Still Moments in Busy Seasons
It has quite literally been almost an entire year since I’ve written on this site. I can not believe it. I went from being a person who wrote once or twice a week to someone who wrote only one time in the last almost 365 days. 2017 has been a very long, chaotic and challenging year. We found out we were expecting baby number three in February and welcomed our first daughter into our family on October 10. I never expected that the transition from two kids to three would be as busy and as chaotic as it has.
I knew that there would be an adjustment period, but the busyness and the chaos of having one in school, one at home doing preschool work and a newborn has made my quiet moments and my devotion time very limited. Gone (for now) are the days where I am able to sit and dig deep into scripture for hours and hours without any worries or any interruptions. Instead, my days are spent teaching ABC’s, playing taxi and nursing and/or a newborn every couple of hours.
I don’t think God punishes us or is disappointed in us when we aren’t able to sit and dig deep into His word during seasons of our lives such as the one I’m in now. He knows the end from the beginning and he knows our humanity. We aren’t meant to be perfect this side of eternity. Mothering my children and loving my family well are part of his kingdom work for me during this time period. There will be days again where I can sit and dig and read for hours on end. But, for now, that isn’t possible.
Maybe you don’t have a newborn but find yourself in a busy season of life. I’ve gathered a handful of resources that I use on a daily basis to help me get the most out of the quiet moments that I get. Hopefully, some (or all!) of these will help you as well!
My Give Me Jesus Journal from The Well Watered Women Co.
I have used this journal (or some variety of it..there have been a couple of different versions) for almost three years now. Gretchen had a vision for a journal that would allow women to drink deep from the well of God’s word every day. While the journal is not prompted (which I love), it does have a section for writing down your daily gratitudes, a prayer and blank lines for your scripture study. The newest version is a 90-day hardback design and also includes a tab for notes and one specifically for prayer. This is a great tool for keeping everything organized and together and a beautiful way to look back at God’s faithfulness throughout the course of 90 days.
The Write the Word Journals from Cultivate What Matters
I know it may seem redundant to list more than one journal, but these are a great option when you don’t have a ton of time. It’s one of my favorite “go to” gift ideas as well. They are beautifully designed, made with quality paper and the verses within it are right on point. Lara Casey describes these like this…
We created our Write the Word journals as a place to write out the word of God and thoughts and prayers to help you cultivate your faith. Each journal comes with preselected scripture specific to the topic of the journal so you can cultivate what matters to you, right where you are.
I have the entire new collection on my Christmas list this year and can not wait to dig into the various seasons. No matter what you’re going through right now, I guarantee that there is a journal for you.
The Lettering Prayer Journal by Krystal Whitten
Are we sensing a trend? I am very much a journaler. I believe in the power of the written word and the legacy that scripture and bible study leaves to those who remain when we pass on. There is nothing greater than looking back over the months and years and seeing where God has answered your prayers. When I was doing the study of Fervent I would routinely go back and forth in my prayers to see where God had given an answer. This journal is a great resource and a beautiful addition to my collection of tools for getting the most out of my quiet moments and prayer time. Each week has three pages, broken down into categories for intentional and targetted prayer, checkboxes to mark when God answers requests and so many other fun features. This journal covers 52 weeks (good for a whole year’s worth of prayers) and is not dated, so you can’t go wrong and won’t feel guilty if you miss a week. Krystal has a “try it before you buy it” section on her site as well as a great demo of how to use the journal so be sure to check it out!
The First 5 App
This might be my favorite. I am not an early bird at all. I love my quiet time with the Lord, but I do not like to get up early. I’m the kind of person who would be content with the day not starting until 10:00 am and then not ending until later. I have always been a night owl. Now that I’m up a few times a night nursing a newborn and I spend my day running nonstop with one child or another, I generally don’t slow down once my feet hit the floor. This app has been a literal Godsend in helping me make sure that I give the Lord the first few minutes of my day. Designed with the busyness of the world in mind, this app features a brand new daily devotional straight from the word every single morning. It even has its own alarm clock with a much better tone selection than the traditional alarm clock. The devotions cover specific books of the Bible and there are optional “Experience Guides” you can purchase. I love waking up each morning and knowing that, should I not get to have a deep “sit down” time in the Word, I can fill my heart with scripture first thing.
What are some of your favorite resources for your Quiet Times or Devotionals? I’d love to know what you’re reading or studying! Leave a comment below and let me know!
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