Lisa notes

On the Blog—April 2021

By LisaNotes April 30, 2021 Archives No Comments

Here are brief summaries and links to blog posts from April 2021.

5 Books I Recommend—April 2021 (4/28)
Here are 5 books I recommend from what I finished reading in April 2021.
Share Four Somethings—April 2021 (4/26)
Here is something I love, something I read, something I treasure, and something ahead in April 2021.
How Can I Make a Difference Today? (4/23)
The big issues in culture can overwhelm us. But we can make a difference today by loving the one right beside us.
One Word 2021 Linkup—April + 3 Ways to Engage with Your One Word (4/21)
See 3 ways to engage with your One Word for 2021 this month. Add your link and comment about your word on our One Word linkup.
6 Ways to Take the Plastic Wrap Off Jesus (4/20)
Jesus doesn’t want to stay unused behind plastic wrap. Experience him in these 6 ways. Book review of Diana Butler Bass’s, Freeing Jesus.
You Know I Can Hear You, Right? (4/19)
Our private lives are more public than we think. You know I can hear you, right? Even when words are unspoken, the message is heard.
Did You Choose One Word for 2021? Linkup Coming (4/18)
Do you still remember your word? Join us here April 21 to update us on YOUR one word in our linkup.
Am I Really Just Stupid? (4/16)
Or is this just part of being human? We’re limited but full, vulnerable but safe, stupid but smart. It’s all okay.
If Jesus Is the Way, It’s Good to Be a Roadie (4/15)
If Jesus is the Way, or the road, what are his followers? Roadies. Today Christians still go on tour with Jesus.
Surprise, Surprise! I Was Caught by One (4/12)
How often are you caught by surprise? Remain open for God’s surprises. Surprises from God are good.
How Do You Survive an Empty Nest? (4/9)
Not necessarily like you expect to. Empty may be inaccurate.
Racism Hurts Everybody, Not Just Its Victims (4/7)
The Sum of Us shows us we’re not in competition against each other. Your wins don’t come at my expense, nor vice versa. We’re all in this together.
6 Loving Mantras to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say (4/4)
When you need to say something, but you don’t know what to say, here are 6 mantras from Thich Naht Hahn you can use.
When Hope Refuses to Stay Down (4/2)
Some days feel hopeless. But hope refuses to stay down. Let it arise again and live.

The Important Book I Didn’t Recommend
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes April 30, 2021 Grace & Truth Link-Up 11 Comments

Before I turn off my Kindle for the night and lay it on my nightstand, something in the book catches my attention.

Ah. There is it. The secret nugget. Sometimes even bad books have one.

Not that I label this book “bad.” It just isn’t for me. I don’t enjoy non-fiction books that ramble a bit much. Or that give too many irrelevant details. Or that don’t offer first-hand experience with the topic.

I’d already decided I wouldn’t recommend it in my monthly post of 5 Books I Recommend for April.

But when I come across this important bit of advice halfway in, I keep the light on a few minutes longer.

What’s the Book?

The book I’m talking about is The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life’s Stressors by Brian King.

It was the book pick for OverDrive’s #BigLibraryRead for April 2021. That set my expectations high.

Every few months, Big Library Read (BLR) participates in a global ebook club, lending the same ebook at the same time around the world. No wait lists from your library. No holds. Everybody can borrow a copy that wants one.

The Art of Taking it Easy appealed to me because its author Dr. Brian King, both a psychologist and a stand-up comedian, writes about reducing stress.

Who doesn’t want less stress? Sign me up.

What’s the Big Advice?

And now for his advice. In the chapter I was reading that night, Dr. King gives three things to focus on, three things we already know.

1. Be more optimistic
2. Be more appreciative of what you have
3. Increase your appreciation of humor

But the way he frames them is what makes all the difference for me.

OPTIMISM

For optimism, he suggests keeping a journal of imagination (my wording, not his). Write about an aspect of your life using the most optimistic words possible. Regularly.

This isn’t something I typically do. I label myself a realist, not an optimist (nor a pessimist).

But for a few weeks now, I’ve begun devoting my Monday journaling to this exercise of predicting the best possible outcome for something ahead. (And it was another book that had recently motivated me to begin journaling again, The Power of Writing it Down.)

So for 20 minutes once a week I write about the best possible scenario for any upcoming stressful event.

Do I think life will turn out this perfect way? Of course not. But it exercises an optimistic muscle I don’t always give myself permission to use so forcefully. And it actually shifts my thinking enough to relieve some of the stress of the event.

In other words, it helps.

GRATITUDE

We all have heard (and likely experienced) the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. Telling God “Thanks!” for the good things in our life is a win-win.

But the advice King gives tweaks it a little: Only focus on the current day.

And give an explanation of why you’re grateful for each item. I’m doing this in my journal on Wednesdays.

HUMOR

As a comedian, Dr. King of course recommends laughter as good medicine. Again, we’re all familiar with how good we feel after a full-on belly laugh.

But being intentional about seeking out humor is different than just passively awaiting it.

Having just finished reading Humor, Seriously a couple months ago, I’ve been on the look-out for more reasons to laugh. The Art of Taking It Easy confirms it.

I’m still not going to be the person who seeks out funny YouTube videos, but if someone sends me one, I’ll make more of an effort to watch. I’ll also not feel guilty about watching a Netflix comedy that always makes me laugh before I go to sleep.

So My Advice?

What makes a book worth recommending? Maybe it’s not as clear-cut as I once thought.

Perhaps I should reconsider my initial judgment of this book. Maybe I should recommend The Art of Taking It Easy to you after all.

It’s prompted new behaviors in me.
It’s reducing my stress.
It’s doing what it promises to do.

For you to read or not to read?

I’ll just leave it up to you.

[Public service announcement:
The next Big Library Read will be available June 28 – July 12.
Stay tuned for details at their website or your local library.]

Now Let’s Link Up!

5 Books I Recommend—April 2021

By LisaNotes April 28, 2021 Books I Recommend, Video Book Reviews 27 Comments

“Reading a book is among the most high-leverage activities on earth. For an investment more or less equivalent to the length of a single workday (and a few dollars), you can gain access to what the smartest people have already figured out.”
– Greg McKeown

Below are 5 books I recommend from those I finished reading in April plus my 1-minute video review.

[See previously recommended books here]

Nonfiction

1. Time Management Ninja
21 Rules for More Time and Less Stress in Your Life
by Craig Jarrow

These 21 easy tips will nudge you in the right direction for better managing your time.

Here’s my 1-minute video review of Time Management Ninja.

[click here if you can’t see the video]

Watch more Video Book Reviews here

2. Effortless
Make It Easy to Get the Right Things Done
by Greg McKeown

In the same genre as Time Management Ninja, this book Effortless also lays out easy ways to accomplish the things you want to get done in a day. One of my favorite chapters is Chapter 6, What “Done” Looks Like.

Read more here from Effortless:
“6 Tips to Make Life Easier“

3. The Sum of Us
What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
by Heather McGhee

Racism is expensive. And it’s not a zero-sum game. Everybody pays the price. Heather McGhee spells it out in dollars and cents.

Read more about The Sum of Us:
“Racism Hurts Everybody, Not Just Its Victims”

4. Freeing Jesus
Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence
by Diana Butler Bass

We have many ways we see Jesus. Diana Butler Bass shares 6 ways most of us have seen Jesus and prompts us to keep looking even closer.

Read more about Freeing Jesus:
“6 Ways to Take the Plastic Wrap Off Jesus“

Fiction

5. Salt to the Sea
by Rita Sepetys

I didn’t know about the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise ship used as an armed transport ship during World War 2. This novel is a riveting account of four refugees who come together on board. Highly recommend as a story but also for its historical value.

Reading Now

The Great Sex Rescue
The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended
by Sheila Wray Gregoire
Storyworthy
Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling
by Matthew Dicks
The Making of Biblical Womanhood
How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
by Beth Allison Barr
Dwell on These Things
A Thirty-One-Day Challenge to Talk to Yourself Like God Talks to You
by John Stange
Get Out of Your Head
Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts
by Jennie Allen
Home Fire
by Kamila Shamsie

What good book are YOU reading this month? Please share in the comments.

My books on Goodreads
More books I recommend

Share Four Somethings—April 2021

By LisaNotes April 26, 2021 Life updates 30 Comments

Here are my “four somethings” from April. I’m sharing at Heather’s.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Loved

CAR PHONE HOLDER

Sometimes it’s the little things, right?

This little car phone holder by iOttie has served me so well. It mounts easily on the air vents of any vehicle and holds any size phone. Because my car doesn’t have a built-in GPS screen, I use the Waze app on my phone, secure in this holder, to take me places I wouldn’t have traveled to without anxiety in the past.

It’s been a game-changer in all the right ways.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Read

THE POWER OF WRITING IT DOWN

If you want to be motivated to do more journaling, this book will do it for you. It has me back in the habit of writing several times a week, words only for God and me.

“And writing is an absolutely foolproof way to curate awareness. You cannot write for long and not see yourself show up on the page.”
– Allison Fallon

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Treasured

A NEW FRIEND

When I began reading blog posts from Shannan at shannanenjoyslife a few years ago, I knew I liked her. But when I discovered we both lived near Huntsville, Alabama, I subscribed to her blog.

And then one day in February, I received an email from Shannan, wondering if we could talk.

She was responding to my blog post from January 12 about how to fight racism:

“So, Are We Going to Talk About This?”
Is it divisive to talk about racial injustice? Or is it divisive NOT to talk about it? Plus, quotes from Jemar Tisby’s book, “How to Fight Racism.”

Yes, we can talk, Shannan!

I was thrilled.

We talked via a Zoom call in March. We shared about our backgrounds and race and family influences. And books. Shannan works with Modern Mrs. Darcy (she’s even been on a few podcast episodes of What Should I Read Next).

Shannan and I have continued texting, and now have a date on the calendar to talk again this week. I’m so excited. Shannan is very gracious. I’m excited to count her as a new friend.

Thank you, blogosphere, for doing good things.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Something Ahead

A NEW GRANDCHILD SOON!

We’re less than a month away from meeting our 3rd grandchild!

He’ll be our first grandson, and the first child for Jenna and Trey. His two girl cousins are going to have fun playing with him when he gets here.

previous Share Four Somethings

What’s a highlight from your April? What are you looking forward to in May? Share in the comments.

How Can I Make a Difference Today?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes April 23, 2021 Grace & Truth Link-Up 14 Comments

It’s been a heavy week as we waited on the jury results from Derek Chauvin’s trial in the death of George Floyd.

Even with the guilty verdict in this case, we still know things are not as they could be. They’re not as they should be.

My mind rumbles with questions:

What immediate changes can we make culture-wide?
How can we show love more visibly to all peoples?
How can we do better as a society now so there isn’t a “next time” later?

I get quickly overwhelmed. These thoughts run through my head without landing on many concrete solutions.

But when I slow down and and pray it through, I remember what Jesus did first: He loved those right around him.

I can do this, too: Love those right around me.

New questions surface:

Who will I see today?
Who can I talk to?
Who can I exchange love with in the next hour—me to them and they to me?

The big systemic issues still need addressing. Today. And tomorrow. Jesus addressed those, too.

But perhaps the people right beside me now can guide me in addressing the inequity issues for today. And I can help them.

We do none of this alone.

The people we do it with and the people we do it for make all the difference. Maybe it’s an old friend who will come to mind over lunch. Or maybe it’s someone new we will meet tomorrow.

Either way, it’s people. People are not only our who, but also our why, our how, our what.

Love the people, beginning with the people right beside me.

That’s what I can do today.

Now Let’s Link Up!

Have you felt overwhelmed too? Who can you love right beside you today? Share your thoughts in the comments.

One Word 2021 Linkup—April
+ 3 Ways to Engage with Your One Word

By LisaNotes April 21, 2021 One Word Community 13 Comments

This is our April linkup for your One Word 2021!

Leave us a comment about your struggles and successes with your word this month.

Then add links to your blog posts about your one word, images, quotes, etc.

Congratulations to Linda from March’s linkup! She was randomly chosen to win a beautiful wooden tray made by Randy Flowers with her one word, Serendipity.

Stay tuned for another giveaway coming soon.

3 Ways to Engage with Your One Word in April

Here are some ideas for engaging with your word this month.

1. START A CONVERSATION

Talk to somebody about your word. Ask what they think about it. Ask how it works in their life. Tell them your own thoughts.

Getting outside of your own head and into someone else’s can be a great way to discover new ways to engage with your word.

2. LOOK IT UP

Have you looked up the dictionary definition for your word? Sure, you already know what it means. But research its etymology. See how else it is used. Learn extra new meanings and uses.

Looking deeper at your word can help you see it in a yet undiscovered light.

3. GET CREATIVE

Regardless of your artistic abilities, find a way to be creative with your word in the next few weeks. Print it out and color it. Paint it on a rock. Write an acrostic using each letter.

Then share it with us! We’d love to see it. Post it in our Facebook group or add a picture in the linkup (no link required).

This linkup will remain open from April 21 – April 30.

The next One Word linkup will be May 21.

If you’d like to receive a monthly email for suggestions about your word, sign up here.

You can also join our One Word 2021 Facebook group here for more interaction.

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Lisa notes

on Life and Love

On the Blog—April 2021

The Important Book I Didn’t Recommend
—Grace & Truth Linkup

What’s the Book?

What’s the Big Advice?

So My Advice?

Featured Post

“8 Marriage Pitfalls to Avoid Like the Plague”

Now Let’s Link Up!

5 Books I Recommend—April 2021

Nonfiction

Fiction

Reading Now

Share Four Somethings—April 2021

Something Loved

Something Read

Something Treasured

Something Ahead

How Can I Make a Difference Today?
—Grace & Truth Linkup

Featured Post

“3 Ways to Love Like Jesus Loves”

Now Let’s Link Up!

One Word 2021 Linkup—April
+ 3 Ways to Engage with Your One Word

3 Ways to Engage with Your One Word in April

Now let’s link up!