Author Archives: Amanda Manney

About Amanda Manney

Hi friend, thanks for stopping by! I'm Amanda. I am a pastor's wife and a homeschooling mom who has a passion to encourage women to faithfully step every day into what God has for them.

Places of Peace

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When was the last time you went to a place simply to find peace? When was the last time you got away from the chaos of every day life and took the time and space to just breathe and find some rest for your soul?

Biblical Examples

I believe God uses places in our lives for times of rest and renewal. Look at these examples from the Bible.

Jesus went to a mountain.

Elijah was hidden away in a ravine.

Moses was sent to a desert.

David turned to the hills.

Paul spent three years in the desert.

Jacob was out under the stars when God gave him a vision.

In each of these cases, God prepared a place for his people to stop, rest, and take a moment away. It’s funny to note how each of these places of healing and peace are so vastly different. From a desert to a ravine to a night under the stars, God used these places to help heal his people. And often, he used it as a time to prepare them for what was coming next.

For Elijah, it came before his showdown with the prophets of Baal. Moses spent forty years in the desert before God used him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Paul spent time in the desert before his ministry really got going. God often uses these times of obscurity before he moves us into the next phase of what he has for us.

Sometimes, though, these places were a continual source of peace. Jesus often got up early and went out to a mountaintop to pray and receive strength for the ministry ahead. David would turn frequently “to the hills” or to creation to find peace and solitude.

A Change of Place

There is something about a change of place that can change our thinking. It can encourage us, give us motivation to keep going. Often, it can give us inspiration to think through something new—a new concept, a new dream. It’s a time when we’re open to change. Our minds are not quite as full, and God can use that time to show us something new.

I can look back so many times in our lives when God used a place to find rest and peace and strength for the journey ahead. It’s been in these places of peace that God has often showed us the next step. Maybe it’s as simple as a change of schedule we need to make or a new ministry to start. Other times, it’s been something much bigger—a move, a change of direction, a new stage of life.

When we are so busy with every-day life, it’s pretty hard to pull out and look at your life. It’s hard to see what God would have you do differently or change. It’s when we go to these places of peace that we can find rest and the time to be able to mentally process what God is doing, how he’s working.

Places of Peace

There are so many places of peace. Here are some of the places God has used in our lives over the years. Some of them seem so simple or even slightly ridiculous. Yet, God has used each of these places and spaces to work in our lives. It’s a twenty-five hour car ride across the country in which God has shown us that it’s time to move. It’s a quiet coffee house, sitting across from each other that we dream and talk about what we believe God wants us to do next.

a coffee shop
a lake
a hotel room
a rental house
a book store
a car ride
a sunset
an early morning at the beach
a walk on a trail through the woods
a nice restaurant

Sometimes, it’s been a simple coffee shop. Other times, it’s been a few days in a private room in the middle of Amish country. In each of these cases, God has prepared a place for us to get away, find rest, and find renewal.

Coffeeshop in Lancaster

There’s a coffee shop in Amish country here in Pennsylvania that is a place of peace for us. It’s a bright, sunny, wide-open space with exposed wood beams, a fireplace, and beautiful hand-crafted tables. There’s always quiet music playing, and there’s sort of a reverent hush in the shop. They also sell gluten free scones and have amazing coffee, so it’s pretty much a win-win for us. But it’s in this coffee shop that we often take journals and sometimes our Bibles. We sit in the quiet with a good coffee and the sun warming us through the large windowpanes and talk and dream about what God has next.

The Beach

Another place for us is the beach. We rent a house near the beach once a year with Matt’s family. Every morning, Matt and I get up early and walk over to the beach to see the sunrise. Every morning. Why? Because that’s a place where we feel peace; we feel God’s presence. We don’t usually talk while we watch the sun come up; it’s this experience of awe and amazement as you watch the sky change with the colors of predawn that all culminate in that moment the sun breaks through the horizon.

After that, we often take a long walk to a coffee shop to grab a coffee and continue the walk back to the house. We use that time to connect, to talk about how things are going, to talk about what’s next.

Time Away

When was the last time you found a place of peace? A place to get away, to take a break from everything you’re used to, and to find a new place. It’s often in a new place that God shakes us up and shows us something we’ve been searching for.

If you feel like your life is confusing right now; if you can’t make sense of life…maybe it’s time for a change of place just for a little bit. It doesn’t mean you have to move right now, although God could be pushing you in that direction. Often, we get too busy in the pressure of every day life—our jobs, housework, the kids, church and ministry, taxes, bills, endless meal planning, laundry, co-workers, neighbors…On and on the list goes. It’s not until we get away from it all in a quiet place that God can get ahold of us and really begin to show us what he has in store for us.

Where are your places of peace?

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post Our Colorado Trip and the Ark Encounter to read about what this looks like in real time.

Freedom from the Shame that Says I’m Not Enough

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Struggling with Shame

I am convinced that there is one thing that keeps us back from accomplishing what God wants us to do with our lives, more than anything else. This one thing has stopped people from dreaming, from fulfilling God’s plan for their lives, from doing something great with God. What is it? SHAME.

I think that we, as women, struggle with shame so much. We get to the point that we don’t even realize how much it weighs us down because we are so used to carrying it around. It simply becomes part of our every day load. Yet, God never intended for us to carry around guilt all the time. That is totally on us.

God’s Forgiveness

When God chose to forgive us, he did so not because we deserved it. He forgave us because of His mercy and kindness and love. He gave us new life through His spirit.

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
Titus 3:4-7 NLT

So why do we choose to live in the guilt and shame of our past and sometimes present mistakes. Why do we convince ourselves that we aren’t enough? Why do we live in the shame and guilt of not enough?

I’m not doing enough.

I’m not a good enough mom.

I am not trying hard enough.

My kids deserve better.

My spouse deserves better.

I will never be more than this.

Flip the Script

We let our shame define us and define who we are, instead of letting God define who we are. We have to flip the script and personalize God’s truth.

I am a child of the most High God.

God created me perfectly and wonderfully.

God has adopted me, making me his family.

God loves me with unfailing love.

His mercy is fresh and available every single morning.

We have to change our thinking. We can’t allow negative thoughts to just swirl around in our heads all day long. Instead, we need to replace those negative thoughts of shame with truth. Paul explains that it’s like taking each thought captive.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
II Corinthians 10:5 NLT

When you feel those feelings of shame and not enough begin to creep up, choose to replace them with truth. Often those feelings come late at night, when everybody’s in bed, and it’s hard to sleep. That’s when we need to have a thought or a verse ready to think about.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my husband’s book, Unmasked: Overcoming the Shame that Says You’re Not Enough. Or check out my post, Offering Grace When I want to Offer Shame.

Jumpstart Your Morning Time Routine

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Morning Time Routine Reboot

We are full-on into this new year. This is a great time to start or re-boot your morning time routine. A morning time routine is simply the words I use to describe the time you set aside every morning to spend with God. For me, this time includes my Bible reading, prayer time, and a few other things.

One of the things I hear over and over again from women is that they know they need to spend time with God each day, and they want to, but they just don’t. It can be hard to get started, but it’s like anything else. Once you commit to it, and develop the habit of it, it gets a whole lot easier. I want to share with you the routine I use every single morning. Use it to give you some ideas; then go out and create your own morning time routine that works for you.

My Morning Time Routine

1.Light a candle

The first thing I do every morning when I come downstairs is to light a candle. It sets the mood for the morning and creates the ambiance I’m looking for—that special feeling/knowing that this is going to be a relaxing, calming time. Some of the best places to get candles for a good price are T.J. Max, Kirkland’s, and Bath and Body Works.

2. Make coffee

The next thing I do is head to the kitchen to make myself an iced coffee with lots of whipped cream. This helps me to wake up fully, and it gives me something to look forward to before I come downstairs. Some of my favorite coffees (k-cups) are Cinnabon, peanut butter, and blueberry.

3. Pick a colored pen

For me, it’s the small things that add up that make my morning time something I look forward to. I have a cup of colored gel pens that sits on my table that I pull from each morning. I also love paper mate colored pens for journaling.

4. Journal

I open my journal and work through the prayer section of my journal. The Faithfully Stepping Journal that I’ve created has a section for gratitude, confession, and requests. I work through each of those. You can do the same thing in a regular notebook or journal. Then I’m ready to go on to the next part of my morning time.

5. Read my Bible or a Devotional

I read my Bible next; you can also read a devotional. We have several 30-Day Devotionals if you need a good devotional. If you don’t know where to start, I usually recomend starting in the book of John or the book of Psalms; or choose a devotional. Some people get tied up on this step. Keep it simple. If you read a devotional, just do the application questions at the end of the devotional for the day. If you are reading the Bible, simply write in your journal what stood out to you or what encouraged you. When you write it down, it will stay with you much longer throughout the day.

6. Read a book

Once I’m done with my Bible reading and prayer time and journaling, I spend at least ten minutes reading a good book. This can be inspirational, Christian, entrepreneurial, etc. Just read something that is going to enhance your life. Matt and I are avid readers and believe reading can help us grow in so many areas of life!

7. To-Do List

Lastly, I spend just a few minute writing down my to do list for the day. This is a simple thing I started doing several years ago that increases my productivity throughout the day so much! I use the spiral notebook system. It’s fast, easy, simple, and cheap. But use whatever works for you!

That’s what I do. Now, take those ideas and create a morning time routine that works for you that you love! Let me know how it goes for you!

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my morning time routine course or read Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning.

3 Steps to Releasing Worry and Fear

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Fear and Worry

Do you find yourself in a place of fear and worry right now? The stress is building, and you can’t seem to find a way out. There are real problems in life, and things that are absolutely out of our control. Sometimes, it builds to an all-time high, and we feel like we’re drowning.

It’s during these times, that we need to find God’s peace. We need his peace to wrap around us like a warm hug, reassuring us and comforting us.

Finding Peace

We all want to find peace; we crave peace. But sometimes it seems impossible to find. There are just too many pressures. Paul understood this. In fact, he gives us a formula in the book of Philippians to use to find peace.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7

Here’s the formula Paul lays out:

Don’t worry about anything.

Pray about everything. Tell God what you need.

Thank Him for all he’s done.

Then…

You will experience his peace, and his peace will guard your heart and mind.

The Protection of Peace

It’s not just that we get God’s peace. It’s that his peace provides protection for our mind and our hearts. Why is it that sometimes we can forget about our deepest pressures? The burdens are so heavy, and yet for a few hours we forget about it. Maybe we have company over; maybe we grab coffee with a friend. In those times, we’re not thinking about our worries because something else has taken the focus of our attention.

That’s how God’s peace works. It creates a buffer around my minds and keeps us from feeling the stress and pressure of whatever it is that’s taking away our peace. I think of a security guard, guarding a priceless heirloom at a museum. Their job is to protect that heirloom at all costs. Nobody’s allowed to touch it, mess with it, or go near it. That’s how God’s peace works. It creates a wall of protection around our mind, keeping us from thinking and stressing about it. He calms us when we get worried and scared, and he helps us to focus on something else instead.

So, if you’re struggling today with worry, fear, frustration, anxiety, and you can’t seem to get any victory, use this formula. Choose not to worry. Talk to God about it; then find something to be thankful for.

A Thousand Times

Then let God’s peace wrap around your heart and mind. Don’t fight against it. Don’t force yourself to keep worrying about it. Just release it and trust that God will get you through today as he’s done a thousand times before.

One of my most favorite new songs right now is A Thousand Times by We are Messengers. If you get a chance, listen to it. It will encourage your heart so richly. I just love the words to this song. These are the words to the chorus.

You can count on that, you know what He’s like
You’ve seen Him do it a thousand times
Yeah, even in the dead of night
There’s never been a mornin’ when the sun don’t rise
He’ll never let go, you know that it’s true
He’s still that good and He’s still got you
You can count on that, you know what He’s like
You’ve seen Him do it a thousand times

Aren’t those words such an encouragement? God’s been faithful before; there’s no doubt that he will be faithful again. So find courage in that today and let his peace wrap around your mind and heart.

For More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out our devotional, He Still Calms Storms or read my post, Peace in the Midst of Life’s Hard.

Snow Day!

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It’s a snowy day here in Pennsylvania, and I’m so glad! This is actually the second snowfall we’ve had this week. But after two years of no snow, I’ll take it. I love these days. I think it’s probably reminiscent of the days of my childhood. Snow days were pretty epic at my house growing up.

Snow Days When I Was Growing Up

First, we would get up early and check the tv to see if school was canceled for the day. That was pretty epic in and of itself. Then we would get all bundled up, and my day would drive us over to our church. You see, at our church, there was this huge hill where our Christian school team would play soccer. To date, it’s still the highest hill I’ve ever seen for sledding. As a kid, it was daunting to walk up that hill. It took a long time to get to the top. But when you finally made it to the top, it was an amazing ride down. People would come from all over the area to sled down that massive hill.

When we were so frozen, we could no longer move, we would head home. My mom would be waiting for us with homemade hot chocolate and fresh chocolate chip cookies. (I had a pretty amazing childhood.)

The Wonder of a Snow Day

I think those memories are why I cherish these days so much, especially since we just don’t get that many of them. There’s just something so magical about waking up to snow coming down outside. I’ve never lost the wonder of a snow day.

Now, as an adult, a snow day is a little different. I don’t get to spend the whole day outside playing in the snow, and I’m quite all right with that. I’d rather stay inside where it’s warm. I get to be the one making the hot chocolate and cookies in the midst of trying to still get my work done for the day.

A good snow day reminds me of fresh starts and renewals and cleansing. I don’t think I can ever look at a fresh snow and not think of the verse in Isaiah.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
Isaiah 1:18 NLT

There’s just nothing like a fresh blanket of snow to remind me of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

The next day you experience a snow day, or even look at a picture of snow, let it be a reminder that God’s grace is new today. His forgiveness is a gift that covers us and makes us white as snow.

Just for Fun

What are some of your favorite snow day pasttimes? If you could take off the whole day, what would you do?

Here are a few of mine:

Make cookies
listen to uplifting, fun music
read a good book (this one is my most favorite!) Need good book suggestions? Try these.
watch a family movie
enjoy an extra cup of coffee
make popcorn

What else would you add to the list? What do we have in common?

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my January/February post, 3 Ways to Turn Discouragement into Hope.

When It All Falls Apart

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We’re a few weeks into January, and for some, life has already gotten crazy. It’s amazing how fast things can change. One minute, it’s a new year, new you…the next you’re struggling to keep going and put one foot in front of the other with school schedule, work load, projects, finances, and more.

When Everything Falls Apart

What do you do when it all comes apart? When it feels like everything is crashing and burning around you? How do you find the strength to get up and keep going?

Maybe it’s not even a huge trial. Maybe it’s discouragement or defeat or even shame. You walked into this new year with dreams and goals, and then life hit. And now, it feels so overwhelming. You feel like a failure. You feel less then, not enough. Discouragement has set up camp in your heart, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere.

As a person who is definitely affected by the season changes and the sun, I can get so easily discouraged in the dark, cold, dreary days of January and February. I know that, and I try my best to prepare for it. But sometimes, it still comes anyway. So what do you do? How do you find perspective? How do you find the ability to take a deep breath?

What’s the Answer?

Stop.

Be still.

Look up.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
Psalm 46:10

It seems too simple. It feels like we have to do more. Try harder. And yet, when it feels like everything is falling apart, the best thing we can do is to be still. Realign ourselves with God. Spend time talking to Him, pouring out your heart before him. And then just sit quietly, in his presence. It’s a lot harder than it seems, but if we can learn to do it, the benefits are incredible.

Peace.

Breathing room for our soul.

An end to anxious thoughts.

Redirection.

New focus.

A Few Songs to Encourage Your Heart

Another way to be still before God is to listen to music that helps us to focus on God. Below are several songs that bring encouragement to my heart, no matter how many times I listen to them.

The advice I give time and time again to people is God hasn’t forgotten you. He sees you. He hears you.

Find a time and a place to just be still this week and reconnect with him and let that be the reset you need to keep moving forward.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, read 3 Ways to Turn Discouragement into Hope. A great book to encourage your heart to dream again and not to get stuck in discouragement is Called to Dream by Rick Warren.

5 Great Products/Ideas to Start Your New Year Right

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I love that God gifts us the gift of new beginnings. New years and new days, fresh starts, a chance to begin again. The beginning of a new year is just like the beginning of a new day—a fresh start, a chance to begin again.

There are different views on the new year. Some people love making goals and resolutions for the year; some people think they’re a waste of time. I am solely on the writing down my dreams and goals for the year side. I love writing down what I want to accomplish for the year with God’s help, and I love looking at that list at the end of the year to see what I was able to accomplish.

No matter which side you fall on, we can all agree that the new year is a great time to push reset.

Some Great Resources for This New Year

If you want to get your year off to a great start, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Daring to Imagine Bible Study.

I finished the end of last year and the first few days of January with this Bible study from youversion. It really encouraged my heart and my creativity. I feel like it’s a great study to kick off the new year. If you want to be encouraged and inspired by what God could do with your life, check out this study. Just download youversion on your phone, if you haven’t already, and look for the plan Daring to Imagine by Rick Warren. You won’t be disappointed; I promise you that!

A Simplified Life.

I read this book by Emily Ley during the last few weeks of last year and loved it! All of Emily Ley books are great, and this one is no exception. I read several of her books last year, but I think this is a great one for a brand new year. It’s all about simplifying your life. She teaches you how to do that by decluttering your home, schedule, calendar, and making time for what’s most important. It’s both really practical with checklists and ideas, and inspirational—which is why I love the book. I think it’s the perfect January book!

Find your word for the year.

My word for the year is more of a phrase. I chose joyful and grateful spirit from Galatians 4. I want my focus this year to be a joyful and grateful spirit, to be joyfully grateful. So many of the problems we have could be taken care of if we simply chose to be grateful for what we’ve been gifted and chose joy. If you haven’t chosen a word for the year, Dayspring has a great quiz you can take. I’ve done that in years past and loved it!

Faithfully Stepping Journal.

If you don’t already journal every day as a part of your morning, I can’t encourage it enough. I use these journals every single morning for my morning time routine. It helps me stay on track every single day with my prayer life and my Bible reading. You don’t have to use these journals, but at least use something to write down what God is teaching you each and every day. It will stay with you much longer; I promise.

A to-do list.

It doesn’t sound like an amazing new year product, but it has the potential to change your life. Commit every day to writing down a list of what you need to accomplish for the day and sticking with it. I recommend using the spiral notebook system if you don’t already have a plan. Even if you don’t accomplish everything on your list for the day, at least it gets you accomplishing something. Very few days do I accomplish everything on my list, but it gives me a direction time and time again throughout the day.

These are just a few simple ideas to help get us back on track in this new year. What ideas do you have for a brand new year?

3 Things I Will Always Spend Money On

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It’s that time of year. The Christmas decorations are on display, the Christmas music rings out in every store, and shopping is in full progress. It’s one of my favorite times of year. It’s really about the only time of year that I will just let myself spend money. It’s that awesome time of year where you can walk into almost any store and buy something instead of just look because it’s a Christmas present for somebody on your list.

I was thinking the other day as I was shopping that while I love to spend money on gifts this time of year, there are a few things that I will spend money on all year long. These are the things that I come back to over and over again, no matter what time of year it is. And I think these three items will always make for a great Christmas present if you don’t know what else to get.

Candles

I love candles. In fact, candles are my love language. My husband knows not to buy me flowers, but rather, candles. Candles, to me, are what makes a house homey. We buy candles all year round in all shapes, sizes, and formats. In fact, my favorite thing is to have multiple candles burning on my table at one time.

There is nothing better than stepping into a warm home and smelling burning candles. It just feels so homey. It’s a small thing I can do to make our home a place we love.

Some of the best places I’ve found to get candles are Bath and Body, when you combine a sale and a coupon; Yankee Candle (the same—sale and a coupon), Kirkland’s, and TJ Max. The thing I love about shopping at different places is finding unique and different candles. It’s become almost like a hobby, finding the most unique candle.

Blankets

The next thing I will spend money on is a good blanket sale. Just like the candles, I think a blanket or two thrown across a bed or a chair or couch just makes a room so homey. My family loves soft, warm blankets any time of year, but especially at Christmas time. I love using Black Friday and other special shopping times to get blankets at really good prices.

I’ve found great deals on blankets at Kohl’s, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby. Blankets are one of the easiest things to find on sale and make the best presents. I mean think about it, have you ever met a person who doesn’t love a warm, cuddly blanket?

Coffee

The last thing I will spend money on is coffee. We get up really early at our house, and I love good coffee in the morning. We have a great Keurig machine that is my absolute favorite because it brews over ice, and that right there is amazing! Almost every morning, even when it’s freezing, I will brew an iced coffee. Call me crazy, but I love it! It helps me wake up.

Some of my favorite coffees are Cinnabon k-cups, chocolate peanut butter k-cups, and blueberry cobbler coffee. In addition to that, I am an absolute whipped cream fan. I love whipped cream on top of my iced coffee. This year, I found these amazing flavored whipped creams from Target; and they are just taking my coffee to the next level! I’m still trying to track down the salted caramel one and the hot chocolate flavored one!

All three of these things—candles, blankets, and coffee make great Christmas presents. So if you don’t know what to get somebody for Christmas, try one of these!

What things are you always willing to spend money on?

More Encouragement

For more like this, check out my post, My Favorite Things- Christmas Gift Ideas.

10 Tips for Making Friendsgiving Easy

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Tuesday night was our Friendsgiving with our small-turned-large group. We used to be a small group meeting at our house, but it’s grown too much to be able to meet there. So now, we meet at the church on Tuesday nights. This past Tuesday was our Friendsgiving.

*Note: we did a terrible job taking pictures for the night. We only got a few, and none with the entire group.

Growing Our Group

I remember hearing about Friendsgiving for the first time several years ago. Instantly, I knew I wanted to do it; I loved the idea of having Thanksgiving with friends on a different day than the holiday and saving Thanksgiving for family. I loved it so much, I wanted to do it. The problem was, I didn’t have a group to do it with, and I didn’t really know how to start.

Fast forward several years. We hosted over thirty people for our Friendsgiving this week and had such an amazing time together. We laughed hard and had delicious food. It was just a really good time. Tuesday night was the culmination of the last several years.

We didn’t grow that group overnight. It’s taken the last few years to grow our group. We started small, inviting just two couples over to our house every Tuesday night for dinner and a Bible study. Over the years, the group has grown into what it is today. Now, we’re a loud, rowdy bunch.

Starting Your Own Friendsgiving

If you love the idea of Friendsgiving but don’t know how to get started, here’s how to get started in two easy steps.

How to Start Your Own Friendsgiving

Start small. Invite one or two couples or families over to your house for a Thanksgiving meal on a day or night separate from Thanksgiving. (That way you can save Thanksgiving day for family.)
Have each person bring two dishes. I learned this the hard way. I used to make everything myself. It’s so much easier and more fun when everybody brings food. You also get to vary up the food. At our Friendsgiving, we had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, beans and rice, Cajun fried chicken, mac and cheese, green beans, appetizer foods, pumpkin bars, and more.

That’s how to start; then here are a few tips to make it run smoothly. These are just some of the things we’ve learned over the years of hosting Friendsgiving.

10 Tips to Making Friendsgiving Easy and Uncomplicated

Use paper products and plastic silverware and cups so nobody gets stuck washing dishes. I usually get mine every year from either Dollar Tree or Walmart. Then I use my fall decor to decorate the tables, so I don’t have to spend a lot of money.
Add an easy, tangible way to show thankfulness. We printed off “I am thankful for” cards and spread them out on the table with a few pens and markers. Everybody wrote down what they were thankful for, and we just left them on the table to add to the decor. There are tons of free ones online.
Use plastic tablecloths so you can roll everything up and just throw it out.
Have something for the kids to do to keep them busy, so the adults can have a good time too. This year, our youth leader took all the kids for us, which was a huge blessing! Other years, we’ve printed off fun worksheets, bought crafts from Hobby Lobby, and also put a bunch of fun Thanksgiving picture books from the library on the tables for kids to read. Another fun idea is to buy one of those tablecloths that has activities on it that the kids can color and do at the table while they wait for food.
Don’t have a plan other than to eat and fellowship and have a good time. If you get a chance to play a game, go for it. But it’s okay to just sit and relax and fellowship too.
Don’t plan it too close to Thanksgiving Day. I remember one year, we had our Friendsgiving the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. That was a terrible idea. We weren’t hungry at all on Thursday, nor were we in the mood to cook again after we’d cooked all day the day before.
Make it a relaxed affair. Don’t make people feel like they have to dress up. That’s where the paper plates and tablecloths come in. Keep it easy and relaxed. The more formal it is, the more nervous people get. Just keep it relaxed so everyone can have a good time.
Pick easy dishes. Don’t try something you’ve never tried before that has a million steps. You’ll be stressed and nervous and won’t make for a great host. Instead, go for tried and true recipes. Every year, I make mashed potatoes for our group and one of the turkeys. It’s just what we do. I also make these pumpkin bars from Pioneer Woman that are always a hit! For drinks, we always buy Canada Dry Cranberry Ginger Ale. It’s yummy and easy and looks festive.
This year, we made snowballs, chocolate-covered pretzels, and acorns. Actually, my girls made all those. Having fun treats like these are great for kids, and it’s a good way to get your own kids involved. (see the treats below)
Choose to just enjoy the night. I used to get so stressed, trying to make everything perfect, that I didn’t get to enjoy the night. Now, I just go with the flow. Whatever happens happens. Maybe we don’t have stuffing or maybe somebody forgets to bring something. Maybe we don’t have plastic knives for anybody to cut the ham (that happened on Tuesday.) What did we do? We used our forks and sometimes fingers to do the cutting for us. We made it work. It’s all about just enjoying the night.

Do you celebrate Friendsgiving? What works for you? I’d love to hear about it!

More Encouragement

Looking for more ways to make Thanksgiving week special? Check out my post, Thanksgiving Prompts for Each Day Next Week.

5 Ways to Know that Now is the Right Time

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Collecting Leaves

We worked on a leaf collection this week for school. I think it’s probably my favorite project of the year. When I was young, it was my favorite project for school; and I love collecting leaves even more now as an adult. I love wondering through the woods, looking for the most beautiful leaves in reds, golds, yellows, oranges, and all the shades in between.

I sat for a few minutes in the car before I got out at one of our parks. As I sat and watched, the wind blew and leaves began to fall all around the park. It was absolutely beautiful, and it made me think about the process of falling leaves.

Leaves Falling

What I think is amazing is that leaves stay on the trees all throughout spring and summer. During those two seasons, the winds blow, storms come, rain dumps on them, and still they hold on. The leaves don’t fall off the trees. Yet, as soon as winter gets close, the tiniest little breeze can shake the leaves off the trees.

Why do leaves fall so easily this time of year and yet hang on so tightly to their branches even in the midst of terrible storms earlier in the year? It all comes down to one thing.

Timing.

Timing

It’s such a good picture of how God works in our lives. We can try to do things on our own, in our own power, and it just doesn’t work out. God leads us to do something or to take on something, and it doesn’t take off. We get tired, discouraged, and want to give up.

And then there’s the time when things just go forward, and everything comes together. God works in ways you couldn’t dream of, and you sit back and watch him work. What’s the difference between the two?

Timing.

Different Seasons

You might have the right idea, the right plan, and the right people; but it may just not be the right timing. And sometimes we don’t figure that out until it comes together later, and we sit back and see…oh, this is when it was supposed to happen.

So how do you know when it’s the right timing? How do you know if the right timing is now or if you should wait? The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is all about seasons; there’s a right time to do things.

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

God’s Guiding

The only way to know God’s perfect timing is to pray about it, to seek his face and his guidance. I often pray through Proverbs 3:5,6 when I’m trying to get God’s guidance.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5,6 NLT

Here are five ways that’s God’s used in my life over the years to help me know if it’s the right time for something.

5 Ways to that Now is the Right Time

You feel in your heart of hearts like God is leading you to do this now.
Everything you are reading in your morning time routine, is pointing you in this direction.
The sermons you listen to, and the books you read all seem to be saying things that point in this direction.
Your spouse and or other family members are on board and supportive.
God has already started to move on your behalf, even if it’s something small.

If you can relate to these five ways, then it’s time to move forward! Step out in faith and see what God is going to do!

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Knowing When to Wait and When to Move Forward or check out Matt’s book, Momentum.