Things I Learned This Month | June 2018

June is ending, which means we're halfway through 2018! (Crazy.) As per usual, today I'm sharing a list of some of the things I learned this month.

1. I learned how to use real ink in my fountain pen! I've had the pen for just over a year now - it was a graduation present - and I've been using disposable ink cartridges. Earlier this month a friend of a friend came to visit. It turns out she loves fountain pens, and we talked shop for a bit. A few weeks later a package arrived in the mail - a bottle of Majestic Blue ink and a converter so I can use it. I'm still blown away by the thoughtfulness of the gift and excited to be progressing further into the world of fountain pens.

2. Uganda is made up of 54 tribes and 40 languages. A Ugandan woman who goes to my parents' church told us about her homeland during a church picnic. I was flabbergasted by the vast range of cultures encompassed in this one country.

3. Captain Cook's goal was to discover a vast continent that people were convinced existed in the Pacific. It is amazing to me that even in the late 1700s we still didn't know what was out there.

4. 2 c heavy cream + 1 can sweetened condensed milk + toppings of choice = no-churn homemade ice cream. Guys. This stuff is amazing. I made one batch of rocky road and one batch of cinnamon, and it tasted better than store-bought ice cream. You whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks, then drizzle in the condensed milk with the mixer on low, then fold in the toppings. Stick it in a loaf pan and freeze for 5-6 hours and hey presto! deliciously creamy ice cream. I want to try infusing the cream with Earl Grey the next time I experiment.

5. Yogurt is a terrific substitute for oil in homemade brownies. What do you do when you have a craving for brownies and no oil in the house? The internet told me to use yogurt, so I gave it a go. Result: the fudgiest, yummiest brownies I've ever made.

6. Germany is the fourth defending champion to be eliminated from the Group Stage at the World Cup in the last five tournaments. Germany is going home from the World Cup without progressing for the first time in World Cup history. My mind is kind of blown - and not in a good way. I honestly can't imagine a World Cup without Germany.

7. I've been wasting my money on face cleansers. When we went to London early this month, I forgot about the low liquid allowance for carryon baggage, and I therefore had to toss my face wash and face moisturizer. Rather than using extremely harsh hotel soap, I just washed my face with warm water and a washcloth. My skin was so happy with this setup that I've been doing it all month. It actually improved! No more purchasing fancy facial cleansers for me!

8. Protestants and Roman Catholics speak the same language, but we have different dialects. I heard this on a podcast recently, and I love this way of articulating the truth that we share the same faith in spite of significant doctrinal differences.

9. There's an important difference between comfort and encouragement. Last month I mentioned how informative and cathartic it's been to read Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds. There's a lot of good stuff in there, and one thing that stood out to me is a distinction they made between comfort and encouragement.

"Comfort doesn’t change the situation itself, nor can it take away the pain, but it relays the message that someone cares and understands. Comfort validates grief and gives permission for the grieving process, or mourning, to take place. For example, when a person walks up to a widow standing by her husband’s casket and puts an arm around her shoulder, that gesture, with or without words, is comforting. It can’t bring the husband back to life or stop the tears or the pain, but it lets the widow know her grief is accepted and understood. She’s not alone in her sorrow. . . .Unfortunately, in our very efforts to help another person “feel better,” it’s easy to confuse comfort with encouragement and end up giving neither. Encouragement is an attempt to change the griever’s perspective. It may be a reminder to look at the bright side of a situation instead of the loss or to think about a past success and presume this present situation will turn out just as well. Obviously there’s a time for both comfort and encouragement, but what happens when the two are confused? If the grieving widow is told that it’s a good thing at least her husband had a substantial life insurance policy, how does she feel? Neither comforted nor encouraged! . . .When encouragement is given before comfort, the subtle or not so subtle message is, “Buck up, you shouldn’t feel so low.” It becomes a shame message rather than an encouragement. In fact, offering encouragement—no matter how well meant—when comfort is needed is another common way that permission to grieve is taken away."