Happenings of the Month: January 2018

It’s been a pretty full month for me, and I didn’t quite get to all the blog activity I had planned. But I was determined to write my Happenings post. So, here it is.

Entertainment of the Month:

• Movies/TV

The Last Jedi, people. I actually had a full blog post planned to talk about this, but I wasn’t able to get to it. But I did finally get to see the newest Star Wars film this month. And, overall, I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t perfect. I felt it was a little too long and rather rambling in places, but I’m fascinated by the themes that are being explored in this movie. I’d say it’s darker than The Force Awakens but not to the point of Rogue One (which was just too much depressing for me). It also seemed to be charting some more original territory, even while utilizing some of the forms of Empire Strikes Back. Again, not perfect, but I enjoyed it.

• Books

I decided to take part in this 2018 reading challenge that my friend Liv mentioned in one of her posts. Though you don’t necessarily have to go in order, I was already fulfilling the first one, a biography, when I started. So, that’s my first entry for the challenge. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross is the story of Eddie Rickenbacker, a race car driver and WWI ace who was one of America’s first real celebrities.

 I own the hardcover version of this, but I had to link to the paperback cover, because, I mean, look at it. It’s gorgeous!

It’s really a much bigger story than just that, though. It’s about America’s love of speed and the experience of aeroplane warfare in its first arena. It’s about the importance of hard work and the reality of death. Ross tells the story of a child of immigrants who pushed his whole life to come out on top but who never seemed to approach life from any sense of arrogance, who wasn’t necessarily the most likeable man but never asked anything of others that he wouldn’t do himself. I found this biography to be engaging and well-written, giving me a picture of both a man and the world he lived in. I learned a lot about World War I that I had never known before. Definitely recommend.

• Music

I’m loving a lot of songs right now, many of them current singles on Air1.

“Higher” – Unspoken – Last month I shared the song “Miracle” off their latest album, and I almost did it again this month before realizing that I already posted it… I’m kind of in love with that song. This one is equally as amazing, though. It’s all about shouting our praise from the rooftops, regardless of our circumstances, and the beat is so catchy.

Live on Forever – The Afters – This album is so good. Every song gets my feet dancing, but they also affirm some really important truths. I am buying this album shortly, and I am ecstatic about it!

“Get Down” – Finding Favour – Another insanely catchy song, this one is very pointed about one thing – when things get bad, we get on our knees and pray. It’s an encouragement every time I hear this song.

My Life This Month:

I’m solidly back to school now, and I’m already sick of it. I mean, I’m doing a little better now that I’m on top of my assignments. But it’s like a major case of senioritis, except that I’m not a senior yet! So I don’t even have the satisfaction of graduating this semester. I’m trying to keep my eyes on the big picture, but it’s all too easy to get bogged down in the feeling of slogging through school (bog, slog, what’s happening to me???) I’m reminding myself that God has a point in all of this and that I want to be open to the lessons He’s teaching me along the way.

Speaking of lessons, I had a confrontation of sorts with a friend of mine the other day that has really got me thinking. He was criticizing some things about how I seem to approach life, and it really opened my eyes to the fact that I’m far more closed off to people than I realized. I’m still trying to work through it all, but I know that I don’t want to live like this. I want people to see God in me, and that doesn’t work very well when I don’t let them in.

In addition, there are a lot of other emotional currents going on, and I’m starting to feel like I’m drowning. I have got to separate myself from things that are not my problem, something I’ve always struggled with. But it’s not healthy. Empathy is a good thing, but taking on burdens that I shouldn’t be is not. It’s an ongoing lesson that God is teaching me.

On top of everything else, I’m suffering a major case of the January blahs and want winter to be over. That’s a hard one for a lot of people, I know, I haven’t quite figured out how to conquer it, unfortunately.

Other Web Happenings:

How to Create Space and Time for Writing – Go Teen Writers – Go Teen Writers is doing a really great series this year that they’re calling Grow an Author, and it’s all about sharing each of their writing processes in hopes of helping each of us. Which I think is awesome. This particular post is about making time for writing, which is something I definitely struggle with.

Spirituality: A Forgotten Key to Character Development – One Year Adventure Novel

---

So, there you have it. How has January been for you? Watch/read anything interesting? Want me to post more about The Last Jedi? Let me know in the comments!