The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Sabrina Gogerty.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

As we head into Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations are already up at stores, Christmas music is piped through the speakers, and the pressure is mounting to get gifts ordered in time to prevent disappointed faces when shipping delays occur. It is a season where many expect much and the reality of the whole “Christmas experience”—fo...

This post is by Shaina Weisgerber.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous songs and sing praise...

This post is by Hannah Oxley.

In the Midwest, the first snowfall is downright magic. In the span of a few hours, strangers on the sidewalk are jollier, customers roll like waves into local book shops and boutiques with that special someone in mind, and every kid in town seems to have memorized the entirety of the Target holiday catalog. Christmas carols dance overhead as students shuffle into libraries in hopes that a few cram sessions will get them through finals. 

Just like that, with mon...

This post is by Jenn Kokal.

Psalm 34:4 (ESV) - I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

I still remember my first anxiety attack. I had just gone to the gym, worked up a good sweat, and was on my way home. Suddenly, my heart felt like it was going to pop out of my chest. I went to the ER, and they found nothing wrong with me. They claimed I had broken a rib at the gym. But I knew that wasn’t it. I went to the doctor several more times as my heart continued its ...

This post is by Kem Roper.

I breathe deeply as the back door snaps shut behind me and my heart swells with anticipation as I settle into the cushions of my favorite patio chair and take in the scene: my white coffee mug looks brilliant against the green and blue backdrop—grass, trees, water. A breeze lifts the corner of a page in my notebook as I fiddle with my pen, thinking. I lift the cup to my lips and whisper a prayer of thanks for this moment: 

“Each morning let me learn more about your l...

This post is by Cheryl Gilbert.

Dear God, thank you for this day. Please help me do well on my math test tomorrow. Please help me not get much homework, and if I do get a lot please make it easy so I can hang out with friends after school. And please let this weekend be relaxing. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

As I listened to my child’s simple prayer, three things occurred to me. First, it was honest, authentic, and driven by an earnest desire to seek God. Second, while well-intentioned, it was a San...

This post is by Sabeth Kapahu.

My daughter stretched her fingers from the home row to the keys required to form words. It was hard to sit beside her and watch. Everything in me wanted to do it for her. The snap voice inside me yelled against my knee jerk reaction, “don’t do it for her!” Sure it would be faster, but it would not help her habit. 

As adults in the age of immediate results, we seldom remember where our skills developed. We forget the pain of computer class as we rush to respond to...

This post is by Jill Miller.

Growing up, I never paid much attention to my body or my looks. I was an athlete, and I was pretty confident for the most part. 

As I ventured into college, that changed. I became so aware of what I looked like in comparison to every other girl around me. I started to try harder to be something I definitely wasn’t, and I lost some of myself along the way. 

Into adulthood, that got worse as I started having babies. I’m not naturally one of those people who can eat ...

This post is by Dana Sitton.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

As a child, after I would wake up, I would walk into the kitchen to start the day. Sometimes I would catch a peek of my mother reading her Bible and devotional or see the remnants of her quiet time carefully adorning the table. That image created an example for my daily rhythms and routines that I still try to emulate today.

I have always been an early riser, and as a mother of ...

This post is by Deb Alexander.

We talk a lot in this Hello Mornings community about moving our bodies. It’s one of our three pillars, along with spending time with the Lord and planning our days. I have long been an advocate of moving daily, and my activity of choice is a long walk. We live right near two small lakes that are connected by a trail that runs through our city. Five or six days a week, I lace up my sneakers and head out the front door. That first breath of fresh air when you step o...

This post is by Janine Muniz.

God time. How often have we heard that spoken about, read about, made tutorials about? The more I heard it, the more foreign it started to feel. I even began to feel guilty over not getting it right. Was there even a right way to spend God time? I decided to figure it out.

Usually, when I asked others about how they spend time with God, the answer was more or less the same: 

• God comes first.
• It is a special time.
• You have to protect that time.
• Here are some ...

This post is by Sabeth Kapahu.

If repetition was a love language, the tiny humans who fill our halls would be filled to the brim with joy and their love-tanks would be topped off daily.  However, more often than not our halls are filled by miniature versions of ourselves and the personalities we are desperately trying to grow out of.

 This is why it is so vital that we take the time to start our days with Jesus. We never quite know who is going to walk out of that bedroom door and into our hal...