Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Share 4 Somethings (December 2022)

 


Happy day to you, friends! I don't know which day I'll post this, but regardless of the day, it's a bonus post. Tis the season for them, apparently! I'm linking up with Heather one last time for her Share 4 Somethings link party. I have LOVED being a part of these over the last couple of years and was saddened to hear that she wasn't going to continue on with them in 2023. Many bloggers I know and love also enjoy this link party, so I had a thought...since I took over Anne's monthly Currently posts and had such a great response, I decided to offer the same thing to Heather. (About all those links...I just want you to know that I was not the creator of those link parties. They were and I want to make sure they get the credit for such creative ideas!) Like Anne, Heather took me up on the offer, and I am excited to start! Below is all the information you need to know to schedule your posts for this beginning in January. I hope you join us in the fun! 


I will host this party on the LAST SATURDAY of every month, beginning with Saturday, January 28th, 2023. Each and every month, the topics will remain the same. We will talk about the THINGS we are loving, reading, learning and eating. If you joined in with Heather for these parties, you'll notice she used the past tense of her choice words each year. I decided to make my version the present tense of the words I chose, because that's how I see things like that I'm loving—as a current and ongoing thing. I hope you'll make plans to join us! I am excited to read about recipes that you'll share in the months to come...I am always in need of some dinner inspiration, my friends, particularly if it's something both healthy and delicious. 


And with that last, I'll segue into the rest of this fun post. I already told you what I loved this month in the top paragraph, so I'll continue on with something I gleaned this month. I gleaned that I thrive under pressure sometimes. Notice I said sometimes, not all the times. I'll give you an example. The last two weeks have been insanely busy. I've had so much going on that I have barely had time to stop and savor the moments and catch my breath. I say that but I am not complaining about it, I promise. I love this time of year and all that it brings! I've had my Christmas worship night and the rehearsals leading up to it, I've had work three days a week, I've had get-togethers with friends who wanted to meet up, I went out of town for one full day (eleven hours and one full tank of gas), I have had to finish shopping, and then I've had all the normal things the rest of you also have—shopping, cooking, meal planning, wrapping, Christmas gift shopping, cleaning the house, etc. Throw in my birthday and being sick last week for good measure and you get the gist of what I'm saying. 


Because of all that, I've been SUPER organized about all the things I need to remember and I've been getting things done. I've never felt so productive in all of my life. So, I gleaned that when it counts, I thrive under pressure. As a side note that I talked about in yesterday's post, and because I didn't have enough going on, I started a huge writing project Tuesday afternoon. This isn't the writing project that I'm committed to with my writing team friends from church...(the four of us write Bible studies together, for anyone who didn't know)...this is something new and exciting that the Lord gave to me as an idea during my quiet time on Tuesday morning. I was praying and catching up with my Bible reading, and He put this thought in my heart. I don't want to share too much in case I don't follow through with it, but it involves me and writing a book. (Don't be surprised, I've actually written several but never had them published.) I was greatly inspired and had to start writing before I forgot about all the ideas I had. The only other person I've shared this with besides you is my oldest son Graham. I'm excited at what could be to come in 2023! 


(Pictured above are my beautiful writing friends. Left to right is Barbee, myself, Amy and Lynn.)


Something I braved in December were the Christmas crowds. I have to daily remind myself to be patient, kind, loving and all the other things God's word says in Galatians 5:22-23. I'll share that passage below:


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)


Something I achieved this month are all the things I have already listed above! It's been a great month and while I have loved almost every minute, I will be glad when the hustle and bustle is over and done with. Maybe that's the reason January always feels slow. Maybe it's because we needed that after a full and merry month. 



Talk about weary. I also always look forward to the week between Christmas and the new year.


What's something you loved, gleaned, braved or achieved this month that you're proud of? I'd love to hear from you! Thank for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 


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Share Four Somethings is a monthly link-up that Heather started back in 2018. The concept was to share the same four topics every month as a way to look back and recap your month. While some topics have changed over the years, some have remained. (We're looking at you, Something Loved!) We have enjoyed this monthly reflection as well as getting to know the others who have joined on this adventure.

The link-up opens on the last Saturday of every month and will stay open for three weeks. The topics for 2022 were Something Loved, Something Gleaned, Something Braved (and NEW option Something Saved), and Something Achieved. In 2023, we will share the THINGS we are loving, reading, learning and eating. I hope you will join us each month! Just write your post, maybe add a picture or a few and then link back here to me at Overflowing with Thankfulness. I can't wait to read all that you have to say in the coming year. Thanks in advance for joining in with us! 


20 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your post and set a post reminder so maybe I'll join up in January. Who knows, maybe I'll even join up Saturday. We're taking this week off and will only have church Sunday morning. Hubby and I are relaxing at home some and watching movies and I've been binge watching Survivor. I didn't even know it was on.
    So exciting you're writing a book. Hope it goes well!

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  2. I'm glad you're going to join us for that, Cathy! It's a fun post to look back on at the end of a year. That sounds nice- a fay at home with your hubby. I love those kinds of days! We also love Survivor. Thank you for the encouragement about the book! I would love your prayers regarding that. God is always good and faithful! 🙌 Have a great day, my friend.

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  3. Girl, you are on a writing roll and I am here for it!! Glad you are taking over Share Four Somethings. I joined a few times last year but lost steam. I like your prompts and will plan to join. That is exciting about your newest writing project. I sure hope it comes to fruition.

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  4. Oh so fun! I wrote down the prompts for next year and hope to join in.

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  5. Something I braved...the stores during the week of Christmas! And the traffic! Oh my :)

    Something I've gleaned this month is that, no matter how old I get, I need grace. Grace when I say something or have a wrong attitude about something. Grace when my expectations are too high and I put pressure on others to live up to them. Grace from Jesus because these are lessons that I continually have to learn and I wonder if he's tired of teaching me yet. :)

    And that's a great reminder to extend more grace and think of how it feels when someone extends it to me.

    I'm looking forward to linking up on the new topics in 2023!

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  6. Maria, you are so sweet to always be such am encouragement to me. You have no idea how much I value and hold near your words. Tha m you! I hope you join in with us! I feel like the prompts are both fun and practical. Who doesn't need dinner ideas?!

    I hope so too! I hope to meet with a friend who just wrote a book and had it published. I've actually written a children's book and I've started three others, but it is costly to have a book published and unless you're someone famous, the publishers do not offer an advance. I've done my research...it can be discouraging, but I'm not giving up! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am supposed to write a book to encourage women. ❤️❤️

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  7. Joanne, I'm so glad you'll be joining us!

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  8. Debbie- about what you braved- SERIOUSLY! I almost lost my marbles over Costco traffic and shoppers today. 😳 Not even kidding!

    I love the reminder of how we all need grace...I love a version of a verse that talks about how the Lord lavishes us with His grace. Whatever would we do without that? I don't even like to think about it...and thankfully we don't have to, because He has saved us from eternal separation. 🙌

    I am so glad you'll be linking up with us! It's another fun and useful link party. I am always encouraged by what I read on others blogs. 💜

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  9. I'm putting this on my blog calendar for 2023! :)

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  10. I am going to try to remember to link up. I have never done a Saturday post, though, and I am very routine-oriented. Ha! I think you're right about the need to be more organized at certain times in life. My sisters and I talk about how much we get done during the school year and how lazy we are during the summer. I think I have had a nice balance in December. I am not super busy and I am trying to enjoy the preparations and remember that I am the mom and I choose what I want to do for my family. I want to like January more. I am trying! Happy Thankful Thursday! I am thankful for so much - my kids being here is at the top.

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  11. Amy, I am a routine person too, as you know! I will open the link on a Saturday, but when Heather hosted, I always posted my link for her party on a weekday. I would use a day that I don't always have something to say, like on a Tuesday or Wednesday...that being said, I'd love if you're able to join us some!

    I totally see how teachers are productive ten months and then take it easy for two months out of the year. You all have earned that right! My crazy month is and has always been December, and except for the couple of days I felt bad last week, I really do love all of it, even what makes it feel "busy". I have had to let a couple things go this year, though, thanks to me or someone else being sick. I try to remain flexible!

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  12. I'm so excited that you'll be continuing the Share Four Somethings link-up, and looking forward to the new format! See you in January for both Currently and Share Four Somethings! Happy Holidays! Visiting from SFS

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  13. Thank you, Kym! I am so excited that Heather didn't mind me carrying on with this fun party. I am so glad you'll be joining us for both Currently and Share 4 Somethings! Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🎄🎄

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  14. That is exciting about your writing!! I am going to plan to link up with this and glad you are hosting. Other than work, honestly, December doesn't seem like too busy for me. I don't have much of a social calendar these days, so I don't feel like I have a lot of extra things this month that is different from the rest of the year. I didn't have any Christmas parties this year, which made me sad. I know everyone around me it seems is so busy. It is nice to see everyone slow down in January.

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  15. So glad you'll be hosting in January. Thanks, and I look forward to linking up!

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  16. Thanks, Marilyn! I'm excited about it too. I'm so glad you're going to join in with us on the Share 4 Somethings link party! It's another really fun one that I love to have to remember and to see what everyone else's responses are.

    I am looking forward to next week and to January. ❤

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  17. Hello, Sarah! Thanks for that and for stopping by my blog! I am glad to hear you'll be joining us. This is always such a fun post for me and I think we all feel the same way! Merry Christmas!

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  18. THANK YOU for taking over share 4 somethings, I am excited it will continue. It sounds like you have had a fabulous month! I hope you do write and publish a book, I am sure it would be great, you have a wonderful way with words! Merry Christmas!

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  19. Cindy, you are very welcome! It's a link that I love as well, so I am happy to continue.

    It was a great week! And thank you so much for your kind words. I am working on it some this week while I am on holiday break. I'm excited! Thanks for stopping by, friend. Merry Christmas!

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  20. Jennifer, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve been linking for SFS for 2 years and happy to hop over here! Thanks for continuing. Pray your writing goes well! Blessings on your new year. Pam

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