Share Four Somethings – April

Something Loved

I absolutely loved getting to spend Easter with this guy! We live 2,000 miles apart, so any time we get to spend with him is special. My husband Bill and I traveled first to Denver to visit friends and watch a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies, then made our way to Steamboat Springs to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandson.

We are going to stay with our grandson this week while his school is on spring break and his mommy and daddy go to work. Spending a whole week with this little boy is like spending a week in heaven! He loves to run around outside and so do I; he loves to do science experiments and so do I; he loves to play with cars and so does Bill.

We all have been looking forward to this trip for months.

Something Said

“The beginning of love for others is learning to listen to them. God’s love for us is shown by the fact that God not only gives God’s Word but also lends us God’s ear.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This quote, from one of my favorite theologians, is a reminder to listen when I am spoken to, especially by people whom I love.

The best gift you can give someone is to really hear what they are saying. Sometimes, we must listen very closely to determine what is being said, sometimes the message being conveyed is obvious.

Listening, really giving someone our undivided attention, is a way of showing our love and compassion. It’s a way to emulate God, who hears us all.

Something Learned

Several weeks ago, I was inspired by a TED talk to try a new “something” for 30 days each month. Last month, I wrote about my foray into adult coloring. You can read about it here.

This month, my “something” is to take a picture every day. Not just any picture, my goal is to try to improve my photography skills. The picture above is one I took of starfish when we visited the Denver Aquarium. I loved the colors and composition of the arrangement of echinoderms.

It’s not every day I get such a fantastic subject for my daily photo. One day, the best subject I could come up with were these gnarled, rotting tree roots from a big willow near my house that was upended during a wind storm several years ago. The composition is not quite what I wanted. My photography is still very much a work in progress.

Something Read

I am currently reading “The Leavers” by Lisa Ko. The title of the book has significance in the story in several different ways. I don’t want to give away too much about the story by discussing those ways here.

This novel tells the story of Peilan Guo and her son Deming.The narration alternates between the points of view of the two characters, so you read the same story from two perspectives, told by both the mother and son.

Peilan is an illegal immigrant from China living and working in New York. Deming is her American-born son.

In addition to telling a riveting story that kept me turning pages late into the night, this novel made me consider the very topical subject of immigration in a new way. Cultural identity, adoption, poverty, and loss are other themes explored in this jam-packed book.

I can highly recommend this sometimes heart-wrenching, emotionally messy, ultimately illuminating book.

I am linking up with Heather Gerwing for her “Four Somethings”. Thanks, Heather, for giving the opportunity to think and write about four such compelling topics.

 

Also linking with Jessica and Amy at Live Life Well, Raisie Bay for Word of the Week,  Spiritual Sundays for Welcome, Susan B Mead for Dancing With Jesus, Embracing the Unexpected for Grace and Truth, Counting My Blessings for Faith ‘n Friends, Lyli Dunbar for Faith on Fire, Welcome Heart for Let’s Have Coffee, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him for Recharge Wednesday, Kristin Hill Taylor for Porch Stories, Debbie at Dare 2 Hear, It’s a Small Town Life for Thankful Thursday, Crystal Storms for Heart Encouragement, Knit by God’s Hand for Thankful Thursdays, and Morgan’s Milieu for Post, Comment, Love.