We’re in the final stretch of summer here, and I’ve meant to put up a “What I Learned” post all summer. It wasn’t for lack of learning, but it was for lack of sitting down and writing that post.
So, basically these “What I Learned” posts are a big smushed up pile of random things I’ve read, heard, listened to, or thought about that I want to pass along to you. You can read my last one from May.
I want you to Fall Free with Shannan Martin.
I’ve been on a couple of book launch teams this summer, and the book I’m finishing up right now that I can’t wait to share is Shannan Martin’s book Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted. I read the bulk of the book while on a long road trip, and it’s not often that I cry while reading, but I went through my fair share of tissues reading Shannan’s story. I imagine if you took some of the concepts from David Platt’s book Radical and watched them play out in one family’s life, then you’d have this beautiful, intentional, honest book of Shannan’s. (I actually have no idea if Shannan ever even read Radical. But I had the same pressing, compelling feelings of living intentionally where you are for the gospel when I read Falling Free that I had when I read Radical. Very different books, but a similar goal.)
Shannan and her husband uprooted their lives, leaving their dream farm and idyllic, sequestered life in the country and replanted themselves in a poor part of the city. They welcomed children into their home forever and for seasons. They sought to become good neighbors and to serve Christ by serving the least of these around them. Shannan steps on all our toes when she addresses entitlement and handling our money. She can address it well because she started with herself.
I have loved reading this book, and by “loved” I mean it has been painful in a good way. You’ll love her writing style, and when you get to Robert’s story, make sure the tissue box is close by. Shannan’s book releases on September 20th, but you can pre-order it now. You can also find Shannan on her personal blog. If you pre-order the book, you get lots free goodies delivered to your inbox. I’ve got the pre-release PDF version of the book for being a launch team member, but I still pre-ordered my own hard copy, so you see I mean what I’m saying about this book.
I can listen to Hillary Scott’s song “Thy Will Be Done” on repeat for weeks at a time. Also, Dustin Kensrue.
I referenced this song in my post “Thy Will be Done: a Reflection on the Hardest Year of my Life,” and I’m still listening to it on repeat. Hillary is the female voice of Lady Antebellum. If you don’t know who that is, that’s okay, but if that’s true of you I’m guessing you don’t live near Nashville. The story behind the song is that Hillary had a miscarriage, and in the lyrics you can hear her struggle with needing to know that God was with her in her pain. Musically it’s a beautiful song, too. I may or may not be listening to it while I draft this post. You can listen here.
On an unrelated music note, I always feel like Dustin Kensrue’s song “Of Crows and Crowns” is one of the best-kept secrets in life, and I feel like I’m serving people with my whole heart when I share this song. If you’ve been married long enough to watch your spouse grow a little older, then this song is for you. The piano on this song = me swooning even though I’ve heard it about a thousand times. Look, I’m even going to embed it here for you so you don’t have to click out to listen.
Taking a baby to the beach is an adventure.
I’ve never taken a baby to the beach before. I probably never will again. We had a wonderful–albeit exhausting–trip to the beach with our kids and some extended family last month. Taking a small child to the beach is something I would have been better at if I were younger.
I wrote a humorous essay about the ordeal (yeah, ordeal might be a more appropriate word than adventure), and it’s coming out at Tribe Magazine on September 6. Stay tuned for links to that article when it comes out.
I am slightly addicted to Instagram Stories.
When Instagram rolled out its new Stories feature, people quickly began comparing it to Snapchat and it seems like some people had strong feelings about whether or not it was necessary. Maybe it’s because I’ve never used Snapchat, but I love the Stories feature. People are funny, and I think personality comes through on short videos way better than one picture. I didn’t really need another thing to help me waste time, but I confess I enjoy it a little too much. You can follow me @glennadmarshall.
Moving on…
Packing up the baby bottles is bittersweet.
We’re straddling the line between babyhood and toddlerhood over here, and I’m struggling with conflicting feelings. Of course we can’t know the future, but our family feels complete and it’s both liberating and unsettling to think that I’m done with bottle feedings.
My youngest is a big, huge fan of the sippy cup and prefers to drink his milk by himself, thankyouverymuch. I can still get him to sit with me sometimes while he enjoys his milk, but still. He’s been walking running for over two months now, and it feels like we’ve long left infancy for the greener grass of independence. I watch my eight-year-old and the ways he is stepping into his personality more fully, and I know better than I have before that raising kids is a brief season, a breath, a rustle of wind that dies down before you realize it’s gone. I remember long, quiet years of wondering if I would ever be a mom. Here I sit with a new third grader and a toddler, and I wonder if I’m soaking it in enough.
This summer’s Olympics have reduced me to tears.
Simone Biles. Aly Raisman. Simone Manuel.
What do these women have in common? Besides medaling as they certainly deserved to, they have each reduced me to a sniffling, puddle of tears on my couch. I’m not sporty, so you see–this is meaningful.
One of my writer friends, Lucretia Berry, shared her personal reaction to Simone Manuel’s historic gold medal win (her medal ceremony–so weighty!). Here’s a snippet of her beautiful post:
When Simone Manuel won, I felt the weight of that—the history of stolen lives, the burden of correcting false beliefs, that childhood memory of watching white families get out of the resort pool when my black family got in, the ‘I can swim’ defense along with the emotional and psychological trauma, pain, strength, patience, embarrassment , awkwardness, and empowerment that come with it—LIFT AND BECOME A TRILLION TONS LIGHTER. I sensed a billion eyes opening and minds being set free. I heard the snap of shackles breaking!
When Simone Manuel won, EVERYONE WON!
We’re diving into new routines next week as school starts (which brings a little much-needed structure to our life). I hope your transition from summer to fall is an easy one, friends.
You can find more great “What I Learned this Summer” posts at Emily P. Freeman’s link up.
Glenna Marshall is married to her pastor, William, and lives in rural Southeast Missouri where she tries and fails to keep up with her two energetic sons. She is the author of The Promise is His Presence (P&R) and Everyday Faithfulness (Crossway), and Memorizing Scripture (Moody). Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.