Hey there! How are you? Our heat wave calmed down a bit. Temps in the 90’s. I can handle that. Once it hits 103+ I am not all that enthused. I think some of you are in agreement with me on that.

Hey! My daughter arrives this week. Just for a week because she’s taking summer classes and is working a lot. She recently got promoted at the coffee shop to manager so she is packing the hours in. BUT, we have her for a week. She will be celebrating her friend’s bday while here and fitting in a Disney trip too. She misses it so much out there in Missouri.

She got the lead in the fall play at school so once school starts she will be very busy with that.

Right Now:

I do have student ministry this morning. Even though it’s summer the turnout has been pretty good.

This Week:

I am taking this week off since my daughter is here. The Hub could not take off but I picked up tickets for my daughter and I to visit The Getty this Wednesday. I think I’ll be able to handle this museum just fine.

I also wanted to hit the botanical gardens near us. We really enjoy the botanical garden but I don’t think I can walk around much in 90 degree heat. Still recovering. It’s going well. Milestones hit every day but that would be pushing it.

I am thinking maybe a beach trip might be nice too.

Reading:

I blew through a number of books recently and posted reviews for:

• The Search Party
• Clear

I started The Mothers. I heard someone mention it on a podcast recently. It’s an older title but it’s very good.

Finishing up:

Watching:

We finished Season 2 of Alice in Borderland. Waiting for season 3 to drop.

I am trying really hard not to watch the news but it’s impossible with the recent events that took place. There is just too much that doesn’t measure up.

Grateful for:

Our little pup pup, The Otter Pup Chloe. She turned 14 and is experiencing difficulties these days. Some days she is her normal self but 3 out of 7 days she is not feeling it. Stares at the wall. Doesn’t eat. Sleeps all day. Many times I have reached over to make sure she is still breathing! That is the worst feeling but such a relief when she pokes her little head up looking at me like I am a crazy person. I am grateful for the days we have with her. Glad that my daughter can visit with her this week.

Happy Sunday! I hope you are all well. We are still in a heat wave and probably will be for the rest of the summer. Scorching heat, for us, usually doesn’t hit until August and September but man, that mild June we had did not prepare us for July!

Since my surgery, audiobooks have been a way for me to get back into reading. I was never a fan of them before. I just couldn’t get into them. Well, now that my Premium Spotify account includes free audiobooks, and many new releases at that, I’ve been totally into them and loving my commute because of them. My attention span is way different post surgery. More focused. Not focusing on constant pain can free you up for all sorts of things!

Right Now:

Student ministry this morning. This summer has been a good mix of games and messages.

This Week:

This Wednesday we have a student movie night and we will be watching Nacho Libre and eating, you guessed it, nachos. I  have never seen this movie! It will be fun.

Reading:

I blew through a number of books recently and posted reviews for:

The Return of Ellie Black
You Like It Darker

I started these two:

Clear by Carys Davies
“Clear is the story of a minister dispatched to a remote island to “clear” its last remaining inhabitant–an unforgettable tale of resilience, change, and hope.”

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
“A brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.”

I was granted a review copy of Murakami’s new one, The City and Its Uncertain Walls. Yay! All is right with the world.

Watching:

Still watching Alice in Borderland. We are almost done with season 2. We also got hooked on an old show, Mike & Molly with Melissa McCarthy. I really like it. It’s cute and easy to watch.

Grateful for:

This new thing I’ve been trying, The Pour Over. It bills itself as a “Christ first, news source.” It’s free. I’ve been giving it a go and I have to say, the news is very unbiased and usually includes a bit of scripture if it pertains to the topic. It’s a way for me to stay on top of what’s going on, without steam coming out the top of my head. These days, news is just hard to listen to. I am on social media for work so sometimes I can’t avoid things but lately, I’ve been scheduling my work posts and just closing the apps when I am done. It’s good for my soul.