Emily Freeman’s “What I Learned” linkup is one of my favorites. Maybe it’s the teacher in me…I love learning and sharing what I’ve learned. This isn’t necessarily profound or life changing, but it might slightly entertain (you won’t want to miss this), give a wee bit of information, and a slight peek into my February, the month I learned…
…that I don’t read as fast as I thought I did One of the only post-college classes I’ve ever taken was a speed-reading course, but it must not have worked. I do remember feeling as though I would miss some of the joy of reading if I followed the method suggested. I am progressing through quite a bit of reading so far this year though, so it must be that I’m devoting quite a bit of time to it, giving reading more space rather than increasing its pace. I did discover that, at my reading speed, I could read the entire Bible in just 38 hours and 56 minutes. Not as daunting a task as I would have believed.
…that it’s not a waste of time to read fiction I know, I know…this sounds like sacrilege to those of you who love fiction. Nevertheless, for me personally, I much prefer reading non-fiction. It’s not that I don’t ever indulge in a great novel, but when I do, it feels like just that…an indulgence. I admit it, I feel a bit as though I’m wasting time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read many of the classics and am an ardent fan of Jane Austen, but for the most part I have felt as though it were a bit, dare I say, frivolous. Now before my tens of followers abandon me here on the spot, let me say this…I’ve repented! Remember, this is about what I learned, and I learned that my thinking has been wrong.
Unfortunately, as far as my now grown children are concerned, this is something I learned about 25 years too late. Looking back on their childhood years I remember thinking that fairy tales (no matter how famous) or other childrens stories would be of little benefit to them, so I stuck with Bible story books almost exclusively. I do think I referred to Aesop’s The Boy Who Cried Wolf once or twice though. It seemed more palatable than “Liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone….” And that is precisely the point, the one I somehow never thought through. Stories can make the bitter truth a bit easier to swallow.
So how did I finally come upon this revelation after all these years of reading? It was with the help of Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art. In it L’Engle states, “Stories, no matter how simple, can be vehicles of truth…it’s no coincidence that Jesus taught almost entirely by telling stories”. In this thought provoking book L’Engle explores the relationship between faith and art and adeptly teaches something I am very late in learning. “There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred.”
…just how creative the minds at Google are Type “askew” into the search bar and look closely at the results page. . What fun! And even more fun… type “do a barrel roll” into the search bar. Yep, creative minds.
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Wow! What fun things you learned this month, Lisa! I need to get back to reading fiction. I too have lost the “value” in it. Any suggestions where to start? Also, way cool photo challenge! Sounds fun in an “if I were a photographer” kind of way. 😉 Glad I visited! Thanks.
Thanks for visiting, Kendra. I must say that I haven’t strayed too far from my non-fiction preference even with my fiction choices in that I prefer historical fiction. I can at least learn something while I’m “indulging”. One of my favorites is “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Barroness Emmuska Orczy. It’s set during the French Revolution which I knew only a bit about. I loved it so much I read several more by this author and enjoyed them immensely. AND…since you mentioned loving that tablet and Kindle app, guess what? The Kindle edition of Pimpernel is FREE as is “The Laughing Cavalier” which I couldn’t wait to read once I fell in love with Orczy. It too was delightful. By the way…photography skills are not a pre-requisite for participation in the photo challenge. Would love to have you play along. It’s wonderful to meet you, truly!
love your creative take on a photo a day! what a wonderful way to keep the word of God close by. 🙂
Thanks, Kelly…and thanks so much for visiting.
The google stuff- wow, very creative!! I could spend a lot of time just playing with the search engine. =)
I know! Isn’t it fun? Thanks for the visit. Bless you
Hi Lisa. I’m finally paying your page a visit! Want to apologize for not giving a spoiler alert for my Downton Abbey musings! I’m sure it is fun watching it while exercising. Wish I could do that. Ellen will have to do (at the gym) for now. 🙂
I tried all those words in the google search bar and for the barrel roll….I laughed out loud, so thanks for that. And, I am just like you with the fiction thing. My daughter reads fiction voraciously and always raves about what she reads. I have vowed to her that I’d read Harry Potter (still haven’t) and also The Book Thief (still haven’t), but I saw all the movies. Does that count? I too have had the feeling that reading fiction is a waste of time, but because of your words and your quote I am going to rethink that. I love that quote about stories! Gonna write that down! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such kind comments! Blessings to you.
Hi Anne. I’m glad to have passed on a bit of fun and food for thought. No worries about Downton…It’s Friday morning, I’m just now getting ready to start my work out and episode 5 of season 3 and have absolutely no clue what any future episode’s have in store. 🙂 Thanks for returning the visit. You’re a blessing.