Share Four Somethings—March 2022
—Grace & Truth Linkup
Near the end of each month I share four somethings with others at Heather’s.
The four categories are:
- something loved,
- something gleaned,
- something braved, and
- something achieved.
Plus here’s my latest One Second Everyday monthly video . . .
[click here if you can’t see the video]
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Something Loved
- FOLLOWING YOUR ONE WORD JOURNEY TOO
I’ve been keeping a One Word habit on my own for several years. But the past two years I’ve seen what it feels like to keep up with others’ words, too, in closer community. And I love it.
I’m challenged by the dedication of others to live out their word. They inspire me to keep going when I think my word RELEASE is too hard and I want to give up on it.
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Something Gleaned
- BOOK SUMMARIES
I’ve resisted reading book summaries for years (because of pride? rule-following?). When I heard of services like Blinkist, I recoiled. Why cheat and read a summary of a book when I *should* read the whole book?
But I’ve humbled myself this year and discovered the joy of summaries.
It started when I couldn’t find the whole book at my library or online, but I could find the summary. I read one summary and discovered how quick it was to get the main insights of a book in a tenth of the time (or less).
I’m currently reading the summary of Dan Pink’s The Power of Regret. I will still read the whole book when it becomes available at my library (my estimated wait time is 10 weeks), but I’m getting to enjoying the highlights right now.
Sometimes a summary inspires me to locate the the whole book and read it all. But other times? I find it’s enough to read someone else’s bullet points and be done with it. Gleaning from others’ summaries isn’t cheating; it’s just helpful.
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Something Braved
- SEEING ALL THE DOCTORS
Jeff is now just a few months away from retirement. For the most part, that’s great news. But for health insurance? It makes me nervous. We’ve always had insurance through his employer, but after his retirement, we’ll have to get it elsewhere. And I know that will be pricey.
So to make the most of his company insurance while we have it, I’ve been squeezing in all the yucky medical appointments now: colonoscopy, mammogram, gynecology, dermatology, blood work, etc.
I also need to go get new glasses while we have good vision insurance. Even that takes courage for me. There are too many choices. I have trouble deciding which frames I want to live with for the next few years.
But compared to the others, the eye doctor may be the easiest of all.
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Something Achieved
- REVISITING MY NOTES
Well, I haven’t fully achieved this yet. But I’ve begun. So that’s something.
I’ve been reading stacks of books the past few months to help me with a loss I’m grieving.
I’ve sped from one book to the next, taking notes from each book on what helps, and living it out as best I can on the fly.
But it’s become a lot. So I’m methodically re-reading just those notes this month to reabsorb the best of the best ideas from the books for my healing and growth. And attempting to find a way to incorporate them into my daily life on a regular basis instead of just hit and miss.
It includes learning to NOT apologize for how sad I feel about my loss. As one book says:
“It’s strange that when someone gets really sad and starts crying about something, we say they ‘went to pieces.’ That seems backwards. Crying means we’re connected with our pain, rather than cut off from it. When we cry, we’re whole in the sense that we’re connected with ourselves, including the part of us that hurts.”
This project of re-reading and working all the notes may be too much. But I trust God to guide me through it, and to release me from it if it’s not helpful after all.
Featured Post
For our Grace and Truth featured post this week, read Barbara’s post about the dangers we often overlook of success, then link up your own blog posts below.
What have you been up to this month? What are you looking forward to in the next month? Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.
2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.
3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).
We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.
MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Now Let’s Link Up!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter- 3 More Ideas to Try with Your One Word—Join Our March One Word Linkup
- This Is One Mistake I Won’t Make Again
Going back to read notes sounds like a perfect way to distill the goodness of your reading and to assimilate the big picture principles. I feel as if 2022 One Words are requiring a lot of us!
I agree that our Words are requiring a lot of us! 🙂 But I suppose it’s a good thing. God knows what we need and what will help us. Thanks, Michele.
Sounds like lots of transitions occurring in your life, May it all be transformational too. Love the rereading of your notes to cement the things you are learning.
I hope the transitions will turn out better in the long run. But it’s hard to see it in the short term. Trusting God with the big picture…
extra prayers for you!
Lisa, I thought your reason for reading summaries was funny, and one I would have had a few years ago, although the cliff notes of Molby Dick helped me in college. I keep seeing the cliff notes of books here and there. I need to read a few. Like you said, they would save me time. I also love that you are reading back through your notes (or “book summaries”) to remember things and glean more. It is so easy to forget those nuggets. The quote on crying is so true. I love the point that the person is finally in touch with their true feelings of pain, which most of us try to ignore or push away.
Back in my school days I only allowed myself one time to substitute Cliff Notes for the real book; it was Tess of the d’Urbervilles. lol. I just couldn’t get past how boring it seemed (I wonder what I’d think now). I still don’t think I could do it with a novel now (although I can read them alongside a novel; sometimes I’ve done that with classic novels). But with nonfiction I’m discovering it’s a-okay. 🙂
Lots of transitions with retirement of a hubby and a significant loss. Praying each one will bring you new connectedness with the Lord as you lean into Him in this journey. Give yourself permission to take your time and don’t worry about the methodology. That doesn’t work very well in my experience. One book I read a long time ago was helpful to me among many others I liked as well (How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese Rando).♥️
Thank you for your kind advice, Pam. I appreciate your wisdom and I will try to heed your words and not put myself on a schedule to get through my grief.
Lisa, my husband and I are part of a Christian health co-op. We found it more affordable than health insurance.
Thanks for the tip, Debbie! We are ready to begin the journey to look at all our options. (Well, I’m not excited-ready, but I know we NEED to start. lol)
Thanks so much for featuring my post about the dangers of success!
We have not decided for sure yet when my husband will retire. We’re talking about it, and he is researching health care options. That part scares me, too (along with the drastic drop in income). We’re already getting mail about supplemental policies and offers to help navigate through the maze of Medicare–but how does one know which to trust? We’ll get through it one way or another, as others have.
I think I might feel as if I were cheating to read book summaries instead of the whole book, too. Not, I don’t think, because of pride or rule-following, but as a hope-to-be writer, I wonder how I’d feel about someone reading just the summary of my book. On the other hand, I guess I’d rather have them do that than not read it at all. And I can see summaries would be especially useful if I am attracted to the premise of a book but not sure whether I really want to delve into it. A summary would help me decide one way or the other. There are SO many good books out, it’s impossible to read them all, so we have to cut corners somewhere.
I’ve been taking notes about nonfiction books, too, as a way to process and retain more. But I have not revisited them–that would be a good idea, especially if you’re reading widely on one subject. I’m sorry for the loss you have experienced. A good cry helps process the pain for me.
Oh, and I always love the 1-second-a-day videos.
Your post stood out to me because you’re right that we often read about how to handle our letdowns and failures, but not much about how to handle our successes (however we define them). Yet successes sometimes lead to the downfalls if they’re not handled properly. I appreciate your wisdom on this.
I hadn’t thought about how it would feel from the author’s perspective, but yes, that would be a little disconcerting to know people are just gleaning their valuable lessons from simple bullet points or a couple of sentences in a summary. Not good. ha. Another thing that still bugs me about summaries is: how does the summary writer know which points would stand out to me? It may or may not be the “main” ideas.
Anyway, I’m sure I still won’t read many summaries compared to books. 🙂 They’re not near as much fun or informative.
I used to do 4-Somethings. I’m not sure why I haven’t participated in a while. You have inspired me to get one done this weekend. I do LOVE your 30-second videos!
Yes, I would love to see you participate again in Four Somethings, Barb! I always enjoy visiting around to see what others have shared.
I always find going over my notes &/or journalling fruitful Lisa. 🤗
I like your quote on grieving too! It’s healthy to grieve & it’s very freeing 😉
Bless you,
Jennifer
It’s amazing how much and how quickly I can forget about a book after reading it. lol. But just jogging my memory with a few notes here and there does make a huge difference in my retention from then onward.
Blinklist is intriging! I’m spending a lot of time clearing out my collection of Kindle books this year by checking out the audio version on Hoopla and listening to it while I track the words on my kindle and highlight quotes. It’s been a helpful project but this sounds like the cliff notes version!
You’re my kind of reader, I can tell. 🙂 Yes to cleaning out Kindle books! It took me a year to just clear out my collection of Kindle samples that I had collected. I still have lots of books that I should just delete that I’ll never read. And books that I’ve read that I never deleted that I’ll never read again. I love listening to the audio versions on Hoopla too. It helps me to be able to either do both at the same time or go back and forth depending on if I’m in the car or at home, etc.
God keeps bringing you to my mind, Lisa. I wish I could give you a hug and share a cup of tea. I lift you up to Him often …
xo
I would love that hug, Linda. I’ll accept it virtually. 🙂 Thank you for remembering me to Him. Much appreciated, friend.
“This project of re-reading and working all the notes may be too much. But I trust God to guide me through it, and to release me from it if it’s not helpful after all.”
This quote of yours compels me to say You Are Grieving Authentically. You are grieving as an Enneagram 5 does… searching, seeking, learning, reviewing, thinking, sorting, asking… Well Done. I have some background in grief work and one of the most helpful things I’ve ever heard is that grieving is Telling the Story. And telling the story and telling the story and telling the story… over and over and over… in many different ways… and EVENTUALLY it softens… The work in grieving is finding Ways to Tell the Story… reading, journaling, telling, crying, solitude, art, music, nature, etc… and finding Safe Places to Tell the Story… not everyone should be privileged to bear witness to your grief.
I do not know you or your specific loss but I feel its weight and intensity and sorrow in your writings about it. You are going through the fire.
I also feel compelled to share this, and do not quite know why but I will follow the prompting of the Spirit… When I was struggling with how.to.be.in.relationship. with my husband’s children I heard a speaker share his version of 3 Stages of Parenthood. He said the 1st Stage is COP where we monitor and control and regulate our children’s behavior. The 2nd Stage is COUNSELOR where we offer guidance as our children make decisions and grow in character. The 3rd Stage is CONSULTANT and the difference in that stage is we do not offer advice or counsel unless asked. Again, I do not know why I felt the need to offer this information, whether it be for you or for a reader of your blog, but thank you for providing the space for me to share.
Peace to you, Lisa.
Wow, Carla. I really feel like you are bearing witness to my pain in a real way. Thank you very much for your insightful comments! I really don’t have words to let you know how much I appreciate this.
I don’t know yet if the 3 stages of parenthood is for me or for someone else, but I’ll be watching for ways that I might need it in case the Lord does want to use it for me.
I love your video, Lisa … and how are you feeling about “This Is Us” this season? We are a few weeks behind but I am on pins and needles to know how it all ends up. That’s a great idea to get all the medical stuff done now, even though none of it is very much fun (some less fun than others … ugh!) I hope you find some new frames you love. And new insurance. We’re with a health-sharing ministry … totally out of my comfort zone, but I’ve gotten used to it over the last five years! I hope revisiting your notes continues to be helpful … you remain in my prayers. ❤️
I’d love to sit down and chat with you about This Is Us! I have yet to get through an episode without tears of some sort, either happy tears or sad tears. The writing on this show is so wonderful. I’m about 2 weeks behind right now. I will hate for it to end. 🙁
I am a little perplexed by the summary thing – but most of the books I like to read it’s the craft of the writing rather than the story itself that’s the draw….but i guess for non fiction or strat narrative it might be good?
Yes, I think the summaries work best for nonfiction when there’s no plot to spoil. And even then, it only works when you’re just wanting to get the best of the best ideas that they share. So it has limited use. I won’t read them regularly, but just sometimes when I don’t want to waste my time with a whole book that might not be good, but yet still has something important to say.
Lisa,
How good of you to keep up with others’ journeys with their “one word” for the year. This is the first year I haven’t picked one — like you, for the past couple of months I’ve been grieving a loss, and I too, am learning that crying is part of coming to grips with the raw emotion loss generates. Why else would God have given us these tears if they weren’t to be used for a purpose? A good cry can be a truly cathartic experience.
Blessings,
Bev xx
I’m so sorry that you are grieving a loss too, Bev. 🙁 It stinks. I know that loss and pain and suffering come to all of us at various seasons in our lives, but I still don’t like them. But yes, I’m glad God has given us tears to help clear out our emotions. They do help. Blessings to you too, friend.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Lisa. Here’s a virtual {hug} for you. I’m glad you are giving yourself permission and the space to grieve your loss. May the Lord continue to comfort you – in your heart, mind and emotions. Praying for good test results and a smooth transition into full-time retirement for you and your husband.
Thanks, Lisa. I’ll take your virtual hug. 🙂 I’m thankful that in real life we can receive hugs again; they help!
I LOVE the quote about falling to pieces. It’s so important we take time to process our emotions and allow our bodies to feel the pain (emotional or physical) that accompanies them. Praying for you and your journey (and for all those yucky appointments!).
Thanks, Anita. I’ve gotten a few appointments out of the way now, but still have a few to go (including the worst one, the colonoscopy). Praying your new medical diagnosis will bring you new help in your own journey.
I haven’t heard of Blinkist. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
I still haven’t checked into Blinkist too much myself, but I hear it’s good. I’ve been reading free summaries this month from Amazon thanks to my free month of Kindle Unlimited. 🙂
Lisa, so smart of you to make all the appointments and see all the doctors!! Thanks for linking up!
Just trying to save a bit of money while we have the best insurance. lol. But after this round, I hope I won’t have to see a doctor of any sort for quite awhile, Lord willing. 🙂
Lisa, great blessings (and challenges) this month! I LOVE our One Word community too!! I learn so much about my own word, but also unique insights into other words too. I have likewise been skeptical and resistant about book summaries, but you have piqued my interest, and I may just give them a try as well!
I understand your skepticism toward the summaries, Donna. I still won’t read them on a regular basis in lieu of reading a whole book, but now and again, you might want to give them a try too. They are MUCH quicker! 🙂 Granted, you get out of it what you put in, but sometimes, a little is enough. 🙂
I liked the quote you shared on crying. I think crying is healthy and we get so busy surprising our emotions that it gets hard to cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry. The summary link might be good to help narrow down which books we will actually enjoy and be beneficial…interesting thought.
Yes, I find it’s amazing how often we (myself included) will apologize to others when we cry. As if it’s a negative thing. I’m fine with crying when I’m by myself, but I still don’t want to sob in front of others, even though they would totally understand.