5 Things I Learned In June

When Emily Freeman of Chatting at the Sky invites her readers to participate in a linkup, you join. She has a very fun ‘Things I Learned In” series where she shares everything from fun life hacks to more serious reflections she stumbled upon during the month. (Read what Emily learned in June!) In my second ever blog linkup, I give you:

5 Things I Learned In June

1) Um, Spotify is awesome!

I’m not sure why it has taken me this long to jump on the Spotify gravy train, but it’s crazy amazing! You can listen to whole albums (whole, entire albums!) completely for free. Their ads are a bit closer together than, say, Pandora’s ads, but unlike Pandora I love being able to stick with a particular artist if I’ve been enjoying their work. (Props to my husband for introducing me!)

2) You can publish risky blog posts, people will receive it well and respond politely if they disagree.

I published the most risky blog post I’ve ever written in June. Though I debated on whether or not to publish it, I felt so strongly on the subject that I couldn’t keep it to myself. A few friends and readers disagreed with my position – and that’s wonderful! A diverse readership is one of the best gifts a blogger could ask for. Most very warmly received my sentiments. Expressing yourself in delicate and gracious tones is, I learned, the best way to  handle sensitive subject matters.

3) Jesus was friends with people not like him. You can be too.

This summer, I’m leading our women’s small group at church. (We’re having a blast!) One thing I decided to do was coordinate what I’m calling ‘Titus 2’ partners within the group – where an older lady is paired with a younger lady to meet together, pray, and walk through life. Though I was even hesitant at first, I’ve learned that sharing life with someone totally unlike you can be truly rewarding! All Christians share the unity of Christ which is more than enough grounds to build relationships. So, no, I didn’t think I would have much in common with my 60-something Titus 2 partner, but we’ve enjoyed such rich fellowship these few weeks. Humbled and grateful.

4) You can bake a potato in a crock pot.

Again, my husband is a genius. (I’m so glad I married him!) We had some totally delicious, melt in your mouth baked potatoes a la crock pot this month. Who knew!? Just throw in your spuds – no aluminum foil necessary – and bake on low for 4ish hours or high for 3ish (depending on the size of your crock pot). Yummo!

5) I am (already) a highly (over)protective mother.

Maybe it’s my pregnancy hormones, or maybe it’s just me. But, y’all, I’m becoming one Mother Hen! From me dodging people’s friendly questions about how the pregnancy is going (Why do they need to know!? It’s not their baby!) to me worrying about the influx of visitors after the baby is born (Keep your germs to yourself!), I think I might be falling off my rocker. Hopefully it’s only first-time-mom syndrome. Now, to check out those preschool safety ratings and performance reports…

What did you learn this month? Are you an overprotective mom, too? How do you bake a potato? I love reading your comments!