Happy Saturday and bonus blog post day, friends! I'm so glad you're here with me today for this month's Share 4 Somethings. I've created a graphic that you're welcome to use, but if you don't want to, it's not a big deal. One thing I will ask is that you visit a new blog each month! Consider leaving a comment on the blog before you; I've gained new readers in doing this, and I have found some of my favorite blogs on the internet. Also, who doesn't love blog comments?! Here are the prompts that will stay the same each month in 2026; on the last Saturday of the month, we will meet here to talk about something we loved, something that sustained us, something we're carrying forward from this month to the next, and something we're making space for.
I'll jump in on that note!
Something I loved this month: I loved being back at work after winter break. I was sick a lot over break, so it kept me home more than I'm used to. Of course then I went back to work and the second week back, I was diagnosed with flu A. I recovered from that, then the sky dumped tons of ice in my area.
These are my friends and coworkers that I eat lunch with everyday; we call ourselves The Lunch Bunch. Talking about them is making me miss them as I write this! I haven't seen them since a week ago yesterday. The icy roads kept us out of school all week.
I loved that one of my friends pictured above made us each coloring books to bring home with us in case we got bored! This was my contribution; my son Jonah's dog Stella made the book and Lindsay created this AI generated image of her in an igloo. The students loved this coloring book and were all begging for one by the end of the week!
I loved this thoughtful gift from Graham! It took it forever to come in, so he brought it over the day it arrived. I love this so much and I feel super fancy using it on my books. It says, "From the library of ___", and then it has my name. It came with gold stickers that I can use with it, and then the stamp will be on the gold sticker.
I love that Chris got a puppy this month; he got her for his dad, but then his dad changed his mind about wanting a dog. I named her Reese, because she looks like a Reese's peanut butter cup. We call her Reesey. She's really smart and such a sweet baby girl. She's growing like a weed! She'll be a big girl.
I loved that Chris decided to make my church his church; he loves my Pastor and comes with me every Sunday. He asked me how I felt about this, and of course I didn't mind. He lives in a very small town, so the churches near him aren't quite what he was looking for after moving to the area back in the fall.
The first week he came that I sang on the praise team is one that I'll always remember. We got into his truck afterward and were driving to lunch, and he was excitedly telling me how proud of me he was as he saw me singing on stage. I remember laughing when he said this, because of how excited he was about this and the way he was saying it, but what sticks out to me is what he said to me and knowing that he meant it from the bottom of his heart. Somehow I've managed to meet and keep this wonderfully sweet, kind, gentle, and beautiful man. I call him beautiful because of his heart, but I find him extremely attractive.
Something that sustained me this month: My friends definitely sustained me this month. I've been home a lot because of the sicknesses I mentioned, so being out with them on different nights has been life giving. I've done girls nights out and dinner, and I've had Bunco. It's all been amazing.
I'm so grateful for my friends and my people! I literally couldn't go through life without them. I was praying Thursday and thanking the Lord for the many people that He has given me in life: my parents, siblings, other family members, my amazing sons (and many bonus kids), and my friends. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights with Whom there is no variation or even the slightest hint of change. His good gifts to me are in the form of people. He has been so good to me, friends; He is good because He is God! His goodness is never based on circumstantial things in life, but is actually a characteristic of Him.
I haven't asked this in a while, but do you know Him? If you ever want to talk more about this, please email me at allboys@gmail.com. I would love to talk to you more about Him, and if you need a Bible, I'll send you one. Please reach out; we are never guaranteed tomorrow.
Something I'm carrying forward from January into February: I'm carrying forward time and the gift that it is. I've been guilty of taking my time for granted; once I started working full time again, it became more valuable to me. This just means that I'm very particular about how I spend my weekends. It's one of the only times during the week that I can get a lot of things done at home that I don't have the energy for during the week; it's one of the only times that I get to spend quality time with Mom and my sister Trish, and it's one of the only times that I can spend quality time with Chris. I try to divide these things into segments of time that is fair to everyone I mentioned. It's not always easy, and sometimes I'm terrible at it, but I try my best.
This month has given me a lot of time at home, and I'm grateful for this. I want to carry this forward into February and use the time I have wisely. I love my job and I'm so thankful to have one that I love so much and that I feel like I'm making a difference in the lives of little people. I didn't plan to go back to work full time in my late 40's, but I also didn't plan to be divorced either. Life gives you lemons sometimes; it's what you do with the lemons that matters. Even though I didn't ask for either of these situations, I'm grateful that I get to live a life that I genuinely love.
These are just a few reasons why I'm grateful for my job and why I shared what I did about carrying forward the gift of time from this month into next.
Something I'm making space for this month: I'm making space for free time this month. I'll do the same next month! Most of you know how much I love to read and how I haven't been able to focus on a book, movie, or tv show since my ex-husband left in July of 2024. I have tried and tried to keep reading, but to no avail. And then January 2026 happened, and guess who finished four books this month? I'm the girl! Because of this, I'm going to continue to make space for free time each month, because when I have free time, I am able to read. I'm glad I never gave up on trying to keep reading; I've been a bookworm for 44 years and I always will be.
Speaking of books, and these two that I'll be reading next, keep reading and go to the bookish blog post under this one that I published late Friday night.
Thank you for being here to link up with me today! Don't forget to look for a new blog to comment on today after you share yours in the link party below. I'll see you back here on Monday for my weekend recap/Hello Monday blog post. Love to all!
Jenn 🩷
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