Six Things I Learned This Winter

As February comes to a close and we begin to look toward spring, I find it helpful to pause for a moment to reflect back on what I’ve learned in the past season before moving on to the next one. I always appreciate this reminder from Jan Johnson as well:

“It’s not the experience that brings transformation,
it’s our reflection upon our experience.”

With that in mind and in no particular order, here are a few things I learned or have been re-learning this winter:

#1) Laughter can help bring people together and be a great relief in stressful times.

We often hear how laughter is the best medicine, but I’ve been especially reminded of it a few times over the winter, and I want to keep that lesson in mind moving forward as well. With the stress of the pandemic in addition to the heartbreaking division in our country, it has been easy to be discouraged and find social media quite difficult to process, too. Who would have thought that a plethora of memes with Bernie Sanders in mittens from Biden’s inauguration would bring people from every political persuasion together in laughter, even if only for a few moments? But the respite brought a welcome relief on social media, and I was beyond grateful.

Then with all the Zoom fatigue weighing on everyone from close to a year of virtual meetings and events, the clip of a lawyer making a court appearance via Zoom with a cat filter he couldn’t figure out how to remove was priceless. Even though the technology was not cooperating with him at the moment, he still was prepared to go forward with the case, insisting, “I’m here live… I’m not a cat!” Thankfully he was a good sport and agreed for the video to be shared, knowing we all could use the gift of laughter in the midst of the discouragements from the past year.

These kinds of moments and more remind me to lighten up, look for the fun, and lean into the respite of laughter whenever possible to find and share joy.

#2) Having multiple journals for the same time stretch can actually work well for me.

I have long hesitated to have more than one kind of journal going at the same time because I want to keep things simple, but I never really caught on to bullet journaling or found a way to keep track of everything I wanted in one place in any kind of organized fashion. So this year, thanks to a new guided journal release plus a couple of Christmas gifts, I have actually tried using different journals for various types of reflection and processing, and it’s been going extremely well so far. Here’s a breakdown of what I am using right now:

** A regular notebook/prayer journal. I’ve been loving the simple soft-bound dotted journals they sell at Wal-Mart, and I just used metallic markers to add a Scripture to the cover. I would love to say I write in it daily, but it’s been more like a couple of times a week in this past season. I record personal prayers and also use it for notes from sermons or school as well as quotes from Books or Scripture, etc.

** One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book. This was a gift from a family member for Christmas, and I’m excited to keep track of a short note of what stands out from each day and compare it with the same day each year for the next five years. If I’m being totally honest, I don’t always remember to write something each day yet, but I do try to go back and fill in what I’ve missed when I can. I think this will be something that builds and adds value over time.

** The Next Right Thing Guided Journal (by Emily P. Freeman). I love Emily’s heart for writing and reflection, so I jumped at the chance to get this journal as soon as it was released this past January, even though I wasn’t completely sure how much I would use it with as many other things as I have been juggling in this season. But after two months of use so far, I can confidently say it has been absolutely worth the investment.

The journal is set up by months and seasons, so you can start anytime, and there are sections to record different types of reflection, such as a gratitude list, a life-draining vs. life-giving energy list, “these are the days of…” notes, lists of questions and arrows toward decisions, what you read, watched, listened to, and made, what you have been learning in each season, and more. It is perfect to use on the weekends when thinking back over the past week or anytime something stands out to write down. Then it’s great to go back to reflect on each of the sections at the end of the month as well.

** A smaller journal where I am recording intercessory prayer lists. I received another special journal from a friend as a gift this past Christmas and decided I wanted to keep it out specifically for prayers for other people. Of course I include some of these kinds of petitions in my regular prayer journal as well, but something just struck me when I received this one that I wanted a special place devoted to lifting up the needs of others.

I’m grateful for the ways that having separate places to record different types of reflections and prayers have helped me be more intentional in each of these areas as well.

#3) You can actually call in for a Zoom meeting by phone for audio while having the video on another device.

Sadly the only reason I learned this is because my internet service has not been holding up as well this winter, and I needed to be on Zoom for my virtual in-person class sessions toward my master’s degree. However, it’s good to know I can make it work when needed, and it has been helpful with a couple of Bible study sessions lately, too.

#4) There is a joy and grace to being an amateur and trying something new.

I love how Annie F. Downs writes about this in her new book, That Sounds Fun. She reminds us that we are all amateurs at most things, but we can embrace the grace that comes with learning and have fun in trying something new.

One of the ways I’ve been noticing this joy of being an amateur lately has been with starting to play pickleball at our local Rec center that has reopened recently. I am so happy to be back to swimming a few mornings a week before work, but there are also several people who play pickleball right after the time I usually swim, and it has been an absolute blast getting to join in and play when I can make time. (If you aren’t familiar with pickleball, just imagine a kind of hybrid between tennis and ping pong… It is so much fun!)

P.S. It was also super fun to have my words included Annie’s new book, too! She asked her That Sounds Fun podcast listeners to write in what sounds fun to them (in five words or less), and she was able to include these depictions in her book. Of course, I couldn’t help but say, “Going to the beach,” because that always sounds fun to me!

#5) I have many reasons to be grateful.

This is a truth I am always learning and re-learning, but what has helped it stand out for me even more this past season has been keeping track of my life-giving and life-draining lists in The Next Right Thing Guided Journal I mentioned above. While I definitely have a few circumstances and situations that feel pretty big on my life-draining list, I’ve been surprised by how many details come to mind when I start listing items in the life-giving column. Writing them down and seeing them on paper in comparison fills my heart with fresh gratitude and joy.

#6) I love seeing the different ways other people incorporate reflection, too.

I guess I have known this for a while also, but I have especially enjoyed the routine of watching a few Instagram stories on Sunday evenings that have a reflective feel to them. Emily P. Freeman shares her “These Are the Days” reflections with pictures and video clips from the past week, and not only do I love getting to see a little glimpse into her life, but I also appreciate how it helps me pay attention to my own life and reflections as well. (And Emily inspires me in writing these seasonal posts, too. You can read her list of what she learned this winter here if you’d like.)

Then I also enjoy catching up with Jamie Golden‘s “Tweets of the Week” on her Sunday evening Instagram stories. She shares screenshots or links to posts that stood out to her from Twitter over the past week. There are always several that make me laugh and usually at least one or two that will make me think also.

But even more than these, I would absolutely love to hear from you and any reflections you would like to share, too! Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message anytime. It’s always wonderful when we can learn from each other!

And if you haven’t already done so, I want to invite you to sign up on the form below to stay connected and receive my “Treasure Hunt Tuesday” email reflections each week. I am always looking for treasures that stand out to me– whether posts online, quotes from books or podcasts, favorite pictures, or anything else that reminds me of God’s provision and working–and I’d love to share them with you, too!