7 Things I Learned This Winter

Of all the random things I learned this winter, my biggest light bulb moment was in Luke 24:32 which I hand-lettered in watercolors for you. What I learned seems backwards, but it is found all over the Bible! Luke 24:32 is just one example. Read on for more ...

February 22

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Once a quarter, I look forward to reading Emily Freeman’s “What We Learned” series. I am fascinated with the premise not only because I like to learn (especially from the Bible – as you have probably figured out by now) but because it makes me actually take notice of what I’m learning. Emily always includes the most interesting things and I learn several new things from her post every time! So – you guessed it – I am joining in! And I hope you will learn something new from me today. Life-long learning here we come!

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are 7 enlightening (and completely random) things I learned this winter.

Of course, seven!

1. Heated Jackets

There are not many things on television that will grab my attention for long, but the Olympics is one of them! I have been captivated by the behind-the-scenes stories of these ultra-disciplined human beings. What would the world be like if we all lived our lives with that kind of determination?

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV): For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

But I’m already side-tracked and I’m only on number one! Ok. Here’s where I meant to go … Did you see the Opening Ceremonies? Team USA had battery-operated heated jackets! Where have these been all my life? This wimpy Florida girl could have used one of those during our years of baseball games where I couldn’t feel my toes! So I checked, and they are not just for Olympians. You too can own a heated jacket! I found this cute one and also this vest.

2. More books on your shelf than you can ever read?

I was happy to learn that I can stop feeling guilty when my book-reading doesn’t keep pace with my book-collecting. Oh, I intend to read them – don’t get me wrong. But I admit that my fairly large to-be-read pile never seems to get smaller for some reason! If you can relate, I found good news. According to this article, my overstuffed library isn’t a sign of failure, but a badge of honor and a valuable research tool. Turns out it’s a good thing to surround ourselves with “this potential and as-yet-unrealized knowledge.” By providing a constant reminder of all the things we don’t know, our library will keep us intellectually hungry and perpetually curious. I like the sound of that. Let’s go with it.

3. Just Do It

Here’s yet another instance of my biggest light bulb moment this winter …

Luke 24:32 (KJV): And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

I wrote about this aha moment (which I learned from this book) first HERE and then more in depth HERE. (Yes, it was worth two posts. And now three!) But to put it in a nutshell … the actual act of Bible study comes before the desire to do Bible study. It seems backwards, but it’s repeated all over the Bible! In the verse above, Jesus talked with them on the road to Emmaus, and that made their heart burn.

Jeremiah “ate” the words, then they became a delight …

Jeremiah 15:16: Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

The commandments of the Lord bring joy …

Psalm 19:8 (NLT): The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

So if you don’t have the desire for Bible study and you wish you did, just start studying!

(Tip: grab my Bible study worksheet to help you.)

4. Your Own Bible Study Personal Shopper

So after reading number 3, you are all fired-up to start studying the Bible. But where should you start? I came across this nifty quiz to help you Find Your Next Bible Study. Take the 5-question quiz (no email required), and boom, it will give you several Bible study suggestions. How cool is that? You may want to bookmark that one for future reference.

5. Ditch This For That

This article on Healthy Food Swaps was just how I like it – practical and not too “out there” (if you know what I mean). I like to eat healthy, but I have yet to try fermented kombucha, for example. This list has suggestions of things I can pronounce like … replace ice cream with banana ice cream, candy with extra dark chocolate, salad dressings with homemade vinaigrette, crackers with Triscuits, croutons with toasted nuts or seeds, and more. Just in case you need another new year’s resolution.

6. Noisy Dishwasher?

I had no idea – and this probably explains why the dishwasher at our old house was so noisy. Did you know that dishwashers have a filter? Most dishwashers have a self-cleaning filter that you should never have to worry about – but the downside is that it can be noisy as it’s grinding up food particles. But some dishwashers use filters that you need to take out and clean periodically – and these make less noise. Something to weigh next time you shop for a new dishwasher. And something you might need to know – and clean – if your dishwasher isn’t cleaning properly.

7. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Did you know that according to the American Time Use Survey (see Table 1), that an average of 9.7% of us spend daily time in religious and spiritual activities. Nine. For a country where 70.6% claim to be Christian and 5.9% claim to be other religions, we sure don’t back that up with our actions, do we? Ponder that, then go back to numbers 3 and 4 above. And then consider joining me in my #write7onmyheart challenge!