Tag Archives: morning time routine

What’s Currently in My Morning Basket?

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I try to do this post once or twice a year simply because my basket is always changing. I like to keep it fresh and new and something I look forward to. Then I like sharing what’s in my basket to hopefully give you some ideas for great new books, resources, pens, etc. And because it’s January…we all need the extra inspiration. So here are the items currently in my morning time basket.

Pens

I have a few different pens I love. I love colorful pens that write well, and those are increasingly hard to find. But these Pilot G-2 pens–the purple pack and the pink pack–are really good. I also still love these paper mate pens and these other paper mate pens.

My Bible

I currently use the inCourge devotional Bible. The women from inCourage put this out, and I really love it. There are lots of devotional readings interspersed. I don’t always read them, but when I do, they are great. They also do small breakouts of different characters in the Bible, and I love those. I started this Bible at the beginning of the last school year, so I haven’t gotten all the way through it yet, but I really am enjoying it. It’s not my most favorite translation, as it’s CSB, but I’m enjoying reading the same verses put a little differently.

Devotionals

I’m currently still working my way through the Jesus is Better (Hebrews) study from Daily Grace Co. These are my favorite devotionals. I received a few more for Christmas that I can’t wait to work through. This Hebrews one is a lot longer, and I usually only get to it on my day off when I have more time to sit at the table and do a longer morning time routine. But any of the Daily Grace Co devotionals are great. I received Waiting for Hope (Malachi) for Christmas and can’t wait to work through that one.

Thank You Cards

I always keep thank-you cards in my basket. During my morning time routine is usually when God brings to mind somebody I need to write a thank you too. Hobby Lobby has the best assortment of thank you cards that are super inexpensive. I currently have these thank you cards in my basket. There are fifteen notecards, and they were only $1.99.

Gratitude Journal

Check out my post on making gratitude journals. We make these as a family each year, and everybody writes in theirs all year long.

Bookmarks

I always keep bookmarks in my basket for underlining in my Bible or whatever book I’m currently reading. I order my bookmarks from SJ Wonderlandz.

Books

I like to incorporate a book into my morning time routine. Right now, I’m alternating between With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Sky Jethani and Leap Over a Wall by Eugene Peterson.

Journal

I use my Faithfully Stepping Journals every day. I’m currently using the Morning by Morning journal.

To-Do Notebook

I also keep my daily to-do notebook in my basket where I write down everything I need to accomplish for the day. I use a simple spiral bound notebook for this. You can read about how I use notebooks here.

Coffee and Candles

Not in my basket but included in my morning time routine are candles and coffee. I love Bath and Body Candles, particularly when they’re on sale and I pair it with a coupon. Coffee changes for me. Currently, I love any kind of Dunkin’ Donuts flavored ground coffee for hot coffee, and I just started using Nescafe Gold Espresso for iced coffee and am loving that as well.

I hope that gives you some ideas and new products to add to your own basket! What’s currently in your morning time basket that you’re loving?

Twenty-Five Steps

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There are twenty-five steps from my bed to the dining room table downstairs where I do my morning time. Just twenty-five steps. And yet, those steps are sometimes the hardest ones to take. All I have to do is get out of bed and walk downstairs; it’s really not that difficult. But taking those steps sometimes feel like too much, especially when I’m exhausted or discouraged or depressed. And yet, I know if I can just get downstairs, I will feel so much better. Why? Because I will light a candle, get the coffee going, and turn on the white lights hanging on from the ceiling. Once I do those things, I will feel so much better and ready to start my morning time.

Why is it so hard to do the things we know we need to do? We know if we just do them, we will feel better about ourselves or getting that thing done. And yet, it’s like everything is fighting against us to keep us from doing that one thing.

A Breakthrough

Some mornings, it feels like there’s a force keeping me from getting downstairs. It’s like I can’t break through that oppression that keeps me in my bed in the dark, even though I know what’s waiting for me downstairs is so much better. When I push through and make it downstairs, it’s like a breakthrough.

I can’t think of a single morning I’ve regretted getting up and doing my morning time routine downstairs. And yet, some mornings are such a struggle. Why is that? Because Satan is literally fighting against us. He knows if we spend time with God first thing in the morning, everything in our day will change. We will have more peace, more focus, love for others, enjoyment, and direction in our day.

Make It a Priority

In this new year, make it a priority to spend time with God every morning, no matter what’s keeping you from it. Push through the barriers and the distractions and conquer the morning battle. Find the willpower with God’s strength to push through and do that hard thing.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement to conquer your mornings, check out Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning. You can also check out our free morning time guide.

4 Benefits to Getting Back Into God’s Word

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Today is August 1st, and for our family, that means the start of a new homeschool year. It’s always hard the first day, but it feels good to get back on track with schedules and routines.

August and September are a great time to get back into a morning time routine, if we’ve let that go. We know we need to spend time in God’s Word, but sometimes we need a little push. Today, I’m sharing four benefits to reading and studying God’s Word.

Benefits from Psalm 1

What happens when we study God’s Word and apply it to our lives? We already know from Psalm 1 that we become like a strong tree planted along a riverbank that bears fruit in every season and is prosperous.

But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 1

4 Benefits to Reading God’s Word

The verses in Psalm 19 add to that.

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.

Psalm 19:7-9

From these verses, we can pull out four benefits of reading and studying God’s Word.

1. God’s Word Revives our Soul

Do you ever feel weary at the soul level? It’s more than just being tired or discouraged. Being weary at the soul level feels like you will never get past what you’re going through. It feels hopeless, and you feel like God has forgotten you.

God tells us that the antidote to feeling this way is to read and study God’s Word. When we feel this low, only God can revive or bring life to our would; and He does it through His Word.

2. It Makes Us Wise

Reading and studying God’s Word makes us wise. I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the more wisdom I need to navigate life, relationships, parenting, and more. We need God’s wisdom and help regularly if we’re going to make the right decisions and live the life He’s purposed for us.

3. It Brings Joy to our Heart

Do you want more joy in your life? Spend time in God’s Word. The only true joy in this life that’s not fleeting comes from God. If we want to find that joy, we have to carve out time to spend reading God’s Word and praying. How do we get joy from reading God’s Word? We’re reminded that God is for us, He loves us, He is always with us, He has a plan for our lives…When we read truths like this, we can’t help but find more joy.

4. God’s Word Gives Us Insight for Living

God’s Word gives us insight on how to live by giving us examples to follow or avoid. It shows us how to love like Jesus and gives us snippets of wisdom from the wisest man who ever lived. It reminds us that we can come back again from failure, like Peter and that we can trust that God is working in our lives even when it doesn’t feel like it, like the story of Esther.

These benefits are amazing, but we don’t get to have them in our lives if we don’t carve out time to read and study God’s Word. This fall is a great time to get back on track if you’ve gotten away from it. Pick a new Bible study or grab a new journal and some pens and get excited about getting back into God’s Word. I know you won’t regret it!

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out our free morning time routine guide or my post on jumpstarting your morning time routine.

Why Pressure and Stress Don’t Have to Steal Your Joy

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l love summer! It takes forever to come to Pennsylvania, but when it finally arrives, I am here for it. I love the break from school and schedules and the freedom to just enjoy summer. I love being outside in the sun, extra time to spend in my morning time, and all the iced coffee!

Pressure and Stress

But even as I enjoy summer break, I am conscious of the fact that school begins again in just a few short weeks. Once school starts, the busiest part of our year kicks off. While that’s really good, it also brings with it lots of pressure and stress. Right now is a good time to think about how we’ll handle that stress and pressure before it’s actually here.

Psalms 119 has something great to say about handling stress and pressure that we need to take note of.

As pressure and stress bear down on me,
    I find joy in your commands.

Psal 119:143 NLT

Two Opposing Thoughts

This verse seems so contradictory. You have two different, opposing thoughts. Pressure and stress…and joy. How do those work together? The writer of Psalms understood that the greater the outside pressure or force on us, the greater the internal pressure needs to be so that we don’t get crushed. The way to withstand great amounts of pressure externally is to have an equal and opposite pressure internally.

We have to get strong inside…spiritually if we’re going to make it. We have to develop those spiritual muscles of faith, trust, obedience, and joy. The author of this Psalm tells us that the way to fight back under pressure and stress is to find joy. Where do we find that joy? In His Word.

A Different Way

The greater the stress and pressure, the more important spending time with God becomes. Yet, we often do just the opposite. We cut short our time with God to get to our work sooner, so we can get more accomplished. As the stress increases, we take on more and more just to try to keep our head above water.

Yet, God shows us a different way of dealing with stress and pressure. He tells us to bring our burdens to Him and let Him carry them for us.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

I Peter 5:7 NLT

The days we feel the most stress and pressure are the days that it’s crucial to fit in our morning time routine. We can’t skip our time with God on those days because that’s the only way we’re going to find the joy we need to keep going.

More Encouragement

Check out my post, My Favorite Bible Studies to do This Summer for recommendations for Bible studies and be sure to check out Manney Resources for all things morning time routine—journals, Bible studies, and more.

My Favorite Bible Studies to Do This Summer

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Summer is coming!! With that comes a break from school, maybe a loosening of schedules, and hopefully extra down time. It’s a great time to spend extra time in your morning time routine. During the school year, it’s hard to find extra time. But during the summer, it’s a great time to grab an iced coffee and spend a few extra minutes studying God’s Word. With that in mind, I wanted to share some recommendations for Bible studies to do this summer. There are so many good ones out there, but these are some of my favorites.

Devotionals from Manney Resources

Of course, you can check out any of our devotionals. There are so many to choose from, but You Are Not Alone and God is for You are two of my favs.

If you want to do your own Bible study, be sure to check out our Faithfully Stepping Journals. They are blank and can be used with any Bible study or your own personal study. This one is the journal I’m currently using and loving.

Immerse Bible

We are in our second year of using the Immerse Bible during the summer at our church. Immerse takes books of the Bible and removes the chapter headings, verses, and other additives and leaves you with a read-through of those books of the Bible that’s clean and has tons of room to write on the sides. It really opens your eyes when you read books of the Bible as a whole without verses and chapters; it makes the whole picture come together. I really enjoy doing the Immerse Bibles.

Last year, we did Messiah, which is the entire New Testament. This year, we are doing Poets, which is Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations.

Bible Studies from Daily Grace Co

I absolutely love the Bible studies from Daily Grace Co. These studies are full color and are absolutely beautiful and really well-written. They have tons of great ones. I have personally done Habakkuk, Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes, and Colossians. I received two more for Mother’s Day that I’ve been waiting for summer to do.

Extras

Don’t forget the coffee, a great candle, and good pens. They help make morning time so much better!

I hope these suggestions help you find a great Bible study for the summer! Let me know if you try and of them!!

New Kids’ Devotional and Giveaway!

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I am so excited to announce that we have created our first kids’ devotional. This is something Matt and I have talked about for years and has finally come to fruition.

picture

If you’ve been around Faithfully Stepping for any length of time, you know I am a huge fan of having a morning time routine. I talk about it quite a bit because I believe the best way to grow in our relationship with God is by spending time with Him every morning through prayer, Bible reading, and journaling. I believe the same is true for kids, and now they can have their own devotional.

Heroes and Villains Kids’ Devotional

Matt has created our first kids’ journal, the first of many. Heroes and Villains is an interactive devotional designed for kids ages 8-12 who love puzzles, games, drawing, and big adventures. Each of the 31 devotionals features:

  • A Bible story that brings Scripture to life. A lesson from a hero or villain to follow or avoid
  • A Scripture passage with questions to explore
  • A challenge to apply the lesson to everyday life
  • A puzzle, word search, decoder, sketch, or coloring page

This devotional is perfect for kids to do on their own or as a family devotional. It makes learning about God and His Word fun, exciting, and unforgettable.

A Great Place to Start

Our girls (ages 9 and 11) worked through the journal and finished it before we started promoting it, and they loved it. My nine-year-old came to me the morning after she finished it and was sad because she didn’t have any more devotional pages to do.

If you have a child or a grandchild that you want to get into reading God’s Word each day but don’t know where to start, Heroes and Villains is a great way to get them started. They won’t get bored with it as each day has a different activity to do as part of the lesson.

Giveaway

To make this even more exciting, Matt is doing a giveaway with this new devotional. The giveaway includes everything your child needs for an awesome morning time basket.

The great thing is that you can create this same basket for your child at home. I can guarantee they will love it and be excited to do their morning time each morning! Enter to win the GIVEAWAY!

8 Hacks to Becoming a Morning Person

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I absolutely love mornings–like love, love them. Getting up early, starting my morning time routine, and having a quiet, peaceful morning with God before my day gets going is my favorite part of the day. Add in a beautiful sunrise, and I’m in Heaven.

However, I don’t like getting out of bed. I don’t like not getting enough sleep. I don’t bound out of bed every single morning, ready to start my day. Honestly, I don’t think many people do. Most people, even the ones that get up early, would probably say that they have a hard time getting up in the morning. I think that’s a universal thing.

So how do we become morning people when it’s hard to get out of bed? Here are eight hacks to turn yourself in a morning person, even though you may not technically be a morning person.

1. Take a shower

One of the best things you can do to wake up is to take a shower. Add some shower gel that helps you wake up, and you’ll be awake in no time. Matt got me the set pictured below for my birthday. It’s my favorite for waking up in the morning. I’ve used the lotion and shower gel before, but the shower steamers were new to me. They are amazing! The entire bathroom smells good. The orange ginger scent is so refreshing and revitalizing; it wakes you right up.

2. Light a candle.

Candles are my love language. One of the things that helps me get going in the morning is to come downstairs and light a candle. My favorite places to get candles are TJ Max, Kirklands, and Bath and Body Works.

3. Start a new journal.

A way to refresh your morning is to pick a new journal. We just rolled out our new fall covers for our Faithfully Stepping Journals, and I am loving my new cover. It’s just an added perk to my mornings.

4. Make a cup of coffee.

I make an iced coffee every morning, even in the winter. I’m crazy; I know. But it really helps me to wake up; it also give me something to look forward to. I have coffee that I only drink in the morning. Right now, I’m enjoying Java. By saving it for mornings, I look forward to it even before I go to bed the night before.

5. Put on music.

My husband loves listening to music first thing in the morning. Before he even gets out of bed for the day, he snags his noise-canceling headphones and slips them on. It helps him to wake up and be a ready to start the day.

6. Grab a Blanket.

If you want a great morning time, start collecting warm throw blankets. Bonus if they can change out with the seasons to keep things fresh and fun. Except for the middle of summer when it’s super hot, I pretty much always snag a blanket from the back of the couch for my morning time.

7. Hang up white lights.

This one is a little extra but is one of my favorite things about my morning time. Last year, we strung white lights in the dining room. We left them up because I love coming down in the morning and turning them on. It’s a softer light than the overhead lights, and it just makes my morning time extra special.

8. Go to bed at a good time the night before.

This is so key to being able to get up in the morning. If you truly want to become a morning person, you have to learn how to go to bed at night. It’s a discipline–just like getting up early. It takes time and practice, but it’s so worth it.

These are just some hacks that work for me. I can say confidently that I have never regretted a morning that I got up early, but I have plenty of times I have regretted not getting up early.

Start Small

Start small. Get up five minutes earlier; then ten minutes. Then work it up from there. Start implementing some of my morning time hacks; try some of your own. See if you can’t fake yourself into becoming a morning person!

What are your morning hacks that help you get out of bed?

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out our free guide on how to have a morning time routine.

4 Reasons Why Getting Up Early Transforms Your Day

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Early Bird or Night Owl?

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Did you know that most people are neither? Most of us fall somewhere in between. I find that fascinating. There are some people who really enjoy getting up early, and there are some people that love staying up late. But most people are right down the middle—we like to sleep in a little, and we like to go to bed at a normal time.

I didn’t used to be a morning person. I got up early for years in junior high, high school, and then college. So when I got married, I hated having to get up early. But over the years, I have transitioned into a major morning person. That doesn’t mean I like getting out of bed every morning, but it means that I enjoy waking up before the sun comes up and having my morning routine before the rest of the house comes to life.

If I had to point to one thing that helps me to get more done each day, it would be getting up early. That has made the difference in increasing my productivity these past several years. I get soooo much more accomplished when I get up early.

4 Reasons Why Getting Up Early Transforms Your Day:

1. You get a jumpstart on your day. There is something about getting up early that makes me feel so good about jumping into my day.

2. There’s a peace and quiet that you can only experience if you get out of bed before everybody else. For me, the best time to do my morning time routine is in the quiet morning hours when it’s just Matt and I, a candle, and coffee.

3. You accomplish more. There’s something about getting up early that sets you up for success the rest of the day. I always accomplish more in my day when I get up at a good time, compared to the days I sleep in.

4. Early morning hours are like bonus points in your day. Somehow, whatever you accomplish just accumulates into more for the day.

Start Somewhere

If you want to be a morning person but struggle with it, start by getting up just five minutes earlier each day. That’s all you have to do to start. Eventually, add another five minutes and then another. Before you know it, you will be a morning person!

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out Hal Elrod’s book, The Morning Miracle.

Simple Steps to Get Back to Reading Your Bible Each Day

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picture of a girl reading her bible

Have you ever found yourself getting away from reading your Bible and praying each day? We all know we’re supposed to do it every day. But then one day slips away from us, then two, then three. Soon, we find ourselves going way too long without a routine that involves Bible reading and prayer each day.

What do you do when that happens? Have you ever found yourself there? It’s paralyzing. You don’t even know where to start or what to read anymore. How do you get it going again?

Sometimes you just need to push reset and start fresh. You have to just decide that today is the day, and just do it. So here are my best tips for starting fresh.

My goal is not to overwhelm you in this post but to help you get back on track or start. Here’s just a few ideas to give you a jump start.

What Do You Need?

  1. Light a candle that you love. If you don’t have one, this is an excuse to go get one! It doesn’t have to be expensive. Aldi and Walmart both offer cheap, delicious-smelling candles.
  2. Make a good cup of coffee.
  3. Grab a journal. If you need a good journal, check out our Faithfully Stepping Journals. They were created specifically for morning time, using the system that Matt and I use every single morning. But for now, use whatever you have.
  4. Grab your Bible.
  5. Find a comfortable place to sit; grab a blanket if you need to and a pen.

What Do You Read?

  1. If you need encouragement, read the Psalms. A chapter or two a day is great.
  2. When you feel overwhelmed with trials and hardships, read I and II Peter.
  3. If you’re at a place in life that you need wisdom, read a Proverb each day.
  4. The Gospels are great if you want to just get more of Jesus.
  5. If you prefer to use a devotional along with your Bible reading, check out our Devotionals.
  6. If you want to use your phone, use YouVersion and pick a plan to follow.

That’s it. Simply grab what you need and choose what to read and simply start! Start today; start fresh tomorrow morning. The important thing is simply that you start! I’m super passionate about this topic, because I know I would not be where I am today without my morning time routine. It has kept me grounded over the years at a time in my life when nothing else could!

More on This Topic

This post is just to get you started. If you’re looking to take it deeper, check out my free Morning Time Routine Course. We also teach a system called Thirty-to-THRIVE, that you can check out HERE.

The #1 Thing I’m Most Passionate About

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From my morning time this morning

What I’m Passionate About

If you’ve spent any amount of time with me in this corner of the world known as Faithfully Stepping, you know that I am passionate about developing a morning time routine. I believe having a time each day that you spend with God reading his word and praying is the most important thing you can do every single day. The reason I am passionate about it is that this is the way we develop our relationship with Jesus; and developing a relationship with God is the most important thing we can do.

The physician Luke put it this way:

Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

Luke 12:21 NLT

Developing a Relationship with God

We know that our relationship with God is incredibly important, but sometimes we don’t know how to go about creating or cultivating a relationship with God. That’s where having a morning time routine comes in. When you follow a consistent morning time each day, you set yourself up to spend time with God each day. When you spend time with somebody every day, it’s impossible not to grow closer to them. That’s how it is in our relationship with God. You may not even get something every single day from your Bible reading, yet you feel blessed and encouraged simply by having spent time in God’s presence.

The Thirty-to-THRIVE System

So how do we do this? How do we create a morning time routine? Matt and I teach a simple system. It’s called 30-to-THRIVE.

  1. You spend ten minutes reading from either your Bible or a devotional. If you need a good devotional, check out Manney Resources. We have several 30-Day Devotionals to choose from.
  2. Then you use your journal to work through your prayer for the day. If you use our journals, there’s a section for gratitude, confession, and requests. Then there’s a section to write down what you learned from your Bible reading or devotional for the day.
  3. Lastly, you spend time reading a book. This can be a Christian inspirational book, a book for work, a leadership book, a new hobby book, whatever you choose. It’s simply something that adds value to your day. I like to read Christian inspirational books as a part of my Bible reading time. Matt often reads a leadership book or a book that has something to do with working with people or pastoring. Check out my page for book reccommendations, or you can pick up one of our books.

Resources for Morning Time

You can find everything you need to get started at Manney Resources. Below is a picture of just a few of our resources. Journals on the left, books on the right, and devotionals at the top.

Manney Resources

Making It Special

To make your morning time special, I suggest adding a candle, a cup of coffee, some pretty pens, and a basket to keep all your materials in.

That’s it; that’s how you create a morning time routine. It’s simple, yet it can change your life. If you are more of a visual type of person, I created a video series on getting a morning time routine started.

If you can develop a morning time routine and stick with it, I can guarantee you will grow in your relationship with God and in your faith. It will become the grounding force in your life and will carry you through times of discouragement, depression, and defeat. How do I know this? Because it’s done that for me; that’s why I’m so passionate about it. This is simply a tangible way to have a relationship with God, and a relationship with God is the most important thing in your life!

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post, Revolutionize Your Morning Time with These Ten Products.