Things I Learned in September... A Link Up with Emily Freeman

So - once again... I did NOT remember to keep a running list of things I learned last month.

The issue with this fact is I am over 40 ya'll... so this really IS a problem!

I can't know if I retained any of the things I learned last month... or recall them at all... but - for you, the internet... I will rack my brain and refer to my Instagram profile... yeah... that'll do!  (What? You remember my Instagram addiction admission from last month? Whatever.  It came in handy tonight!)

Here we go... my random list:

Things that I learned in September:

1. I learned that sometimes - even if you are 43... you can still FEEL 23 - and that is what Taylor Swift is for!  That... and late Summer afternoons with the sun roof open and the stereo blasting... iced tea and no where to be... with or without the Nearly Grown Girlie sitting next to me!

2. Biscoff vs Nutella - for the #fmfparty crew:  So - I kept hearing all this debate about how Biscoff was (gasp) better than Nutella! I know... Shhh... this kind of thing needs to be whispered quietly so as not to shift the entire universe?  Now  - apparently this taste test doesn't fly because the Spread is way different (?) than the cookies... but in my book, #Nutella still wins... hands down! (I won't even tell you what kind of spinning out of control was happening when I dipped my Biscoff into my Nutella... but I WILL say it was not as magical as - say - the first time someone dipped their chocolate in someone's peanut butter... or was it someones peanut butter, dipped in chocolate? Either way... Nutella Wins!)

3. I (re)learned that there is not really anything much better than Fun Mail from internet friends who send sweet cards and hook a girl UP!  I have the BEST friends! My amazing friend Jennifer knows of my love for all things Pumpkin Spice and she mentioned on Twitter that she found these so I went out looking... here in the PNW we have Candy Corn White Chocolate M&Ms - but no Pumpkin Spice? WC/CandyCorn M&Ms are just not the same!  Well... she surprised me and not only sent a bag of YUM... (which - btw - I still have half the bag... a personal record I am quite proud of!) but she included a super encouraging card, as well! LOVE YOU JENN!

4. I learned that Bountiful Baskets is AMAZING... and come late Fall throughout Winter... I will be using this ALL the TIME! But for now... we are blessed abundantly with local produce that I can actually hand pick myself and not get 'stuck' with things I wouldn't buy and don't know how to use! (Think way too many hot peppers? Like... WAY way too many!)  

5. I learned that apparently our Nearly Grown Girlie can just pick up and plan her own vacation and leave town - all on her own?  Our girlie and one of her BFFs decided last minute that before college started, they wanted to take a trip to the beach and so they found their own hotel and packed up and went... all on their own?  (I also learned that I could manage to not worry or panic the whole time and it turns out I really CAN trust God with her after all?)  

6a. Just as Instagram MAY be a bit of an addiction... I learned that my desire to read All The Books may be too?  This may really turn into a problem due to going back to school with my hubby (One class per week... think Bible college-ish!)  And here's the thing: this isn't even ALL my books... nor does it include the apx 5 Kindle books I am reading right now... well - not right NOW... but you know... sometime tonight, anyway? This also may explain why I had no time to make any lists of things I learned last month? (but surely I learned things from all these books, yes?) I'm sure I did... I am sure I am... but who has time to process because...

(...Wait for it...  

Here comes 6b...)

6b. I rediscovered the LIBRARY, ya'll!  I somehow forgot that there is this magical place... where they keep all the books... (and some music, movies, magazines, etc.) and you can read more Things... oh my! Honestly my Honey is way more excited about this rediscovery than I am... as he was beginning to think that I was a little too flirty with Amazon as of late! 

 7. I (re)learned that taking a risk for the Kingdom of God is always... always worth it! My Honey and I volunteered to help 'man' the Prayer Booth that our school was hosting this year at the State Fair.  I also learned that I have never - in all of my life - felt like a Carny until now... I recognized the glassy eyes and the no eye contact and the half smile and keep walking... Recognized? Oh - I INVENTED that walk... it's hard work to make people see that you are not really trying to sell them anything... not even 'Jesus'... I mean - we were offering Him, sure... but we were there to be a blessing and not to make anyone repeat anything after us.  We had the honor of praying for people for health issues, for family and friends, for jobs and houses and forgiveness and freedom... We prayed with them... we encouraged them... we gave some of them some prophetic art... we invited them in, or went out to meet them on the pathway and hopefully - they each walked away with less burden and more hope! I learned that really - if someone is needing prayer... all you need to do is offer it and the floodgates will open!
  

 

8. I learned how to make some new recipes in September... I was like a Pinterest fool... actually MAKING some of the things I pinned! But these?  These are recipes I found on other BLOGS (which... I am sure were also pinned somewhere on Pinterest!) But these were the top three recipes discovered this month!  The top pix is homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer - it has a handful of ingredients and they are all actual real food... so that is nice! No chemicals in my coffee.  The middle pix is Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette from Bread & Wine.  The bottom pix is a Crock Pot recipe for Shredded Beef Tacos that is to DIE FOR ya'll! (and you're welcome!)
 

9. I learned that it is true that God really really REALLY wants me to meet Jen hatmaker in person... like, REALLY!  I have been pretty consumed with making All The Plans for my trip to #Allume and in browsing hotels and beaches and Biltmore Estates online, I totally forgot that I should like - ACTUALLY purchase tickets to go to Women of Faith when I return.  I mean - sure - I would think of it... but my friend and I both just never really paid that much attention - until one day last week when said friend sent me a message via facebook in which was she super scared and sort of afraid that I may unfriend her in all the ways possible because the Women of Faith conference is now SOLD OUT and we never did get our tickets? I assured her that even though I was sure God wanted us to go so I could stalk meet Jen Hatmaker, that we could still be friends and hang out together!  However, in a last ditch attempt  just on a whim - or was it divine inspiration? - I put it out there on Twitter and Facebook that we were needing two tickets... and - well - it turns out that God really DOES want us to go!

10. I learned that it doesn't matter how much I have the best of intentions to preplan and be uber organized and annoyingly done with 31Days before October even has the audacity to show up... it just never happens! Last year was my first experience with the 31 Day Challenge... and because I was - way back then... when I was younger and so overestimating myself and my abilities - I decided that both of my ideas were too good not to do - so I did 31Days on TWO blogs... yeah - I was cray-cray! My husband pleaded with me to NOT do that again.  I had learned though already... so when we talked about it in mid-August... I told him I already had two ideas and was planning on prewriting at least half of my posts and thought I would have all this time during October to read... you know... All the 31Day Things.  Sigh... I have not written ANYTHING.  (Truth be told... I just made that Button for this post?) And the Link Up goes live... I don't know... tomorrow?  So... my other idea will be turned into a fun little series in - well - later... and my 31 Days of Encountering God will indeed require some fresh encounters and a lot of grace... but tomorrow... Well - tomorrow I will be writing my first post for Day 1!

What about you? What fun or interesting or challenging things did YOU learn in September? I'd love to hear! Also - are you doing 31Days? If so - comment below with your title... because, you know - I just don't have enough to read yet!




Linking up with the lovely Emily Freeman, sharing what we learned in September!
Join us!