5 Things I Loved This February

Several email lists that I subscribe to do a monthly list of things they’re enjoying. Those emails are my favorites. Often I delete similar emails without reading them. There’s just not enough time to keep up with them all. But the “things I’m loving” emails get saved until I have some time to comb through them.

5 Things I Loved this February

With so much content available online, I find it helpful and enjoyable to receive a curated list of podcasts, blog posts, books, recipes, etc. that someone else has already vetted and enjoyed.

Since I don’t plow through books quite as fast these days, I will be experimenting with mixing in other types of content as I try to get back into the blogging game. A “what I’m loving” list seemed like a good place to start since it’s the type of content I enjoy receiving.

I’d love to hear from you. Is this something you would like to see somewhat regularly? Or is it a pass from you?

Without further ado and in no particular order, here’s

The Grow Well Podcast is a “houseplant meets personal growth podcast.” I DO NOT have a green thumb. I love the idea of having plants, but I tend to alternate between utter neglect and ineffective care. Oops! Listing to this podcast has helped me to understand plants better (Did you know that too big pots can contribute to root rot or that succulents need different soil than other plants? I sure didn’t!) which has made me feel better equipped to take another stab at caring for a few. We’ll see if my two succulents and two African Violets live to tell the tale.
Wild and Scenic Rivers Postage Stamps for sending snail mail. As part of my church’s missionary committee, one of my monthly jobs is mailing checks to the missionaries we support. (Yes, we’re pretty old school). I also try to send of a note or two to friends each month. Buying pretty stamps instead of basic flag stamps is one of my favorite simple pleasures. These gorgeous rivers are some of my favorites I’ve ever purchased.
Hot Cinnamon Sunset Tea from Harney & Sons. The winter months always bring out the tea guzzler in me. I love trying new flavors, and this one has been a winner! It tastes like fireball candy. Definitely on the pricey side, but at approximately $0.35/tea bag for the ones linked on Amazon, it’s still much better than stopping at Dunkin or Starbucks! (And you might be able to find it cheaper at your local grocery store.)
Studying Hebrews 12. Over the month of February, a visiting speaker at my church did a series on Hebrews. He focused on the importance of studying the Old Testament context of New Testament quotes. One of the messages caused me to dig deeper into Hebrews 12, and I’ve been enjoying studying the three Old Testament stories quoted in this one chapter to see how they shed light on what the author of Hebrews is communicating. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but it’s exciting to begin fitting the pieces together and understanding the passage better. Keep an eye on my Facebook page. If the sermon series makes it to our church website, I’ll share the link.
If you’re interested in studying for yourself, here are the OT stories mentioned:
- Esau (Genesis 24:29-34, 27:32-40)
- The events surrounding the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:14-25; Deuteronomy 5:22-31)
- Cain & Able (Genesis 4:2-5).
Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle) Audiobook. I’m about a decade late to reading this series but now that I am, I’m enjoying it! I had heard people criticize the story, saying that the author (who was quite young when he wrote the series) lacked originality and cobbled together fantasy tropes to create a formulaic fantasy. My impression is quite the opposite. Though foundational fantasy structure and world building exists, the story as a whole is impressively complex and deep for being developed from the time Paolini was 15 through his early 20s.You can keep track of my reading progress (and see the book reviews that don’t make it to the blog) by following me on Goodreads.