3 Things I Learned This Summer

It’s been quite a while since I’ve last written, and while I’ve definitely had some writer’s guilt over that, it’s been a healthy decision.

As I shared in a previous post, I take this blog–and the platform it has given me–seriously. It’s a privilege and honor to enter into others’ lives and encourage. I believe that transparency is a conduit to God’s grace.

But not in the absence of wisdom.

So, in wisdom, I’ve spent the past month digging deeper into my own understanding of grace, rest, and letting God be God. I’ve been wrestling with what it means to be His daughter–like, what it really means in the sense of, “If I actually believed this, how would my life look different?”

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be sharing more of the sweet truths God has been showing me–right now, it’s all just a jumbled mess of awesomeness inside my head. But, since we are entering the fall season, I’d love to share the top three things I’ve learned this summer.

1. How to maintain better balance in my life

Navigating my life as a single adult has not come without challenges. Along the way, I’m learning (through trial and error) when giving my time becomes detrimental to my own health, what things recharge me, how to get the hugs I crave, and how often I need to see my family. I’m hesitant to say things are getting easier, but that’s okay. God hasn’t called me to a safe, easy life. I’m learning that the journey He has me on is an adventure and He truly is giving me all I need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

2. That I’m an Enneagram 1

Please- don’t roll your eyes. I know that among my generation, the Enneagram has become the buzz word of the year. But before your eyes glaze over, I want to explain how the Enneagram is and is not helpful. For starters, it’s not a bucket within which one finds their identity and/or justifies poor behaviors in their life. That being said, knowing the way I’m bent has been incredibly helpful for me. As I see my motivations behind certain actions, I am better able to get to the root of anxieties, hopes, and all that good stuff. If you’re interested in the Enneagram, I recommend reading, “The Road Back to You” which takes a healthy, Christian perspective on this popular personality typing mechanism.

For all of you who know me and has obviously seen my Type one-ness for years (Achiever, perfectionist, morally driven), thanks for loving all my quirks.

3. Journaling during quiet time is game changer

As a writer, I’m a huge proponent of, well, writing! And as a writer, I know how incredibly draining it is to do all the things we “should” be doing. Seriously. Who has the time to write daily gratitudes, journal entries, prayers, memories, words of the day, letters to the future, letters to their future husband, professional development training notes, grocery lists, blog articles, AND fun writing?

I’ve learned to pick and choose my priorities (prayers, letters, and grocery lists), and for the longest time, I’d stopped writing during my quiet time with God. In an effort to better track my spiritual growth, and at the recommendation of Don Whitney in his book “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life,” I picked it back up.

This practice has been incredibly impactful. For starters, it keeps me awake! I’m a morning person, but if I didn’t get high quality sleep and try to roll out of bed at 6 a.m. to read my Bible, my mind and body are going to fight it with vigor. I find that writing helps me wake up and it helps my mind to capture what I’m learning. I typically start by thanking God for whatever joys come to mind, then I track my little spiritual quadrant diagram (more on that coming soon). After I read my Scripture for the morning, I journal on how it applies to my life and what it reveals to me about who God is. That’s it. Pretty basic, right? But it makes a huge difference. I can see what I’m learning, how I’m growing, and where I’m struggling. I praise God for the prodding of His spirit to re-start this habit. Sometimes I miss a day and sometimes I only write a few lines, but Spiritual growth is happening and it’s exciting to see it.

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God designed seasons as a natural rhythm of life. They offer us an opportunity to reflect and readjust our lives. I’d love to know what you’ve learned this summer or maybe what your hopes are for this fall. Let me know below!

Love,

Hannah