Friday, June 28, 2013

8 Things I Learned in June...

Emily Freeman, over at Chatting at the Sky is linking up today and wanting to hear about things we have learned in June. I knew I had to play because June has really been a great teacher and I like great teachers. It's been a fun month and I hate to see it go, but I have a feeling July is cookin' up something real good for us.

So June, here's to you.

My 8 Things




1. My MaMa Lee always recommended the best books to me. The last book she recommended before she passed away in November was the biography, And God Came In, by Lyle Dorsett. It was about C.S Lewis's wife, Joy Davidman Lewis.  Like Lewis, she was an atheist for much of her life.  But she said she met God in a half of a minute and knew immediately she had been defeated. She confessed that she was not, after all, the master of her fate and the captain of her soul. She proclaimed that ever since that half-minute she had been changing into a different person. She set out to remake her mind. This reminded me that everyone has hope, regardless of where you have been and what you have believed. It's a great read and will always be on my shelf, right next to Mere Christianity, by C.S Lewis.

2. Brain Games is one of the only shows that I will watch without doing anything else. I don't need to eat, to write, to have a computer anywhere near me. I can rarely sit and watch TV without piddling. I love learning about the human mind and why we do what we do. And no matter what we figure out, I'm convinced we aren't meant to understand it all.

3. The more I write, the more God speaks. Writing a book is definitely one of the hardest attempts I have made in life. It has humbled me, required more faith than ever, but more than anything it is inspiring me to live out the words God breathes through my fingers. I always want to mean what I type, and live so my life mirrors that.

4. I like to hang out with old people. And you should to. Our family visits an elderly couple in our church every Monday and I always come home a little wiser. I have learned how to make a no-fail pie crust, heard about great scriptures, and listened to stories of love and loss. When someone has walked this planet for 80+ years, we better stop and take a listen and I'm glad we take time to do just that.

5. I've learned that Jennie Allen's heart is EXPLODING with God's love. My friend Sara, at    http://chasinggirlzandchaos.blogspot.com  introduced me to her book, Anything a few weeks ago, and I am loving the words God has given her to share with the world. Here is a video that asks the question, What if we gave God everything by doing ANYTHING he calls us to do?


6. I've learned to see things differently, by looking a little longer. I've learned to hear things differently by listening a little closer. Inspiration is everywhere and often, least where we expect it. I saw a license plate on our way to the beach that said, Krupa. I thought it was a neat word, so I looked it up and this is what I found. It is a Hindu-Indian-Christian name for a female meaning grace, mercy, favor, love, passion, compassion, forgiveness, blessings, and hope. WoW! I thought my name was cool because it meant "strong." I sure hope I meet a Krupa one day.

7. I learned that I love Audrey Assad's music, especially the song, Wherever you Go. So so good.

8. (A sum of my thoughts)  I'm learning that maybe's can be a good thing and sometimes no's lead to yes's. I'm learning how to have a more eternal perspective, while keeping my feet on the ground and my head towards heaven. I'm learning that "right words" come and go but God remains. He chases us. He loves us regardless if words sound good or not.

I hope June has been a good teacher to you. Jump over to Emily's blog, to link up and share what you know.

Our stories and lives are meant to be shared, and when we share we make space for more. Here's to June and all that will come in July!

2 comments:

Connection Keeping said...

When I first became a Christian in college I loved reading C.S. Lewis's books, they always reached me. I will definitely be jumping on the book recommendation of And God Came In. Keep on towards the goal with your book, and some day people will be recommending it to others through blog comments.

emily freeman said...

Love your write up of the biography. I'm going to have to put that one on my (very long) book list.

So glad you linked up.