Share Four Somethings: July 2022

It’s that time again! Another month has mostly passed. This one has been nearly as busy as June. We spent the fourth of July with my in-laws where we kayaked, caught lightning bugs, and shot off fireworks. We had a few playdates with friends and went to the pool to keep the kids entertained. We went to a community production of The Music Man where we knew one of the actors from the kids’ musical theater group. I attended a conference, and helped out at our church’s Vacation Bible School. And there’s still a week left! August promises more lazy days than we’ve had thus far. But, before we get there it’s time to share a few things from this month. Share your own in the comments or write your own blog post and link up over at HeatherGerwing.com.

Something Loved

The very first day of July my son performed in a children’s production of Treasure Island. It was the culmination of two weeks of camp and he did great! He spoke clearly and projected well and it was obvious he’d worked hard at the choreography. It was a joy to watch him enjoy himself and the show was quite entertaining. My daughter was a counselor-in-training for the camp and was involved in the pre-show commercials with some friends which was also delightful.

Something Gleaned

I found A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman in a Goodwill and couldn’t resist since the subtitle involved the word ‘art’ and I love any book about creativity. This one was no exception. I appreciated the reminder that I was created to reflect God and one of the things I can do as an image bearer is to create using my gifts and abilities. I marked numerous passages and will share a few below.

I don’t believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world. I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify. And there will be many ways, even a million little ways, I will declare his glory with my life.

We are not trying to become a better version of ourselves. Instead, we begin to uncover the person whom we have forgotten we already are.

What if your art is part of a bigger picture, part of a daily grace God has in mind for someone else?

The world needs you awake and alive. Does the world need another book? Song? Painted living room? Not necessarily. But the world does need you to come alive right where you are and not where you wish you were.

Something Saved

I saw a post on Instagram about how to tap into your happiness brain chemicals and took a screenshot to be able to remember what it said. It’s a good reminder for me to make time for specific activities in order to maintain a positive mindset. Some I do regularly, but there are definitely others I tend to neglect.

Something Achieved

I attended a conference for writers this month and also finally met an online person in real life. Yes, that’s right. Our fearless S4S leader, Heather, is the person I’m talking about. We have been in the same online circles for a long time. A few years ago, we became pen pals and, during our back-and-forth letters, we decided to attend the She Speaks Conference together in 2022. This was before COVID happened, so the timing really was providential. We spent three days together listening to speakers, singing praise music, and doing some introverted parallel reading to balance out ALL OF THE PEOPLE. I enjoyed the conference in addition to getting to spend face-to-face time with a favorite friend.

Share something fun from your month in the comments!