movies

Stories from the Porch in November

November 30, 2018 by Kristin 2 Comments

November included some of my favorite traditions – Friendsgiving and our Christmas Tree Hunt. Surprisingly, it also included a snow day. November also means Thanksgiving, Ben’s birthday, and National Adoption Awareness Month. This month’s view from the porch is actually my son throwing a snowball at the kitchen window while I was watching the kids enjoy the early snow that gave them a day off school.

Highlights

In 2011, we started cutting down our own Christmas tree on my mother-in-law’s land. Then we moved to the country and continued the tradition on our own property. Thing is, these trees weren’t raised and trimmed to be Christmas tree, so we’ve had unruly trees right in our living room. Despite all my Type A ways, I really love the perfectly imperfect trees. They help me enjoy the holiday season more.

The perfectly imperfect one from 2013 may have been my favorite tree. You can read about the adventures from 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 too.

With November having five Thursdays, we have more time after Thanksgiving before December begins. This is the earliest we’ve ever put up our tree, but that’s just how the calendar worked out. And I’m not sad to ease into December.

Earlier in the month, went to see Zach Williams and Matt Maher in concert. It’s one I’ll remember for a long time. Of course, I shared about that in a post too.

In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, I shared about our past Novembers, offered a free download of the Kindle version of my book (that 173 of y’all downloaded!), and welcomed two friends to share their stories on my blog. (If you missed those, Kelli shared about how waiting for and adopting her daughter gave her passion for other mommas that she’s turning into a ministry and Michaela shared about how God unites families for his glory.) I also got to see “Instant Family” with some of my dear friends.

Favorite things

Good Grit magazine – I heard about this on That Sounds Fun because Annie Downs was the guest editor of the November/December Beholden issue. It’s a beautiful magazine filled with so many lovely stories. The actual magazine even feels beautiful. I’m happy I subscribed. Magazines in general have been among my favorite things this year. I currently also subscribe to Southern Living, the Magnolia Journal, and the Pioneer Woman’s magazine.

Canvas pictures – I really love documenting our memories on our walls. My new canvas is a favorite addition. And I’ve actually added a couple things to the gallery since I took the picture in this post and have another canvas (which I got free during Black Friday sales!) on the way.

Thirty-One’s Casual Carry-All – I’d been on the hunt for the right everyday bag. I wanted it to be big enough for my planner, Kindle, and all the normal purse things, cross-body strap, pockets, and durable. I don’t change purses often, so I wanted to find the right one. And I did!

Lego Table – For Ben’s birthday, I wanted to give him a huge Lego table that would fit in his bottom bunk, and I love how it turned out! Greg got a piece of wood cut at Lowe’s that would sit down in the bunk bed. I ordered enough off-brand base pieces to cover that piece of wood and glued them down. Greg trimmed the edges with a Dremel tool. Ben told me it was the best birthday present ever, and I’m happy the Legos now live off the floor.

From the bookshelf

“Secret Daughter” by Shilpi Somaya Gowda – I bought this paperback at a book sale for 50 cents this past summer. I wish I’d picked it up sooner because I really loved this fiction story about family that spans two countries. The story provides bittersweet peeks into culture in India, international adoption, and motherhood.

“The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home” by Russell Moore – Usually I read quickly, but I’ve been taking this one slow over the past several weeks because there is a lot to digest. Moore’s perspective on marriage, children, and church family is encouraging, convicting, and thought-provoking.

“Come Let Us Adore Him: 24 Daily Advent Devotional” by Paul David Tripp – I’m excited to read this devotional as Christmas approaches.

On the screen

“Manifest” – Greg and I have been binging the episodes we had on our DVR. We’re caught up and totally intrigued.

“Grinch” – On Thanksgiving evening, we went to see this new movie in the theater. I love going to the theater and I especially loved watching this one with my youngest, who laughed at all the right parts and ate her body weight in popcorn.

How’s your November been?

Stories from the Porch in June

June 29, 2018 by Kristin 1 Comment

We are in the midst of 87 days of summer around here with ice cream sandwiches, tan lines, and meals on the porch. Yet the highlight of this month certainly was our mission trip to Guatemala.

Highlights

The week leading up to our mission trip, there were some highlights – perhaps, really, lowlights – that added to my anxiety as I prepared to leave for a foreign country that had recently had a major volcanic eruption. My washing machine was replaced, Ben had an abscessed drained and went on an antibiotic for the infection, and the mechanic insisted my brakes were fine despite the sound I could hear.

Despite all the chaos leading up to the mission trip, our week in Guatemala was smooth and productive. Our team and the missionaries were great to be around. And Rachel enjoyed all the attention and gifts from her grandmas.

(I shared some thoughts on “intentional sacrifices,” a theme I kept seeing in Guatemala. And there are more Guatemala-inspired posts to come.)

Since we’ve been back, the dryer stopped heating and I happened upon a great deal on the one that coordinates with my new washer. My laundry room is in a working order again, thankfully. Oh, and the sound coming from my minivan got worse, prompting Greg to take it back to the mechanic. Turns out all four brakes did indeed have to be replaced. Yes, I had thoughts of “told you so” running through my head so it’s probably good Greg handled that one.

We also had a two-day visit with my cousin-friend Mary and her kids. Clearing the calendar, cooking good meals, and chatting while we were in and around the pool seemed like a vacation. Perhaps we’ll call it a staycation. Whatever it’s called, I was happy she made the drive from Atlanta to be with us.

June, you were full of some surprises, but you were mostly fun. Even so, I’m hoping July involves fewer major purchases.

Favorite things

Ben Rector’s new album “Magic” – It’s been on repeat this week. I really love so many of the lyrics and texted a dear friend the video to “Old Friends.” The songs are nostalgic and have a good summer sound.

Folding utility wagon – Most of Ben’s baseball season, I hauled a wagon in my trunk, but then I found one that folds flat. It’s much easier to cart around in my trunk and works well for getting the chairs and my toddler from the van to the baseball field. I have plans to use it at the soccer fields too when that season is back upon us. (I bought ours at Sam’s, but it looks like Amazon has some similarly priced ones as well.)

From the bookshelf

“A Long Time Gone” by Karen White – I really loved this one. I had picked it up at a yard sale or library book sale some time ago, but I needed a paperback to read by – and sometimes in – my pool. The storytelling over generations and character development were excellent.

“Looking for Me” by Beth Hoffman – This was another one that had been sitting on my shelf after I picked it up at a yard sale or a used book sale. Hoffman is a fellow Kentuckian and part of this story is set in my home state. I thought some of the storytelling reflections back in time could have had smoother transitions into the present day story, but overall I really enjoyed the story. Plus I’m often drawn to books that take place in South Carolina, as this one does when the main character isn’t visiting her Bluegrass roots. I also loved the theme of making old things new, which was conveyed through furniture work, relationships, and letting go of a homestead.

“The Light Between Oceans” by M.L. Stedman – I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one. I found it for $3 at a consignment sale and started reading it that same day. I loved the lighthouse setting, the love story, the tension of doing what seemed right even when it was clearly wrong, and the characters.

“All the Breaking Waves” by Kerry Lonsdale – I really only finished this one to see how the story turned out. It was fine, but not nearly as good as those three I already mentioned.

“The Castaways” by Elin Hilderbrand – I love the Nantucket setting, especially in the summer, but this book was a little too much soap opera for me. I wanted to see how these characters ended up and whether there was any redemption to their choices, but this certainly wasn’t my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book.

My book list is always growing, but I shared recently what I’ve read (so far) this year.

On the screen

“Suits” — Greg and I started this one on Amazon Prime, thanks to the recommendation from some of my friends. We’re still in the first season, but we’re enjoying it!

“I Can Only Imagine” – In preparation for a blog post, I finally watched this movie with Cate. We both enjoyed it. (You can still read my review, although the giveaway is closed now.)

What #PorchStories do you have from your June?

{Tweet that.}

When You Wonder if You’re Ordinary

March 14, 2018 by Kristin 35 Comments

Welcome Mary Carver to the porch today! She and I crossed paths on the internet years ago, intentionally interacted on the internet, and became real-life friends. She’s funny, always knows what I should watch on TV, and finds truth in unexpected places. Plus, she taught me the best way to cook bacon! She’s truly one of my favorite blessings from this blogger life and, if you don’t already, you should get to know her.

*****

Last summer I decided my daughters needed to have their pop culture horizons expanded. With the help of some googling (“top family movies from the 80s and 90s”), I made a list of all the movies I loved from childhood. Movies my brother, parents, and I had watched on VHS, over and over because Netflix wasn’t a thing; movies I could still quote to this day; movies I adored despite realizing, as an adult, that they weren’t actually that good.

Our favorites were “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and “Flight of the Navigator.” Reviews were mixed for “The Princess Bride” (but don’t worry, I’ll win over that child with bad taste soon enough). Next up on our list are “The Mighty Ducks,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and “The Sandlot.” One movie I thought for sure would be a big hit – but was not – is “Night at the Museum.” In hindsight, I can see how it’s a bit intense for my girls, but I’m not giving up. In a year or so I know they’ll appreciate the slapstick humor, as well as Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s sarcastic banter.

Though it’s been several months since we attempted to watch that movie, one scene from the first few (less intense) minutes has stuck in my mind ever since. Ben Stiller’s character is a divorced dad who has a hard time holding down a regular job. But he’s a big dreamer and a hope holder, always certain something big, his big thing is just around the corner. His son is young but he’s heard this story enough times to be at least wary, if not jaded. When his dad admits he lost his job again and might have to move, but not to worry because his big moment is coming, his son asks tentatively: “What if you’re wrong … and you’re just an ordinary guy who should get a job?”

What if you’re wrong … and you’re just
an ordinary guy who should get a job?

Ouch.

I know well the sting of those words, of that doubt. Not because my child has uttered them – or because anyone has, actually. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t heard them loud and clear anyway.

Every time I fail.
Every time I’m passed over, ignored, rejected.
Every time I’m too afraid to try.
Every time I don’t follow through.
Every time I can’t get it together.

Every time, I wonder: “What if you’re wrong … and you’re just ordinary?” I stop believing that I’m anything special, that I’m valuable or capable, that anyone would choose me or appreciate me or love me. I look at the hard reality in front me, I face facts – and I ignore the promises I’ve received and the conviction I’ve been given. And I wonder if maybe I’m just ordinary.

Last week was one of those times. I’d had a rough day, but it wasn’t all that unusual. It was exactly the kind of won’t-cooperate, tripping-me-up, letting-me-down kind of Wednesday that just happens sometimes. In the span of just a few hours that afternoon, I returned a movie to Redbox an entire week late, yelled at my 10-year-old over spoons (as if that’s a reason to get all riled up), burned the bacon, left the dirty dishes on the table in an effort to leave our house on time, got in the car (late) to head to church and realized my sweater was covered in cat hair and my daughter’s hair looked as if it hadn’t been brushed in a month.

As I collapsed into my chair later that night I sighed deep and long. I know. My day hadn’t been that bad. Believe me, I’ve had worse. It was wearying and annoying, but nothing earth-shattering, for sure. It was…just ordinary.

Sitting there in the post-bedtime silence, one hand on the remote and the other holding my head, I heard it. As my eyelids drooped and my mind wandered, the words crept in.

What if you’re wrong? What if this is it?
What if you’re JUST ORDINARY?

I was tired. I was frustrated. In recent days I’d been so overwhelmed with the stuff of life that I hadn’t had energy left over for writing or ministry, for pursuing the dreams God has placed in my heart, for following the call I’ve heard for decades. And decades! I’d been trying to figure out how to live some big life, to leave some incredible legacy, to build something important or find something exciting for years and years. But here I was, nodding off in a flipping rocking chair at 8 o’clock. HOW OLD AM I? I thought. If I don’t have the energy to load the dishwasher or turn on Netflix, how will I ever muster the motivation to be amazing? To live amazing? To do amazing?

What if I was never meant to? What if…what if ordinary is all there is for me? What if ordinary is all I am?

Or … what if ordinary isn’t, actually, all that bad?

No, I don’t mean we should settle for boring lives that don’t leave an impact on anyone. I’m saying that perhaps “just ordinary” gets a bad rap – and maybe ordinary isn’t the enemy to greatness we’ve made it out to be. Perhaps…we need the days of ordinary to prepare us for the days of greatness.

Perhaps the ordinary is exactly how
we’re going to live big and do great.

{Tweet that.}

Maybe it’s in the little things that we can develop tremendous faithfulness.
Maybe it’s in the everyday that we can spot opportunities to love and share and give.
Maybe it’s in the dry seasons that we can remember our thirst for Living Water.
Maybe it’s only then that we learn compassion for those who so desperately long for the Truth we know.

Maybe at the end of an ordinary day full of ordinary stuff, we can take a deep breath and remember it was just one day. But what a day it was! It was a testing ground, a learning opportunity, a time of rest and refreshment, a day full of the smallest gifts and victories, a foundation for whatever comes tomorrow.

What if you’re wrong? What if your ordinary is actually extraordinary?

How do you handle doubt that comes from “ordinary” days?

*****

Mary Carver is a wife, mom, and writer who lives for good books, dark chocolate, and television marathons but lives because of God’s grace. She’s a word nerd, a Jesus follower, and a big fan of YA novels, Mexican food, and pretty office supplies. You can get to know her all over the internet, including her blog, but my favorite place to find her is in her Facebook community The Couch {with Mary Carver}.

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