7 of the Simplest Ways to Make Time for Jesus.

I am totally NOT qualified to write this post. But when has God ever called the "qualified"? So here I am on a day that I chose to watch Netflix during my free time rather than dig deep in my War Room, writing a post about practical ways to spend quality time with the Lord.

Fear not, prayer always precedes a post.

As promised in THIS post, I have 7 practical ways to nurture your relationship with Christ.

1. Get up early.

I know it. I hate this one, too. Especially with Littles who may sleep through the night most of the time, but are somehow instantly wide awake the moment you wake up no matter what dark hour it may be.

The truth is, this isn't always possible depending on your current life chapter. But I believe it is important to give God your day before your feet hit the ground. Daniel did it. David did it. Jesus did it. I'm gonna do it. You might not be able to give Him an hour, but you most definitely can give Him 5 minutes.

My current favorite app (for women) that makes this perfectly doable every single morning is the First Five app by Proverbs 31 Ministries. 5 minutes of meaty goodness, including a challenge and a prayer. There's plenty of other app options with short, simple devotionals. Even the Bible App will send you the verse of the day so the first thing you see on your phone in the morning is a word of encouragement from the Living Word.

2. Stay up late.

Ideally, these first two are either/or but you do what you gotta do! Each phase in life is going to present different difficulties so figure out what you can commit to now and do it. If it means spending 20, 30, 60 extra minutes awake so I can soak up quality time with my sweet Savior, I'm in.

3. Choose a Scripture-heavy devotional.

Don't depend on books. God gave us His Word to train us in righteousness and equip us for His work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). His Word is all we need. But sometimes having a book or bible study or devotional helps us navigate His Word. Keep several on hand in various places. I know I'm not the only mom who hides away every once in awhile. Keep a book in that hiding spot and use that couple of minutes of time to read rather than scroll Facebook. (I am literally talking to myself right now...)

One of my favorites has been considered controversial but I've read it through twice and have yet to find any reason whatsoever to be concerned: Jesus Calling. It is a daily one page devotional, written as if Jesus is speaking. There are verses/passages included that can be the springboard to deeper study.

4. Read and pray with the kids over breakfast.

This has been a habit around here for over a year now. I love it. It's teaching my kids the habit of spending time with the Lord every morning, and I get some extra Jesus time, too. My favorite is reading the Jesus Storybook Bible. I can't tell you how many times I've choked up reading this to my babes. We are currently reading Jesus Calling Bible Storybook which we are thoroughly enjoying. We've also read a Proverb a day and through most of the Psalms at different times. You only have to share their attention with their bowl of cereal, which works wonders in my house!

5. Listen to sermons/podcasts/worship music.

I'll be honest, I don't do this well. Okay, I don't really do any of these well! But I really believe God is prodding me in this direction. Many churches have previous sermons posted on their websites. (Check out ours!) I've recently gotten into "The Busy Mom" podcast. A friend recommended "The Gospel Coalition."

This is key: be careful what you listen to. Take a few minutes to research and be sure the speaker/preacher is a Bible-toting Jesus freak, and nothing less. Avoid, no RUN from the prosperity-gospel-types, and don't waste your valuable time with the light-on-truth, heavy-on-entertainment types.

6. Display Scripture throughout your home.

Whether it's a sticky note on the bathroom mirror or a gorgeous wood disk your husband made for you, find a way to display the Words of God. Fill your home with the name of Jesus.

7. Open your Bible.

These tips are by no means profound. In fact, while they aren't necessarily easy, they are ridiculously simple. The bottom line, you have to make the time. Every chapter in life has its own difficulties and obstacles. Don't make the mistake of saying you'll be more committed to the Lord when the kids are older or the job slows down or you're done watching that series on Netflix. The time is now.

Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you. Colossians 3:16

Tell me: How do you make time for Jesus? Please share your wisdom in the comments!

The Main Reason We Homeschool (with a Book Review + Giveaway!)

There are so many reasons why people homeschool. Derek and I have several reasons ourselves. But above all other reasons out there, our main reason for homeschooling is to take advantage of the opportunity to obey this Scripture:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

I believe these verses can be followed homeschooling or not. But God has laid it on our hearts to keep our kids home.

Bible class generally happens over breakfast. Just keeping it real, my friends.

With this being the most important reason for homeschooling, that probably means I need to make sure I'm actually teaching God's Word day in and day out. While it is pretty easy for me to talk spiritual things throughout the day, it has not always been easy for me to find a good Bible curriculum. So I was excited to receive this book and be given the opportunity to give my honest review -

The Bible is My Best Friend Family Devotional

The great news is, it's not even meant for homeschooling families in particular. It is set up to do one lesson a week as a family. So simple and so very doable! And those are key ingredients to just about anything I'll allow in my life! Especially when it comes to cooking dinner...

Anyway

Each lesson has a memory verse with a devotional.

I love the discussion questions. Every question the kids are supposed to ask the parents are tough. The kind that make you be honest with your kids. The kind that make you be honest with yourself. If you know me at all, you know this is very important to me. The author (Sheila Walsh) nailed it on these for sure!

There's also fun activity suggestions and weekly challenges.

Two final thoughts on the book:
1. Marie, at 7 years old, seems to be just about the right age to begin this book. The boys are definitely gleaning from it, but Marie does most of the question answering.
2. It is only one lesson a week. This does not "fill your quota" as a Christian parent! The name of JESUS should be spoken within the walls of your home every single day, multiple times a day! But this book offers a simple way to get the whole family together for focused time in the Word. The rest of the week for "Bible class," we generally read a Psalm and practice some of our memory verses. Marie also does her own devotions.

We've been so pleased with this book which makes me super excited to offer it to one lucky winner! Yay, new book smell! And if you don't end up being that lucky winner, or simply don't want to wait, order one straight from Family Christian just in time for Christmas!

Follow the Rafflecopter below for your entries! Only one is required - share with me your ideas for making JESUS a part of your every single day.

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Giveaway ends in ONE WEEK!