Hymns: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

  

           I grew up listening to hymns…exclusively. “Back then” (because I’m old enough to use that phrase regularly now), hymns were the only songs used in congregational singing at church, and they were also what we listened to at home and on the radio.

            By junior high, I was ready to properly rebel against those “boring old songs,” and launched a personal initiative to bring in the modern tunes of Sandi Patty and Steve Green. I went through a multi-year period of resisting everything about the hymns I’d always known, but thankfully Bill Gaither saw fit to use them on the Gaither Homecoming recordings, and somehow when done Gaither-style, they held much more appeal to me. Before I even realized it, I was drawn to hymns again.

            I’ve come full circle now, and hymns are not only dear to me, but they are preferable to most current music. (Not all, but most.) I thought I would randomly share here some that are meaningful to me in this season of my life, and today is one of those days.

            Over the last year, the Lord has been teaching me so much about putting my focus on the things that He wants to matter most to me. I say it that way, because I believe He has different “things that matter most” for different people. I believe He places passions in our hearts that draw us toward the work He wants us to do in this world.

            But as He has worked in my heart on this subject, I keep coming back to the chorus of the hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

            Even though the things that matter most to me from an earthly perspective might be different than the things that matter to you, what should matter most to both of us is a full view of the Face of Jesus.

            God has been teaching me to “look full in His wonderful face” by showing me I can see Him all around me. When Ryan and I were in Florida for our anniversary, I stood on the shore, day after day, with my eyes closed, just listening to waves crashing against earth. I felt the wind blowing my hair, buried my toes in cold, wet sand, and I looked full in His wonderful face. I opened my eyes and saw pointy palm leaves tossing in the wind, birds scampering effortlessly down the beach, and the sunshine darting in and out of clouds, and I looked full in His wonderful face. I met people created by the same God Who created me, celebrated the love I share with Ryan, and I looked full in His wonderful face.

            In those moments, the things of earth grew dim. Lists grew dim. Obligations grew dim. Everything grew dim in the light of His glory and grace. And that is my prayer for this month, especially. There are many things of earth clamoring for my attention. They are good, worthy, and sometimes necessary things. I’m certainly not about to ignore them entirely. But my prayer is that their claim over my attention will dim in comparison to the glory and grace of God and His love. 

Sunday Sentiments: Flourishing in the Frozen

 

When Ryan and I were married a decade ago, we said we should just stay in Florida. December in a warm state is quite a draw. 

When we went back to Florida for our 5^th anniversary, we said we should just stay. 

And when we went back last month, even though we didn’t go quite as far south and the weather wasn’t quite as warm, we once again questioned why we live so far north.

In fact, shortly before we left to come home from our 10^th anniversary trip, we ran into a gentleman who does sand sculptures on the beach. We talked to him for a while and learned he is originally from Michigan. He said he moved to Florida more than a dozen years ago and hasn’t looked back. He told us we should move south and promised we would never regret it.

 I have a feeling he’s not wrong.

 In fact, we heard the same story from several people we met around Florida.

 Yet here we are, living in the Midwest and its wintry offerings. And even though I’d dearly love to shed my heavy coat, gloves, and cute winter hat, there are also things I love about living in the land of four full seasons – even when one of them is brutally cold.

 I’ve been asking the Lord how I can flourish in the frozen. Not just survive it until spring springs…with its gorgeous delicate flower buds and first hints of leaves…but really flourish in fullness. Even when the wind bites until I can’t catch my breath, even when all the layers still aren’t enough, even when I have to pull out the shovels and ice scrapers…how can I truly flourish?

Here’s what I came up with and hope to live out in his cold winter season.

·         Focus – One of the best parts of being mostly confined to the inside is the way the narrowing of my world also narrows my focus. I see fewer things in quite a literal sense, so it allows me (pushes me?) to focus on matters of the heart and home.

·         Laugh – Because Ryan and I are winter-sequestered in the house together, we have plenty of time to laugh, and that indeed brings life and joy. We can look at scrapbooks of memories and laugh over the good times we have enjoyed. We can watch funny movies and TV shows and laugh over those. We can laugh at Lexi, who is funnier than I ever knew a dog could be. Yes, laughter is good winter medicine.

·         Organize – It’s one of my favorites, and we both know I do this year-round, but the winter months push me to organize the inside of our home. That brings me great calm and comfort!

·         Unwind – On the days when it’s too cold to walk outside and the roads are too snowy and icy to drive safely, unwinding at home is the perfect way to rest and rejuvenate. I struggle to unwind when I know there’s much to do, but when the muchness is limited by the frozen outside, unwinding feels so much more permissible.

·         Read – There isn’t a right or wrong time to read, but when darkness falls early and the nights are cold, the time seems perfect to grab a book and learn…or escape to warmer climates tucked between pages.

·         Improve – Maybe a new hobby, maybe the rebirth of an old one laid aside in warmer days – whatever the source, these cold days are perfect for finding something to improve in your life. Improve a character trait. Improve a skill. Improve whatever the Lord leads you to do!

·         Steady – Life isn’t always about adding items or starting new adventures. Sometimes it’s about staying steady and holding on. If the frozen seems to paralyze you and beginning or adding just overwhelms, never fear. Hold steady to what you already do, have, and know!

·         Hope – God is the God of hope, and that is true in any and every season. But when January seems unending and dark, hang onto the hope that spring WILL come. Seasons are just that – seasons. They don’t last forever.

A    And that is one of the things I love most about living in the land of four distinct seasons. They don’t last forever. This frozen winter may seem long, but spring is on its way. Flourish in the frozen now and when the new season comes, flourish in it too!

Psalm 115:14 – May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children.

Saturday Suggestions

 

Another Saturday is upon us, and I have a few gems for you today. Hopefully they help punctuate some of the things I’ve written about this week!

ONE. 

Last Sunday, I talked about living intentionally. I get frustrated with most books and articles on this subject, because most of them don’t approach the topic from any kind of biblical standpoint. I was pleased to find this one, which includes helpful Scripture references and keeps God at the center of living intentionally. That’s as it should be, and I came away from the writer’s words encouraged to live intentionally – for God, not for my own desires. If you need a little extra encouragement in this area, these words might be for you!

TWO. 

Earlier in the week, I talked about time blocking and why I tried using it – and why it isn’t a fit for me right now. Even though it didn’t end up working for me, I wanted to share the post where I downloaded a free toolkit to use for my weekly blocking. Even if you ultimately want to try a digital blocking plan, this toolkit can help you try it – if you want to see if it could work for you!

THREE. 

Last Saturday I mentioned that sometimes it’s easier to remember something you’re trying to embrace in your life when you put reminders in front of your face. (Remember the water bottle that said faith?) If you’re struggling to remember that good things are not always the Godly things, I have something that might help! I follow Elly and Grace on Instagram and think they have some awfully cute shirts! This sweatshirt says “Jesus is enough,” and I really love it. Not only are sweatshirts a staple in my life at this time of year, but these words remind me that Jesus is absolutely the only thing I need. Not Jesus and coffee. JUST Jesus.

FOUR. 

The tea I purchased for my adventures in learning to love hot tea came from the Spice and Tea Exchange, but last year I gifted Lynnette some tea from Eden and Vine, and she said she really loved it. Eden and Vine is a magazine I follow on Instagram. (I think it looks so beautiful, but I haven’t had random fun money to subscribe yet.) They also sell loose leaf tea, and she said it was delicious. So if you’re in need of a place to get quality tea, check out what they have! And if you’re looking for a faith-based magazine with rich, cozy content, you might even want to look into the magazine!

FIVE. 

If you’re in my camp of needing new towels, washcloths, or napkins for your kitchen, you can check out what we’re planning to get! Your color scheme may be a little different, but most of them come in multiple colors. Here are the towels, here are the washcloths, and here are the napkins. I’m excited to update our collection!

SIX. 

Yesterday I encouraged you to take pictures of winter’s beauty. Today I encourage you to find a way to look at them! Don’t just let the pictures sit on your computer or in your phone. Display them! My favorite way to look back over pictures is to look at my scrapbooks, but there are so many other options available! I like to use Shutterfly (though there are many other similar companies) and with them, you can make calendars, blankets, pillows, wall art, mugs, and so much more. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on art for your home (unless you just want to). You can make art from what you’ve captured. It’s a beautiful way to live immersed in the stories you’ve lived! Several of the art pieces in our home are photographs we have taken in this last decade.

Celebrating Winter's Beauty: The Pursuit of Photos

 

            Is it too soon to wish for spring? I confess I am ready. This winter has already been long and dreary. (I have been thankful it hasn’t been extremely cold, except for that one little stretch right before Christmas!) But even though my heart still wishes for days of warm sun (or wintering in a sunnier state), I cannot deny the stunning beauty of winter in all its glory.

            If you can bundle up enough, catch your breath against the icy air, and see even when the wind pushes into your face, the sights of unmarred winter views are such a gift.

            I do love a proper winter photo shoot, but each time I go out, I find myself wondering if it matters. Does one snow really look that different from another? How many times can I photograph a leaf – up close – with snow resting on its fragile surface?

            Though the same, each winter is different. Each landscape is distinctive. Even every leaf is as unique as the snowflakes that land on it. They’re worth visiting and capturing in photos.

            The first couple of years Ryan and I were married, we had polar vortex-level winters. We lived in Marion and played in the snow in our backyard, made snow-cream, and dug ourselves out when the snow fell tall and drifted taller. We stuck a ruler in the snow and measured the accumulation, and we watched as the branches of the evergreen trees along the alley bent beneath the weight of white.

            We moved to Kokomo, and I marveled at the beauty of snow falling against the backdrop of the woods across the road from our house. We went sledding down the icy driveway of the neighbor a couple of doors down. I watched birds flock to the pear tree in the front yard, looking for respite from the biting wind. It was picturesque in new-to-us ways, and I captured all of it.

            Then we went to WillowBridge, and while shoveling a parking lot by hand dampened the joy of snowfalls, the movie-esque town was stunning in snowfall. We took quiet walks late at night – across town to get the mail – and marveled at the beauty of snow on old-fashioned buildings. Our beloved meadow, where we so often walked and talked, was a winter wonderland. We had fun on the sledding hill and watched baby Lexi bound along the path, joyfully exploring the new-fallen snow.

            I’m so glad we’ve captured these places we’ve called home – in their snowbound beauty. We’ve moved on to new chapters, written by the Lord, but we have the photo-captured memories of winters in other seasons of life, homes, and calendar years.

            And it’s not just our own homes we’ve captured. Nita’s stunning log cabin in the woods never looked more majestic than it did in the snow.

            Seeing the awe-inspiring Biltmore Estate blanketed by snow was an unscripted travel memory we will never forget.

            Enjoying our Beloved prayer chapel against the backdrop of snow was a perfect way to celebrate our marriage.

            Winter is fierce, but it’s also fiercely beautiful. Take the pictures. Capture the snowfalls and drifts, the icicles and encrusted puddles, and the pops of color against the white blankets. Capture it all. Capture the memories and beautiful views.

            As the years roll by and things about life change, you’ll be so glad to look back on the pictures you took and remember the memories that accompany them!

A Kitchen Reimagined

  

           When I moved into my first home, a couple of months after graduating from college, my sisters and my niece helped me unpack the boxes marked Kitchen. Everything that appeared from beneath the flaps of the boxes was a surprise to me because it had been packed away for the last four years. When my grandma died during my senior year of high school, many of her kitchen items found their way into storage to await my entry into the real world. The rest of my family already had stocked kitchens in full operation, so other than taking items they wanted for sentimental value, they didn’t need most of what filled her kitchen.

            Ironically, those boxes of Grandma’s kitchen gadgets were unpacked right back into the kitchen where they lived when they were packed up in the first place. It was a true hodge-podge of everyday dishes, silverware, mugs, baking dishes, and more. There wasn’t a theme to be found, but it didn’t bother me. I was just thrilled to have a full kitchen!

            In the ten-plus years I lived there alone, I tried to create a theme of colors and designs. I started with a flowery garden theme and then moved to coffee.

            Then Ryan and I were married, and we piled a mix of wedding gifts and items from his house into our already-overflowing tiny galley-style kitchen. We tried to change the colors and the decorating theme a time or two, but I’m not sure we were entirely successful in making it all cohesive.

            Along the way, which has included a decade of years and half as many moves, we’ve worked to make our kitchen more streamlined, efficient, and color coordinated. We’ve gotten rid of the things we never used. We’ve simplified the number of some items. (Did we really need six 9x13 dishes for two people?) We’ve carefully chosen things we really love and want – the things that reflect us, our space, and our lifestyle. It’s been a slow curating process, but we’ve made progress. We aren’t done, either. Our upcoming move will push us to purposefully comb through everything again.

        I'm really excited to put together our new kitchen and see where things live and how our life functions in that space. Every kitchen we've had has been incredibly different in space and layout, and this one is yet another design to navigate!

            Our changes are not just about the space and layout, though. As I did laundry a few weeks ago, I noticed our washcloths and towels were looking…sad. Some are relics from when I was first out on my own over twenty years ago. Some were wedding gifts. Others are a little too loved and don’t have much life left in them. Most are a mash-up of colors no longer found in our kitchen.

            I decided right then that the next step in reimagining our kitchen will be to overhaul the linens. My sister gifted me new potholders and oven mitts for my birthday last year, so bringing in washcloths, towels, and cloth napkins with a similar scheme will be a great next step in making our kitchen a place of beauty and simplicity.

            Please know that I certainly don’t imagine you care if I’m changing the color of my kitchen towels. Why, then, am I sharing this update with you?

            Maybe it will be some inspiration for you! Kitchens are catch-all rooms. All the cabinets and drawers and pantry storage spaces make it far too easy to hide things away and either forget or ignore them. Then you move or declare a cleanout day and realize just how out of control the whole kitchen collection has become. I want to challenge you to reimagine your kitchen space at the start of this new year.

            Is it a place that you enjoy? Do the things taking space in those cabinets and drawers serve you well? Do you need to pare down? Throw out and replace? Add something you’ve been wanting? See the whole room with new vision to make it a gathering place for your home?

            You may not be in the middle of a move, but you are in the middle of a fresh-start year. What a perfect time to reimagine your kitchen space and make it a place you love to spend time!

Experimenting with Hot Tea

 

            This story started a dozen or more years ago. I was still single, living in Marion, and I often spent my evenings walking from my home to the athletic fields on the Indiana Wesleyan campus. One trip around the loop equaled a mile, so it was easy to measure my exercise. Even before I toyed with running, I would walk back there, enjoying the solitude that still felt safe.

            On my trek to the fields, I’d pass a small campus-owned group of duplexes. Back then, they were housing for upperclassmen, and in the summers, they housed students who stayed around for classes or work. (I actually lived there the summer between my junior and senior years!)

            A trio of girls lived in one of the duplexes, and they often sat on their front porch in the evenings, drinking tea and talking while they watched the world on the edge of campus. They would wave at me as I walked past, and one night, one of them called out to me to ask my name.

            I paused to talk to them for a while, and they asked if I liked tea. I told them I liked iced tea, but not hot tea. They told me it was because I’d never had good hot tea, and then they asked if they could have me over for tea sometime.

            So one evening I walked to their duplex and they invited me in for a proper tea party. I was skeptical, but I admit, they impressed me. They were true tea connoisseurs, with glass jars filled with various flavors of loose-leaf tea. They had metal tea strainers, little porcelain tea sets, and so much knowledge about the world of tea.

            They asked about some of my flavor preferences, and I watched in admiration as they put together a loose-leaf tea blend just for me. I watched it steep, and they added some cream for me – which I did not even know was part of a tea experience.

            It was the best tea I’d ever had, and it was the first time I knew college students could have a beverage appreciation for anything other than energy drinks, coffee, or alcohol!

            I wish I’d had more time with those girls, because I do believe they could have taught me so much more about tea, but they graduated and moved away before we could have more tea parties. I also wish I had pictures of this adventure, but it was before the days of over-documenting, so I don't. (I’m still friends with two of them on social media, and it has been a joy to watch them mature into talented young women!)

            Though Ryan and I have always been – and probably always will be – coffee champions, Ryan has been branching out into the world of hot tea lately. Part of it started when he wrestled with a cold last fall, and part of it has stemmed from our small group members, who love hot tea and drink it regularly on the nights we get together for fellowship.

            I’m much like Lexi in the fear of being left out, so I decided 2023 would be my year to learn to like hot tea. I remembered those girls from the duplex and the joy of loose-leaf tea, so I decided to start there. If I’m going to do this thing, I’m going to do it right.

            When we were in Florida for our anniversary trip, I happened upon a Spice and Tea Exchange store. I moved around the perimeter of the store, opening glass jars and inhaling blends. I ended up choosing a chai sampler packet containing chocolate chai black tea, fireside spice oolong tea, and spiced chai mate. Ryan gifted me a tea strainer in my stocking at Christmas, and I was excited to try my hand at tea!

            The first time I tried it, I chose chocolate chai. My GOODNESS, it smelled so delicious as I spooned it into the strainer. I tried drinking it just as it was, and it was too bitter – even with all the really delightful spices in it. (It contains black chocolate tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves, so the aroma is absolutely delightfully spicy in all the best ways.) I added some honey, and that did help. The next time, I skipped the honey and moved on to adding a little cream. I liked it – but it was still a very different experience than drinking coffee. 

            Then I tried the Spiced chai with cream, and THAT hit the spot. This one contains yerba mate tea, green rooibos tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, orange, lemongrass, aniseed, almond, mango, blue cornflower, pineapple, and papaya. YUM!! I realized after the first try that I hadn't steeped it long enough. (It called for a longer time than the chocolate chai.) So I tried again, but to be honest, it tasted the same.

            I’m going to keep pushing through to learn to love hot tea one way or the other, but I have also learned about myself that my first love is and probably always will be coffee. I’m always going to be more of an iced tea girl than a hot tea girl, but I do feel I can properly appreciate some version of hot tea so I don’t have to miss out on the fun!

The Idolatry of Good Things

 

I try to find a quote for my day planner each day. It’s my way of pushing myself to, in the middle of the social media scrolling, find things that are worth remembering.

Back in November, I found this quote, written by Sarah Valentour, and while it is a little on the lengthy side, it also holds a powerful message.

The idolatry of good things devalues our relationship with God by exalting something of this world to His plane in our hearts. Our lives feel incomplete without this good thing, and we feel deep despair when thinking about never having it. Slowly, it rises higher and higher in our minds until it becomes the thing we think we can’t live without.

The idolatry of good things neglects our relationship with God, because it steals our time. We warp this good and beautiful thing that we so desperately want into something that consumes our days and our every thought.

The idolatry of good things creates bitterness toward God. Since we know that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord, we can fall into the assumption that anything good that’s missing in our lives is being withheld from us. We look at what we lack and view it as punishment or neglect rather than as providence or a season of waiting.

Such conviction!

My list-loving self makes project lists and wish lists and dream lists, and while I don’t think those things are sinful in and of themselves, I can see how they bring about the potential to yearn for things of this earth more than the God Who made the earth and all that is in it.

 For example, yesterday I shared with you about my experiment with time blocking. It was a good thing in theory, but it became an idol. It stole time away from my focus on the Lord, and it wasn’t worth it.

May nothing in this world – whether job or house or possession or person or practice – matter more to me than my relationship with the Lord and the reality of all He has done and provided. May my thoughts be focused on Him above all else. May I find contentment in what He has seen fit to offer me and trust that it is all I need.

May the good things never elevate above that level: good. May I appreciate them for the joy and beauty they offer, but may they never fully captivate my soul.

Time Redeemed: The Beauty of Giving Up Time Blocking

 

I have a confession to make at the start of this post. I originally titled it “Time Redeemed: The Beauty of Time Blocking.” You’ll notice now that I’ve inserted the phrase “Giving Up” in the middle of that title.

Why? Well, you’re about to see why in greater detail, but I want you to know that my ultimate goal writing in this space each day is to show you the reality of our lives. I don’t want to delete things simply because they didn’t end up being tied with a pretty red bow. I tried something new and had every reason to believe it would be a perfect fit into our lives, but in the end, it wasn’t. I recognize that it might be just what you need, so I’m still going to share about it, but I’m also going to share why it wasn’t right for us!

If you’ve been reading here long, you know I am quite the fan of lists, color-coding, planners, itineraries, alphabetizing, label making, and anything else that represents organization and efficiency.

I wasn’t always that way. If you could have known me as a child, you would have held out little hope that I would ever get my act together. My room was a disaster area, and it could have qualified for federal assistance if my parents had turned it in, I’m sure. I lived in chaos, with piles everywhere. I once had a bookcase literally topple over in my room, because I had loaded it down so improperly with junk that it couldn’t stand anymore. (This was back before we knew furniture in kids’ rooms should be fastened to the wall.)

But now, thankfully, I am aware of organization and quite the advocate for it. I’m always looking for ways to increase my life-organization, and sometimes people roll their eyes and say I’m too overboard. It used to hurt, but I’ve decided not to let it bother me anymore.

Last November, when Ryan and I went to Ohio for Love INC training, one of the presenters talked about the virtues of time blocking. I’d heard of it and had even mildly participated in it when I worked at WBCL. Jamie, who had my job before me, was even more organized than I, and she had her online calendar set up in color-coded time blocking. I just didn’t know that’s what it was. I continued to use her system to drive my work days, even after she left.

So what is time blocking, and how is it different from a to-do list? How does it work with (or not work with) a to-do list?

Time blocking is exactly what it sounds like. It’s all about blocking out sections of your day for specific purposes, but the blocks are general. To-do lists are the specifics of what fill the blocks of time.

For example, if you have an hour-by-hour calendar of the day in front of you, you might block out from 6-7 a.m. for your morning routine. That’s the time block. In that time, your to-do list might include making coffee, having breakfast, taking a shower, doing your hair, getting dressed, and putting on your makeup.

Time blocking and list making each serve as a means of accountability and organization, but they function in different ways.

When we went to our Love INC training, I was just a month away from starting my new job, and I knew it would be extremely important for me to manage my time well, not just in working from home, but also in balancing a full-time job alongside our personal life. While I didn’t want to give up my beloved lists, I decided to add time blocking to see if it would help me make the best use of my days.

It did not.

I want to tell you what I learned from it, though!

·       *   Flexibility can be a struggle for me, so I tried hard not to make my blocks of time TOO specific. I tried to define them loosely enough that I could breathe, yet specifically enough to accomplish what needs done. But immediately,

·       *   I blocked not just my work time but also my personal time with Ryan. I was trying to help us view our time together as a valuable appointment. (It’s probably a whole separate post topic, but sometimes we struggle to protect our time as much as we should. Things come up, people ask us to do things, and not everyone understands that “our time” matters too.)

·       *   I reminded myself that time blocking is a silicone plan, not a cast iron plan. The results may stretch in strange directions, and not feel solid at all, but it’s okay. It’s still capable of holding my plans and making room where needed. That is, after all, the beauty of the whole thing.

Why didn’t it work for us?

·      *    Maybe if I had tried this in a different season, it would have been fine. For us, right now, trying to juggle two jobs, a puppy, and a move, it was too constricting to create this plan and then see it change constantly. It brought me more stress than relief, and I decided that was counterintuitive to the entire point.

·       *   I made a paper block, and that meant it simply could not be easily changed. Though I typically loathe the digital version of anything, I can see how in this exercise, a digital version would offer more flexibility.

·        *  It took me over an hour to even MAKE the plan, and that’s an hour I could use somewhere else.

My biggest success in this experiment was giving myself permission to let go of something because I saw it wasn’t working for us at this time. Maybe one day, I’ll try again. But for now, this just wasn’t a fit. However…if you want to try, check out this video, and it was pretty helpful for me in understanding how to set up a block. Check it out if you want to learn more!

Sunday Sentiments: An Intentional Life

When we lived in Kokomo, it was common to see cars around town with a 1/168 window sticker displayed. It took me a while to hear the story behind the sticker, but I finally learned it! They were from one of the churches in town and represented the number of hours we spend in church each week (1) in comparison to the number of hours in a week (168). The stickers were meant to challenge people to consider how they spent the rest of their 168 hours every week.

It’s a question I ask myself regularly, but especially at the start of a new year. Am I being intentional with the days I have been given to live? Am I choosing to use my time on things that matter over the long term or am I whittling away the hours in ways I’ll never recover?

I have one week of 2023 behind me, and I pray I have used it intentionally. (This has been a literal matter of prayer for me. I don’t just throw that out as a figure of speech.)

·        I have been intentional in spending time growing my relationship with the Lord. That includes Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, and spending time in the fellowship of other believers.

·        I have been intentional in our marriage, making my time with Ryan a priority and trying to show Ryan – in tangible ways – how much I love him and value our marriage.

·        I have been intentional in my new work, devoting myself to learning as much as I can about this field, so I can do my very best to be a meaningful employee.

·        I have been intentional about reading at least a little bit every single day – chipping away at the book challenge I selected!

·        I have been intentional in exercising each day. This was a goal Ryan and I decided to make a priority after wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many months of not elevating it to the importance it should have had.

·        I have been intentional in resting, which is something that probably most consider to be a waste of those 168 hours, but it matters. I can’t be intentional about the other areas if I’m too exhausted. Rest is crucial.

·        I have been intentional in prayer, writing down the things I’m committing to the Lord and nailing them to the Surrender Cross that hangs in our home.

This week was 1/52 for the year. Each hour I spend is 1/168 for the week. May I use each of them this year to the fullest for the glory of God! Join me?