Intentional Living Tips – Week of Oct. 27
Happy New Week, Friends.
It’s hard to believe that October is coming to an end this Friday with Halloween.
And you know what that means – the holidays will be here!
Last week, I read about a lady who already had her Christmas tree put up! Me three years ago would be aghast and say, “It’s too early! Enjoy one holiday at a time!” But with the busyness of the holidays, I understand. In a world that wants to embrace all that it can, I know that folks want get the most out of their decorations and get their shopping out of the way so they can just enjoy Christmas and the birth of our Savior.
With that said, God has been speaking to me about day by day, moment by moment, heartbeat by heartbeat dependence on Him. The Spirit tells me to slow down and depend on Him. And to pray.
So this week, I’m challenging myself to walk by faith, depending on God more.
Here are some intentional ways I’m choosing to live this week – perhaps they will give you ideas for living more intentionally.
What area of your life will you be intentional about this week?
This Week’s Three-Part Practice
(“Love God, Love Yourself, Love Others” rhythm.)
| Practice | What it looks like this week |
|---|---|
| Loving God | This week’s doctrine in Bible Study Fellowship is the kingdom of God, which addresses spiritual warfare. I’m gathering a list of verses from our Leader’s Group and will use ChatGpt to format them into a Notes-friendly format to store them on our phone. That way, when we are attacked spiritually or challenged by trials, we can draw inspiration from the power of scripture. |
| Loving Myself | With the holidays coming up, I’m going to use a couple of nights this week to make and freeze some batches of cookie dough. That way, I can bake them up later for holiday gatherings and it will save time and energy to focus on other things. |
| Loving Others | My dad and his wife are moving into their new apartment this week, and I’ll be helping them with the move and setting things up. |
How will you be intentional this week in these areas?
Here are a few things I’ve discovered recently that I hope will bless you:
Everyday Prayers for Christmas: The Light that Was and Is and Is to Come (A 31-Day Devotional and Reflective Journal for Women) – Ladies, this is a new advent devotional by the wonderful Christian author, Stacey Thacker. If you’re looking for a rich devotional on the theme of light that also has a small journaling component to it, I would highly recommend this.
Million Praying Moms – Million Praying Moms is a powerful prayer ministry for parents, offering weekly podcasts, resources, and prayers to help us intercede for our children. What a powerful prayer to pray over our kids this week … whether they are newborns or adults!
Father, help my children believe that prayer works, even when their circumstances don’t change. Thank you for the promise that you will complete the good work that you have already started in me and my children. As we strive to follow you, help us remember that the quiet ordinary moments are preparing us for the big moments of faith. We are grateful that nothing is hidden from you and that we don’t have to pretend or perform for you. You love us no matter what and we can come as we are. May we honor you in all that we do. Amen
The Pumpkin Patch Parable – If you haven’t read this children’s story, yet, get it for your kids, grandkids or any kiddo in your life. My girls loved it when they were little, and now I read it to my great-nieces over Zoom and they adore it as well.
Recipe Share – Watergate Salad – Our family makes this dish a lot between Thanksgiving and Christmas because it’s so easy, delicious and could easily be dessert as well as a side for your smorgasboard of holiday delights. Plus it’s a festive green color from the pistachio pudding mix and perfect standout on a holiday buffet. I’m always surprised when folks say they’ve never had this before. Once they taste their first spoonful, they always ask for the recipe because it’s that’s good. There’s also a similar recipe called Cranberry Fluff that is so good as well!
