7 Things I Learned This Fall
~ Today’s O Holy Night Christmas Card was designed with love for you to send to your favorite people while I share what I learned this fall! ~
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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 sit back and take stock. 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 is a round-up of 7 completely random things I learned this fall.
Of course, seven!
1. O Holy Night
I learned something new about my favorite Christmas song. Did you know that it was the very first song broadcast by radio in 1906? And I don’t mean the first Christmas song – it was the first song broadcast of any kind! This article explains the Christmas Eve miracle this way: “Reginald Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man’s voice was broadcast over the airwaves:
Luke 2:1 (KJV): And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed …
“Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat slack-jawed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle – hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played “O Holy Night,” the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast – but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.”
2. Verse Journaling
I am nearing the end of a full year of writing a verse a day. For those of you who joined me, I would love to hear your year-end thoughts. Here are a few things I learned from verse journaling:
1) Having the accountability of posting on facebook definitely helped me keep going!
2) Having a goal to write a verse a day ended up building a habit I won’t soon give up. Because…
3) There is nothing quite like every-single-solitary-day time with the Lord in His Word. It truly, truly changes your heart and life. Truly.
Last January, we started verse journaling with a plain journal. Somewhere along the line I made some pretty printable pages (which are still available). Now for next year, I have BIG NEWS!
I made an actual JOURNAL for us!
I am over-the-moon excited, and I hope YOU will join us for the 2019 Verse Journaling Challenge!
Take Me to the >> Verse Journaling Challenge details!
3. Coffee Mug of the Future
4. How to Sit
Turns out our big comfortable cushy chairs won’t cause comfort after all (in the long run, anyway). Gone are the days of all-wood chairs without a cushion of some sort. But according to this article, a hard wood chair would be better for our backs. But don’t worry, instead of telling us to get rid of our plush chairs, she tells us how to sit on them. I was happy to read that the first of three tips is one I do naturally when working on my computer – I sit on the very edge of the chair, which helps keep my back straight. In a nutshell, just remember that constant slouching is not your friend.
Psalm 139:2 (ESV): You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
5. Switch from Refined Sugar to Natural Sugar
Ok, I realize this is the absolute wrong time of year to bring up the perils of sugar. Your family may be like ours and have all kinds of Fall birthdays, and of course there are the holidays, all laden with sugary traditions. But I was happy to learn that natural sugars are essential to your health! Really? The key word there is natural. They contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber which slow down and moderate the absorption of the sugar. Whole foods with a sweet taste nourish the pancreas, spleen and stomach which are the organs of sugar absorption and distribution. How about that! So let’s replace white sugar with whole foods like sweet potatoes, yams, winter squashes (acorn, butternut, buttercup, etc.) carrots, onions, cabbages, parsnips and fruits. And if you’re still craving something sweet, a healthy dessert made with maple syrup or honey would be a much better choice.
6. The Best New Year’s Resolution
I was so excited to learn that my church is planning to read through the Bible together next year! In the past I have done a 2-year plan instead of a one-year plan, but I am up for the challenge! You too? As I said in #2, accountability is a key ingredient to success. If you have never tried (or finished) a challenge like this, I encourage you to try it – and find the joy it brings. Maybe we should get a jump and start early … I found a good list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from.
7. Good Gift Giving
If you’re like me, you want to give good gifts! We probably get this from our Father, since we are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). This Fall, I have been intentionally looking for appealing, attractive, yet inexpensive gift ideas – some DIY, some not. If you want to follow along, see my collection of Gift Giving Ideas on Pinterest!
Matthew 7:11 (ESV): If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Well, there you have it – the seven things I learned this Fall. I keep a running list during the quarter, and I never know what random things will show up. I hope you learned something new and useful like I did!
*My prayer for you is … that this blog post will inspire you to open your Bible and dig deeper into God’s Word. How about right now?
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Rachel at #DestinationInspiration
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