners will be notified by email.

Early last week I vowed and declared that we weren’t going to Starkville for the Mississippi State / Auburn game. VOWED AND DECLARED.

And I had reasons, too.

Oh, it’s just so hard to get over there when the games are at 11.

The sun will be brutal that time of day.

I have so much stuff that I need to get done – I just can’t be out of town again.

Last year’s Auburn game nearly killed me. I don’t think I can sit through another nail biter.

But sometime around Thursday, my resolve started to weaken. Happens to me every single time that the ‘Dogs have a big game. By 5 o’clock Friday afternoon, I was making Serious Plans. And by 6:30 Saturday morning, we were on our way to see the ‘Dogs play.

I AM A WEAK AND WAVERING VESSEL.

But listen. Everything worked out beautifully in the end. For one thing, the high on Saturday was 80, so mercifully there was no chance of a heat stroke. For another thing, it was really overcast for 90% of the game, so the sunburn factor was minimal.

(I should probably mention that my hair, once again, was a catastrophe.)

(I blame the misting rain that settled in around 9:30 that morning.)

(And unfortunately, despite my best efforts, my hair never recovered.)

The game got off to a little bit of a slow start, but the ‘Dogs played really, really well. The passed and they ran and they tackled and they intercepted, and when it was all said and done, they beat those Tigers and walked off the field with a 28-10 victory.

You can imagine our delight.

Because we wrapped it in maroon and white.

And suddenly I seem to fancy myself a poet.

The whole game was a blast. The students stayed the whole time – which makes a huge difference – and the stadium was loud, rowdy (in a good way), and very, very maroon. I even had a personal cowbell monitor (his name is Alex) who made sure that I was following the letter of the law in terms of when I was ringing my cowbell. At State there are rules about when we’re supposed to ring the bells and when we’re supposed to yell, and there’s a young’un in this house who takes those rules mighty seriously. The Southeastern Conference would be tickled with his dedication to keeping the cowbells in line. Honestly, there was a point in the third quarter when I mistakenly rang my cowbell when we were on defense, and I was somewhat afeared that my own child was going to issue me some sort of Unauthorized Cowbell Usage citation.

(After my friend Daph reads that those last couple of sentences, it will take her anywhere from five to ten seconds to send me a text about how she’ll never understand why in the world anyone in the SEC gives a rip about how often we ring our cowbells, especially since cowbells are one of our most beloved traditions.)

(That text will immediately be followed by one from my sister, who will add a tidbit of SEC history and then remark that no one has ever seemed concerned about the volume of the sideline speakers at Tennessee games.)

(State folks are a fiercely loyal bunch, if you haven’t noticed that already.)

After the game the little guy enjoyed his first introduction to the wonder of another Bulldog tradition.

Fried cheese from Harvey’s.

And yes, I realize that it’s not Paleo / low carb / remotely healthy, but OH, IT IS TASTY. And we’d just won our SEC opener for the first time since 1999, so that seemed like pretty good cause for fried cheese celebration. Plus, I ordered a salad for my meal, so all those vegetables totally cancelled out any of the ill-effects from BATTERED AND DEEP FRIED CHEESE.

Be sure to let me know if you’d like to sign up for my weekly newsletter on health and nutrition.

Anyway, it was a great day. As was today. I even sighed a little bit when we went out to eat after church and asked for a table outside. Because the temperature was in the 70s. And glorious.

How was your weekend?