Category Archives: Personal Growth

My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time

My Morning Time Basket

We want to, but…

Most of us want to have a morning time for prayer and Bible reading every day. We really do! We decide that we are going to do better, get up earlier, stick with it this time; but more often than not, we fail. It’s not that we don’t want to, but life happens. We’re tired, one of the kids gets sick during the night, the morning is crazy prepping for school for the day, and on and on the list goes. We know that our day goes better when we start it by spending quiet time with God, but fitting in the time is a different story!

The best way to do something consistently is to make it easy and enjoyable. I am all about simplifying! So I am sharing with you what works for me. It’s simple, to-the-point, and effective!

My Best Morning Time Tips

1. Get up early.

This one is so painful! I get it! We have a million and one excuses why we can’t get up early. Just know, you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. Do what works for you. All I suggest is that you get up at least half an hour earlier than your kids do. Thirty minutes of quiet time with God with no children around equals bliss!

If your kids wake up at the crack of dawn, and there is no way possible to get up ahead of them, I’ve got you covered. You can make your kids their own basket with a Bible and journal and have them do that quietly while you read your Bible. If they are super little, put a coloring book and crayons in a basket along with a Bible for them. Make it exciting for them. Make it a special time, and I promise they will look forward to it. Learn how to make kids’ morning time baskets here.

2. Light a candle.

This is the first thing I do every morning when I wake up. Lighting a candle adds a level of ambiance and enjoyment to my morning time. My favorite candles are the three-wick candles from Bath and Body Works, but my mom has recently helped me to discover Kirkland’s awesome candles. So right now, I am using those. Some mornings I skip the candle and get my essential oils diffusing. Either one works. I’m simply setting the mood for an enjoyable morning time.

3. Start with a cup of coffee or tea.

It’s such a simple step, but I am so much more awake and in a mood to learn and enjoy my morning time with God if I have a hot drink. So after I light a candle, I head to the kitchen to make coffee. While I am waiting for the coffee to brew, I take a few minutes to unload the dishwasher so it’s open for the day’s dishes.

4. Grab my Morning Time Basket

I love using a morning time basket! This keeps everything I need in one place. I buy a basket that I love. The one I am using now is from Hobby Lobby. (Gotta love Hobby Lobby!) Inside my basket, I keep my Bible, a journal for morning time, pens, notecards, another journal for creative ideas, and books I am currently reading.

5. Use a Journal for an Effective Morning Time

The most important tip for an effective morning time is to use a journal. There is a big difference between just reading your Bible for the day and reading and journaling. When you take the extra step to write down what you learned or what encouraged you, you are taking the extra time to apply what you are reading. It stays with you longer.

I have a journal that I use that Matt and I created several years ago. Eventually, I hope to make those available for sale. For now, you can use any blank journal and use your own system or borrow mine. Here is the system I have used for several years now.

**UPDATE: My Faithfully Stepping Journals are now available on Amazon!! They are a six-month journal, available in three different covers. Click HERE to order one today!

Prayer Time

There are three parts to my prayer time.

Gratitude. I write down at least three things I am thankful for today.
Confession. I write down my sins to confess from the day before. What did I do wrong the day before? Did I yell at my kids, snap at my husband, talk bad about somebody, have an attitude, etc?
Requests. I write down the things I am praying for today.

Bible Reading

Next, in my journal, I write down what passage or passages I read in my Bible. I write down anything I learned or anything that encouraged me. Sometimes I write down a thought that encouraged me; other times I write out a verse that is a help to me.

My Tasks

I have space at the bottom of each journaling page to write down tasks I think of while I am journaling. Maybe it’s a note I need to write somebody. Other times it’s simply something I remembered I need to do and don’t want to forget. This helps me to stay focused. I can write down whatever it is that is distracting me so I don’t forget it, then I can continue with my morning time.

5. Pick a Bible study or a Bible plan to follow.

You can do anything you want for Bible reading each day. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

Read one chapter of Proverbs each day.
Read a chapter from Psalms each day.
Pick a Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and read one chapter a day.
Start in Genesis and read a chapter a day through the entire Bible.
Read about and study a character from the Bible. Here are some good ones.
- Joseph
- Abraham
- Esther
- Ruth
- David
- Solomon
- Moses
- Elijah
- Leah and Rachel
- Joshua
- Paul
- Jesus
- Lydia
- Mary
- Mary and Martha
Read and study a book of the Bible. Here are a few of my favorite books to start with.
- John
- James
- I and II Peter
- Philippians
- Esther
- Ruth
- I John
- I and II Samuel
- Ecclesiastes

Here is what I do each day. I read four chapters a day. First, I start with reading two chapters in Genesis, a chapter in Psalms and a chapter in Matthew. I continue that pattern until I read through the entire Bible. Then I start over again. I don’t get stuck on getting through my Bible in a year. When I finish, I just start over again.

Example:

Day 1: Genesis 1 and 2, Psalm 1, Matthew 1

Day 2: Genesis 3 and 4, Psalm 2, Matthew 2

And so on…

The Contents of My Morning Basket

So there you have it- my best tips for an awesome morning time!

Don’t Give Up on Your Heart’s Desire

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Have you ever really wanted something to happen, and it just won’t? Have you prayed and prayed for God to answer your specific prayer, and you feel that He won’t? Don’t give up! I want to give you a give some encouragement.

Our Dream to Start a Church

When Matt and I got married, we knew we wanted to be church planters. Matt was an intern at a church at the time, but our goal was to leave and start a new church. We figured it would only be about a year and a half. Four and a half years later, we were still working at the same church and the dream of starting a church seemed lost. We still had the desire, but God just wasn’t opening the door. We were so discouraged and hopeless.

Five years! That’s how long it took. It took five years for God to open the door for us to be able to leave that church and start a church in the greater Philadelphia area. We didn’t think it would ever happen, but we stayed faithful and God brought it to pass.

Waiting for Your Heart’s Desire

I don’t know how long it has been that you have been waiting for something to happen. Maybe it’s a baby, maybe you want to get married, to start your own business, to begin a ministry opportunity, to move to a new house… whatever it is, don’t give up on that dream!

Here are a few verses of encouragement to remind us not to give up on waiting for our heart’s desire.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:4-7 KJV

There are a few simple truths in these verses that I use over and over again to encourage myself and other women.

1. If I am truly focused on God, He will fulfill my desire, or He will change the desire.

When I delight in the Lord, He will fulfill my heart’s desire. The word delight means to receive pleasure in. When we take pleasure in developing a relationship with God, He will, in turn, fulfill our desires.

Sometimes this train of thought gets Christians tripped up. These verses don’t say that God is a vending machine, and if we put in the appropriate amount of money, exactly what we desire will come out. It’s deeper than that. If we are truly focusing on developing a better relationship with God, our desires are going to change to line up with His desires for us.

What does this look like practically? I often use these verses when talking to singles who want to be married. Either a relationship will come in time, or God will take away that desire and replace it with a desire to be single. In the mean time, they can focus on their relationship with God, while simultaneously praying and seeking out a relationship.

2. If I commit what I am doing to the Lord and entrust it to Him, He will bring it pass.

Focus on what God wants me to do whether in my life’s purpose or even just in what He has for me for the day, and let Him work out all the details.

I often quote this verse to God on a day when I am overwhelmed with a task or an event or even just a forever-long to-do list for the day. I pray through what I am trying to accomplish and surrender it to Him. Then I get to work, and God always carries me through.

3. I can be at rest while I am waiting patiently on God because I know He is working on my behalf.

The hardest thing in life is waiting. Whether it’s the little things in life like waiting in a long drive-through line, waiting to get a prescription filled, or waiting to check out at the grocery store. Or whether it’s more difficult than that… waiting for God to answer a prayer, waiting for God to heal a loved one, waiting for Him to provide financially once again. Waiting is hard. The Bible says that when a desire has not come to fruition, our heart is sick. But once the desire comes, it is a tree of life!

Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” KJV

Waiting for God to work can make or break our faith in life’s hardest moments. When the time comes that the only answer we have is to wait for God to work, we can delight in Him, commit the problem to Him, and then sit back and wait for God to work.

photo credit: Artem Bali

Book Launch Day at Our House

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Our book launch crew

Today is the Day!

So today is book launch day at our house! My husband Matt wrote a book called Unmasked: Overcoming the Shame that Says You’re Not Enough. It released on Amazon this morning. You can click here to get your copy. Our kids have been excited and helping as best as they can- making messes, running around the house like crazies, and taking advantage of the fact that Mom and Dad are busy for the day. You get the idea!

Dealing with Shame

Ever since Matt knew that he wanted to write a book on shame, we have spent countless hours talking about shame. We have talked about the five emotions that shame impacts-Insecurity, Indecision, Insignificance, Rejection, and Inadequacy. Matt covers all of these in his book.

We all struggle with shame in different ways in our lives. It’s so prevalent in our culture today. It’s in our churches, the workplace, our schools, pretty much everywhere. Social media certainly hasn’t helped us any. I know for me, shame has paralyzed me at times in my life from being who God created me to be and doing what He wants me to do. I have always wanted to be meek and mild, quiet, proper, and soft-spoken. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly me. I am strong-willed and opinionated. I love a challenge, and I love to be in control. Yeah… not exactly meek and mild.

Free to Be Me

For years, I struggled with being me. I felt a need to portray a certain personality, especially as a Pastor’s wife. I felt like once people got to know the real me, they didn’t like me anymore. So I hid behind the quiet, unassuming Pastor’s wife persona. That is until I would let it slip and people could see the real me. Working through Matt’s book has helped me be free to be me. I need to constantly remind myself there is no shame in being who God created me to be. I have nothing to prove to anybody else, and neither do you!

One of the things Matt talks about in his book is that the best way for us to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives is to keep our eyes on God, not on those around us. Don’t look around at what everybody else is doing. Focus on who God created you to be and what He wants you to, and the shame will fade away!

How I Use Release Writing

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photo credit: Ana Tavares

What is Release Writing?

So I think Matt may have made up the phrase “release writing,” but it totally works! We have been calling it this for years. The idea of release writing is to write down whatever it is that is bothering you until you feel a release from the building pressure. Basically, when I am overwhelmed, hurt, discouraged, frustrated, or whatever it is that I can’t wrap my mind around, I write about it. I write down everything I am feeling, thinking, experiencing, and anything else that is rolling around in my head.

When to use Release Writing?

Sometimes I release write after Matt and I have had a fight. Other times, it’s after something discouraging takes place. Sometimes it’s just a problem with our kids or a frustration in our home that we can’t seem to get past. I can process things so much better when I see it on paper in front of me instead of having it all stuck in my head. I write down every crazy thought in my head.

How does Release Writing Help?

I write until I feel like the pressure that is building inside of me is released. After the tears have flowed, after the hurt or anger has eased, after I have gotten all the frustration down on paper, then I can take a deep breath. Now I can look back through it and see what is going on. I can begin to process what happened and what I need to do next. What started the fight? Why am I so hurt? What did the friend really say, and did I respond the right way? Was he wrong or was I? Why am I so discouraged right now? Why do I feel so helpless? Release Writing helps me to see what is going on and the steps I need to take next.

What is an Example of Release Writing?

I believe a lot of the Psalms of David were simply release writing on David’s part. We, as the readers, can see he was working through his fears, failures, problems, and discouragements simply by writing them all down. I find it so interesting that a lot of his Psalms start really negative and discouraging. By the time he has gotten to the end of the Psalm, though, his attitude turns positive again. There is something about writing that helps us to work through our emotions. It certainly helps me! Give it a try, and see if works for you too.

My Top 10 Books from 2017

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I read lots of great books last year. This is a list of my top ten favorites from the year.

Fiction

1. The Harry Potter Series.

Book Title: Harry Potter

I am a little late to the party, but I picked up the first book in the Harry Potter series this year. Amidst all the craziness of people arguing whether or not to read them, I decided to read the first one to see what all the hype was about and to determine if I would let my kids read them.

It was crazy! I could not put the first book down. After reading the first book, I read the entire series in less than a month! I LOVED this series! Hands-down best fiction books I have ever read! Obviously, which is why they are so famous!

Homeschool

2. The Well-Trained Mind.

Book Title: The Well-Trained Mind

I knew I would love this book, I just didn’t get around to reading it right away. After reading it, I changed much of the way I do my homeschooling. I loved that this book is both informational and practical. It has lots of recommendations for books at the end of each section.

(This book had a dust jacket, but I hate dust jackets and usually take them off as soon as I get a book. So my apologies for the ugliness of the book.)

3. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

Book Title: The Book Whisperer

I read this book quickly. It’s super inspirational. Lots of stories and encouragement to develop a love for reading in children. Great read!

Non-fiction

4. Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted.

I don’t have a picture of this book because I let someone borrow it. This was a fantastic read and a beautiful story that talks about the “messiness” of ministry. Shannan Martin tells her family’s story of giving up living on a beautiful farm in the country to move to the inner city to work in ministry.

5. Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes

Book Title: Bread and Wine

I love all Shauna Niequist books, and this one did not disappoint! It is chock full of stories about gathering around the table for nourishing food and fellowship, and of course, it has amazing mouth-watering recipes.

Disclaimer: I don’t drink wine, so I just skipped the parts about wine.

6. The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Decisions and Greatest Fears.

Book Title: The Circle Maker

I love Mark Batterson books. This one, so far, is my favorite. He teaches the concept of praying circles around your requests and watching God work in your life. It was so convicting and encouraging at the same time!

7. Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard

Book Title: Nothing to Prove

This is a great book that came at a perfect time in my life. Jenni Allen is a great encouragement to remind us that we have nothing to prove to others or to ourselves.

(This book had a dust jacket, but I hate dust jackets and usually take them off as soon as I get a book. So my apologies for the ugliness of the book.)

8. Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You.

Book Title: Imagine Heaven

This book changed my mind about everything I thought I knew about Heaven. I loved it and can not recommend it enough. The book is filled with stories of people who have had near-death experiences. People can agree or disagree, but I love that it gets us thinking about Heaven.

9. The Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces that Make Up Life.

book title: Church of the Small Things

This book is just plain encouraging fun. It’s filled with stories that will have you reminiscing about days gone by, laughing hysterically at funny stories, and crying at tender moments. I loved that it was non-fiction but read like a fiction book.

10. The Magnolia Story.

Book Title: The Magnolia Story

Who doesn’t love Chip and Joanna Gaines? They are an amazing couple, and they produced an amazing book. You get the behind-the-scenes look at the life they created before they were famous. It’s a great read and full of encouragement and inspiration.

I am so excited about lots of new books to read this year! I have already read a few good ones so far! Happy Reading!!

What to do After Failure?

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On Sunday, in church, my husband Matt was preaching about how to handle failure. He had us stop and write in our notes where we have failed. He said that you can not move forward past failure until you have first acknowledged the failure. I stopped to think and started to write down my failures. In that moment, I felt so overwhelmed. I thought of all the ways I had failed in 2017– all the things I wanted to accomplish and didn’t, the frustrations and failures I felt in my personal life and with my kids… and on and on the list went.

Failure can be debilitating if we don’t know how to handle it.

Peter’s Failure

One of the best examples of life after failure is the story of Peter. Peter’s story is so sad, but I can so easily relate to it. In Jesus’ deepest hour of pain and need, Peterone of His closest friends betrays Him. The Bible says that Peter cursed and denied ever knowing Jesus. At that moment, Jesus looked on Peter, Peter heard the rooster crow, and in that moment the weight of his failure sank in. The Bible says that Peter went out and wept bitterly.

How do you come back from a failure like that? Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, betrayed Him. Yet Jesus knew Peter was going to do this and gave him advice days before. We find His advice in Luke. Jesus is talking to Peter and says,

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22:31,32

Jesus says, “Simon, (Peter) Satan wants to separate you and pull you away from Me. But I have prayed for you, and when you come back to Me… strengthen your brethren.” Jesus knew that Peter was going to fail, so He gave Him what he needed to be able to make it back. “When you do fail, come back to Me,” Jesus said. “And after you come back to Me, use your failure to be an encouragement to your friends and family.”

Less than two months later, Peter preaches at Pentecost and over 3,000 people get saved!

What an encouragement to remember life is not over after failure!

After Failure

Jesus used Peter’s failure in such an incredible way. How can we learn from his example? How do you use your failure to propel you forward to accomplish what God has for you?

Allow your failure to refocus your attention back on Jesus.
Follow your failure up with a second chance. Try again.
Commit to empathy towards others, not just authority. Don’t forget where you’ve come from.
Use your failure to grow your faith.
Leverage your failure with humility and strength.

If we can take those five steps, we will be able to come back after failure stronger than ever and be ready to accomplish what God has for us.

Don’t Let this Thanksgiving Pass You By + Free Printables

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The Busyness of the Holiday

Thanksgiving comes each year, and with it comes the crazy busyness of the holiday. The grocery shopping and last-minute runs to the store for all the things we forgot, the cooking and baking, the decorating, the entertaining, and all the special things that make Thanksgiving the holiday it is. We get so busy that often the day passes by without us ever getting a chance to thank the One who has made it all possible. It’s hard to take the time to make that happen.

Making the Time

I get it. I really do. I am hosting two separate Thanksgivings this year. One on Wednesday night and another one on Thanksgiving day, and we are heading to a third one on Thanksgiving night. It’s crazy! But somewhere in the midst of all that, I have to set aside time to thank God for my blessings. So Thursday morning, before the parade starts, before I start cooking for the day, before my kids get out of bed excited and energized for the day, I am going to make a cup of coffee, light a candle, and grab my Bible and journal and spend some quiet time thanking God for the incredible life He has given me.

I will sing unto the Lord, because He hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6

I was thinking this morning- what if this was my last Thanksgiving? How would I spend it? What would I change? I think I would take the time gather my littles close to me and hug and kiss them and tell them how much I love them and am grateful for them. I would take the time to let my husband know how very much he means to me. I would do more laughing and celebrating with friends and family and less complaining and getting frustrated. We are not guaranteed next year. Life is so short and unpredictable. We have to choose to make this Thanksgiving count.

Choose to Make the Time

Choose to take the time to thank God for His many blessings in your life. Be fully present this Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Don’t be so busy making Thanksgiving perfect that you forget what it is all about- spending time with those you love and thanking the One who gave you this beautiful life to live.

Free Thanksgiving Printables

Just for fun, I created the Thanksgiving printables below. The first two you can print off and put in frames for your Thanksgiving table. The third one I created is for writing down how God has blessed you. It would be a fun project for kids to work on too! I hope you enjoy them. Sign up at the bottom of the page to get the three free printables.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!!

Free Thanksgiving Printable

Free Thanksgiving Printable

Free Gratitude Printable

3 Quick Tips for a Successful Morning Time

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I am an introvert by nature and need alone time every morning to have a successful and profitable day. I use this time to read my Bible, pray, journal, and prepare myself for the day. If I don’t get that quiet time early in the morning, I am a hot mess the rest of the day. I have done this for several years and have 3 habits that help me to be consistent in my morning time every day.

3 Quick Tips

1. Get up at least thirty minutes before my kids get up.

This tip is the most important. Once my kids get up, I can pretty much just forget any peace and quiet. As hard as it is to get up early some mornings, especially after a late night, my day goes a thousand times better when I get up before my kids. Once my kids are awake and our day has officially started, it will take me forever to get my Bible reading, prayer time, and journaling done!

2. Light a candle.

My favorite candles are the three-wick candles from Bath and Body Works. I especially love the fall scents like sweet cinnamon pumpkin, apple and pumpkin, and caramel pumpkin swirl. The first thing I do after getting up in the morning is to light a candle. The scent of the candle helps to wake me up and get me moving. It also helps to create a mood of peace and calm.

My Caramel Pumpkin Swirl candle

3. Make a cup of coffee.

The next thing I do after lighting my candle is to head into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee or tea, whichever I am in the mood for. My favorite is coffee with french vanilla creamer. Once I make my coffee, I use my hand-held frother to give it the perfect touch. Once I have my coffee or tea in hand, I head back into the living room to get started.

My favorite mug for coffee

These quick easy steps help to wake me up and put me in a right frame of mind to start my morning time with God. I want my morning time to be something I enjoy and look forward to, and following these tips help to accomplish that.

Have You Ever Tried a Sabbath Day?

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photo credit: Luca Bravo

Why Did We Start Having a Sabbath Day?

Our Sabbath day is my most favorite day of the week! Well, maybe it is tied with Sunday– because I do love an awesome day at church, followed by a yummy meal and good company to share it with. Anyway, about a year ago, our schedule was so crazy and Matt and I were constantly worn out and frustrated with each other and with the kids. We decided to start making Monday a Sabbath day for us, just for a few weeks to see if we liked it. Well, we loved it! So we have kept it ever since.

What is a Sabbath Day?

Our Sabbath day is simply a day of rest, and it is based on a principle from the Bible. God, the Creator, Who never is weary, took the seventh day of Creation to model rest to us. He must have really thought it was important!

A day of rest is different for everybody. There are so many ways to incorporate it. A lot of people do a day of rest on Sunday, but our Sundays are too full. Because Matt is a pastor, our Sundays are busy from the Sunday morning service, the fellowship afterwards, and the company and lunch at our house in the afternoon. Sundays are awesome, but not restful. So we do a rest day on Monday. We keep it pretty simple. Here is what it looks like for us:

The kids have the day off. I home school, so we have this flexibility. They do school on Saturday instead of Monday. So on Mondays, they are allowed to play all day, play games on a tablet, or watch something.
Matt doesn’t do any church work. He has extra time to read, watch something, take a nap, etc.
I can’t take the day totally off because I need to cook and keep the house running. But I try to do minimal housework and cooking if possible. I try to read, take a nap, and just relax. Sometimes I do extra cooking, but simply for enjoyment.

Mondays have become a favorite day for our family, but we have to work at it. We try not to schedule anything on Mondays. We have to be intentional to force ourselves to take the time to rest, read, and rejuvenate.

What are the Benefits of a Sabbath Day?

Having a Sabbath day on Monday totally transforms our week. Matt and I actually get more accomplished in our week when we totally take off Monday. It sounds so counterproductive, but it really works. We also are so much more at peace. And on the weeks that are really busy, and we are just trying to push through, we encourage ourselves with the fact that Monday is coming! We can push today, because we can rest on Monday.

There are so many benefits to a Sabbath day.

It slows you down. It’s a break from the rush of every other day.
It’s a chance for extra rest.
You get a chance to spend time doing whatever hobby you choose, without feeling gulity.
It brings peace to the rest of the week.

What Does a Sabbath Day Look Like?

Here is what a recent Sabbath day looked like for us. Matt and I both slept in. When the kids got up, they just grabbed a tablet quietly. We got up refreshed and relaxed, lit our favorite apple pumpkin candle, opened all the windows to let the fresh fall breeze in, and grabbed our Bibles (and I grabbed my journal), and we sat and read our Bibles and prayed quietly at the dining room table.

After we finished, we moved into the kitchen to do some food prep for the week. Matt came in and helped, and we worked together and just talked. We cut and peeled apples for homemade applesauce from the apples we picked at a farm. I put some pork in the crock pot for dinner, and made a brunch of banana bread, kielbasa, and eggs for everybody. After everybody ate and cleaned up, the kids went back to playing. I grabbed a book and read for a while. Then it was naptime for everybody.

After a good nap, I got up, prepped dinner, and made some paleo brownies for dessert. Everybody got up from their naps, helped get ready for dinner, and then sat down to eat. After dinner and clean up, I had time to read again for a little bit. Soon it was time for bed for the kiddos. We got all four kids in jammies, teeth brushed, and in bed and read to them for a little while. After that, I worked on my lesson plans for school for the week, and made my meal plan and grocery list for the week. I finished off the night with a little bit more reading time.

I told Matt that night, it had been the perfect fall Sabbath day. Now every Monday is not that perfect, but we are trying.

What Could a Sabbath Day Look Like for You?

So many people do their day of rest differently. Here a few ideas to get you thinking.

Maybe Sunday works best for you. You go to church, grab lunch out (so you don’t have to cook), come home, get a nap, and read. Sunday evening is church, or small group, or family time at home.
Some ladies do a half day one day and a half day the next day. For example, maybe Friday afternoon into Saturday morning is your Sabbath day. Friday afternoons are a time of rest and free time. Dinner is pizza delivery so you don’t have to cook. You watch a family movie together and get to bed at a good time. Saturday morning is a chance for more free time and an easy brunch, or everybody takes care of their own food. Then once noon hits, the schedule picks back up; but you don’t schedule anything on Friday nights or Saturday mornings.
Or maybe your Sabbath day is during the week. Maybe it’s Tuesdays. After you get the kids off to school, you take the remaining hours until school is done to rest, and do something that rejuvenates you. Maybe you grab a cup of coffee and do your Bible reading and prayer for the day. You fit in a nap and a chance to watch that movie you have been wanting to. When the kids come home, you are rested and relaxed and ready to jump back into “Mom” mode.
Note: Don’t underestimate the need for a Sabbath even if you don’t have kids or are single. You still need scheduled time for rest, doing something that you enjoy, and a break from your crazy schedule.

Is it Worth It?

It takes time and creativity to make a day of rest work with your schedule, but the payoff is so worth it. Start small. If you can’t take a whole day off, pick an afternoon or an evening. Try it for just three weeks and see if you don’t notice a huge difference, like we did!

I Have Nothing To Prove

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Trying to Prove My Worth

I just finished reading the book Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard by Jennie Allen. It was such a great book! The title alone says it all!

I have spent so many years of my life trying to prove my worth, trying to measure up to the next person, trying to find my value in what I do. After years of trying and failing, I have finally come to realize– It’s not going to happen. I am never going to measure up to somebody else because I am not them. I am me, and I am learning to be okay with that.

There is so much peace to be found when we finally realize and live like we have nothing to prove. In her book, Jennie says,

So many of our problems come when imperfect people try to act as if they have it all together…We hide behind images we create of happy, clean, impressive lives. We are exhausted. Because if you create an image to hide behind, you’ll have to spend all your energy holding it up.

It is the simple things that will change the world… You do the simple work of loving God and loving people. It is messy, hard, not too glamorous. And that sounds like Jesus.

If you are tired of trying to measure up and live up to everybody else’s standards, then I highly recommend this book. It’s an invitation to look at life from a completely new point of view– one that realizes you can stop trying so hard because you have absolutely nothing to prove!