Waving farewell to another month, I rejoice in a glance back at my May Mercies joining Heather Gerwing as she hosts a monthly feature called, Share Four Somethings, where writers share the fourth Saturday of each month something in each of four categories from the previous month.
My regular readers often notice I choose a “theme” for my Share Four Somethings post. Last month was a fun theme with April Adagio; be sure to check my reason for choosing that theme! This month I chose “mercies”, because I felt God’s new mercies throughout the month.
Each month the four categories remain the same: something loved, something gleaned, something braved (or saved), and something achieved.
The premise delights me; the new categories falling right in line with my one word 2022 journey with Resilience! Looking back over the previous month through these four categories helps me linger with God’s goodness, and ignites my gratitude.
something loved
My May Mercies: Share Four Somethings starts off with not only something I loved, but with a reminder of others’ love for me. Mother’s Day often brings bittersweet memories for me, but God’s mercy moved me to reflect in a unique way upon the grief normally present.
As a result, I experienced a freedom which enabled me to experience joy once again as I spent the day with my youngest daughter and granddaughter Grace.
She and my former daughter-in-law Mia, gifted me a most extraordinary collection from One Good Woman, a specialty coffee, fine food and gift shop in Camp Hill, Pa. They offer custom gift baskets, and the girls put together a beautiful gift box for me!
Full of everything I love, plus a few surprises, they demonstrated their love for me in such an unexpected and lavish gift!
Filled with Italian coffee-custom ground for my electric perculator, special blends of Italian olive oil and herbs, an exquisite peach vinegar, lavender and mint hand soap, honey and lavender lotion, a custom lavender tea blend, swedish wash cloth, whimsical note pad, with the saying “You Are Loved”, a special mug and gorgeous purple slippers!
Of course anyone would be blessed by this gift, but the attention to detail which included the Italian things I love, and my penchant for all things lavender and purple, filled my heart with the love these girls hold for me. I have not received such a lavish and personal gift for many years.
God’s mercy on a day normally filled with sadness brought incredible healing to my heart.
but wait! there’s something else!
As God’s mercies overflowed this month for me, I have TWO Somethings Loved! If you follow me on Instagram you already know about my other treasure.
As part of my hospice agency’s care for its employees we often have therapy animals in the form of puppies, dogs and cats visit us regularly. But this month we had an incredible treat!
Baby Kangaroos!!!
I not only had the opportunity of seeing two precious female kangaroos, but one, even attempted to give me a kiss! Meet Lady, an eleven-month old baby kangaroo who brought her six month old friend, Abby along to share moments of love and smiles!
Truly an incredible experience of seeing God’s creation in a personal and unique way!
something gleaned
Something gleaned this month comes from Karl Clauson’s “The 7 Resolutions: Where Self-Help Ends and God’s Power Begins.”
This book addresses the fallacy of self-help for Christians, reminding them of the truth of the gospel and that lasting change only happens through the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.
The book’s premise intrigued me, because we all have areas of defeat in our personal and spiritual lives. Areas where, no matter how much effort we exercise we still feel “stuck”. While attractive, self-help books present a threat to Christians, leading them to believe the lie that “bootstrapping” their way to holiness is the only way out of their sin.
After debunking the “resolution” myth, Clauson encourages his readers to pursue in the power of the Holy Spirit the following seven resolutions:
- Join God
- Think Truth
- Kill Sin
- Choose Friends
- Take Risks
- Focus Effort
- Redeem Time
Through personal illustrations – from competing in the Iditarod in his native Alaska as a teenager, to dealing and abusing cocaine, failing in his marriage and everything in between, Clauson invites you into Christ-centered transformation.
My favorite chapter was “Kill Sin”, where Clauson aptly starts the chapter with the quote from John Owen: “be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”
Radical change involves radical measures, and Clauson uses a “no holds barred” approach to killing sin, which is not for the faint of heart. But it works.
Each chapter ends with a concrete plan for implementing each resolution. This book is not a once and done read, nor is it meant to sit on a shelf. Clauson’s book propels you to take action through commitment to dependency on the Triune God, fully embracing gospel truth.
something braved
A new category starting in January 2022, Something Braved gives opportunity for reflecting on the hard places we often walk or times we step out of our comfort zone.
God’s mercies took me out of my comfort zone this month into a place of pursuing a passion for educating others on the importance of cultural diversity.
A volunteer member of my hospice agency’s Diversity Committee, we work to create, nurture, and sustain a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion are respected and intentionally valued by implementing thoughtful practices and innovative strategies to ensure that all individuals are valued and respected.
This applies not only to those working for the agency, but the patient population for whom we care. The committee has worked hard to implement training for new employees, especially those who work in the field.
This month marked the first session for me to teach an educational module on Cultural Awareness. While teaching is not outside my comfort zone, going deep and engaging on a difficult topic is never easy.
Receiving wonderful feedback and engagement supplied yet another reminder of God’s mercies at work in my life.
something achieved
Rounding out my May Mercies: Share Four Somethings, is another new category, dedicated to things achieved. For goal setting geeks, this category offers an opportunity to shine. But even if goal setting makes you squeamish, right here is the place for celebrating even baby steps towards getting things done.
This month finally offered me some free time and luxurious weather for getting my porch planters refurbished for spring and summer enjoyment.
Ever a fan of geraniums, I found some beauties at the local nursery store, as well as some gorgeous, dark purple sweet potato vine, alyssium and a few miniature petunias. Our hospice agency gifted me with two beautiful new guinea impatiens to round out the planter options for this year!
A magnificent time of relaxation organizing all of my planters, it also gave me a huge sense of accomplishment to see them happily adorning my porches each day I arrive home! I’m sharing two of my favorites with you today!
May Mercies: Share four somethings
Thank you for taking a leisurely walk back through my May Mercies with me! I am grateful to Heather for creating such a creative way to review the moments of our days which often slip by so quickly. Sharing Four Somethings is a way to savor one more time those things we loved, gleaned, braved and achieved!
But you don’t have to be a writer or blogger to enjoy this practice. Why not take a few moments and think back over YOUR May Mercies and share four somethings with me in the comments! Meet me back here at the end of June for more joyful somethings!
Baby Kangaroos!!! And what a precious Mother’s Day gift.
The baby kangaroos were super fun Heather!
Hi Donna,
Thank you for sharing your “Four Somethings”. The quote you shared from Karl Clauson is stunning and your gift box is lovely.
Blessings,
Tammy
Thank you, Tammy for taking the time to read my post! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Donna, I just love the baby kangaroos! My granddaughter would have loved to be right there with you as she just said on Monday she wants a joey for a pet 🙂 And your planters are beautiful!
Joanne, the kangaroos were such a blessing! They do travel to schools and day care’s in our area, I can only imagine the children’s delight in meeting them! A pet!, I think that would be fun and frightening at the same time! the babies like to snuggle, the adults, not so much!
Donna, what a wonderful post! I love the Owen’s quote and I’m adding the book to my reading list. And what a precious gift from your daughter and daughter-in-law. What a sweet blessing! And by the way, your flowers are beautiful.
Donna, Owen’s quote is a favorite of mine too, I have seen it elsewhere. The book is a good, solid gospel-centered read, hope you enjoy it!
So glad you had a nice Mother’s Day! I love the plants. I am not great with houseplants, but the ones in planters outside seem to fare well. Kangaroos! What a treat! Good job on stepping out of your comfort zone.
Thank you Barb for reading my post. I love plants too, and really I am hit or miss. Some do well and others not so much. I think I “love” them too much, most plants do well with less fuss! The kangaroos were a real treat, and stepping out of my comfort zone always keeps me humble!
Donna, such precious May Mercies, May memories! I am totally delighted with baby kangaroos visiting the hospice patients. Incredibly unique ‘therapy’ for the patients and the staff! I love that!
Your website looks so beautiful, all decked, literally decked on all sides, with purple and green. Spring has really sprung in your neighborhood!
Thank you Linda, for reading about my May Mercies! The kangaroos were a big hit! We often have animals come in, and the patients truly love them, not many had been up close with a baby kangaroo though! Thank you for your kind words about my website, purple and green are my favorite colors, I find them so soothing and refreshing!
Your flower pots look great. Also, those kangaroos (all the heart eyes!)…
Thank you, Megan-those kangaroos made my heart melt for sure!
Hi, Donna, I enjoyed your Four Somethings. May has been an interesting month for me and I am grateful for God’s mercies this month. I love your plants and flowers. I live in an apartment and so my “garden” has to be in pots. I’ve got a bit of a brown thumb and plants fear me but I did invest in a geranium plant this past week. We’ll see how that goes!
Melanie, thank you for reading my May Mercies! I rejoice you were likewise able to embrace God’s mercies this month. I love my potted plants, I seem to do fairly well with my houseplants too, my biggest problem is I fuss over them too much! Geraniums are fairly forgiving-they seem to do well no matter what-except of you over water, but I mean REALLY over water. Also break off the stems with the spent blooms and they will bloom even more!
Looks like a great month! The baby kangaroos are so cute!
Thank you, Cindy for reading! The kangaroos were a true delight!!
Such a lovely month! Your gift basket was such a sweet gift. I love how personalized it was…but meeting baby kangaroos?! Now, that really is a treat! Does someone have those kangaroos as pets?? What would you do with a baby kangaroo (other than taking it for visits, of course)!?:) And, I do love geraniums! I think they are my favorite flower – but they are not my husband’s. Sigh. He really loves petunias – which are not my favorite. Oh boy:) Hope you have another beautiful month ahead!
Thank you Jennifer for taking time to read about my month! My gift basket continues to bless me with love and those baby kangaroos were precious! A local co-op keeps them, usually two at a time and takes them to schools, nursing homes and places like ours. Once they get bigger thy donate them to zoos-THAT makes me sad, but I guess there is no other choice.
So funny, my husband is not a fan of geraniums either, must be a “man” thing!
I like that you pick a theme for the month, it makes your “four somethings” flow smoothly.
Me too, Barb, I guess I’m just geeky that way!
Petting baby kangaroos up close? How fun! Your flower arrangements are beautiful! What a great way to kickoff the summer.
Beth, I can tell you it was a very unique experience and a true mercy to get up close and personal with one of God’s creatures! I love arranging my flower pots on the porch and deck-they bring me such joy!!
What a wonderful Mother’s Day gift – so thoughtful and perfectly suited to you. I’m glad you felt so loved. And by the kangaroo too! What fun! The book looks like a really valuable one I may need to look for.
Thank you Kym for stopping by! I did feel so loved on Mother’s Day, and so enjoyed the kangaroos, what a blessing!
By the look of that hamper and the baby kangaroo, you were loved yourself!
The 7 Resolutions looks interesting (thought you only list six 🤓). I understand the danger of the “self-help” attitude, but I’m also wary of an attitude like “God will see to everything so I will just let things happen”.
Beautiful plantings — you have green fingers!
David, thank you for reading my May Mercies post! Isn’t it amazing how we can feel loved by God’s creatures?
Thank you for commenting on the book and that only SIX resolutions were listed!! You were right, I forgot to hit the return key when typing “Focus Effort” as “Redeem Time” was the seventh! I fixed it now. Thank you!!! I couldn’t agree more about an attitude of “letting go and letting God”, we are told to work out our own salvation-we do have a part in the work of sanctification.
I’m so glad to hear you had such a loving and special Mother’s Day, Donna! And you’ll bask in their thoughtfulness and love each time you use their gifts. Thanks for the book recommendation! I’m sure an excellent mentor and teacher to the new staff onboarding at work. Your planters look lovely!
Lisa, Mother’s Day was such a mercy this year, I am so thankful for this precious gift which wrapped me in love then and continues to wrap me in love! Hope you enjoy the book, I found it very practical!
What a thoughtful gift for Mother’s Day. And it will bring you joy for many months ahead! The book sounds intriguing. I’m going to look for it in my library. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn, thank you for reading my May Mercies! I truly feel blessed by my Mother’s Day gift and indeed will enjoy it so much in the coming days, I suppose that’s the beauty of such a gift! I hope you enjoy the book, I found it very practical!
Wonderful Four Somethings, as always! I love that the incredibly thoughtful gift you received for Mother’s Day helped overcome the sad feelings the day usually brings. Also love the idea of therapy baby kangaroos—who would have thought! And I think I need you to come to Kansas and help me design some planters. 🙂
Thank you, Sweet Lois for your kind words! I am still savoring the kindness of the Mother’s Day gift in so many ways. The baby kangaroos did bring such oy to our team, such an unusual experience! I would love to come to Kansas and design planters! Actually it’s kind of hit and miss, but I try to mix colors I like with textures & unusual foliage.