Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's weekly Hodgepodge post. Before I jump in, I want to thank you for your honest thoughts and opinion on yesterday's post. A few of you mentioned how you don't love the words "happiness" or "self-care"; and honestly, I agree with you. I do think that with my own spin on the book that I will enjoy being more intentional in how I treat people this year; it also makes me think about how I want to be treated in turn. I have no room in my life for meanness. 

I love that we can be the kind of friends here that we can disagree and still be kind and compassionate to each other. This really is the best community! I always welcome honest thoughts and opinions here, as long as they're written in kindness. I do not welcome what happened in the comments of Saturday's post, but I'm ignoring the comments and leaving them up for all to see. True colors really do come shining through, and one person in particular got very out of hand. I'm sad that it happened and that you had to see it, but now you have a little insight as to what life is like for me currently. Several of you jumped in to rescue me; thank you! I appreciate that you stood up for me, especially since I'm ignoring the comments. I will remember the advice of my Pastor and choose to rise above the situation, taking the high road. 

Anyway, enough about all of that. Here are my answers for Joyce's wonderful Hodgepodge questions. 

1. It's been said that January is the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change. Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. I am always in need of inspiration, whether for motivational purposes in cleaning/organizing, decorating in my home, or getting ideas for blog content.

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself? I believe that opportunity is something that comes to us. Did I ever tell you how I got my job? In May of 2023 my temporary job at a local elementary school ended; in June my friend called me one day and asked me if I would be interested in working at my church—there was a position opening up as an assistant to two staff people: the women's ministry leader and the pastor that leads the senior adults. I told her that I would love to work at the church, but that at that time I couldn't do full-time work because of my aging dad. I wasn't willing to give up my Fridays with him yet, and I'm glad I made that decision. I thanked them for thinking of me for the job, then I told them if anything ever opened up that was part-time, to keep me in mind. A few weeks later, I was offered the job I have today, as the bookstore manager of Cornerstone Books & Cafe that sits inside of my church. 

I love my cozy little home away from home! 

Taking this job meant that I could no longer sing in choir on Sundays, because even though I close before the service, I can't usually make it into the sanctuary until five to ten minutes after it started. I do miss singing now, even though I didn't for a long time. God knew that I needed this job one year before my life drastically changed; and through my job, I've learned how to take care of finances. That's something I never did in my marriage, so I'm thankful that I've learned that from working. God is truly sovereign over my days! 

Here's a song I sang with the choir on a fall Sunday in 2022; the song is called Still I Will Praise Your Name. I still think about and sing this song when the words come to mind! It was a little prophetic of how my life would go in the days that followed. I hope you enjoy this! 

3. The British Museum opened on this date back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite? I haven't visited a museum in several years; I haven't really thought much about how I feel about them! I think I would enjoy one now more than ever before; as I read this, I remembered how a friend told me about a local museum here that's free on Saturdays. I'd like to do that soon! It's an art museum, and while I'd probably prefer something a little more exciting, I think it's important to embrace cultural arts.

On a side note, when I was a senior in high school, my senior trip was to Washington D.C. One of the places we visited was the FBI museum; it was the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen at that time in my life, maybe even still. One thing I remember is seeing the death mask of Al Capone. My son Drew went through a time in elementary school when he was fascinated with Al Capone; when I told him I'd seen his death mask, he flipped out and thought it was the coolest thing ever. FYI, there is no longer an FBI museum in D.C. The building may be there, but after 9/11, it was closed to the public. I'd love to visit the Smithsonian museums, and The Holocaust Museum. 

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, a month and not just a day). Do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? I love oatmeal and eat it pretty regularly. I would say that at least two mornings a week, this is what I do for breakfast or lunch. I love the brown sugar and maple flavor the best. I also love oatmeal cookies, both with and without raisins. Do you agree or disagree with me on this? 

5. What's something useful you learned in high school? The thing that comes to mind when I think about how I want to answer this was something both Mom and Dad taught me: the importance of clearly communicating. I struggled all throughout school with math and science, but particularly with math. They told me to tell my teachers what I needed from them to help me succeed; while that may sound pretty out there, here's what they meant. They told me to be up front with them when I was struggling and to ask for help. I was terrible at math, and even when I studied, I still failed most of the tests. Knowing what I know now, it was because of dyslexia. I've never been officially diagnosed, but I read numbers backwards all the time.

Anyway, after I got their advice, I went to my geometry teacher within the first week of school, and she was more than happy to give me the extra help I needed during her off period. It didn't take up too much of her time, but it gave me the confidence I needed to do well in her class that year. That was the only year I ever aced math! (My favorite subjects were English, Literature, Choir, Etymology, and History.)

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'll leave you with the current song I have on repeat; this is He Will Keep You by Sovereign Grace.

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Jenn 🖤