Currently: March 2024
A recap, some recommendations, and a realization!
March Recap
I am so thankful for March and all it had to offer. I finished state testing for my kiddos at school which feels like such a weight off my shoulders. I was able to spend spring break resting and checking some things off my to-do list. This past weekend, I drove up to Knoxville to visit my old college roommate for the day. Jackson and I got to spend lots of quality time with both sides of our family. We watched a lot of basketball, went to a wedding, and soaked up some early spring sun.
Overall, March was a really sweet month filled with lots of time in nature and with our community, and we are so thankful!
Check out past editions of Currently here.
Reading
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh - I adored this book and the characters in it. It is a sweet, closed-door hockey romance that takes places around St. Patrick’s Day. It was so fun to read!
Happiness for Beginners - Another Katherine Center book! This book I specifically picked up because it has recently been made into a movie on Netflix, and I wanted to read before I watched. I really loved the concept of this book and the female main character’s personal development and storyline. The romance is also so good!
Educated by Tara Westover - This book has been on my list for a long time, and I finally listened to it on audio and loved it! It follows Tara’s story as she grew up Mormon out in the middle of nowhere Idaho with her family. She was “homeschooled,” but really they didn’t do school at all. This memoir traces her steps from that life to earning a doctorate at Cambridge, discussing what the true value of education is. I also highly recommend this book!
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer - I am a big fan of John Mark Comer’s teachings and writings, and this book is no exception. In this book, he discusses how to follow Jesus in a very practical and approachable way.
Watching
Happiness for Beginners on Netflix - I know I already touched on this, but after reading the book by Katherine Center, I watched the movie adaptation. I will say the book and the movie are different in a lot of ways, but I really enjoyed both! If you have read the book and watched the movie, let me know your thoughts!
American Idol on ABC - When I was growing up, my Dad and I would watch American Idol together - it was our thing. Once they started the revamp of the show, I was in college and not living at home anymore, so I haven’t watched in years. However, this season, Jackson and I have been watching, and it has been so fun! I have always loved music and songwriting, so watching the show feels like a way to connect to those parts of me again. It has been really special!
Listening
Son of Suffering by Bethel Music - I encourage you to go read the lyrics for this song. It is so beautiful and was such a good reminder yesterday on Resurrection Sunday but also for everyday! I hope it encourages you.
Friday Candy the Podcast - This podcast just started this month, but I already know it is absolutely going to be my new comfort show. The hosts are young American parents living abroad in Spain, having just moved there from Copenhagen, and it is so fun to learn more about their lives!
Audiobooks - Listening to Educated on audiobook this month was somewhat of an experiment for me. I have always loved reading and also have recently discovered how much I enjoy podcasts, but I really wasn’t sure if audiobooks were for me. I tried a couple non-fiction audiobooks thinking they would listen kind of like a podcast. But I really couldn’t get into them. However, listening to a captivating story like Educated on audio changed my opinion, and I already have another audiobook downloaded and ready for listening.
Doing
Finding My Style - One of my goals for 2024 is to find my style. I grew up wearing uniforms for 13 years, so once I got to college I was honestly just so excited to be able to wear sweatpants and t-shirts to class. Now, as an adult, I have felt kind of lost as to how I want to dress. It may seem silly to care about, but this feels like somewhat of a deep journey for me. I am planning to share more about style, appearance, and my thoughts around the topic as I continue on this journey.
Setting Quarter 2 Goals - At the end of last year, I read the book The 12 Week Year, and this year I decided to try it out. I am actually writing a whole post on this for next week, so I will share more then. However, I have spent the last few days reflecting on how Q1 went and setting some goals for this upcoming spring quarter. I am so excited about working towards some new and continued goals!
Quote
I love this verse, but I didn’t really feel like it was relevant to my life the first time I read it. After all, I don’t frequently ride around in chariots, and as much as I love horses, I don’t tend to put my trust in them.
However, when I replaced chariots and horses with things I tend to put my trust in over God, it made it a lot more personal. It convicted me and reminded me that ultimately my faith, hope, and trust cannot be in anything but God. Everything else will fail me.
So I encourage you to fill in the blank with whatever you trust in - doctors, 401ks, cars, control, houses, appearance, insurance, money, family, church - the list is endless. Where have you been putting your trust?
Jesus is the only one who is worthy.
Thank you so much for reading! Talk to you next Monday!
Take care,
Caroline