5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – January 2020

Every month I share my list of favorite 5’s.

5 Things I Love Jan 2020_pin

  • 5 interesting things online
  • 5 articles about words, books, or podcasts
  • 5 pictures of things I love
  • 5 things on the blog

What are you enjoying this month?

1 Second Everyday

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

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5 Things Around the Web

The Original Article on Mister Rogers

Have you seen the movie “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” with Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers? Please do! It’s so good. This is the original Esquire magazine article that the movie is based on.

White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard To Talk to White People About Racism

Thought-provoking. “Our socialization renders us racially illiterate. When you add a lack of humility to that illiteracy (because we don’t know what we don’t know), you get the break-down we so often see when trying to engage white people in meaningful conversations about race.”

Something This Protestant Learned from a Jew About Reading the Bible: A Story

We do well to listen to Jewish readers talk about the Bible. “I wonder how much else I think I know about the Bible might be less what I actually read in the Bible and more what I bring to it?”

6 Steps to a Safer Digital Life: Your 2020 Checklist

I’ve been working on #1 already. Cleaning up my digital clutter is harder than cleaning up my physical clutter.

Gregory Boyle’s Inspirational Speech about Gang Members

There is no us and them, just us. I love the work and the person of Gregory Boyle. His book, Tattoos on the Heart, hooked me a few years ago.

Gregory Boyle video

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5 Things with Words and Books

LSSU’s 45 Annual List of Banished Words

Did you notice any words overused, misused, or generally useless this past year? The list includes quid pro quo, living my best life, I mean, ….

How to Read More Books: Life Kit Podcast

Life Kit is a newish podcast to me that I love. This episode on how to read more books is a winner with all 3 tips.

5 Things to Help You Read More

And another “how to read more” list…this one has 5 things (#1 is the hardest for me, but I’m learning to do it).

How to Make Time to Read

Laura Vanderkam gets real. We have time to read, but are we reading what we want to? Some of it is our choice to make.

My Personal Favorite Books of 2019

It was hard narrowing down the list. But here are the favorite books I read in 2019: 10 nonfiction, 10 fiction, and 5 memoirs.

Top Books of 2019

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5 Pictures of Things I Love

Christmas Poses

Last month we took a lot of traditional family photos. I do not like getting my own picture made, but I love having photos of our family together.

Christmas poses

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Family Traditions

There are traditions I love doing either yearly (attending Christmas candlelight services together with Jenna and her in-laws) or at least every few years (The Nutcracker ballet).

Christmas Traditions

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Babies in Bassinet

Another Burgess family tradition is getting each newborn’s picture made in the family bassinet. My newest granddaughter and her cousin weren’t too excited about being put in there together, even for a few seconds.

babies in bassinet

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Play-Doh Play

Nobody loves Play-Doh more than our oldest granddaughter. I’ve learned that I love it now, too. I’m finally learning to create more than just snakes and balls.

Play-Doh

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I’m the Mom

This meme makes me laugh, because it’s true.

I'm the mom

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5 Things on the Blog

3 Steps to Choose “One Word” 

Have you picked one word for 2020? Here are 3 steps to help you choose a word right for you.

Should You Take This Personally? 

I hear her screaming at me. “I know you’re not sorry!” Should I take this personally?

Find Hope in the Darkest Day of the Year, Or, Why I Love Winter Solstice

Winter is my least favorite season. But after the darkest day of the year comes a brighter one.

9 Reasons to Keep Hope Alive No Matter What 

Hope works. Even when it doesn’t come naturally, we can choose hope. Here are 9 reasons to keep hoping, regardless of your circumstances.

How I Read and 2020 Reading Challenges

This is how I read. I hope to read as much in 2020 as I did in 2019, which is mainly in snatches of time here and there. Here is a list of 2020 Reading Challenges I am participating in. It’s not too late to join, if any interest you.

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What was a highlight from your December? What are you looking forward to in January and 2020? Please share in the comments.

previous Links and Books

34 thoughts on “5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – January 2020

  1. Michele Morin

    I’m also a true fan of play-do and very thankful for grandchildren who give me an excuse to play with it. In fact, we’ve got a date for Thursday evening! Guess we’ll make it a play do night!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I may be deep into playdoh Thursday night as well, Michele! I’ll think of you with your grands while I’m with mine. Thursday will be my first day keeping both girls at the same time by myself. Prayers appreciated. 🙂

  2. Lesley

    I love all your family photos! And I’m looking forward to seeing the Mister Rogers film. It doesn’t come out here in the UK until the end of January, but I’ve heard so many good things about it.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Oh wow, you have to wait a bit longer than we did for Mister Rogers. But you all did get Downtown Abbey episodes much earlier than we did, so I suppose it all balances out. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it when you get to see it, Lesley. It is such a sweet story about a genuinely gracious Christian man.

  3. Martha J Orlando

    Your photos and videos of family are wonderful, Lisa! It certainly looks like you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday together. Thanks, too, for all your recommendations on books this past year – you’ve been so helpful to me with that.
    Happy New Year!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Thanks, Martha. We really did enjoy the whole Christmas season so much! It’s been great fun to add grandchildren into the mix. Everyone said it would be, and now I know it’s true for myself. 🙂 Happy 2020!

  4. floyd

    Wonderful time of the year to be with loved ones. Good for you! Awesome shots and video of your growing family!

    Was that okra frying? Been awhile since I had that!

    And you can keep the snow!

    Happy New Year!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Good eye, Floyd—yes, that is okra frying. 🙂 I don’t cook it very often, but I love it. My mom used to cook it a lot more than I do, and whenever my m-i-l cooks it, I eat all I can, as long as it’s good and crunchy.

      We didn’t get to keep the snow very long. Never do. But even half an inch of snow is enough to create a big stir in Alabama. Yes, schools were canceled. ha.

  5. Joanne Viola

    Those two babies in the bassinet are just precious even if they aren’t happy. And play-do … nothing like grandchildren to remind us to be content even while in the process of being shaped 🙂

  6. Laurie

    I had to smile when I saw that adorable photo of the babies in the bassinette, Lisa. Just too cute! Bill and I missed the Mr. Rodgers movie when it was out in the first-run theaters. Luckily, there is a second-run theater not far from us, so we get to see it for $3! Maybe we’ll even splurge for popcorn.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I miss our second-run theater that had cheap tickets. 🙁 It turned into a slightly less expensive and slightly older movies instead. ha. But gotta have that popcorn everytime I go to the movies, even though it’s not the greatest. ha. Hope you get to see Mister Rogers soon!

  7. Beth

    Ah, I caught sight of my fave–Chick-fil-a–in that one second video! Ha! And I love being able to catch glimpses into your life and world, Lisa! Especially your world as a grandma! Wish I lived closer to my grandson, but am happy to receive cute videos regularly from his dad! 😉 I also am going to check out that podcast on reading more books. I was thinking about how I want to read more this next year, so that will come in handy! Happy New Year to you, my friend! xxoo

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes, we’re big Chick-fil-A fans around here too. 🙂 My daughter sent us the cutest video of Riley this weekend; I’ve watched it again and again. How did grandparents manage in the days before these wonderful options to stay connected!

  8. Bettie G

    I loved getting to catch up on your posts that I missed last month, Lisa! Oh, how your post on “Should You Take This Personally” hit home with me. I recognize that “church lady” in me also that is continuing to be broken and molded by the grace of Jesus. How thankful I am for His abundant grace! And this quote has been one of my favorites, ever since I heard it on a gardening show: “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
    – Albert Camus” The gardener’s heart in me is longing for those longer days of light also. Blessings to you in this New Year!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I love that Albert Camus quote too, Bettie. I’m so glad that our days are already getting longer again. Such a blessing to know that, here in the midst of winter!

  9. Joanne

    I am dying to see that Mr. Rogers movie; I grew up watching that show and just loved him. I too don’t enjoy being in front of the camera but am trying to get better about it so that there are photos of me with them for my kids and family to look back on one day.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I watched him growing up too. He has such a gentle soul, and everything I’ve read about him seems to prove he was authentically himself on the show. I count him as a hero for sure.

      About the photos: yes! Even though I don’t like getting my picture made, I do like having evidence of special times with me and my kids and grandkids for future reference. 🙂

  10. Cheryl Gerou

    Wow, there is so much in this post!! The photo’s are sweet and beautiful! beautiful. Also, you reminded me I want to see the Mr. Rogers’s movie too. But most importantly you made me remember so much play doh fun with little ones. Making your own playdoh adds to the adventure and the doh is extra soft and nice ?. (Playing with shaving cream can be fun too.) Teaching Early Childhood education gave me many opportunities to enjoy these things!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      My daughters used to make playdoh with their grandmother. That is something I need to revive and do now with my own grandchildren! Thanks for reminding me of that memory, Cheryl.

  11. Patsy Burnette

    Lisa, I love this roundup! The family pics are so beautiful—those babies in the basket!!! 🙂 Super sweet! And that letter board!!! LOL Spot on!

    Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I would love to go back and find a picture of all the babies that spent time in the bassinet. It would make a fun collage for my mother-in-law! Yes, it’s been a great tradition to have.

  12. Barbara Harper

    I always love your 1 second every day videos. Lots of good advice about reading! We usually get a photo of everyone in front of the Christmas tree, and I realized just after my oldest son left that we had forgotten this year! I was so dismayed. But we do have candid photos of everyone — just not one all together.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      We didn’t have everyone present for our family picture this year either, which was a bummer. But yes, those candid photos are just as important, and sometimes they feel even more special because they are so real!

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      I just read your blog post on Abundance, Susan. That’s setting you up for an interesting year for sure! I love reading about everyone’s word choices and how they arrived at them.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Glad you liked the Mister Rogers movie too, Theresa. The only ones I’ve heard who weren’t thrilled with it was someone who thought it was going to be a comedy and it never happened for them. 🙂 Sometimes expectations can mess things up for us. ha.

    1. LisaNotes Post author

      Yes, we had another fun-filled year with a new grandbaby being born in 2019; her sister was born in 2018. I don’t think we’ll add any new babies in 2020 unless someone surprises us (and themselves, ha). 🙂

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