Tag Archives: journaling

Jumpstart Your Morning Time Routine

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morning time routine

Morning Time Routine Reboot

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

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

My Morning Time Routine

1.Light a candle

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

2. Make coffee

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

3. Pick a colored pen

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

4. Journal

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

5. Read my Bible or a Devotional

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

6. Read a book

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

7. To-Do List

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

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

More Encouragement

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

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.

Today’s Standing Stones

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Standing Stones in the Bible

Standing stones
photo credit: Simon Hattinga Verschure

In Old Testament times, when God wanted His people to remember an event or a place, he would have them erect standing stones. They would bring large stones and stack them into a pillar. This would make a memorial that would commemorate that event or place for generations to come. I just read about this in my morning time this week. After the children of Israel crossed the Jordan, God commanded Joshua to have the people create a memorial.

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Joshua 4:4-7 KJV

Why did God ask the children of Israel several times to stack stones to remember events by? God knew they would forget. He didn’t want them to forget the mighty acts that He did for them. Not only did he want them to remember the event or place, He wanted their children to see the standing stones and ask what they were for. When they did, the parents could tell them what great act God had done there.

Remembering by Writing It Down

Over two thousand years later, God no longer asks us to put up standing stones. Yet, He wants us to remember when He works on our behalf. Here’s the problem, though: we’re forgetful. We quickly forget what God did for us in one season of life. Maybe He comes through in a big way financially for us. Later, we face a similar situation, and we automatically fear that God won’t come through for us. How many times do we fear the same thing over and over again? Yet God comes through every time.

Often, we forget what God has done in the past simply because we don’t write it down. There’s something about writing things down that helps it to stick with us. It’s often been said…

The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.

If we want to remember something, we need to write it down. If we want to remember how God worked for us in the past, we must write it down. What’s the best way to do that? Journaling.

Journaling

I am a huge advocate of journaling. That’s why I created the Faithfully Stepping Journal. Every morning, the first thing I do in my journal is to write down what I am thankful for. Every day I have a chance to record what God did for me the day before. Most days it’s not something huge. But the times when God does come through in a big way, I write it down the next morning in my journal.

When I get discouraged, I simply flip through the pages of my journal. It reminds me of all the good God has done for me, whether that be something little or something huge. Whenever I finish a journal, I flip back through it and remind myself once again of all that God did for me during the past six months.

What’s really fun is to find an old journal from several years ago and flip through it. I am reminded of so many blessings. The blessings range from small to huge…the baby finally slept through the night, the kids are feeling better today, a new family joined the church, we received a check in the mail, Malachi got saved yesterday.

Getting into the habit of writing down God’s blessings every day helps so that you don’t miss any, whether they are big or small.

A Pen and a Journal

We no longer have to build standing stones. We simply have to pick up a pen and a journal. When we remember all the ways that God has provided for us and blessed us in the past, it is much easier to trust Him with the future.

Faithfully Stepping Journals

Faithfully Stepping Journals~ Available on Amazon

If you’re interested in my Faithfully Stepping Journals, you can snag one HERE. These six-month journals use an easy format to help you grow in your relationship with God using journaling, Bible reading, and prayer time.

Journaling Page
An inside look at the Faithfully Stepping Journal

My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time

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basket with candle and mug

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.

  1. Gratitude. I write down at least three things I am thankful for today.
  2. 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?
  3. 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.

  1. Read one chapter of Proverbs each day.
  2. Read a chapter from Psalms each day.
  3. Pick a Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and read one chapter a day.
  4. Start in Genesis and read a chapter a day through the entire Bible.
  5. 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
  6. 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!

The Best Part of a Beach Vacation

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Matt with our crazies at the beach

Summertime at the Beach

It’s summertime! For us, that means it’s time to pack up and head to the beach for a few days. There are a few reasons I love going to the beach for a week. First of all, it’s a change of pace. I get to take a break from schedules, to-do-lists, and pressures. I get to spend more time playing with my kids and talking with my husband and extended family. Second, it’s a change of place. Because I am not at home, I don’t have as many responsibilities to tend to. I get extra time to read and relax.

My Favorite Thing to Do at the Beach

But my most favorite reason for spending a week at the beach is the chance to get closer to God. My favorite thing to do is to get up early in the morning, make a cup of coffee, grab my Bible and my journal and head outside to the patio. Outside I feel the cool breeze and hear the lull of the waves. I soak in the peace and quiet and beauty of the early morning and begin the best part of my day.

I open my journal and write down my praises, my sins to confess, and my prayer requests for the day. Next, I pray through those; then I usually spend a few extra minutes just talking to God and telling Him what’s on my heart. After that, I take a few minutes to be quiet and still. Finally, I open my Bible and read.

The peace that I feel when I have finished my morning time with God is amazing. It is always good to spend time with God, but there is something extra special about it at the beach! I always feel closer to God when I am at the beach. I love that feeling of closeness.

Getting Closer to God

One morning while I was at the beach, I read James chapter 4 and came across a familiar verse.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

I love this verse, and I spent a few minutes thinking about it. This verse is so simple, yet so profound. Sometimes I come to a point where I feel so far away from God. I feel like He doesn’t hear me, like He isn’t there for me. During these times, I need to remember that God hasn’t gone anywhere; He is still right where He was. It’s me that’s moved. Maybe I have gotten too busy to hear His voice in the rush of things, maybe I haven’t spent as much time as I need to in my morning time with Him, or maybe sin has separated me from feeling His presence. Whatever the case, this verse is a reminder to draw close to God once again. I need to stop the craziness, grab my Bible and journal, and spend some quality time talking to God, listening to Him, and reading His Word.

The beach is my favorite place to get closer to God, but I don’t have to be at the beach for that to happen. I simply have to choose to take the time and effort to draw close to God, and He in turn will draw close to me.

 

 

 

Comfort for a Discouraged Heart

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Bible open to passage

Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us… II Corinthians 7:6

 

 

I needed this reminder this morning. God comforts me when I am cast down. How does He do it? The word comforteth means to “call near, to invite.” When I am depressed or discouraged, God calls me near and invites me to spend time with Him. Only after I spend time with Him can I receive His comfort.

When one of my kids is sad, I usually pull them up on my lap and talk to them and cuddle with them. This nearness of physical touch combined with letting them tell me what is on their heart is what encourages them and changes their sad heart to a happy heart. I think it’s the same with God. He wants us to come near to Him and tell Him why we are sad. Spend some time with Him and let Him encourage my sad heart.

How does this work practically? For me this morning, it looked like this…I made a good cup of coffee, grabbed my journal, my Bible, and a pen and sat down and spent some time praying, reading, and journaling. By the time I was done, my heart was encouraged, and I felt ready to face the day. Doing this habit every day is what keeps me going. It recalibrates my heart and my spirit and gives me what I need to get through my day. I also find that I am so much more productive on the days I spend time with God first!

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