The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Jen Stanbro.

When I’m sitting in the quiet of the morning, anticipating the tasks of a new day, the first part of my plan is to listen. And I listen in order to plan everything else. God is not a part of my day, rather, I am a part of His. He made plans for this day long before I opened my eyes. I’m His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that I should walk in them (Eph. 2:10). So I lay down my goals, my plans, and my stresses, ...

This post is by Patty Lewis.

Our son is 13 years old and a fine young man.  For a while now, he has been choosing to read a Proverb a day.  Sometimes I sit with him and we read together.  It continues to amaze me how much wisdom is packed into every verse and chapter. 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. 

Proverbs 16:9

It is a verse like this that gives me great pause to think.  In my heart I do plan my course.  Then the verse says, “but” and remin...

This post is by Victoria Duerstock.

And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. (Luke 9:10-13, KJV)

My current Bible r...

This post is by René Bancroft.

"I just don't have the time."

It is an all too common sentence in our daily life that brings about temporary relief when we haven't done something we want to do or that we need to do.

I was recently chatting on facetime with my middle daughter, and she shared something quite impactful with me from a course about creating intentional habits. One of the things her instructor said was this, "Replace the phrase I don't have the time. with It doesn't matter to me....

This post is by Patty Lewis.

List making is my thing.  But, lately I’ve been pondering whether or not my obsession with it is healthy:  driving myself mad and becoming very overwhelmed by all the things there are to do and accomplish, spending a lot of precious time prioritizing and sorting through, reviewing the items to do and ending up with multiple sticky notes of lists that demand accomplishment.  By the time I get halfway through my day, I am super worked up about everything and I dr...

This post is by Christina Painter.

My morning routine has been all over the place since our nation was swept up in a global pandemic. School was cancelled for the rest of the year (at least meeting in person was) and suddenly I found myself at home everyday with my husband and our two kids. Mornings began to look different and routines became very inconsistent with the exception of one little element that has become a habit, a joy, and a reset button. 

Back in January when everyone was maki...

This post is by René Bancroft.

I still marvel at those who call themselves “morning people.” I have never been a morning person. I’m more of a “wake up in time to go to brunch” kind of person, yet that’s not the lifestyle I lead at all. When I had children, that all changed because I was not just responsible for myself any longer. I had to become a morning person. As much as I didn’t like getting up before the sun, it made for a much more enjoyable morning. Having a few quiet moments to get mys...

This post is by Joanne Wu.

Every night, I go to bed with the goal to start the day before my kids wake up.  But almost every morning, I am woken up by my two youngest kids who sleep in the same room with me.  This past week, however, I have wrestled to open my eyes and MOVE my body off the bed.  I’ve been telling myself to move, even though I don’t feel like it.  

I don’t know about you, but I am now at a stage where I just want to wake up and find things are back to “normal” again.  I’m tired....

This post is by Jennifer Hong.

Little drops of water

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean,

And the pleasant land.

So the little moments,

Humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages

Of eternity.

So begins the poem Little Things by Julia Carney. I was first introduced to this poem by author and homeschooling mother Cindy Rollins. Cindy encourages mothers that the little things we do with our children daily add up significantly over time.

In the seven years since I first rea...

This post is by Aleigh Porter.

2020 is a year that has brought many of us back to the basics in life. The previous busy-ness of life has been stripped away, leaving us with time to refocus on the simpler things. Personally, my life has been one of extremes this year. As a nurse working in a major hospital, my professional life has sustained much chaos, while my home life has become quiet with no outside events or obligations. While the dynamic of your life may look different than mine, the leve...

This post is by Dana Sitton.

My husband and I recently got a wild hair to plan a beach trip and surprise our three young children by embarking on this secret journey the following day. Our firstborn was a baby the last time we had visited the beach, and since he was so little, he didn’t remember the experience. We were really looking forward to this trip and seeing the excitement on the faces of our little ones as they experienced the sand between their toes and the clap of the waves for the fi...