Links, Books, and Other Things I Love – April 2017

Here are favorites from March and what I’m looking forward to in April. We share once a month at Leigh’s.

1 Second Everyday

[If you can’t see the 1 Second Everyday video, click here]

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Around the Web

• You Probably Believe Some Learning Myths
by Anya Kamanetz
Take this quiz from NPR to see how well you understand what good learning looks like. “Ulrich Boser says, probably not very well. His new research on learning shows that the public is largely ignorant of, well, research on learning.”

• No, Stay At Home Moms Don’t ‘Waste’ Their Education
By Anna Mussmann
I officially used my accounting/finance degree for only a few years before I quit to stay home with my daughters. Was my education wasted? I’ve never thought so.

“Anyone who castigates a woman for failing to cash in on her degree reveals a complete misunderstanding of two things. 1. The nature and purpose of education, and 2. The actual needs of society.”

no-waste-education

• When You Need a More Creative Way to Pray
by Betsy de Cruz

Great post by Betsy on using prayer mapping to liven up your prayer life.

“Last year, I asked God to show me seven Big Things I could ask Him for. I made a list: Greater Faith, Healing, Joy, Anointing, Provision, a Life that Honors God, and Passion for Christ. I mapped these out on paper and included scriptures, song quotes, written out prayers, and specific requests.”

When-You-Need-a-More-Creative-Way-to-Pray-Prayer-Map

• 9 Things That Are Still Great About Facebook
by Cheryl Magness

“With all of its problems, Facebook still has a lot going for it, and I for one am not willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

• Google Has Finally Killed the CAPTCHA
by Rhett Jones
Yay! Anybody else glad that CAPTCHA is gone?

end-captcha

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On Books and Podcasts

• 5 Books I Recommend

Here are excellent books I recommend from what I finished reading in March.

5-Books-I-Recommend-Lisanotes
Books I’m Currently Reading

  1. Democracy in Black
    How Race Enslaves the American Soul
    by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.
  2. The Naked Now
    Learning to See as the Mystics See
    by Richard Rohr
  3. Invisible Influence
    The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior
    by Jonah Berger
  4. Practicing the Power
    Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life

    by Sam Storms
  5. The Enneagram
    A Christian Perspective
    by Richard Rohr
  6. Grace Behind Bars
    An Unexpected Path to True Freedom
    by Dudley Mitchell

• Podcasts – 6 Podcast Episodes for Cultivating Compassion
by Sara Schairer

“Here are six podcast episodes that will open your heart and eyes to not only the power of compassion, but also the need for it. Watch how your own capacity for compassion grows.”

man-listening-to-a-podcast-with-earphones

My Favorite Podcasts This Month
These five episodes were particularly instructive to me.

  1. The RobCast
    Episode 145: The Importance of Boredom
    Do you pick up your phone when you have a spare second of boredom? What’s a different way to use that space?
  2. The World in Words
    How Christianese Became a Thing 
    If you understand these phrases, you might speak Christianese:
    too blessed to be stressed, spoke into my life, called to move, felt led to, ….
  3. Pass the Mic
    Truth’s Table & Pass the Mic Crossover
    A lively and godly conversation on males and females in the church.
  4. Hidden Brain
    Episode 65: Tunnel Vision
    “When you’re hungry, it can be hard to think of anything other than food. Explore the psychological phenomenon of scarcity and how it can affect our ability to see the big picture and cope with problems in our lives.”
  5. The Elite Advisor Blueprint
    Episode 18: Ian Cron on The 9 Personality Types
    Understandable information on the 9 Enneagram personality types, exploring why people think, feel and act the way they do.

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Things I Love

• My Bracket Won!

I usually lose. Jeff usually wins. I was dead last for most of NCAA March Madness this year, too. But thanks to Gonzaga’s continued wins and Kansas’ early loss, my basketball bracket won Saturday night in our group of 4 this year! So I get to choose where we all go out to eat, regardless of which team wins the championship Monday night.

espn-tournament-challenge-march-madness

• Vacation with the 4 Corners

We had a fun girls’ getaway in Gulf Shores. Laughing, crying, talking. We did a StoryCorp interview one night about our friendship. I’ll treasure that for years to come.

lulus-4-corners

Kathy, Julie, Lisa, Alicia

• Spring Flowers

I don’t have much blooming yet, but this hardy tulip managed to come back again. It’s put in its time. The remaining tulips I planted years ago at my mailbox finally stopped returning. This lone survivor still stands.

tulip

• Freedom Group

I only knew one lady in this group before February (that’s Jenna). But now we all know so much about each other. I’m loving getting to grow in Christ and in freedom with this group of sisters.

freedom-group-highlands

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On the Blog

• Do a Reframe
I needed a reframe. When we can only see one side of something, it’s time to flip it around.

• Hey, I Have a RIGHT to Complain! Oh, Really?
Excuses we use for complaining and how to counteract them

• 7 New Ways to Say I Love You
What words do you like to hear? We all love hearing, “I love you.” But sometimes we need to hear it said another way. To make it more personal.

• God’s Math of Little Things
It was just a little thing I saw. But maybe a lifetime of big love is really a lifetime of little loves all added together.

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What was one of your highlights from March? What are you looking forward to in April? Please share in the comments.

previous Links and Books

32 thoughts on “Links, Books, and Other Things I Love – April 2017

  1. floyd

    Busy month! The video brought the cold coast to life! Hope all is well with Jeff. Doesn’t look like he was down long,

    This March I’ll not be missing any time soon…

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes, I hope your April is much less momentous than your March. Jeff is well–I finally talked him (2 years later) into having the dreaded over-50 colonoscopy. 🙂 Not fun, but so important.

  2. Barbara H.

    Saw a glimpse of Jeff in a hospital gown – hope he’s ok. If you’ve mentioned before a procedure he had or something, forgive me, I have forgotten (blush!) He did look to be up and around later in the film. Loved the footage of the water – I grew up on a coastline and miss it sometimes. I loved the link about moms not wasting their education. And I am glad they are finally getting rid of captchas. Looks like you had a good visit with your 4 corners friends!

    I read the link about learning myths from your Twitter feed and had a hard time grasping their saying that people don’t have learning styles. Even though we only home-schooled for four years, my sons seemed to learn very differently.

    There is a patch of daffodils that have bloomed already back behind the shed – I don’t know why the previous owner put them there where they can’t be seen easily. I asked my husband if we could dig them up and replant them, and he said we could, so hopefully we can do that soon.

    What am I looking forward to in April? A certain special little boy’s birthday and a visit from my oldest son. 😀

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Already time for another birthday? It seems so quick to me; I’m sure it seems every quicker to y’all. Timothy is such a doll. I know he is getting more and more fun each year. I can tell from your posts how much he loves his grandparents. 🙂 And is definitely loved by them.

      Jeff had a colonoscopy; I probably should have notated that somewhere. ha. Nobody likes them, but they sure can save lives.

      I’m not sure I buy “no learning styles” either. I need more proof before I’ll believe that. Enjoy those daffodils and definitely replant them where you can enjoy them even more next year. I need to plant new tulip bulbs whenever it’s time (the fall?) so I can have a fuller crop next year.

  3. June

    Love your one second a day video, Lisa! (except that red light runner at the end – gasp!) Thanks for sharing Betsy’s post on prayer mapping. That fits into my #oneword365 this year, so I’m headed there next! Congrats on the bracket win, lol 🙂 and your tulip is not only a beautiful sign of spring but of nature’s resilience! Enjoy the game tonight!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Okay, how bad is it that I didn’t even notice I’d caught a redlight runner on this video! Yikes. I guess I halfway expect people to make that last second dash so I always hesitate before I go. You’ve got keen vision, June! I think photographers pay closer attention to details so that would partly explain it. 🙂

  4. Lux G.

    I have high respect and admiration to stay at home moms who home studies with the kids. It’s noble and just as, if not more challenging as other jobs.

    Thanks for reminding me that there’s still a good thing about FB.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I agree with you, Lux. I homeschooled my kids and the job was often more than I bargained for. ha. But I feel very grateful I had the opportunity to do it. And while I didn’t use my college degree per se during those years, I do feel like the knowledge I gained overall did come in useful.

  5. Mary Geisen

    I love all of this! Thank goodness the captcha is gone. Having a Master’s degree still didn’t help me decipher those at times. Love that your bracket won but sad that Gonzaga did not win last night. 🙁 I found the article about Facebook to be interesting and of course I always love knowing what others are reading. Glad you had a wonderful girls trip!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I’m guessing we all can agree that the captcha won’t be missed! I felt bad for Gonzaga last night too (I tend to pull for the underdogs), but happy for UNC. It’s hard when games have to have a definite winner and loser; I wish everyone could win. 🙂

  6. Betsy de Cruz

    Yay! I’m also glad that captcha (sp??) is gone. Thank heavens and good riddance! I love reading your list here. Congratulations on your bracket winning in your group! You are one busy, involved, and well-read lady!

    And thanks so much for featuring my work here. I appreciate it, friend.

  7. Michele Morin

    LOVED the pictures from the gatherings of girls.
    My March highlight was attending and teaching at a women’s conference in Massachusetts. Such a blessing to gather around truth.

    And . . . of course I love knowing what you’ve been reading. Thanks for sharing the podcasts. There were several on your list that are new to me!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I’m sure you were a great blessing to the women you were able to be with and talk to in Massachusetts, Michele. I’d like to have heard what you taught! But I might not could have taken the cold temperatures that come with being that far north. ha.

  8. Trudy

    I always love to read what you’ve learned, Lisa. I, too, wondered about your husband in the video, but I read in a comment he had a colonoscopy. I’m so glad you had a great time with friends in spite of the colder air than expected. Also that you are making new friends. I especially love Betsy’s idea of mapping. Oh, and the lovely tulip! Love and hugs to you!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes, my husband had a colonoscopy, which thankfully turned out okay. Hopefully he won’t have to do that again anytime soon. 🙂 Hope you’re doing well, Trudy!

  9. Anita Ojeda

    I got so distracted reading the NPR piece that I forgot which of my 52 open tabs I had discovered the link at ;). March was awesome because we got to spend five days with our grandson (and his parents, of course, since he’s only 7 months old ;)) camping in Moab, UT. It was marvelous! I am THRILLED that google has killed captcha—now, if all those bloggers who force us to jump through a captcha hoop would follow along…

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I have 5 tabs open right now, so I hear you, Anita. 🙂 So much to learn out here! What fun that you got to spend time camping with your grandson. Does it get any better than that??? I look forward to having grandchildren one day.

  10. Erica Morrison

    I enjoyed reading your book list and am quite intrigued –especially Democracy in Black and The Naked Now.
    I also enjoyed reading the post on why an educated stay-at-home mom isn’t wasting her schooling–it made a lot of sense!
    And I love the prayer mapping idea.
    Thanks for this neat list of resources.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Thanks for stopping in, Erica. I’m about halfway finished with Democracy in Black: it’s been good for me to read as a white woman to hear perspectives from a black brother who has had different experiences than me. We all have so much to learn from each other when we stop and listen.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      April is off to a good start here; I hope the same is true for you, Julie! We were predicted to have bad storms all day today, but so far it’s sunny and warm. Hope it stays this way. 🙂

  11. Ceil

    Hi Lisa! I love the photos of your friends and the fellowship you are involved in. So important to our spiritual health, and so good for the community too.
    I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years before I got back to the workforce. I don’t think my nursing degree suffered much, and what I was doing was important too. It’s good that there is so much more written about choice, and the importance of moms!
    From Tell His Story,
    Ceil

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes, I love when we have opportunities for choice. I realize not everyone has equal opportunities, so I’m thankful that I was able to exercise the choice I wanted. I’m sure you used that nursing degree often with your own children during those years out of the work force. 🙂 And continue to now as well. I love my nursing friend; we always pepper her with health questions when we’re together, and even more so as we’re aging. ha.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Glad to find another podcast lover! I subscribe to too many podcasts at the moment. lol. But they’re so good! I do delete individual episodes when they’re not a topic of interest, which saves a little bit of time. As well as listen to them at 1.5x or 2.0 speed.

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