Yesterday's verse really resonates for me. The God who created the universe and raised Jesus from the grave - He guards, sustains, defends, strengthens, and upholds me with His victorious right hand. I will not give way to fear and discouragement, but rather choose to walk with deeper faith and confidence in Christ.
❤
A 10-10 CFA lunch for Chet and Sarah (and their families) after the mini photo sessions event by Keller Williams...
It was free 5-minute photo sessions for everyone who came. They had two photographers and a fall and Christmas setup, and the pictures I've seen turned out great!! Here are some lovely fall pics of the Fulton fam... the Wilsons' Christmas pics are still in the editing room. =)
And one of Kate and Parker E. being besties! ❤
Adam and I at the Liberty game last Friday - love this pic, and love him! ❤
Friendly Liberty band kid in the concession line with me at halftime: "Who are you here for!?"
Me: "Me? I'm cheering for Regent!"
Him: "Which player? What number??"
Me: "Oh... I'm here for the Coach!" lol
#truestory
Post-game serving line - including Amy Johnson's homemade focaccia bread, so much cheesy pasta, fruits, veggies, and loads of snacky foods for the football players (and a box intended for Adam that I ended up eating myself lol - it was all delicious). I'm gradually getting to know the Regent crew, and that's been really fun! I got to catch up with Shea Casey in the pre-game moms' prayer circle, and Jay Stevenson called Adam yesterday to tell say was happy for us and that he knew me from a lifegroup several years ago! I'm grateful that the football game atmosphere brings a natural comfort level into these conversations, and I'm looking forward to attending my first Regent home game this coming Friday!
Saturday morning, Adam picked me up and we met the Wilsons for lunch at Los Cabos! (I knew our Sunday dinner would be fairly chaotic with all the children running around, so I wanted Adam and Chet to meet where there could be some normal adult conversation.) I really love this photo! I am thankful for deeply loyal, kind, and protective friends AND for a deeply loyal, kind, and protective boyfriend. It was a relief to me for them to meet, as it makes everything feel more integrated and real to me now. ❤
Paige Evelyn joined our party of five, but Parker and Tate stayed with Bill & Melissa... here's a throwback pic of them from 10-10 before our trip to Andy's for dessert!
After lunch was a 2:30 apartment tour in Bixby... really nice! Praying for wisdom and for God to open the right doors in the right time. I'll update more on that soon.
Here's King Miles and Queen Hope at the Burger King playplace!
Jon was released to go home on Friday, so I texted Kristin offering to bring them a meal, and I was very surprised when she offered to meet us for dinner Saturday. We met at Slim Chickens then went to BK afterward so we could talk more while the kids played. It was good to catch up with them after what was a really difficult week in their lives - praising God for Jon's recovery and praying for continued physical and emotional healing for their family as they move forward. ❤ (I told Adam that my longest and most trusted, transformative Tulsa friendships are with Chet Lee and Kristin Renee, so it meant a lot to me that he got to meet both of them and their families that day!)
After that, we went back to Adam's - we talked with his Mom for a bit then sat on the porch swing in their backyard for a while. It was the best, in spite of a literal black widow spider that Adam killed when I pointed it out. The fact that I stayed outside and still felt safe and relaxed and really happy is definitely new territory for me. lol
I stayed at a hotel this weekend, and after staying up till 3AM to finish my CCU homework (yay for getting it all done!), Sunday morning was Evergreen Church with Adam and his family. In Sunday school, Harry said: "Nothing is more pathetic than small character when you have a big assignment from God. Do not choose compromise over holiness." Solid and well-timed reminder. And someone else in the class read the verses around the "power, love, and a sound mind" verse that I love to quote from 2 Timothy 1. Immediately following that verse is: "So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord... God saved us and called us to live a holy life... I know the one in whom I trust... through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." Being reminded of that context behind such a familiar verse struck me really powerfully that morning. ❤
Then we went back to the Bishop home for lunch - they had brisket, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad from the Regent moms who have very faithfully provided meals for them since Kelly got sick in April, along with Dominos pepperoni pizza and cheesy bread. All good! We ate lunch and then headed to the BOK Center and got to our seats with about a minute to spare before Garth took the stage!! (No opening act, a decision I applaud them for.)
We had amazing floor seats, and Garth had amazing, vibrant energy! =) He sang all the classics that I love - Friends in Low Places, Callin' Baton Rouge, The River, The Dance, Two Pina Coladas, etc.
It was a blast, and the most meaningful part was getting to experience it all with Adam - lots of deep thoughts on my life's journey to this point - Garth sums it up well with "some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."
Due to a parking garage wreck, we were stuck in place for about an hour after that concert, which was honestly fun for me. We talked about TV shows and music and played some songs we appreciate. While fully acknowledging that no human being is perfect and refusing to put Adam on a pedestal, I sincerely feel like he is a good match for me on several different levels, and I'm excited and fully on board with what God is doing here!
We got to the Wilsons' house a little after 5:30, where Adam got to meet the Fultons and the Myers and Tall Kyle and alllll the children! lol Here's Aunt Sarah with Paige Evelyn! ❤
We had homemade soups and breads and shells and cheese + sweet blueberry green tea + brownies by the Wilsons + a pumpkin Danish thing Sarah brought from Trader Joe's... all great! Chet made his usual pre-dinner announcement about the food, then said "We'll do what we always do before dinner - Evan, would you lead us?" (which was a little surprising to me, as Chet typically just jumps right into leading the prayer). Adam was holding Paige, and I bowed my head and closed my eyes next to him, feeling very caught off guard and confused when I heard the group in unison saying, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America..." I looked up confused and saw multiple people with their hands on their hearts trying not to laugh, so I just started shaking my head and laughing. That was on an Instagram reel from Chettles a few months back (where someone brought a new boyfriend over and the family did that just to see how he'd respond). lol Anyway, they explained to Adam that we do *not* usually start with such patriotic flair, then we had a real prayer and moved forward with dinner!
They added an extra table in their dining room so we could all sit at a very long table together. In spite of the chaos with loads of kids, our conversation was good, and I'm really thankful Adam got to meet so many of my friends now!
Group pic taken by Braden - who was standing on a kitchen chair for the best possible angle. lol
Yesterday I was able to sleep in then spend the morning in the autumn sunshine at the Station - very thankful for light workdays yesterday and today so I can catch up a bit on sleep, training workouts, transcripts, school stuff, and of course, blogging! ;-) God is good and kind, and His grace toward me will not be in vain!
❤ ❤ ❤
