What We Learned This Summer

Today I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman and reflecting upon the things that I learned this past summer. It's a time when a community of bloggers share the things that they are learning whether silly, sacred, serious, or practical. You can read what other bloggers learned over at Emily's website. 

I was journaling the other day and reflecting upon what God has been teaching me and what I learned this summer, and I was amazed by how much a person can learn and grow in a short amount of time. 

I'm sharing today about the things that I learned this summer and would love to hear some of the things that you learned as well!

Here it goes...

1. Decorating a House Takes Time
When it comes to decorating (and most areas of life), I struggle with impatience. When I look at a blank wall, I feel a mix of anxiety and excitement, wanting all at once to figure out how to perfectly decorate the space and not knowing where to begin. It takes time and patience to decorate a space when you have boundaries financially, and that is okay. I'm learning to be okay with Brandon's and my new apartment not being "put together" yet, and I'm learning how to have patience in the process. 

​2. How To Navigate New York City Transportation
Between Brandon's and my anniversary and a trip with a friend, I had two opportunities this summer to navigate NYC transportation. Now that Brandon and I only live an hour and a half plus a quick train ride away, we've been thankful for the opportunity to travel to New York to explore when we can. And now, we can navigate the Metro, which is something I never thought I would know how to do. It was a small victory to take the Metro from Central Park to Greenwich village to go to Do (the edible cookie dough place) with my friend. 

​3. Sometimes You Just Need to Take a Break From Your Phone
This summer, I took multiple weeklong breaks from my phone and even took time away from social media. Friends, there is life when your phone is off and your social media apps are deleted for a time. In fact, taking time away from my phone and social media gave me time to think and pray and prioritize and actually care better for the people in my life that I love.

I think I'm going to start taking a week off from social media every season moving forward as a helpful reset and regularly taking time away from my phone throughout the week. You can read more about what I learned from time away from my phone (Consecrating Our Phones To the Lord and When Your Phone Changes You) and even from my social media fast (Social Media, Vanity, and Abundant Life). 

4. Confessing Sin Leads Fellowship With God and With Others
I spent most of the summer, thinking about 1 John 1 and thinking through how to grow in my fellowship with God and with others. This chapter has impacted my life in significant ways and has proven true as I have repented from sin and confessed it to God and to others in my life. Not only has it sweetened my fellowship with Jesus but it has also deepened my friendship and fellowship with others. If we want fellowship with God and with other believers, we need to confess our sins, because we walk in the light by doing so and God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us. 

5. Some of The Sweetest Memories Are From Unplanned Adventures
This summer Brandon and I took a weekend trip to Boston to visit one of our students and friends. It was a short trip, but filled with a lot of little adventures. We stayed in a hotel fifteen minutes from Concord, Ma, and during the free part of an afternoon on Sunday, we spontaneously decided to drive to Concord and visit Louisa May Alcott's home and Walden Pond. It was a sweet time with Brandon just exploring without an agenda, and it made me want to make more time on days off for unstructured adventures. 

​What are some things that you learned this summer?