The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Karen Bozeman.

I have a friend who saves loose change. Over time, Greg filled a large water jug by steadily saving his spare change. During the recent coin shortage, he decided it was time to put these nickels, dimes, and quarters back into circulation. He had over $600!  By consistently storing his change, Greg was able to make a sizable contribution to his savings account. Greg doesn’t have plans for spending the money, but it is now available to meet a future need.  

Spendin...

This post is by Lindsey Bell.

There has been one question that God has put on my heart over and over again as I have opened my Bible recently. That question is,  

“Why are you doing this?” 

Now, that might sound like a somewhat odd question for someone who is opening her Bible to read God’s Word, and to be fair, it is kind of odd. It seems like the answer would be obvious. Of course, I’m reading my Bible to hear from God and grow in my walk with Him. 

But hear me out, because it’s not nearly...

This post is by Briane Kearns.

Many concepts in Scripture hold deep theological meaning that can bless and encourage us and strengthen our walk with the Lord. Shabbat is one of those for me.

Our English word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew term Shabbat. We generally think of Sabbath as a day of the week. But the Hebrew word is derived from a verb meaning to cease, to repose, to desist from exertion, to leave, to put away or down.

Shabbat first appears in the Creation story: “on the seventh day ...

This post is by Jen Stanbro.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

There are so many ways to approach studying the Bible. Of course, we are all beautifully different, so naturally we’ll have varying preferences. I’m sure plans like studying the whole Bible in one year have great benefit to the personality with whom this method fits. I, however, have attempted to read the w...

This post is by Jen Shultz.

As silly as it sounds, I am often shocked at how quickly time passes. Year over year, as we age, our time moves more swiftly because it is divided amongst so much more than in our youth. Summer days seemed to stretch on forever as latch key kids waiting for a parent to get home so we could go play kickball in the field behind our house with the neighbor kids. 

I look back at all the ways my time and energy has been gradually split—high school and being able to dr...

This post is by Shari Gabourel.

I don’t know if you are familiar with what an Internet challenge is, but because I have two daughters in adolescence, I quickly became knowledgeable.

An Internet challenge is a cultural phenomenon defined as “Internet users recording themselves taking a challenge and then distributing the resulting video through social media sites, often inspiring or daring others to repeat the challenge.”3 Due to these online influences and seeking attention by “liking” a be...

This post is by Jen Shultz.

February is popular for showing how much you love your other half based on monetary expenditures. The dozens of long stem roses that will wilt and fade or red; heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolates have long since been the standard that commercialization created. I will be the first to say that I love both flowers and chocolate, but hear me out—even the most expensive flowers or the best chocolate money can buy do not equate to real love.  

Love, God’s love t...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

When it comes to your time with Jesus, have you ever felt sluggish, dry, unmotivated? Like, despite your desire to have a full and rich morning with Jesus, your best friend and Savior, you just don’t have the willpower to make it happen? Then you feel guilty because you are neglecting Him. You feel despair at your lack of fulfillment in Him. Right? Well, consider your ways.

“You have sown much, and bring in little;

You eat, but do not have enough;

You drink, but...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

I don’t have many close friends. I tend to hold people at a distance until I have time to observe them, determine their motives, and assess whether or not they are trustworthy. That said, the few friends I do have I hold dear. 

There is one woman in particular that I am very fond of. We met about four years ago, working together at an elementary school. Over the years, we learned that we have many things in common -- reading, canning, gardening, drinking coffee...

This post is by Cindy Chen.

We all face difficulty from time to time, so when we’re hard pressed, how can we be prepared to keep God Time in our routine?

Difficulty is part of life, and while some may seem to have it harder than others, if it feels hard for you, it’s a hard season. There are no qualifiers, comparisons, or disclaimers necessary. 

God Time doesn’t have to be in-depth Bible study. It can be simply reciting a verse and asking our Father to provide what we need today. We turn t...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

Alarm goes off, I hit snooze once, twice, maybe even three times. I roll out of bed and pour a cup of coffee (Thank the Lord for the invention of delay set coffee pots! Am I right?) I plop down on the couch, tell Alexa to shuffle a worship playlist, and attempt to keep eyes open for the next 20-30 minutes, the time allotted to spend with Jesus. 

This sounds just like the wonderful God-center morning routine you hear so much about at Hello Mornings, doesn't i...

This post is by Cindy Chen.

Recently I attended a conference for lay leaders hosted by my home church. I had been battling a feeling of being ashamed for my lack: my lack of time, my lack of intentionality, and my lack of discipline. I saw all these other people from around the world leading in ways that I was not, and found myself feeling like I was behind. As a 40-something grown woman, I should know better, I should be better equipped, I should be a better prayer warrior. I should be able...