Bekah's Best Finds (#4)

January 2025

a still from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, provided by Studio Ghibli

Well, my friends, we’ve officially made it to the end of the first month of 2025. Congratulations on making it this far! I hope things have been going well for you. If this month was more rough for you, I pray that great things will happen to you in February. I’m continuing these posts from last year but with a few changes. Here are the lovely things I found in the month of January!

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Entertainment 📺

• Lately, I’ve been putting on movies in the background when I write or crochet. Actually, as I’m writing this, I’m watching The Boy and the Heron. Interestingly enough, I’ve watched this specific Ghibli movie only once. It’s a little bit of an odd movie on first watch, but I find that diving into the backstory of the movie and the different things that influenced movies to be truly fascinating. I watched this video today that explains the movie and everything involved and it deepens my appreciation for the movies I watch.

• I’ve written a post here about my thoughts on the movie, and I’d love to write more about Ghibli in the future! I truly do recommend this movie! The soundtrack is gorgeous, but this comes as no surprise.

Books and Reading 📖

• One of the goals that I’ve created for this year is to read 75 books. Even if I don’t make it to 75 by the end of the year, I want to make an effort to read more and enjoy what I’m reading!

• This month’s highlight is something I consider a half-book. Because manga consists of panels and not as many words per page, each one I finish counts as a half-book. Here’s this month’s pick!

• Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End is a fantasy manga and anime series about an elf by the name of Freiren. The story begins at the end of her journey with a group of adventures consisting of a priest named Heiter, a dwarf named Eisen, and a human named Himmel.

• Freiren remained aloof and withdrawn during the adventure, making memories with her friends but never working to get to know them. She lives significantly longer than any other race, and so when the mortality of her friends confronts her, she realizes just how much she missed out on in each of their lives. Because of this, Freiren decides to travel across the lands, honoring her friends’ memories. The series follows her travels and the memories of her friends from the past and the friends she makes along the way.

• The series is a slow, cozy read at times that ramps up into some awesome fights and magic systems. I love seeing Freiren seek to remember that her view of time is different than those around her. Because of this, she works to make time for those in her life. I’m excited to see how the rest of the series goes!

Hobbies 🧶🪡

• I crocheted a bunch of things this month — mainly dinosaurs, which you all have heard plenty about. This style of crocheting is called amigurumi, and interestingly enough, the art form started in Japan! After World War II and all that the country had been through and done, the women of the era began to turn to cute things, promoting “kawaii” (かわいい) culture. Hello Kitty was created during this time, and women and girls worked to crochet and knit little dolls and stuffed animals that were cutesy in nature. The phenomenon spread worldwide, resulting in thousands of patterns featuring cute items.

• I never had the patience for amigurumi when I was growing up. I loved to crochet scarves and blankets when I was in middle school and high school, but having to constantly count my stitches for these stuffies seemed like torture to me. My friend and her husband were so kind to buy me a kit as a Christmas present, and I’ve moved more to crocheting little stuffies ever since! This kit can be found on Amazon! The instructions come with videos for those who are new to crocheting.

  

Scripture 🌄

• Another one of the goals that I made for myself is to read the Bible through in a year. I didn’t do that last year, and I missed feeling the satisfaction of knowing that I worked through the Bible. While I don’t want to turn it into a check box that needs to be ticked off, I want to make the habit of reading the Bible daily.

• I’m following a reading plan that reads a little from the Old Testament, a little from the New Testament, and a little from the Psalms or Proverbs. I have loved reading the Psalms each day. Once you get to Psalm 20 and beyond, the Psalmist declares the glory of God and praises Him for who He is. It’s been the best start to the day, as I feel like that God-given confidence gives me the ability to greet whatever comes from the day with grace.

“The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble;
The name of the God of Jacob defend thee;”
- Psalm 20:1

Quote of the Month 🖋️

• “Knowing multiple languages enriches our internal capacities.” — Noam Chomsky

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Thanks for reading about my best finds in January! Have you discovered anything in the past month that you’ve enjoyed? Let me know about it!

Have a wonderful day, my friends!