Busy Little Bee...

I don't know about anyone else, but I can't seem to figure out where the month of September has gone. In my little corner of the world the month has flown by. I am a person who loves routine, and it may sound a little weird, but it always seems that my daily routines are solidified a little bit more in the fall and winter months than they tend to be in the summer. Don't ask me why that is because I really can't find an answer for you.

Last week, I got to attend the ACU Lectures or Summit as it is called now. Going to these lectures is good for my soul every year. I think this year was my favorite of recent years. Monday and Wednesday I attended a class that was taught by Beverly Ross. To say it was good would be a huge understatement. The class was a 3-part series on grief. I took away so much rich spiritual meat from this class. Sadly, I missed the second class session, but I'm very thankful I ordered the CDs to own forever. Even though I'm not personally in a season of grief right now, Beverly shared so much that can be used to help others who are in the midst of a season of grief. I, along with countless other people have been contending and interceding for the Ross family, so it was such a precious gift to me to finally officially meet and hug Beverly. I absolutely loved hearing from her heart. I think my very, very favorite things about her are her intensely authentic passion and hunger for Jesus and how authentically real she is. Hearing her heart has made her a hearoine of faith in the flesh for me. No wonder Josh (Beverly's son, and one of my all-time favorite preachers) is such a precious and Spirit-saturated man of God!

I was also very blessed to get to hear Josh keynote on Monday morning. It is always such a treat to hear Josh preach. I love his heart and the very intentional way he lives for God. After his lecture, I got to officially meet Kayci, and that too was a huge gift. In short I really admire the Ross family and I do have to say that God was so honored in and through them at Summit. I have been blown away by the way they have stubbornly chosen to cling to the Lord during this journey He has called them to walk. They truly are living epistles, and my life has been made better by watching how they have chosen to hold unswervingly to faith.

Summit is probably the most noteworthy thing I've done as of late, but my Fall is going to be busy, and that is totally OK with me! I'm very excited about what my Fall calendar looks like. Hope you have a blessed week.

Answered Prayers...

In late August, after a year and a half of searching, discerning, and praying, Highland welcomed Jonathan and Leslie Storment and their family to Abilene to lead, teach, and shepherd our church body. Jonathan has been preaching since August 22, 2010, and, in my humble opinion, Highland hasn't been the same. God, through Jonathan has breathed new life into us and for that I'm so thankful. Our weekly gatherings have been packed to the gills and it feels wonderful! Sunday has long been my favorite day of the week, but now, I absolutely cannot wait for Sunday to come around. All I can say, in a state of awe, gratefulness, and joy is a huge resounding WOW.

God is just blowing me away with Jonathan and Leslie. I am beyond excited to get to know them more intimately in the months and years to come. One of the coolest get-to-know-you intiatives Jonathan has implemented is opening up his office every Wednesday from 11-2 for whoever wants to come by and chat. I haven't made it over there yet on a Wednesday, but I"ve heard there have been tons of people that have come. I have just been so blessed and full of joy at the ways the Storments have wanted to get to know the hearts and faces of Highland. I adore that they are a couple that seems to be very, very relational.

Since July 2009, when Mike stepped down, I've been fervently contending for the atmosphere of our church, the man of the Lord's choosing to be revealed, protection over our church in the time of transition, and so much more. Well, I am overjoyed to report that my prayers and those of countless others have been answered and then some. Jonathan's preaching is such a breath of fresh air. He is so humble, intensely passionate about the work and Word of the Lord, and so eager to see God glorified and exalted in all things. I strongly believe that Jonathan is anointed to proclaim God's heart and the messages God desires to bring to the attention of His people. God has been so faithful to Highland, and He has just poured out His goodness as He has brought the Storment family to us. Thank you, Father!

Favorite Things Friday...

Today is Friday once again so I thought I'd share my favoite SMELLS with you today:

Lavender is one of my top five favorite smells. I love it so much. In fact, my favorite Glade plug-in scent is Laveder Vaniilla. I also think lavender is beautiful out in nature. I think life would be very sad without the beautiful smell of lavender. This particular smell also makes me feel so clean and refreshed.

Vanilla is my very favorite smell in the world. I love it to pieces. I especially love smelling it in baked goods. My mom makes a delicious dessert that my family devours every time she bakes it. Her Sour Cream Pound Cake has vanilla in it and I love how it smells, but I think I love how the uncooked batter tastes even more! The smell of vanilla just makes me giddy. I thouroughly enjoy this smell during all seasons, but especially during the holidays. It reminds me what home smells like. I guess that is because it is also my mom's favorite scent that she places near the front door. Smelling vanilla is heavenly.

Cinnamon smells delightful to me as well, especially in the fall when temperatures are changing and leaves start turning glorious colors. I adore to wake up and smell cinnamon. I feel warmly hugged when I eat or drink anything with this spice in it. Another thing I really enjoy is Cinnamon toast in the mornings. I could smell cinnamon all day long and be so happy and contented.

I also really enjoy the Bird of Paradise scent from Circle E candles. I could burn that scent around the clock. So there you go. What are some of your favorite smells? I hope your Friday is wonderful.

Oh, Fall, Can You Come Stay Awhile?...

I know that I've shared this little tidbit on the blog before, but Fall, or as some people like to call it, Autumn, is my favorite season of them all. It seems as though all things are right in life during the Fall. High school and college football begins, pumpkin spice lattes are available at 7-11 and Starbucks, fall-scented candles start to dominate the shelves of retail stores, wearing scarves begins to make sense once again, and drinking hot tea becomes appropriate. I say all this to point out once again, that Fall is my absolute favorite. I was made to live in fall. I secretly wish the season could last all year long. I love fall decorations, fall food, fall smells, and fall traditions. Not to mention, it ushers in my birthday month of October, and gets me excited about the festivities of November and December.

The only really big thing that hasn't truly found a permanent place in West Texas is consistent cool and crisp fall temperatures. THAT is when I know my favorite season has decided to come in and stay awhile. But, even though the weather hasn't quite changed yet, and won't really do so until October, my little football-loving heart can rest very happy as I wait out the cooler temperatures. I hope you are helping to usher in the essence of the changing seasons in some fun new ways. Happy Fall everyone!