10 Things I Learned in October

For months now I've been wanting to link up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky to discuss what we learned in the past month. I have always been one to feel overwhelmed if I don't have time to process and digest. I love how light hearted her list always is, and I loved the idea of doing it for myself. Miraculously, I have a few free minutes - so here goes!

1) Up North they call the Civil War "The War of the Rebellion." 

I had never heard this before! It made me laugh a lot because as a child I got in trouble for calling it "The Civil War" and had to say either "The War Between the States" or the "War of Northern Aggression." It's funny how many cultural differences I still discover living north of the Mason-Dixon. 

2) "Always be killing sin or it will be killing you." - John Owen. 

Ouch. My pastor challenged as many of us as are interested to read through Owen's The Mortification of Sin together this fall. I read about halfway through this book as a freshman in college, but never finished. This time it is tearing me apart and convicting me in ways I didn't know were possible. It's been extremely uncomfortable, but I am incredibly grateful for it as it brings me out of apathy in my walk with the Lord. He is hard to read, but I highly recommend it. 

3) They weren't kidding when they said pregnancy messes with your emotions. 

This month I cried because:  
     A) my sheets were stained blue by some unidentified article of clothing that I apparently   
          slept in
     B) I misunderstood something David said and thought it was mean, when it was really 
          just funny
     C) I did not have a pleasant experience at the grocery store
     D) All of the above

4) Shutterfly has awesome customer service. 

I make a "yearbook" for each year of our marriage. (That is less impressive since I've only been married two years, so don't worry.) I like the idea of having one book of pictures with the highlights. It is way easier to keep up with and way smaller than a bunch of prints in albums. This year, I ordered the wrong size because I was overconfident and didn't measure the one we already had. Fortunately, Shutterfly let me ship it back and they refunded my money so I could order one the right size. Even though it was my fault. Awesome!

5) Getting rid of stuff is incredibly freeing. 

This month I read Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up in one giant gulp. I'm slowly working through all the stuff in my house, and my pile to donate is HUGE. I can't say I'm on board with everything she teaches, but the overall principle that having less stuff and being surrounded only by things that bring you joy makes your life simpler and more peaceful has already proven true in my life. 

6) It's okay to know your limitations and ask for help when you need it. 

This past week, I talked to my boss about going down to 32 hour work weeks. I have really been feeling overwhelmed physically, emotionally, and spiritually by the lack of margin in my life, so I decided to ask. She was more understanding and supportive than I could've imagined. I was embarrassed, because I know that I really do have lots of margin when I compare my life to that of others, or what my own used to look like. When I was talking to one of my best friends about this, she told me she was really proud of me for asking for help, and that it took a lot of courage. Those words were exactly what I needed to hear. I am learning to feel freedom in knowing my own limitations and embracing them - rather than comparing myself to a bunch of "shoulds". 

7) Apparently fall is the new summer when it comes to weddings. 

We have invitations on our fridge for six weddings in October and November alone. I love weddings! Too bad they are all in Alabama and we live in Pennsylvania. 

8) Taking notes in church might not be the best thing for me.

Someone recently shared this article on Facebook and it gave me a lot to think about! I have always said that taking notes helps me concentrate. However, since reading this I have been skipping out on writing down every point. Instead, I've been concentrating more on the overall impact of the sermon and on the sermon as a piece of the overall worship service. It's been beneficial. I may go back to taking notes - but for now, I think I'll leave the pen at home. 

9) The Bush's vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine. 

We stopped here for dinner on our way from Acadia National Park to Merrimack, New Hampshire. This was one of the last legs of our week long New England road trip. It was a wonderful trip, and worth a blog post of it's own. But we'll see about that. In Kennebunkport we got the most expensive take out dinner ever and ate it looking out over the water. It was nice. And swanky. Which is probably why the Bush family vacations there. 

10) Feeling a baby move is simultaneously the most amazing and most bizarre feeling ever. 

If you haven't experienced, imagine how weird it must be to have another human living inside you who randomly decides to karate chop your insides. At the same time, imagine how awesome it is because THERE IS ANOTHER HUMAN LIVING INSIDE YOU! Baby Oli is an active one. He/she definitely likes to go crazy when watching football, and when mom is trying to go to sleep.