Last night I stayed up until almost one in the morning trying to get everything together for today’s trip to Nashville. I had laundry to wash, clothes to iron and portable electronic thingies to charge.

And speaking of portable electronic thingies, I have totally contemplated taking my laptop into the Deeper Still Conference. But I feel it might be somewhat distracting.

Not to mention rude.

And in a startling new personal development, I decided last night that I’m not even going to try to look cute this weekend. I am going to relax and soak up the teaching and try not to worry about whether or not my roots are distracting other people during the course of a normal conversation.

This is a bold step-out for me, y’all. I feel that the Lord is doing a new work in my heart. Somebody say “hallelujah” one time.

So as soon as I can throw a few more things in my suitcase and say goodbye to my boys, I’m gonna hop in the car with a big ole diet Coke in my hand, comfy clothes on my person and all my favorite CD’s on my iPod.

Also.

You might be interested to know that Big Mama and I tried to record another podcast yesterday afternoon, but when I was editing it last night I realized that NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN MORE BORING EVER OH MY WORD Y’ALL IT WAS SO BORING.

No kidding: when I was trying to listen to it, my mind wandered ALL THE WAY TO THAILAND.

And as you might imagine, I’m understandably exhausted.

But we’re going to try again today.

I’ll try to check in from Nashville, and if I can get the new, (hopefully) improved podcast uploaded, I will. I do hope your heart can handle the excitement.

Because I’m sure you’re all atwitter with anticipation.

And wait! I almost forgot!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER!

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody.

Leigh at Speaking Thru Me sells adorable purses to help support her speaking ministry. We’ve planned to do a giveaway for the last couple of months (I mean, who doesn’t need a super cute bag for fall?), and oh have mercy, the day is finally here.

So, if you’d like to be eligible to win one of TWO Scripture purses that Leigh is giving away, all you have to do is 1) hop over to Leigh’s, 2) take a look around (she has even more cute purses that you can find through her sidebar), and then 3) come back here and tell me which purse is your favorite.

It’s oh-so-simple.

And, even better – you will look oh-so-sassy carrying your new bag.

I’ll leave comments open until next Tuesday.

Have fun, y’all!

Did anybody see Oprah today?

And did anybody wonder WHAT IN THE SAM HILL is going on with Oprah’s hair?

I mean, I love me some Oprah and all, but this whole letting-it-grow-out thing? I feel it’s a terrible hair miscalculation. Oprah is sassy, and as such her hair should be sassy.

But make no mistake: today’s hair was most definitely not sassy. It was the antithesis of sassy. It might even be the hair where sassy throws up its hands and resigns itself to matronly.

And in the interest of Full Hair Disclosure, I have to admit: Bill Clinton’s hair on today’s Oprah? ROCKIN’. He knew it, too. You could tell. In fact, I half expected him to pull a Fonzie by raking through his distinguished gray layers with a black plastic comb while Oprah was asking him questions.

Also: I’ll have to consult my pretend Oprah Hair Diary, but I believe that today was the first time I’ve ever seen Oprah’s hair upstaged by a man’s. This is not good.

Which reminds me.

I keep forgetting to tell y’all that the last time we went to Memphis, I saw a sign in someone’s yard that said “Carol’s Act of Faith Haircare.”

Think on that one for just a minute.

Now I can only hope that Carol’s sign is a physical testimony to the fact that it was an act of faith for her to open her own business. Because honestly, I just don’t know that I’d be entirely comfortable visiting Carol for my haircare needs if a literal act of faith is required on either of our parts in order for her to cut and style my hair.

The irony, of course, is that I type this I’m in a near-panic about what in the world to do about my hair before I leave for the Deeper Still conference in Nashville this weekend. Since the Hair Wizard is visiting South America for the whole month of September, I’m feeling a smidge desperate.

I will even confess to you – because you are my Hair Accountability Partners – that it’s taking every ounce of resolve I have not to run down to the CVS and pick up a home haircolor solution.

And really, I know in my head that the expression “home haircolor solution” is an oxymoron. But the flesh is weak, my friends.

Y’all may have to intercede for me. I’m so blinded by the need for MORE BLONDE right now that I can’t even pray for myself. I fear that I’m destined for a pit of hair despair.

I am but a weak, increasingly-gray-at-the-roots vessel.

Maybe I should hop in the car and head toward Memphis.

It would require an act of faith, but Carol might just be able to help.

Here are the winners of the Casting Crowns CD giveaway. The numbers you see correspond to the comment number that was generated over at Random.org.

60 – Kate (no blog and a Yahoo email address)
95 – Wendy at Mom Lady
104 – Kim at Pressing on Toward the Goal
156 – Stephanie at It’s Toile, Y’all (which, by the way, is perhaps the cutest blog name ever)
157 – Coaching in GA (no blog)

All you have to do to claim your prize is to email me your address so that your CD can be shipped out this week.

And then, of course, I will make sure to share your address with a band of wily thieves.

Congratulations, everybody!

I always like to think of Labor Day as the unofficial beginning of fall, mainly because it makes me feel better to think that we have finally managed to put the humid unpleasantness of summer behind us.

Plus, you know, we’re in an “–er” month now and football season has started.

So: TOTALLY FALL.

But as a result of my fall-esque feelings, I am fighting the urge to go to Home Depot and buy bales of hay and eleventy jillion pots of mums.

And if not for the knowledge that said mums would wither to a decisive crisp in our ongoing high-80’s temperatures, I absolutely would.

I’m happy to report that, after ten months in this house, I finally managed to hang some pictures and stuff on the long wall in our bedroom.

However, the walls in the guest room are still woefully bare.

But the good news is that, at my current staggering rate of decorating productivity, I should have the guest room finished by Easter.

After several viewings of “High School Musical 2,” I have reached a very personal decision that I would like to share with you, oh internets.

I am going to try to commit the dance routine with basketballs to memory.

It will be a challenge since I am only one person and it is in fact a group number.

But those of you who have experience in the performing arts know that when Dance beckons, you really have no choice but to follow her.

Speaking of dance, Alex has been perfecting some wicked cool moves in the tradition of Elaine Benes.

He has two favorite boogie-down songs: “Beautiful You” (the little man calls it “The Ocean Song”) by Monk & Neagle and “Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul” by Marc Broussard.

And he seems to express himself best when he squints his eyes, places both hands in the thumbs-up position, and then kicks his legs repeatedly.

It is a thing of beauty.

So beautiful, in fact, that there are times when his daddy and I have to put our hands over our respective mouths, stifle a laugh, and turn away.