who says Aggies and Longhorns can't be friends?

“You saw how the Lord, your God, carried you, as a man carries his child, all along your journey until you arrived at this place.”

                                                            ~Deut 1:31

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“Sometimes our travel takes us to the places of our dreams, and sometimes it serves to remind us of who we are and where we came from. Our family excursions have rarely taken us to exotic places, but they have reconnected us with people we adore and given us new relationships to cherish. The every day holy is real, we just have to open our eyes to appreciate it.

Whatever road life has paved for you, consider this: Forget about the destination and focus on the journey. Wherever you go, do it with intention and purpose. Travel with a heart anxious for accompaniment. And remember that the drive is always sweeter when Jesus is riding shotgun with you.”

~Kathryn Whitaker

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God has a tremendous sense of humor. 

When I first saw the title, then the book cover – with the beautifully edged cowboy boots, I was intrigued by Kathryn Whitaker’s book, “Live Big, Love Bigger: Getting Real With BBQ, Sweet Tea, and a Whole Lotta Jesus.” 

I mean, what is there not to like?  Texas, boots, BBQ, love and Jesus!

I immediately signed up to follow her on Instagram, then found her on Facebook under @TeamWhitaker

Then when I received a copy of the book, courtesy of Ave Maria Press, and browsed through the chapter titles, I smiled thinking how much my Texas-loving daughter would enjoy reading this book.

Even when I randomly opened a chapter and began reading, I chuckled, enjoying the author’s great sense of humor, and thought about several people who’d enjoy getting their hands on this one. 

So then I opened another chapter, and another one, then another one. Well, you get the picture. I loved reading this book! And I think that you will, too.

Let’s be honest, who can’t relate to the sentence, “Sometimes, you want to tell God to shove it.”

I don’t know Kathryn Whitaker, but I know we could be good friends. She is genuine, funny, insightful, intuitive, a great storyteller, honest – and did I mention humorous?

Setting aside the facts that Kathryn Whitaker and I have one major thing NOT in common (I don’t particularly enjoy Dr. Pepper) – as well as one irrevocably major distinction (I am a displaced Texas Longhorn living in central Oklahoma, and she is a displaced Texas Aggie living in Austin), after reading this book, I know that I’ve found a faith-sister.

And needless to say, we are in two very different phases of our life journey. Aka, I am much, mucholder. 

But our desire to live a whole-hearted life for Jesus is identical. The yearning to live a life with purpose and intention is the same. And the only difference in our love and prayers for our family, for our children and husbands, is that I have one more generational layer of prayer devotion – praying for my amazing Grands! 

Let me tell you a story. So an Aggie living in Austin and a Longhorn living in Oklahoma walk into a bar…

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“This life was meant for living, so I encourage you to set fear aside and love bigger. Can I get a hell yes? Let’s say it a little louder for the folks in the back, shall we?”

~Kathryn Whitaker