The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Deb Alexander.

I love a routine.  I’m a planner by nature, and years ago I created a morning routine that works well for me.  The specifics have changed a bit over the years, of course, but overall the rhythm has remained the same.  So imagine my surprise, friend, when this routine-loving girl felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to shake up her morning routine.

Let me back up.

Every morning, for the past 20 or so years, my husband and I sit across from each other at our breakfas...

This post is by Janine Muniz.

Starting (or restarting) habits can be a daunting task. I cannot tell you how many times I have vowed to create or maintain a habit only to find myself back at square one, repeating the never ending cycle of habit making.Over time, I have come across some tricks that have helped me get closer to my goal of developing new habits. 

Start small. Take it from me, establishing one new habit is better than working on five and committing to none. By choosing one habit an...

This post is by Tami Rodriguez.

I finished the whole Bible in a year! I can’t believe I did it!! I’ve started a million times before but I always dropped off somewhere mid Old Testament and never picked it back up. I wasn’t really determined to make last year different, sad as that is to say. But when I got to the end of the year and could show my family what I did, I was SO excited and also reflective. What made this year different? Why did it not feel so hard this time? And what next?? 

T...

This post is by Cheli Sigler.

I am a thinker. I love Bible study because it grows my faith and stretches my brain. My prayer when I was a public-school teacher was “As my students’ minds sharpen, may their hearts soften.” My discipleship has favored my mind. As a Hello Mornings participant and leader, I have gravitated towards habits of the mind. But this summer God taught me how to develop God-Time habits of the heart.

‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you...

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This post is by Jen Stanbro.

There’s a lot of great advice out there for creating an ideal space to enable your new, powerful habit of spending time with God in the morning.  Appealing to your five senses is a particularly wonderful strategy: choosing pretty journals, bibles, and your favorite pens, a cozy chair with velvety soft throws and pillows, prepping your favorite morning drink so that yummy smells and tastes greet you first thing, and putting tog...

Today's post is by Rose Ward.

Have you ever found yourself reaching towards a goal only to get distracted and thrown off track? I know I have, often! Lately I have been thinking about goals within the framework of God’s plans, and the Holy Spirit revealed the importance of making simple, intentional, and consistent, small changes--- with follow through. I realized that it is not just the goals we need to focus on, but a peeling back of the goals, to see what is left when they are lifted. Is the...

This post is by Jen Stanbro.

I’ve always enjoyed goal setting. I think I get a shot of dopamine when I check boxes off the old list. It feels good. But my goals today look pretty different from my goals past. 

I used to create destination style goals, like, “by this time, I will have accomplished this thing.” To be honest, I rarely got there. And if I didn’t, then all the work I’d done along the way was worthless because that destination was all that mattered. I believe my biggest problem w...

This post is by Courtney Cohen.

Habits are funny things – full of potential to shape our life’s course, yet often viewed as deplorable doldrums we must endure to “adult” successfully. But Scripture overflows with positive and purposeful repetition which is anything but dull – it’s vibrant with life and is expressive of our worship of God. Sabbath, feasts, festivals, prayers, gathering with other believers – all habits that serve us well.

 While who we are is defined by God alone, what we do...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

I stared down at the phone I was holding in my hand, reading and rereading the text I had just tapped out, but was hesitant to send. Why was this so nerve-wracking, so scary? It’s just a text, just an invitation. Wasn’t it? No, it was more. I was lonely and wanted friendship centered on Jesus, but it was also a risk. If I hit send on that invitation and it was rejected… Well, then my loneliness would only be amplified. 

Making the time for in-real-life (IRL) re...

This post is by Martha Buford.

It happened slowly, ever so slowly. If I had not been looking for it, I might not have seen it. I did not notice any difference at first, but then one day there it was, there was room to move in my once skintight jeans. Faithfulness had paid off. This blog is not so much about weight loss as it is about doing daily what we know to do and seeing that faithfulness pays off.

 I was well past middle age and struggling with my growing middle. Nothing was working. Then...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

What have I done, he thought to himself. I have spent it all and now I have nothing. I am living in filth. No one will help me. This is not the life I thought I’d have. But back at my father’s house, his servants have plenty. I will repent. I will turn back and beg for forgiveness. I will beg to be allowed to work for my father, no longer a son but a servant. (Luke 15:13-19, paraphrased)

In the parable of the lost son, the younger son goes to his father and demand...