faith

A Few Favorites

Sharing a few recent favorites, from books to moments and everything in between!

Moments

Bath time with Sadie. She’s just so content and cute in the bathtub! We are really loving this bathtub and this shampoo + body wash combo at the moment. There’s nothing like a freshly bathed baby all snuggled up in pajamas. Love it!

My own bath time. Fitting in a shower is tough sometimes! I’ve had a few days where Sadie was content to sit in her rock n play and I’d shower and peek out to find her and Malcolm watching me!

When Jimmy dresses Sadie. He got her all ready before my hematology appointment last week and it was adorable to see which outfit he picked out.

Reading a Christmas Bible study on my Bible app.

Decorating for Christmas. We aren’t putting up a tree this year because we don’t have room (small house + baby gear problems, lol), but we’ve decorated the outside of our house with garland, lights, a flag, and the sign below. We also have some indoor decorations up, which I show at the end of my most recent vlog!

Wooden manger scene Christmas decoration

Crafting. I’ve caught the crafting bug and have a million little projects I want to complete.

(Baby) Books

Baby Signs by Joy Allen. At two months, Sadie is a bit young for sign language, but this is helping me brush up on my signing so I can teach her. I haven’t been consistent about learning it since my Penn State days.

Mama Loves You So by Terry Pierce. Rach gifted me this book and it’s so special!

Mighty Dads by Joan Holub. I gave this to Jimmy for Father’s Day and it’s adorable. We’re excited for Sadie to learn about some of the machinery Jimmy uses.

Babies Love Animals by Scarlett Wing.

I Prayed for You by Jean Fischer. I can’t read this, especially the page picture below, without tearing up!

Cleaning supplies

Seventh Generation disinfectant spray. I love that this doesn’t have to be wiped off after use, even on surfaces where food is being prepped!

Method bathroom cleaner. Smells great and works great.

Full Circle detail cleaning brush. I’ve professed my love for this little tool before. Still loving it! I have one in our bathroom and one in our kitchen.

Blogs and Vlogs 

Enough Part I and Part II by Nicole. Man did I need to read those posts. Nicole is such an amazing writer, too.

Vlogging. I’ve been trying to film a vlog every now and then to document our new life as a family.

Happy Things

My siblings expecting their babies ten days apart from each other! My brother and his wife just announced they’re expecting a baby in May, (as are my sister and her husband!)! Hannah and Racquel’s due dates are ten days apart. So, so excited!

Pregnancy announcement picture

What moments/books/things/etc. are your favorite lately?

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Six Simple Ways I Center My Day On God

In a perfect world, I’d always keep my focus on God and stay connected and in tune with Him. Let’s be honest, though, life just isn’t perfect! I feel like it’s so easy to become disconnected from God in my everyday life if I don’t make a concentrated effort to center my day around Him.

Ways to center your day on God

I have days where I get busy and before I know it, it’s time for bed and I haven’t read my Bible or spent much time talking to God. I can tell you that those days are always tough and filled with anxiety. Yes, I have days where I center my thoughts and mind on the Lord and still have a rough day, but keeping the Lord at the forefront of my life makes all the difference.

I’ve worked on establishing a few daily habits that center my day on God that I want to share. I’m always looking for more, so let me know what you do!

1. Bible and journal first thing in the morning. Before I start my day, I love sitting on the couch or at the kitchen table with my Bible, journal, and a mug of coffee. This is my time to talk with God, read His word, thank Him, and focus for the day.

Starting out the day with my Bible and a pen in my hands instead of my phone has made such a difference in my life! I always finish my mug of coffee and scripture reading time with more clarity and peace than if I hadn’t picked up my Bible.

Coffee and Bible

2. Pray throughout the day. I make an effort to be in prayer throughout the day. If someone comes to mind, I pray for them. If a situation is bothering me, I try and pray about it and then leave it to God. If the news is on, or I have a conversation in the grocery store with someone, those people or situations are in my prayers.

We also have a prayer list from our church pinned up in our kitchen so we can pray for the various needs of the members of our church and their friends and families. Along with that, each night at dinner either Jimmy or I pray before our meal and thank God for getting us through the day and lay our requests before Him together. It sets the tone for our evening together and is really special to us.

3. Listen to Christian music and podcasts. If I have my phone with me while I’m dog walking, cleaning the house, etc., I usually listen to a podcast sermon. If I’m driving, I turn the radio onto the local Christian music station and jam out.

Phone

4. Keep my Bible in front of me. My Bible is pretty much always sitting on our kitchen table. Since I work from home and pet sit, I’m generally able to eat lunch at home. I always try to pop my Bible open and study it while I eat. It definitely beats scrolling on social media and leaves me feeling refreshed and replenished at lunchtime.

5. Read Christian books. This one can be tricky because the book I want to be reading and spending the most time in is my Bible! With that said, supplemental devotional books or even Christian fiction are great options for leisure reading.

Reading book by water

6. Use my phone wisely. If I’m on my phone, I try to spend more time in apps like YouVersion and Bible Lens instead of checking my email or opening social media. If I am on social media, sometimes I’ll post scripture on Instagram or Facebook.

Another way I try to use my phone more wisely is to connect with others! There’s just something about texting a church friend or family member and giving or receiving encouragement that just makes all the difference in my day.

How do you center your day on God?