Share Four Somethings—March 2021
Here are my “four somethings” from March that I’m sharing at Heather’s.
Plus my One Second video from February . . .
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something Loved
- ALI ABDAAL ON YOUTUBE
I subscribe to only a handful of YouTube channels, mainly churches that we watch until we can go back in person. But I found a new (to me) channel recently that I really connect with.
It’s the YouTube channel by Ali Abdaal. He is a junior doctor in the UK, but he’s also an all-around interesting guy that makes very informative videos on the best books to read, how to be more productive, tools and tech, time management, etc.
He’s very practical and puts on no pretenses. I don’t feel guilty spending time on YouTube when I’m watching his videos. And obviously I’m not alone; he has over a million followers.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something Read
- IRRESISTIBLE
My reading order of books in my stack is typically:
- Library books
- Books to review
- Books borrowed from friends
- Book club books
- Then last, books I’ve bought
So when I finish a book that I actually bought from the bottom of the pile, it’s a big deal.
And I finished two of my bought books this month!
The best of the two is Andy Stanley’s Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World. I bookmarked so many pages and copied so many quotes that it’ll take me awhile just to review my own notes.
One of his many points I resonate with strongly is that we too often idolize our Bibles at the expense of God. I can’t explain it as well as he can, so read the book to hear more.
“Christianity predated the Bible by hundreds of years. There were thousands of Christians long before there was a Bible. The Bible did not create Christianity. It’s the other way around.”
– Andy Stanley
(The other book of my own that I finished is Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom. It was very interesting in a different way.)
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something Treasured
- DRIVE-THRU BABY SHOWER
We had a drive-thru shower this past weekend for our grandson-on-the-way! It was a huge success (although the second half of the shower was less of a drive-thru and more of a block party in the cul-de-sac).
Rain had been predicted for the whole day, but in the end, it never rained a drop. It was wonderful seeing friends and family we hadn’t seen in months due to covid. The weather was perfect for outdoor social-distancing to catch up.
Then the family went inside and and we filmed Jenna and Trey opening the gifts on Facebook Live. It was the next-best thing to having everyone with us, yet keeping everyone safe (including Jenna and the baby).
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something Ahead
- MORE SHOTS!
A year ago I couldn’t have imagined how eager we would be to get a shot.
I got my first shot of the covid vaccine on March 22, the first day it opened for my age group (quite the miracle!). I had no side effects with this one (except a sore arm).
I’m excited to get my second shot on April 12. Jeff gets his second shot April 6.
By the end of April, we look forward to having a little more freedom than we’ve had in a year. Yippee!
What’s a favorite from your month in March? What are you looking forward to in April? Share in the comments.
So glad the drive- thru baby shower worked out and the weather cooperated!
I had little faith in the weather that day. ha. As they were setting up outdoors, I kept asking, “So when it starts to rain, how quickly can we move this?” And my other daughter would tell me it’s not going to rain. I’m glad she was right. I’ll go to her for my weather from now on. lol.
Lisa, you will receive your second shot the day after I receive mine. And Jeff receives his three days after my husband gets his second. I so agree, it will be a great relief to get this done. I’ll keep you both in my prayers for no side effects and you know I will now be thinking of you both!
How amazing that we are basically on the same schedule! That will be a reminder to me to pray for you and your husband too, Joanne. I’ve heard the second shot could be more likely to bring side effects than the first shot, but I’ve also heard of zero side effects from that one too. I’ll pray the latter for all four of us. 🙂
I always enjoy your one second videos. It looks like a fun way to record the month. The drive thru baby shower looks like fun, and I’m glad you got your vaccine too. I think it might be sometime in May before I can get it.
Thanks, Lesley. The videos are always great fun to do. Sometimes I make a longer one just for myself because there are so many memories I want to remember and I love looking back on them. 🙂
I thought it would be May before I could get my vaccine too, but somehow the opening became available so I took it.
What a blessing to have the drive-by shower!! Congratulations on your soon to be grandson!!
Thank you, Mariel! We’re very excited to get a grandson. I need to get a few boy toys around my house though. We only had daughters, and the other two grandkids have been girls. Bring on the boys for a change! 🙂
Such a sweet picture of the expectant parents and your soon to appear grandson:) What a fun day! Thanks for the YT suggestion. I usually watch YT each evening before going to bed…but it can be such a waste of time. Sigh. I look forward to checking this channel out!
I know what you mean about YT…it can really suck away some time before you know it. 😉 Fortunately, it’s the one place that my impatience almost comes in handy; if a video is long, I typically don’t want to watch it. lol.
What a wonderful way to have a baby shower. We have had to invent new ways to interact safely this year, haven’t we? Congratulations on getting your shots! Bill and I got our first shot on Saturday. We just had a little muscle soreness too.
And, as always, your book reviews have me adding to my TBR list. both of those books sound awesome!
I’m so glad you and Bill were able to get your first shots too! Who knew we’d be so excited about shots. And yes, this has been such a year of firsts. I couldn’t have imagined a drive-thru shower a year ago. I hope some of the changes we’ve made will stick around, but I also look forward to discarding a few of our new ways.
I always enjoy the one-second videos. What a nice idea the drive-through shower was! I’m glad the rain held off. We were able to get the J&J one-time shot (which is what we wanted) a couple of weeks ago, and had no side effects except a sore arm. My middle son has been looking for that one now that TN has opened up vaccines for everyone over 16, but so far every place he has called is out of it. Hopefully they’ll get more soon.
I’ll have to look up that YouTube channel. I don’t subscribe to many, and I don’t watch all I am subscribed to. Ha.
I’m afraid I have not been a fan of Stanley since he announced a few years ago that he was “unhinging” from the Old Testament. Because of that stance, I wouldn’t trust what his perspective. I don’t know how many people actually idolize the Bible. People point to the Pharisees, but they idolized their added rules, not God’s Word (I have a few notes jotted down for a possible post on that some day). Sure, we shouldn’t stop at the words on the page, but we should let them turn our worship to God Himself. But I don’t think we need to downplay the Bible to do that. (Not trying to be argumentative–I don’t usually share dissenting opinions on others’ blogs. 🙂 But this is one I feel strongly about.)
I would have liked the J&J shot too–one and done! Glad you were able to get it. I don’t know anyone around here yet who has gotten it. I got the Pfizer vaccine and Jeff got Moderna. Tennessee is very progressive to already be open up to everyone (or else it’s a bad sign that not enough people are signing up?). I’m not sure how to interpret it sometimes. ha.
Andy Stanley does speak directly in this book to the issue that you mention. His take is that we, as new covenant believers under Christ, are no longer held bondage to the old covenant in the Old Testament. I heard that teaching preached often in the denomination I grew up in, so it sounds normal to me. Stanley still values the Old Testament and uses it for instructive teachings, but doesn’t bind its laws on followers of Jesus.
I also grew up hearing (and still hear) many people equate the Bible with God, instead of the Bible being the book that points us to God. It’s as if the Bible was the third person of the trinity: Father, Son, and the Holy Bible instead of the Holy Spirit. From what I read in Stanley’s book, Stanley actually does not downplay the importance of the Bible, but rather he just places it underneath the importance of God. He puts the primary emphasis on God himself. If that makes sense. I may not be explaining it well. 🙂 I appreciate you sharing your opinion. You always do it respectfully.
Love the drive through baby shower idea. And opening gifts on video. People are getting so creative. Interesting idea on idolizing the bible and that Christianity was here long before the bible. This will have me thinking for awhile.
Yes, the pandemic has had to bring out the creative side of people more than normal. 🙂 I was thankful that we had the option for the baby shower, but I will look forward to the return of the old way too.
Lisa, I am so glad you made me aware of the 1 Second a Day app. It’s a great mindfulness tool.for this oblivious girl!
The app is great for helping me stay mindful too. It keeps me on the lookout everyday for something different to remember. And then it reminds me of it later when I go back and watch it. It’s one of my very favorite apps of all time.
How wonderful to have the drive-thru shower and then to reconnect with friends and family. Babies ( & soon to be born babies) do that, don’t they? Bring people together! I haven’t read Andy Stanley for a while and intrigued by his book you shared. My bookshelf of my boughten books also seem to be last on the TBR list. I’ve been avoiding the library lately so I can get reading them!
Babies definitely bring people together! Without having to do a thing. 🙂 I know exactly what you mean about avoiding the library so you can read the books you already have. I met a friend in the parking lot of the library on Monday and I was very proud of myself that all I did was return a book and not check out a book. lol.
Wonderful post, Lisa! Glad to know the drive-thru shower was a big hit, and that your second Covid shot is in the offing. It does feel so good to be able to get out and about without the heavy weight of fearing infection. As always, loved your “second” video clip.
Blessings, and thanks for your prayers for Danny!
I’m thankful for answered prayers for Danny’s healing! I’ll continue to pray that all will go smoothly with him not being able to drive for 6 months. That will be a pain, but a small tradeoff for life itself!
Lisa, I love your one-second (Month) videos. What a great way to remember special moments and people! I haven’t heard of this book by Andy Stanley, but I’m adding it to my TBR list. And I’m so glad your family was able to celebrate your grandchild-on-the-way, even if it was drive-through style. Congratulations!
The one-second videos are always so fun to capture at the end of the month! Thankfully it’s not much work on my part; I just let the app do the compiling. 😉 I only have to save the snippet from my photos.
As always, Lisa, I love the one-second videos. I’m so glad you got to have a shower, even if it was drive-through. And that you got to watch from afar when they opened the gifts. I pray all goes well for baby and Mama! Love and blessings to you!
Thanks for your prayers for our sweet little one on the way, Trudy! I got to feel him kick today. Jenna is a little over the 7-month mark now which always makes me feel good too.
I really enjoy the “4 somethings” both writing & reading?
What is your favorite part?
I enjoy both the writing and reading parts too, Barb. I think my favorite thing changes each month that I do it. 🙂
The Andy Stanley book sounds really good! I’ll need to check it out!
I really appreciated reading Andy Stanley’s views. And he also has a good sense of humor (and humility) which makes for fun reading too. 🙂
Wow! The Andy Stanley book looks intriguing! I’d never thought of which came first, the Bible or Christianity. Your daughter looks so cute :). How many more months until you get to meet your grandson?
It’s still crazy for me to see my daughter with a baby inside! 🙂 I love it. I guess that’s how my mother felt with me. I wish she were here to see her granddaughter carrying a child. The baby is due May 22, so a little less than 2 months to go!
Great shared items, all the way around. I have a few more days of the two weeks after my second vaccine and then I will have the immunity built up from the shots. Still will wear the mask and be safe. The YouTube guy sounds interesting. I will check him out. Yeah, I rarely watch any except church sermons and maybe good music that shows up on my Facebook.
Have a sweet Resurrection Sunday and weekend, my friend.
Remembering Him, ~ linda
Yay! You’re so close to full protection, Linda. I’m glad to hear that. I’m ready to get our second shots. I pray that you have a blessed Easter too. We don’t have any real plans again this year, but hopefully next year we’ll get to do a full Easter weekend again!
the books you bought are on the bottom of your pile. I giggled. That is so me too. and it does feel good to create the space to read one of those. I will also check out that you tube guys. looks interesting. Thanks for the good info and Happy Easter
Why do we put our bought books on the bottom? Ha. There’s just no time pressure to read those, I suppose. I am currently reading two books that I actually bought. I’m very proud of myself. 🙂
We did have a nice, quiet Easter. I look forward to next year being a little more involved with other people again. Hope you had a good one yourself!
I always appreciate your book recommendations. Thanks for sharing!
I’m always happy to share about books. 🙂 Reading is one of my most joyous things to do.
I love the idea of a drive-through baby shower! This past year has certainly got us thinking out of the box. Congrats on the upcoming grandbaby, too! ?Stopping by from #tellhisstory
I just saw on Facebook that another friend had a drive-by baby shower too. I appreciate the creativity too, but I look forward to not needing so much creativity due to the pandemic in years to come. lol. We’re very excited about the new grandbaby and hope the covid restrictions can be a little looser at the hospital by the time he arrives.
A drive through baby shower! What a great idea.
The drive-through baby shower was quite a fun way to get together during a pandemic! 🙂 After everyone left the cul-de-sac, we came inside with my daughter and her husband and did a Facebook Live with her opening all the gifts.