Happy mid-July to you, sweet readers! I’ve been spending lots of time with my family in these dog days of summer. While pausing to read scripture and to soak up the words of some favorite authors, as well, I have spent a lot of time in prayer. In the midst of all of this relaxing, reading, and quality time…I haven’t been writing to you as much as my heart has desired. By golly, I miss you all! Therefore, I have a million blog posts in my heart {and in the notes on my phone} just waiting to surface one day very soon! God is doing a work in my heart and good things are coming! I can feel the transition. More on that later!
For now, how about a light-hearted post? I want to share a few things: (resources and fun stuff) that I’ve been enjoying these past few weeks. I want you to get in on some of this goodness!!!
1) The First 5 App by Lysa Terkeurst and Proverbs31 Ministries: You need to get in on this if you are an iPhone user. Go to the App Store, search First 5, and voila! It’s like an alarm…it is an alarm. You set your alarm like usual {and the tones to choose from are so pretty and happy that I couldn’t decide…best wishes as you take this on.} When you turn your alarm off, it immediately transitions into a five minute Bible devotion to ensure that the first 5 minutes of your day are spent in God’s Word. Lysa’s quote for this new app sums it all up so perfectly, “We need to exchange whispers with God before shouts with the world.” Word. Preach on, Lysa. If you are tempted to start your day with the noise of email or social media, this is a lifesaver. Join me, won’t you?!
2) Anything by Jennie Allen–Friends, this book is changing the way I pray. I’m reevaluating my level of surrender to Jesus and realizing how small my prayers have been for so long. Jennie is encouraging us to wrap our mind around how big God really is. I feel like prayer is unleashing in my heart in a new way. This is a break-through. If you struggle with prayer {and so many of us do}, may I gently recommend this book? How willing are we to pray, “I’ll do anything, God. Anything.”? …and what would happen if we really began praying this way? I know. It’s unfathomable, am I right? Let’s wrap our minds around this, shall we? Read it and then let’s chat some more!
3) Legacy Collective: This. This is a new kind of giving community and I’m thrilled to watch them grow. Legacy Collective is focusing their efforts into funding sustainable solutions to systematic social issues. Why am I currently obsessed with this, you ask? Friends, it is brilliant. They are building a community of givers with the vision already clearly in sight. Instead of reinventing the wheel again and again to pour into the lives of the margininalized and oppressed, Legacy Collective will run like a well-oiled machine with givers, do-ers, vision, resources, and monthly funds already in place. I fully expect this ministry to be the hands and feet of Jesus in an epic way. Head over to Legacy Collective to check it out!
4) Seven by Jen Hatmaker: Is there anything as relaxing as reading while floating in a swimming pool? Nope. Sweet friends, have you read Seven? I’ve been reading it in spurts all summer and finally committed to completing it last week! Oh. My. Stars. You need to read this right now. You will laugh hysterically, but ultimately, your heart will have fresh perspective on 7 relevant topics that you likely deal with on a daily basis, already. Fresh perspective does the heart good. The Holy Spirit spoke deeply to my heart about this stuff. Our culture is so ridiculously entitled and this experiment against excess will open your eyes in a big way, I tell you! No spoilers here, but please email me when you have read it so that I can share my biggest take-away. Game. Changer.
Clearly, this book has been well-loved. It’s been to Haiti and back…and may or may not have come in contact with the swimming pool. Oops!
5) Gardening: Yep! I’m all about that squash. I planted my first garden this summer. Every day, I journey to my little garden in the backyard and gather cucumbers, zuchini, and yellow squash. I check on the progress of green beans, corn, and watermelon. I pull weeds and get my hands dirty. I’m not sure what it is about gardening, but I feel like a responsible grown-up because of these veggies I have raised. I imagine I’m a pioneer while our preschooler believes he’s a farmer boy. We’re having too much fun. The most exhilarating part of the whole thing? I love having extra veggies to share with our neighbors and to give to the people we love. Every day, I have short yet meaningful conversations over cucumbers. God is nurturing my relationships one yellow squash at a time. Love it!!! 
6) The Mingling of Souls by Matt Chandler: I’m going to be real with you and not so light-hearted for a minute. In the past three years, 7 of my friends have been divorced. People we did ministry with, old friends, and even couple friends have chosen to go seperate ways. My heart has ached every time. I won’t go into the logistics of the very different scenarios, of course. I will say that my eyes have been opened to the hurt in marriages. And may I tell you a secret? We are all broken people with sin in our lives and a desperate need for the Savior in every situation. I decided it was time to place some emphasis on marriage and God’s perfect design for it. I need this in my life. We all need it. Enter this {very real} study. The Mingling of Souls discusses God’s design for marriage, sex, and redemption. So…we are meeting with other couples every week to watch the series on Right Now Media. That’s right. We are meeting with other couples to discuss some seriously awkward topics. Thank you, Matt Chandler for your hysterically funny wit mixed in with real wisdom so that I never have to stifle my laughter for more than thirty seconds at a time. The struggle is real. Oh…and thanks to Matt and the Song of Solomon, our husbands have a new line, “Your hair is like flocks of goats.” How special. Really friends, check this out on Right Now Media or read the book! Good, good stuff. This isn’t your average book on matrimony.
Sweet friends, I hope you will find a little something here to encourage your heart and to draw you closer to Jesus wherever you are right now. Our lives all have spaces just waiting to be filled with the grace of our Savior and gaps that need filled by His redeeming love. May we all find resources, hobbies, friendships, books, and quiet space to point our hearts again and again to Jesus. We need Him every hour. May your hours be filled by a constant communion with the Giver of life. Day in and day out, in the big and the small, may it all be for His glory. Every minute of every day, give me Jesus.
Enjoy each moment of this sunny season!
From my heart to yours, ~Courtney
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