Every season, I love to share a few things I’ve learned. It’s a fun practice of taking the time to notice what’s been happening in my life and reflect on how I see it shaping my perspective, routines, and rhythms. Here’s 7 things I’ve learned this winter.
I like having my nails painted, and if I can’t find the color I want, I can just make it!
I’ve been searching for the ‘perfect’ shade of gray nail polish for weeks. A simple shade, not too blue, not too beige. Essentially, light black. I even bought a bottle and used it,
I was in the middle of the Walmart nail aisle last week and had an epiphany! I have white nail polish. I have black nail polish. I can just make my own gray!!! I got home and found a bottle of base coat that was half filled, dumped some out and dripped in black and white polish. I have a fun metallic shade of silver with very small particles of glitter, so I dripped some of that in too, because….hello! GLITTER!!!
I’m really happy with the way it turned out, but am happier with the joy of creating something simple that made me so joyful.
Finding a new church is really hard
My family left our church of almost 10 years this winter. To say it was a difficult decision is an understatement. When we moved to
And like families, there are problems. Hurt feelings. Disappointments. Wrongs and sins committed. And sometimes there are habitual problems that can’t be ignored and aren’t being dealt with biblically, and God confirms to you that you just have to go. I could write volumes…but instead, in the words of Forrest Gump, “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
Finding a new church home hasn’t been quick or easy. We’ve been to churches that had worship we really connected with, sermons that we learned from, student ministries that seem like a good fit for our boys. But we haven’t found one that had all of those things or sensed God calling us to dig in and start the work of investing in a church community. As we grieve the loss of our ‘family’ and community of our former church, which makes attending a new church a melancholy endeavor, it is also difficult to not be hyper-critical of a new church because of the systemic sin and deception we’ve come from. It’s so hard wading through the pain to see the potential in the churches we attend. But despite our hurt, my tears, we continue to try Sunday after Sunday, hoping and praying that God will reveal our new home to us. We won’t give up trying.
Marco Polo is really fun
The app, not the game. Though the game was fun as a kid.
I was invited by a friend to connect over Marco Polo, a video ‘texting’ app. I love being able to see someone’s face as they talk to me, hear the inflection in their voice and their facial expressions. It has the ease of texting because you can watch and reply to ‘polos’ sent to you whenever you have time instead of having to be available at the same time as someone that a phone call or Facetime would require.
I also enjoy noticing my expressions as I talk, my mannerisms, my enthusiasm as I talk. I realize I fiddle with my hair and touch my face an unbelievable amount…it annoys even me, so I can only imagine how my friends watching the polos feel! I hope to start doing more Instagram videos and stories, so what I have noticed about myself shows me what nervous tendencies I need to curb. But seeing myself on the screen helps me become more comfortable with seeing myself on video and this will help me too.
If you haven’t checked out Marco Polo, you really should! It’s a great way to connect with friends and family that aren’t a part of your every day life.
Binge-watching a show is a fun way to pass the time when you have a house full of sick people.
This week my husband is in Italy for work and I’ve had 2 boys down and out with the flu…so our schedule was really open. We got hooked on The Umbrella Academy on Netflix and binge-watched the entire season in less than a week. I don’t normally watch tons of tv, but I did enjoy lounging on the couch under a blanket watching the show with my boys. It was all they had the energy for…though I think they would’ve wanted to veg on the couch and watch it even if they weren’t sick.
I love stories.
I love This Is Us. I’m hooked on A Million Little Things. I’m drawn to reading memoirs. I’ve been watching movies like ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘La La Land’. I’ve always liked these types of shows, movies, and books, but this winter, it’s been different. I have recognized that as I have seen God writing my story of cancer, recovery, trauma, depression, anxiety, and now restoration, I want to learn more about other people’s (real or fiction) journeys and how they have shaped them. I am fascinated by good storytelling. I appreciate it and hope to attain it in my own writing. Devouring it is inspiring my mind to start framing this part of my story and how best to share it…and hopefully soon, get me to start writing it in detail.
This quote….my theme and goal of this season of cancer, recovery, depression, and hope. Lisa-Jo Baker must’ve read my mind!
I know I’m late to the party…but I am LOVING learning about the Enneagram!
Oh my word! Learning about the enneagram has been life changing! I have been forcing myself not to become obsessed with reading, listening and talking about it, but the struggle is real for me. My eyes have been opened to why I do some of the things I do, why 2 of my boys act as they do and how I can best respond to them now that I understand more about their personalities. And yet, I still can’t figure out my husband and one of my son’s enneagram numbers. Since they have almost identical personalities, the good news is when I figure out one, I’ll know the other’s! In case you haven’t heard of the enneagram or are looking for more resources to learn about it, here are a few of my favorites:
- Enneagram Institute
- The Enneagram Journey Podcast
- Typology Podcast
- The Road Back to You (full disclosure, I haven’t read this yet, but it is considered the gold standard of books about the e
nneagram . I have it on hold at the library and cant wait to read it!) - Your Enneagram Coach (on Instagram)
Do you know the Enneagram? Are you feeling
This is just a glimpse of my winter, and I cannot wait to discover what I’ll learn this spring! What have you been learning this winter? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below, over email, or on Instagram, my favorite place to hang out o
