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.

Choose to be a Leftovers Person

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picture of leftovers

Do you love leftovers? I love leftovers. It’s my favorite night of the week. Why? Because I don’t have to actually cook anything. Everything is ready to go; all you have to do is warm it up. And there are usually several choices, so you can sort of mix and match and create your own special masterpiece. I know some people don’t like leftovers, but for our family, they’re a built-in part of our week.

Being willing to eat leftovers is similar to being willing to wear used clothes, shop at discount stores, and buy non-name brand food. There are no rewards for it; it just usually makes things a little easier…and cheaper. It’s about being willing to be content and even find joy in things that aren’t necessarily shiny or new.

Grace, Our Neighbor’s Dog

It’s sort of similar to our neighbor’s dog. We’ve been walking Grace, while her owner has been in the hospital. We take her on a walk every morning and every evening, and every single time she is so excited to go for a walk. It never gets old to her. Every time a leaf skitters across the sidewalk, she pounces on it. Every time a squirrel runs across a yard, she tries to chase it. She has unbridled joy at the tiniest things, and it makes it fun to take her out.

Choosing to eat leftovers is about being willing to be content and even find joy in the mundane. Not every day is a celebration; not every meal is a three-course experience. Some nights are simply just a leftover night. Yet, we can still choose to find the joy. We can be thankful for what we have and be willing to make things work.

David’s Example

David reminds us that at each and every stage of his life, he worked to find the good things God did and share those things with others. David knew what it was like to live a life in triumphs and tragedies; but he also knew how to live in the mundane. He knew what it was like to watch sheep, to practice an instrument, to be a soldier, to spend years on the run, to marry and have children. Through it all, he looked for the good, and he shared that good with others.

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
    and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.Now that I am old and gray,
    do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
    your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

Psalm 71:18

Try Some Leftovers This Week

So if you’re not a leftovers person, try it. Keep the leftovers from the meals you make this week and then pick a night to put them out. Try something new. Come up with something amazing like they do on those Food Network shows where they have to use leftovers to create something new. Or, you know, just throw the container of leftover chicken in the microwave. When you do, remember that it’s about making the best out of what you have. It’s about finding joy in the mundane, everyday life. That’s where you find the happiness and joy you’re searching for.

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out Emily Freeman’s Simply Tuesday or check out my post, Finding the Good Happening in Front of Our Eyes.

Just Love Today

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It’s been a nasty week. I sort of hold my breath every time I go on social media this week. I’ve seen so much nastiness; it breaks my heart. There’s so much angry and dare I say hate circling. The sad thing is that this isn’t anything new. This happens every four years…every election season. Matt and I have been saying for weeks that we can’t wait for election season to be done.

Election Season

Every election season, we forget that our fellow citizens are not our enemies. We forget that those who vote differently are not our enemies. You know who our actual enemy is? Satan. You know who’s having a great week? Satan. Because he’s dividing people, stirring up hate, projecting fear, and overall making a mess of things…which is what he does.

We have to remember that even in an election year, the rules don’t change. It’s not suddenly okay to hate or to tear one another down. It’s not okay to attack people whether outright or online. I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t command us to love each other all the time, except in an election year.

Our Command to Love

What cancels hate? Love. What brings peace? Love.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

John 15:12 NLT

This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:17 NLT

As Jesus spent his last days with his disciples, he used the opportunity to remind them again:

Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 13:33-35

Our Reminder to Love

This week’s reminder is simple: just love today. You can’t change people’s minds. You don’t need to argue political stances. Find somebody that needs your love today and give it to them freely, no strings attached.

Remember, things are at a fever pitch right now. They will calm down. People will forget eventually about this election as they’ve forgotten other ones in the past. What they won’t forget is how somebody we treated them.

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post, Love is Still the Answer. One of my favorite books on the topic of loving people is Bob Goff’s Love Does.



Getting Outside Yourself and Your Problems

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Sometimes we get so caught up in our own world, with our own problems, that we forget about other people and what they’re going through. Worse, sometimes we think we have it the hardest. That is, until we run into somebody that has a harder go of it than us.

Our Neighbor

We talked to one of our neighbors this week. She’s had such a tough go of it. She has skin cancer and has had more surgeries done on her face than anybody should have to go through. Because of that, she doesn’t like to leave the house. And yet this week, she came outside for a few minutes to talk to Matt and I.

She told us that she has several more surgeries to go. My heart hurt for her. Nobody should have to go through that. Cancer is such a terrible thing. Her courage to stand there and talk to us and to keep fighting made me reconsider my own stamina. Our conversation reminded me that I have nothing to complain about.

Overcoming Apathy

We went home and spent the next few days getting some things together for her. So on the day of her next surgery, she came home to a gift bag of goodies, a pumpkin, and a meal. It wasn’t a whole lot, but it was something.

Getting outside of ourselves is such a wonderful way to overcome apathy. It helps give us perspective and makes us thankful for our own problems and trials. How do you get outside of yourself, especially when you’re going through a hard time yourself?

1. Choose joy today.

No matter what we’re going through, we can choose to still be joyful because joy isn’t dependent on our circumstances.

2. Choose to be thankful.

Always remember that somebody has it worse than you do. Matt and I always say that we’re thankful for the trials we have because we know it could be so much worse.

3. Do something for somebody going through a difficult time.

Sometimes, the sheer needs of people are overwhelming. It’s almost debilitating to know who to help. Matt says this, “Do for one what you wish you could do for all.” Do something for that one neighbor who’s going through a hard time. Help out that friend who’s struggling. You can’t help everybody, but you can be God’s light to one person today.

4. Don’t judge.

Talking to our neighbor reminded me that you can never judge. You never know what somebody is going through. So maybe just give somebody grace.

5. Get out in nature.

Sometimes, just getting out in nature helps remind us how small we are and how big and good God is. It helps us to realign our hearts and spirits.

These are a just a few ways to get outside of ourselves and gain perspective, especially if you’re going through a hard time yourself. Don’t forget that God loves you, sees you, and knows exactly what you’re going through today.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Making It Through the Storms of Life. Or check out Kay Warren’s book, Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough.

Never Give Up on Your Dreams

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What dreams do you have? What gets you so excited that you could talk for hours about it? What has God placed on your heart to do and accomplish?

Your Dreams

So many of us have dreams–dreams I believe God has put there. And yet, how many of those dreams fail to come to fruition? I believe there is one reason why those dreams don’t come to pass. Faith. More specifically, the lack thereof.

We lack the faith to see past the obstacles in our path that keep us from accomplishing that dream. It’s exactly like the spies in the Old Testament.

The Report

The Israelites have left Egypt and are on the verge of entering Canaan, the land God promised them. Moses sends twelve spies to check out the land over a forty-day period. The spies bring back a grape vine with grapes so large it takes two men to carry it. Then they give their report of what they discovered in the land.

We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces.

Numbers 13:27 NLT

They should have just stopped there. It was all good news. The land is prosperous and fruitful; it was going to be an amazing place to live. God had already promised it to them, but they couldn’t look past what was, to see what could be.

But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak.

Numbers 27:28 NLT

Their Punishment

Because of this report, God takes away the promised land from them. He tells them that they will all die in the wilderness and only their children will get to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the desert. Wow! That’s a pretty harsh punishment. Why? Why would God take it away from them? Because of giving a bad report?

No. It was because of their lack of faith. They didn’t have the faith to believe that God would give them the promised land, giants or not. Faith is a really big deal to God. Just look at how many times Jesus healed people because of “their faith.” Others missed out because they didn’t have faith. Hebrews reminds us that if we don’t have faith, we cannot please God.

And it is impossible to please God without faith.

Hebrews 11:6 NLT

Eyes of Faith

Reading this story makes me stop and think. What am I missing out on because I can’t see past the obstacles in my path? We have to learn to look with “eyes of faith.” We have to train ourselves to look past what is and see what could be.

What dream has God given you? What do you think he is calling you to do, but you haven’t gone after it because all you see are the giants? This is your encouragement to grow in your faith and to see past the obstacles to what could be and go after those dreams God has given you.

More Encouragement

For more like this, check out my post 6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today or check out Matt’s book, Momentum: The Simple Roadmap to Clarify Your Calling.

6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today

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book about faith

For my birthday, Matt got me a book I’ve been wanting for a little while–A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene Peterson. Eugene Peterson is the author of The Message version of the Bible; he was a pastor and a theologian that passed away in 2018. I’ve been reading through it just a few pages at time. His books aren’t something you read quickly; there’s a lot there to take in. You have to kind of work through it. But I’m enjoying it; I like the change-up from what I’ve been reading recently.

The thing I love and respect the most about Eugene Peterson was the humble life he lived. Here’s a man that translated the entire Bible into common language because he wanted his church congregation to love the Bible and understand it. He had a deep understanding of Greek and Hebrew and used it to give us the Bible in a way we could easily understand and apply. There are so many good things about this book I’m reading, but one of the things that has stuck with me is his understanding of faith and the faith journey.

When Hard Times Come

I had a conversation with a friend recently, and they said verbatim, “I thought the Christian life would be easier than this.” So many of us love God and want to grow in our faith. Yet, as soon as hard times come, we’re ready to jump ship. We get mad at God, and we blame him for everything wrong in our lives. We quit going to church; we quit believing in his goodness and faithfulness.

And yet, the Bible warns us time and time again that this life will be difficult. Eugene Peterson puts it this way.

No literature is more realistic and honest in facing the harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempt us from difficulties…On every page of the Bible there is recognition that faith encounters troubles.

More Than We Can Handle

And yet, God reminds us that he won’t give us anything we can’t handle. He doesn’t promise the lack of problems; He simply promises his presence.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

I Corinthians 10:13 MSG

The Only Mistake We Can Make

Eugene Peterson goes on to say that “the only mistake we can make when trials come is to assume that God’s interest in us waxes and wanes in response to our spiritual temperature.” It’s that thing we do when things aren’t going well for us. We believe God doesn’t love us or is being hard on us because he’s angry with us. Or worse, we believe he doesn’t truly care about us.

But the fact of the matter is that this life of faith isn’t a giant what if? It’s not an I hope. From the book I’m reading, he says this about faith.

Faith is the solid, massive, secure experience of God, who keeps all evil from getting inside us, who guards our life, who guards us when we leave and when we return, who guards us now, who guards us always.

How’s Your Faith?

How’s your faith today? On a scale of 1-10, how are you doing?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

One: I don’t have any faith. Ten: My faith has never been stronger!

It’s funny; I used to think I was a solid ten. And then life hit. Now, even on my best days, I think I may be at a seven or eight. On my worst days, I was down near a two or three. Our numbers may fluctuate, and that’s okay. As long as we stay on this journey and don’t quit, that’s okay. It’s okay to hit a two or three once in a while; just don’t stay there.

6 Ways to Build Your Faith Today

If you’re below a five today on the scale, that’s okay. But don’t stay there. Continue to grow your faith. Pick one of the things from the list below and start there.

  1. Listen to worship music.
  2. Spend time with God every day through a morning time routine.
  3. Get out in nature, even if it’s for just a few minutes.
  4. Spend a few minutes writing down what you’re grateful to God for.
  5. Get plugged in to a good, local church.
  6. Read a Christian inspirational and encouraging book

This life of faith is a daily journey, so choose today to grow your faith. Refuse to be the person you were yesterday.

More Encouragement

For more like this, check out my book, The Hidden Pain: When You Fear God is No Longer Blessing Your Life.

The God Who Sees Me

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“Mommy! Look at me.” You will hear this phrase shouted across just about any playground or park. Between the giggles and the shouts, children are driven by the approval and attention of their parents.  

A young couple after a few years of marriage slam doors after angry accusations. In separate spaces and places, they wonder, “Does he … Does she … see me?”  

The heartbreak of disappointment leaves us begging God for help. In a moment of desperation, we cry out to God, “Don’t you care? Can you even see me?” 

God’s Promise to Abram

Life can be complicated especially when we jump the gun with God.  

The infamous story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar unfolds like a script from a day-time soap opera. It all started when God promised Abram (before God changed his name to Abraham) that he would be the “father of a great nation.” Even Abram’s name meant “exalted father.” That’s a tough name to have when you don’t have any kids. Imagine the snickers and taunts Abram got. God promised. Abram and Sarai (before God called her Sarah) pined. Birthdays come quick when you enter your sixth and seventh decade of life. Desperate times call for desperate measures.  

Sara’s Servant Hagar

Enter stage left: Hagar. Undoubtedly younger than her 75-year-old counterpart, Hagar was Sarah’s personal assistant. Sarah gave up on the hope that she could have kids and schemed up a whopper of an idea. “I’ll just have Hagar sleep with my husband to give us a baby.” It takes surrogacy and in-Vetro to a whole new level. In our culture, we can’t wrap our minds around this desperation of irrationality. For Abraham and Sarah, it was a cultural and financial decision.

Without an heir, Abraham, the wealthy businessman that he was, would pass on his business and all his assets to his right-hand man Eliezar, as was custom. Another option, however, was for Abraham to father a child by the “handmaid” of his wife. 

Hagar’s Pregnancy 

Hagar got pregnant. As you can imagine, things didn’t go well between Sarah and Hagar. Two women who were presumably friends at one time, now had a falling out. Hagar treated Sarah with contempt and looked down on her. Sarah was scorned and you know what they say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”   

Abraham, like any good husband, simply said, “You’re her boss. You handle the situation however you see fit.” (Genesis 16:6) Sarah made Hagar’s life difficult. It was tough enough that Hagar abandoned her job and went on the run as a single expectant mom. Abandoned by everything she came to know and love, Hagar found herself alone by a well in the wilderness. 

God Sees Hagar 

In this moment, God sees her in need and sends help. An angel appears and gives direction to Hagar to return back to Abraham and Sarah and to trust God to bless her. Hagar’s response, “Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13) 

God Sees You 

Crazy story, right? Hagar did what was acceptable in the culture, but not the wisest decision. Yet God still honors her, blesses her, and sees her. Life isn’t always cut and dry, black and white. It is complex and messy. At the end of the day, life can leave us confused, unloved, and unnoticed. In spite of the situation, God saw her. God sees you. No matter how far you go from God, he still sees you. No matter what you’ve done, El Roi sees you. David knew this when he wrote, “Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)  

Don’t lose sight of your call and purpose because you are in obscurity. Refuse to believe what people say about you. Remember the one who sees you.  

God’s Name for Today

El Roi- “The God who sees” 

אל ראי 

“You are the God who sees me.” -Genesis 16:13 

An Excerpt from Our Newest Devotional

This is an excerpt from our newest devotional, God is for You. It’s a thirty-day devotional of the names of God. if you are looking for some encouragement right now, some hope…check out this devotional. I think it will really encourage your heart.

For more like this, check out my post, God is Working on Your Behalf Today.

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.

Don’t Push People Away

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Sometimes we forget that God uses people in our lives–both the good and the bad. If we don’t let people in our lives to help shape us, we will miss out on who God wants us to be.

Joseph’s Story

Joseph’s story from the Old Testament is pretty familiar. He had some really bad things happen to him. His brothers sold him into slavery. His boss’s wife falsely accused him of trying to force her, and his boss threw him in prison for it. While in prison, he interprets the butler’s dream, who promises to put in a good word with Pharaoh for him. But the butler forgets about Joseph…for two long years.

There are a lot of things that people did to him that would be impossible to forgive. And yet, each of those people played an intricate role in shaping Joseph’s life. Taking it a step further, each of those people helped put him in the position of second in command of all of Egypt.

God Worked in Every Detail

Think about this: If Joseph’s brothers wouldn’t have sold him, he wouldn’t have been in Egypt where Potiphar bought him. If Potiphar hadn’t thrown him in prison, he wouldn’t have met the butler and baker and interpreted their dreams. If the butler hadn’t forgotten about Joseph and left him there for two years, he probably wouldn’t have been able to track Joseph down when Pharaoh needed an interpretation of his dream. God was working behind the scenes in every detail of Jospeh’s life, so that when the time was right, Joseph was able to step into place and save an entire nation from starvation.

Allowing God to Work

We get so frustrated with people when they don’t think like us or do what we want them to do. And when people hurt us? Forget it! They’re dead to us. Yet, God uses all kinds of people to shape us and direct us and challenge us so that ultimately we become who he wants us to be. if we’re not careful though, we can circumvent that process. We can sidestep what God is trying to do, how he’s trying to work when we push people out of our lives.

We can also take it a step further and do this in our kids’ lives. Instead of stepping in all the time, we have to let others help shape our kids and correct them. It’s all part of growing into who God wants them to be.

If we want to be who God’s created us to be and step into the path and plan he has for our lives, we have to allow people to influence us along the way. It may mean putting up with a little more hurt and a little more frustration; but it can also add more love, fulfillment, and contentment in our lives as God uses those people to help shape us into who he wants us to be.

Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post, God Uses Trials to Develop Iron in our Souls. A book to read to know when to allow people to help shape us and when to step away is Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lisa TerKeurst.

My Life isn’t Great

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My life isn’t great. I cringe even as I write those words, but let me finish the thought. My life isn’t great, but it’s really, really good. One of the greatest enemies to good is great, and I think it’s doing a lot of damage in our lives.

A Book I’m Reading

I’m reading and loving When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley and loving it. I love all her books! I’ve been reading it as a part of my morning time routine each morning. The chapter I read this week, entitled Chasing, was so good and really got me thinking about the fact that we chase great instead of good, and that is entirely the problem.

“I keep coming back to good. I want more good, less great. Sometimes good is beautiful…and great can be a little exhausting. Sometimes good feels like a job well done…and great feels like a job never done. Sometimes good is full bellies and happy smiles around a table of paper plates and sandwiches…and great is the complicated monster of a “perfect” meal that stole our joy before we even sat down to eat it. Sometime good is a staycation full of slow memories…and great is that over planned vacation that wasn’t relaxing or fun.”

~Emily Ley

Being Good

Nobody wants to just be good; we want to be great. Nobody wants to do a good job; we want to do an amazing job. But there is so much pressure behind being great.

  • making a great meal
  • having a great home
  • being great at your job
  • being a great mom
  • being great at homemaking
  • being a great neighbor

There is so much pressure behind each one of those. What if we simply replaced great with good?

  • making a good meal
  • having a good home
  • being good at your job
  • being a good mom
  • being good at homemaking
  • being a good neighbor

Maybe you don’t make three-course meals every night, but you made a good dinner last night for your family. You may not be a hotshot employee, but you show up on time and work hard. You’re not supermom. You let your kids drink juice and eat sugary cereal sometimes and even allow them screen time. Gasp! But you’re a good mom who loves your kids and prays for them, and you’re doing the best you can to raise them. You may not be Martha Stewart, but you do your best to keep your house picked up and make it a haven for your family.

Our Home

Let me use our home for illustration. Our home is 1100-square-feet and is connected to our neighbor’s home. It has street parking only, and there’s rarely room on the street for visitors to park. It’s old and needs constant fixing and updating. Yet, it’s a good home. It’s the home that we could afford when the bottom dropped out for us financially. This is the house that we come home to after a long day. It’s the home we’re raising our children in. It houses the dining table that has hosted many people around it, not for amazing meals…but for good meals together. Those people have been friends, church family, neighbors, and even strangers. It’s a really, really good home.

Missing the Good all Around Us

If we are constantly striving for and looking for greatness, we will miss the good all around us.

  • Your children might not be great, but they are good.
  • Your husband may not be great (aka–perfect) at times, but he’s good to you.
  • Your church isn’t great, but it’s really good.
  • Your finances may not be great, but they’re good. There’s food on the table, and for today, that’s enough.

Whatever is in your life, I challenge you to see it as good. Stop striving for more and simply enjoy the good that God has given you, that’s all around you. If we’re not careful, these indicting words will be said about us.

 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 NLT

Encouragement from Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes has so much to say on this topic. It’s one of my favorite books in the Bible. Here’s a few verses to think about:

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT

Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.  And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

I challenge you today to look around you and find the good things in your life and thank God for them and let go of the quest for great.

More Encouragement

For more on this topic, check out my post, Finding the Good Happening in Front of Our Eyes.

6 Things We Can Do for Soul Health

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We got the kids out of bed early yesterday morning, so we could get on the road. Our field trip for the day was the Cape May Zoo, a favorite of ours. It’s a favorite both because it’s an amazing zoo, and it’s free! So it’s a win-win for us. But before the zoo opened at ten, we wanted to spend an hour or so on the beach.

We got there early, before it was too busy. We set up our chairs, and I grabbed my notebook and pen. With an iced coffee in hand, I stared out at the waves and felt the sun warm my skin as I began to write down some ideas for books I want to write. It was so relaxing and peaceful. There’s something about sitting on the beach on a sunny day before it gets too crazy busy. It brings peace to my soul. We stayed for about an hour and a half before it started getting busy.

What Makes You, You

Your soul is the basic essence of what makes you, you. It’s your mind, your emotions, your will. You can add character, feelings, thoughts to that as well. We don’t think about our souls a lot, but the health of our soul is so important. We are the only ones that can protect our souls. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew.

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 NLT

It’s so good to remember that nobody can touch my soul; it’s protected by God. Our soul is what will go with us to Heaven one day. But a challenging thought is that I can touch my soul. I have the power to protect or corrupt my soul.

Be Careful What You Put In

What I put into my mind affects the health of my soul–the things I read, watch, think, believe, the conversations I have. All these things affect me, so I have to guard myself.

Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

Jesus spoke about this idea in Matthew as well.

But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.  These are what defile you…”

Matthew 15:18-20

What we put into us is what is going to come out, and it’s from within that our outward actions of sin start. If we want to protect our soul, we have to watch what we let into our lives. We also have to add good things. What are things we can do practically for soul/heart health?

woman sitting in the sun for soul health

6 Things you can do for soul health:

  1. Develop a morning time routine. Spend the first part of your morning with God.
  2. Set limits for social media and the news, or take a break all together. A steady diet is too overwhelming and sends puts brains on overload.
  3. Listen to uplifting worship music.
  4. Get outside and go for a walk.
  5. Go somewhere that is beautiful–the beach, a garden, a creek, the mountains, a place with a view. Enjoying nature is a great way to give our soul the reset it needs.
  6. Memorize verses.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post What I’m Feeding My Soul.