Lessons Learned in 3D — Wrapping Up

ByLyli

I am home today in my jammies.  I had one vacation day left, and I had to take it before the end of June.  We are wrapping up the semester this week at work, and next week there will be a whole new shiny list of things to do for the new semester.  I am learning that endings are really just beginnings in disguise.  Something new is looming ahead, and I have to let go of where I am to leave room for the new things God wants to do as I press forward.

A while back, I visited Emily’s blog, and her monthly wrap-up post inspired me to start this weekly list of things that I am learning — because I am prone to forget, and I think God wants me to remember.   I do this once a week here, usually on Fridays.  But, this week, Emily is hosting a new link up for bloggers to share 10 things they have learned in the month of June.  So, this week’s post is going to be a bit of a review of the month with a few new things sprinkled in.

Here in no particular order are 10 things I learned in June:

1.  Lysa TerKeurst reminded me that my identity is in Christ in her guest post for (in)courage.  I am not in a popularity contest:

“‘For in Christ

all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

AND YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN

FULLNESS IN CHRIST,’

(Colossians 2: 9-10).

I have been given fullness.

In Christ.

I can place

the wholeness of my identity in that reality…

and see everything else as small in comparison.”

2.  Studying the Bible with a group of girls can be a life-changing experience.  This month, I started reading Jennie Allen’s book Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul as part of the Good Morning Girls Study.  I am sharing this journey with 20 amazing women.  I am so excited about what God is going to do in our lives!  Jennie is challenging us all to put feet to our faith through the “If Gathering.”   If you have a heart to mentor younger sisters, make sure to check this out.

3.  Something magical happens when we gather around a table with friends and food.  Shauna Niequist is reminding me in her amazing book Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes.  Have you read it?  The Bloom Book Club for (in) courage is digging into this amazing book this summer.  Go here for the details.  Here is a quote from the “Introduction” to whet your appetite:

“What’s becoming clearer and clearer to me

is that the most sacred moments

in which I feel God’s presence most profoundly,

when I feel the goodness of the world most arrestingly,

take place at the table” (p.13).

Shauna also wrote a great post on here blog earlier this month where she outlined 7 things I should do to be a great dinner party guest.

4.  Community is hard!  That’s why this post by Robin for (in)courage really challenged me.    Am I really going to live out the Gospel and forgive as Christ calls me to do?

“Love and forgiveness are possible when we surrender our right to have rights, when we relinquish any sense of entitlement–

  • to expect others to behave how we want them to
  • to withhold a loving/forgiving response until they’re truly repentant or compliant
  • when we’re the wronged party, or in any obvious sense, are ‘right'”

5.  Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy got me thinking with her post “Making it Yours”:

“Ownership–and we’re not just talking money–is a powerful construct. When you make something yours–a town or a book or a baseball team–it becomes part of your identity.

My husband and I have been thinking about what we want to make ours as a family. What will our thing be? What makes us us?”

I mentioned a while back that my husband and I have “our spot,” and we do make an intentional effort at “keeping company,” but what she said about identity really grabbed me.  What do we want our identity as a couple to be?  This is something to pray about with my husband.

6.  I love this idea over at The Dating Divas for a wedding anniversary tradition:  Time Capsule Anniversary Gift. 

7.  I need to be intentional about affirming my husband.  Kristen at We are THAT Family provided me a framework in her great post “What Every Husband Needs to Hear.” 

8.  This week, Lisa at Lisa’s Notes challenged me to “be a ripple”:

“When Jesus heals a soul, he doesn’t stop with one.”

9.  Jenn at Running This Thing Called Life reminded me that “God is waiting to heal our upwrapped wounds.” 

10.  “Always have enough for everyone.”  Tricia lives this out with her boys in “People Need Spoons.”

Q4U: What did you learn this week?

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I am joining Emily and Jessie this week in sharing some “linky love.”

things-you-learn-in-june

19 Comments

    1. Tricia has an amazing voice as a writer. She’s one of my favorites.

      I have thought a lot about your post this month… one thing I think we are going to be more intentional about “making ours” is having a “game night.” We connect as we play Uno. 🙂

      Reply

  3. love that your list was all about the things you learned from fellow writers! really cool and a great way to encourage another- I’m just as excited about the Bloom book study- I love Shauna’s heart and food and community.

    Reply

  6. I love that all that each thing you learned has a different voice and author behind it! It’s so great to learn through other’s words and I loved reading all the blogs you link to! Great post! 🙂

    Reply

  8. We share some of the same favorite blogs and books! I read Bread and Wine not long ago and loved it. I have yet to try the fabulous recipes 🙂 This is an inspiring list!

    Reply

  9. I’m loving you list…I’m a reader of the (in)courage blog too. 🙂
    Loorking forward to reading around your blog and checking out the beautiful pictures. 🙂

    Reply

  10. Finally getting here to read your list. And I think you’ve proven how blogging can truly disciple people. Love all the things you’ve learned through bloggers. I’m enjoying the Bloom Book Club too and the book is so good. Makes me want to cook and it conjures up all kinds of memories.

    Reply

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