The Hello Mornings Blog

This post is by Jen Shultz.

We are hanging on the edge of an Indian Summer here in Oklahoma while other parts of the country start to see signs of fall.  These last few weeks of summer see quite a lot of commotion in my sleepy little town. Schools are gearing up to be back in session. Last minute trips are taken. Supply lists are distributed. The excitement of a new school year, football season, and all things pumpkin or apple create anticipation for the things to come. Kids being moved to c...

This post is by Patty Lewis.

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 2:15  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Colossians 3:23-24  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord...

This post is by Shaina Weisgerber.

I hope I am not the only one who has a hard time staying productive. I have this problem where I start one project and that sends me to the other room to get something, and then that triggers a thought and so I go back into the room I was just in and forgot that I had started something else, and so it goes. I have intentions of getting so much done on a day off, but instead, I end up right where I started.

Can you relate? Over the years I have found some simp...

This post is by Janine Muniz.

With all the different roles we play, it can be very easy to become distracted or lose track of tasks. However thanks to the genius of app developers, we have some unique ways to stay focused and get things done.  

Here are suggestions for some apps that get your productivity in gear. While these apps are free, you can be limited to what you can do in the app. However, it’s also a good way to see if it is worth investing in.  And don’t worry, all the apps featu...

This post is by Vickie Pittman.

I had no idea my mom had written a devotion for a magazine. She typed it up on our typewriter circa 1985. It contained some grammatical errors and misspelled words, and I don’t know if she actually sent it off or just typed it up.

After her death, we found a manila file folder full of her newsletters. She’d put her devotion in that file.

As an author, I’ve had many of my devotions published. My mother cheered me on for everyone and always asked me when I was go...

This post is by Patty Lewis.

Wow!  We started summer busting out through the gate!  It feels like we ran through it on a bull, and we are still holding on! We did not plan for summer to begin this way, and I’m still holding on wondering when we are going to catch a break or, rather, decide we are going to take one. 

God blessed us with only one child.  For us, this is our one shot, and he turned 18 this past February.  We are knocking back and forth between wanting to enjoy these last bits of ...

This post is by Jen Shultz.

We live in a world that tells us we only have value if we can produce some sort of output. There are metrics in the workplace, the gym, and even in our homes. We make lists of all the things that need done. I am not sure about you, friend, but I have been overwhelmed more than once with how quickly that list grows. Recently, I realized hustle culture just does not fit where I am at in my life. My hustle has lost its bustle and in a shocking turn of events, I have dec...

This post is by Joanne Wu. 

One thing I remember most vividly from my seminary days is the term “Naptio Divina”.  This term, coined by three pastors from the church where I interned, was a joking nickname for  Lectio Divina - a monastic spiritual practice of meditating on Scripture.  

At the time, I felt they were being a little irreverent and judged them for thinking it was okay to fall asleep while meditating on Scripture.  But now that I’m closer to the age they were when they used the term...

This post is by Jen Shultz.

I am so tired of the word hustle. It used to be something a coach or parent yelled when they wanted us to pick up the pace and somewhere along the way it became a culture. Labels like #GirlBoss infiltrated our lives. Book after book, hashtag after hashtag, and ultimately conferences and merch became a cycle encouraging generations to work more for what eventually became less—less pay, less time to do the things we love, less balance in our lives. I do not know abo...

This post is by Kelli LaFram.

It’s mid-May as I begin to write this post, and as a teacher, with the school year winding down, I’m finding it harder and harder to get out of bed each morning. I’ve placed my Bible right next to my bed so I’m more likely to reach for it instead of the snooze button—but sometimes even that isn’t enough. This is just one reason why memorizing Scripture matters. 

For the past several weeks, I’ve been memorizing Psalm 145. This chapter is a song that centers my morn...

This post is by Tami Rodriguez. 

We all know that memorizing and treasuring God’s Word is so important. In Psalm 119 it says, “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies” (Psalm 119:98) and, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). 

As a mom of 5 and now a grandma of 1, I think it’s interesting that we are usually quite diligent in helping our children memorize Scripture but when it comes to memorizing it for ourselves…we...

This post is by Patty Lewis.

When you think of memorizing Scripture, what comes to mind? 

Up until recently, I have had a fairly one-way view on it.  It is for me—for me to grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord, that I might be able to ward off the fiery darts and traverse safely the valleys that seem so low, so long. Knowing His Word well means I can recall what to do when certain trials, decisions or blessings come to my life.  I’ll remember praises and wise instruction.  I didn’t ...