The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Amy Mykytiuk.

Eleven years ago, I took on one of the most daunting tasks of my life, homeschooling. In a desperate search for guidance, I found a book by Marilyn Rocket, Homeschooling At the Speed of Life. My oldest son was seven, and up until this point in my parenting adventure, planning was not a priority. With four little ones at home, planning felt more like an impossibility.

Rocket’s advice on time management changed the way I viewed my daily schedule. She said,“You canno...

This post is by Tami Rodriguez.

Planning can make life so much easier. It can obviously help us be more prepared but it can also lessen stress and even increase our confidence. It’s amazing how as women we beat ourselves up when we forget something or an event sneaks up on us. If you’re not a regular planner, you probably have no idea how much you’re juggling and have swirling in your brain. You may know you’re overwhelmed, but once you write it all down you’ll suddenly have great sympathy f...

This post is by Janine Muniz.

Around this time of year, I always get excited. No, not for PSL (the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte) or autumn but for the start of the school year! And no, it is not the reason you might think (although my three boys returning to school is a glorious thing, can I get an amen?). It’s school supply season! For a lover of all things planner, this is my time to shine. Many of the things I use for my planning (and even my quiet time) wind up being on sale. When it com...

This post is by Cindy Chen.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12, NIV

There are seasons that call for less planning. When we first bring home a baby. When our world is upended by illness or grief. When we're at home indefinitely because of stay-at-home orders. 

Having no concrete schedule does not mean we’re better off making zero plans. We are still entrusted with our days, even if they seem to be redundant or purposeless. 

That beautiful planner...

This post is by Kem Roper.

I admire people who are planners. You know, the type who tote their journals like Bibles, spend hours scripting their life in calligraphy, then decorate it with washi tape?

But how do they get anything done? I wonder as I grab my daughter’s spiral notebook to jot something down. This notebook has become my “to do” list, my calculator, my phone book, and my doodle pad--not because I chose it--and definitely not because it’s cute--but because it was there! And because ...

This post is by Dana Sitton.

Purchasing a home is an exciting event marked with anticipation and emotion. The process involves many facets, from researching specific areas and school districts, to contemplating paint colors and where furniture will best fit. Many dreams and plans are shared and made throughout the home buying process. 

When we purchased our first home, we knew that we wanted to live in a suburb with good schools, mature oak trees, and friendly neighbors. We searched with a lis...

 This post is by Hannah Oxley.

After months of chilled fingers, red noses, and more recently, seasonal allergies, summer is almost here! As kids, there is nothing more exhilarating than the swift change that happens between the last day of school and the first day of summer vacation. Can we all remember the pure excitement we felt as we rode our bikes to the pool, ice cream money tucked away in our backpacks, without a care in the world? 

While we never meant to become the sort of people wh...

This post is by Briane Kearns.

Plans come in different shapes and sizes. To make plans and achieve them we need to break them down so that we have both a vision and a roadmap. I categorize plans into three types: Big Picture Plans, Incremental Plans and Day to Day Plans.

Big Picture plans are the overarching plans that you have for your life, career and family. Some might call them goals, but I call them plans. This is because a goal is something you hope to achieve, but a plan is something yo...

This post is by Deb Alexander.

I’ve always been a planner. I used an assignment notebook years earlier than I actually needed to, simply because I loved making a check mark in the little box when I finished a homework assignment. These days, my bullet journal is my planner of choice. Every Sunday afternoon, I sit with my felt-tip markers and ballpoint pens to create a (very simple!) layout for the week ahead. This planning rhythm gives me the opportunity to blend my love of organization with a ...

This post is by Joanne Wu.

What were you doing around this time last year?  

Around this time last year, I was googling creative ways to celebrate Easter with my church community while we attended “church at home.”  My social media feeds had photos of DIY stained glass windows at home, or of stained glass chalk art on sidewalks.  Flowers were beginning to bloom, softening the unknowns of what “stay at home” life would actually entail.  Last year this time, we were still able to lightheartedly ...

This post is by Briane Pittman Kearns.

There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the LORD which will stand. (Proverbs 19:21 NET)

At Hello Mornings, we focus on God Time, Plan Time and Move Time. Today we will put two of those concepts together and talk about God Plans, and specifically God Plans versus human plans.

God has His eternal plans and purposes. We have our own plans and purposes. Sometimes they are not in line with God’s plans. God will always accomplish His ...

This post is by Kem Roper.

Over the course of my career, I’ve seen my fair share of struggling writers, and one thing I’ve noticed is that their struggles with writing are similar to my struggles with planning!

Focus

Our educational system prioritizes the perfect finished product over the process that it takes to get there, so that’s what students focus on. Likewise, all I can think about is my finished product—a perfect daily routine that begins with an early morning, a perfectly brewed cup,...