Every month, I’m taking a look back at the things I learned, loved, and lived through. I’m also looking forward to the next month. Here’s my look back at April 2016.
LEARNED
Last year, I started to declutter my life in response to God asking me to let go of some things. I’m here to say – not so proudly – that my life is still full of clutter! But I’m decluttering again. I have tossed a lot of things, boxed up old memories, and have a growing pile of donations. I’m paring my wardrobe down again. I even managed to sell some items on Vinted. I also bought new thin hangers to replace the bulky store ones in hopes of creating more closet space. I’m calling this my Spring Cleaning.
I used to think that once I declutter, pare down, and organize it all, I’m set. But that’s not the case. We need to keep pausing, looking around, and taking stock of what’s around us. What stays? What goes? When I was younger, Spring Cleaning simply meant more chores. Now I see it as a way to acknowledge the new season.
There’s a time for everything, the Bible tells us. We need concepts like Spring Cleaning to stop us in our tracks and evaluate where we are in life. What time are we in? Is it a season of planting, of weeping, of searching, or of war? Is it a season of dancing, of building, of laughing, or of healing? Is it a season of transition? Is it time to move on?
Sometimes we get stuck in time. We don’t move forward. We stay in one place and collect clutter. We end up surrounded with things we don’t need, relationships that are broken, and unfinished out-dated goals. It’s time get up and shake off the dust! Take an allergy pill and open the windows.
LOVED
I am loving my Brazen board, which I started as part of the exercises from Leanna Tankersley’s Brazen: The Courage to Find the You That’s Been Hiding. Still not finished withe book since I’m also reading other books for school alongside it. I’m not loving that I didn’t finish a book in April so I didn’t check anything off my 2016 Reading List, but I believe I’ll get there.
LIVED THROUGH
I attended an ASL dinner event my professor put together. It was amazing! Intimidating, but amazing. I met and conversed with people from the Deaf community. I learned new signs, forgot ones I already knew (oops), and talked about movies, pets, school, family, and even Dancing with the Stars. But they talked about Nyle and Peta (Nyle DiMarco is a Deaf model) in the current season, while I remember watching Marlee and Fabian in Season 6 (Marlee Matlin is a Deaf actress).
LOOKING FORWARD
I’m not gonna lie. I’m looking forward to the end of classes in May. I forgot how much work goes into school. I’m actually still going to be in school. I’m in Kidmin Academy and it’s continuous for…a year, I think. There’s a new module every month, but it’s all online. I have a class next Fall and then I can get my AA in Psychology. But for now, one more month to go.
What about you? What are you looking forward to?
