What's Saving My Life 2018 Edition
I'm not sure where this practice got its start, but a few of my favorite bloggers occasionally produce a list of "what's saving my life right now." Items on the list can be anywhere from the deep to the mundane - your new favorite cup of coffee or a particularly touching devotional. I picked up the habit of writing out a short list of life-savers throughout the last bit of 2018 and wanted to share some of them with you! What's saving your life right now?
1. Turning my garage into an art studio
2. Podcasts
Podcasts fill blank space on car rides, long runs, and household chores. Sometimes I fall out of the mood for them, but most of the time, they are my consistently helpful companions. Several podcasts have been really important to me this year - notably, Emily P Freeman's The Next Right Thing - but a new discovery that has flipped over a corner of my world is The Liturgists. Proceed with caution.
3. She Reads Truth
Recently, we've been in an indefinite season of not going to Sunday church. That can make it hard to engage with the bible on a daily and weekly basis, but I've found the She Reads Truth books extraordinarily helpful for getting into the word every day. This past fall, I worked through the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the book of Hebrews. The books are pretty pricey, so I don't see this being a long-term solution, but for now it works fairly well. The books are well designed, contain all the scripture for each day, and usually include space for reflection and thought-provoking study questions.
4. A physical planner
I don't think it's much of a stretch to say one of the main reasons I made it through my last semester of college is because of my current planner. I'm using a blank notebook that is half bullet-journal and half modeled after Elise Joy's Get To Work Book. I love the format of her planners, but love the freedom of having a blank notebook if I need to adapt to what I've got going on.
5. my mother
Yes, my mother. She was on the lists more than once, actually. I discovered in the last couple of years (okay all of them, all right?) just how much this woman loves me (she is so over hearing it. she is reading this and rolling her eyes) and I've been loving lunch dates, evening hang outs, and other adventures with my momma. Here's a hint: ask your [mother/aunt/grandmother/other encouraging female role model] good questions. This has been a joy to me and also a live saver to hear that I have never been struggling alone.
6. Just one shot of espresso
Most medium espresso based drinks come with two shots of espresso. As it turns out, my body is rather caffeine intolerant and so it can make me anxious and jittery. I've found that just one shot in the same size drink can be the perfect amount to give me the coffee I enjoy without sacrificing a morning or afternoon of mental and physical peace. I've also learned that sometimes, I just don't need coffee. And so we go.
7. Reading
So many good books! I'm excited to keep reading in 2019, but I am also stoked to apply what I've learned from my top books this year to some of real life. My top reads included Deep Work, Chasing Slow, Educated, and Grit. They were so good, and they'll have a real impact on how I see the world and continue into my professional and personal work.
8. Eating seasonally
The fact of the matter is that it is simply easier to convince yourself to cook and eat real meals in the winter if spaghetti squash, pot roast, and tomato soup are on the menu. Hence, we've eaten spaghetti squash every week in the last couple months, and the Caesar salad I am currently munching is one weird exception.
9. Having a Christmas sinking fund
This is just a fancy phrase for saying that every month this year, we put aside a little money for Christmas shopping. So, when November rolled around, paying for Christmas gifts was not one of the things we had to be worried about. Gift giving is one of my favorite things and I know it's a blessing just to be able to give presents, but it's an extra bonus to take the stress out of spending money in the fall since we already have it set aside.
10. Graduating!
It took me a semester longer than I expected and my alma mater is not what I thought it would be, but I am so glad I stuck it out to get the degree. I have yet to have it pay off career-wise (only because it's been 3 weeks and the real job hunt starts in January), but after reading Grit and speaking to relatives and professionals, there's something to be said for completing a personal goal that takes longer than a year.
1. Turning my garage into an art studio
Okay, so we still parked the car in the garage, but the periphery contained a dresser full of art supplies and there was art nailed to the wall for most of the semester. This was my haven for working on my senior capstone this semester, but it also turned into a place for dance parties, podcast listening and soul reflection. Amen.
2. Podcasts
Podcasts fill blank space on car rides, long runs, and household chores. Sometimes I fall out of the mood for them, but most of the time, they are my consistently helpful companions. Several podcasts have been really important to me this year - notably, Emily P Freeman's The Next Right Thing - but a new discovery that has flipped over a corner of my world is The Liturgists. Proceed with caution.
3. She Reads Truth
Recently, we've been in an indefinite season of not going to Sunday church. That can make it hard to engage with the bible on a daily and weekly basis, but I've found the She Reads Truth books extraordinarily helpful for getting into the word every day. This past fall, I worked through the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the book of Hebrews. The books are pretty pricey, so I don't see this being a long-term solution, but for now it works fairly well. The books are well designed, contain all the scripture for each day, and usually include space for reflection and thought-provoking study questions.
4. A physical planner
I don't think it's much of a stretch to say one of the main reasons I made it through my last semester of college is because of my current planner. I'm using a blank notebook that is half bullet-journal and half modeled after Elise Joy's Get To Work Book. I love the format of her planners, but love the freedom of having a blank notebook if I need to adapt to what I've got going on.
5. my mother
Yes, my mother. She was on the lists more than once, actually. I discovered in the last couple of years (okay all of them, all right?) just how much this woman loves me (she is so over hearing it. she is reading this and rolling her eyes) and I've been loving lunch dates, evening hang outs, and other adventures with my momma. Here's a hint: ask your [mother/aunt/grandmother/other encouraging female role model] good questions. This has been a joy to me and also a live saver to hear that I have never been struggling alone.
6. Just one shot of espresso
Most medium espresso based drinks come with two shots of espresso. As it turns out, my body is rather caffeine intolerant and so it can make me anxious and jittery. I've found that just one shot in the same size drink can be the perfect amount to give me the coffee I enjoy without sacrificing a morning or afternoon of mental and physical peace. I've also learned that sometimes, I just don't need coffee. And so we go.
7. Reading
So many good books! I'm excited to keep reading in 2019, but I am also stoked to apply what I've learned from my top books this year to some of real life. My top reads included Deep Work, Chasing Slow, Educated, and Grit. They were so good, and they'll have a real impact on how I see the world and continue into my professional and personal work.
8. Eating seasonally
The fact of the matter is that it is simply easier to convince yourself to cook and eat real meals in the winter if spaghetti squash, pot roast, and tomato soup are on the menu. Hence, we've eaten spaghetti squash every week in the last couple months, and the Caesar salad I am currently munching is one weird exception.
9. Having a Christmas sinking fund
This is just a fancy phrase for saying that every month this year, we put aside a little money for Christmas shopping. So, when November rolled around, paying for Christmas gifts was not one of the things we had to be worried about. Gift giving is one of my favorite things and I know it's a blessing just to be able to give presents, but it's an extra bonus to take the stress out of spending money in the fall since we already have it set aside.
10. Graduating!
It took me a semester longer than I expected and my alma mater is not what I thought it would be, but I am so glad I stuck it out to get the degree. I have yet to have it pay off career-wise (only because it's been 3 weeks and the real job hunt starts in January), but after reading Grit and speaking to relatives and professionals, there's something to be said for completing a personal goal that takes longer than a year.
Great read! Thanks for sharing Amy, our thoughts and prayers are with you as you start the job hunt.
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