worship.

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

[the difficulty]

rita mae lupori.

Four years ago a celebration happend, a celebration of the life of my Nonni. My mom's mother, a Tina Turner fan, a power walker, a singer at her churches funerals, a Ladies Golf League coordinator and champion, a lover of licorice and a good grilled meal, a crossword fanatic, a Cadillac driver, a avid hat wearer, a woman of courage, faith, and family.

The only family member who understood my cancer struggle. She beat it one time, before it beat her the second time around. She smiled until the end.

Everyone tells me I looked the most like my Nonni and my other Grandma Rose (who passed away before I was born), and I can't help but take and believe that to be one of the most incredible compliments someone has ever given me.

Rest in Peace Nonni. We miss you.

game on.

28 million of us are going to fight you.

seasoned with LOVE.

IT IS ALMOST HERE! MY FAVORITE MONTH OF THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR! AND YES I AM AS EXCITED AS THE CAPITOL LETTERS IN THIS SENTENCE!

There is always something so rejuvenating, so fantastic, so simple, so crisp about October. There is still really good fruit from summer, apples are abundant and delicious, pumpkin donuts and pumpkin bread, jeans and a sweatshirt, cozy up with the windows still open, beautiful michigan colors everywhere you drive, incredible harvest sunsets and sunrises, long early morning runs that remind me of some important ladies in my life, and heartfelt reminders that God is present every single place we turn.

October is truly magical, great things are always in store in October for no other reason then the fact that God created this season to be the introduction to gatherings, community, food, love, and restoration.

First and Foremost, the OFFICIAL Autumn MUST do:
Buy a celebratory bag of candy corn in honor of the change of seasons (yearly tradition), even though it is 4 days late, I got mine tonight and it tasted so DELICIOUS.
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So in honor of October, it is essential to make a to-do list. There are only 31 days... So I have to get going.

A (*) is by those things I have yet to do in my lifetimes of Octobers but have recently thought of or always wanted to do.

• Candy corn on the first day of Autumn
  
• Make Mom's pumpkin bread
• Get in a 10+ miler
• Rake leaves and JUMP in them
• Take a nature walk and document with photographs (last year I was in Bath and Lansing)
  
• Drive to the top of the Shaw Ramp at MSU and look at all the trees
  
• Press the first three leaves I find (orange, yellow, red)
• Learn to make pie *
• Learn to make Katie's apple cookies*
• Go canoeing/kayaking*
• Tailgate at a MSU football game
• Carve pumpkins
• Bonfire and Apple cider
• See some Trick-or-Treaters (haven't done this in a few years)
• Enjoy the homecoming festivities of the Bath Community*
• Drive up to Grand Haven and watch the sunset over Lake Michigan*
• Pick my own apples (not just Meijers, haven't done this since I was 5)*
• Go to a Corn maze* (never done this...crazy I know!)
  
• tall nonfat no whip Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks :]
  

So beyond excited.

p.e. shenanigans

charlie brown.

I have a little fetish with my sunday morning comics. Peanuts, Frank and Ernest, Marmaduke...it's the Silly Sunday morning child in me.

But overall, PEANUTS, by Charles Schultz is my favorite.