Thoughtful Mornings

How do you spend your mornings? 

After I wake up and do all the usual things~shower, make lunches, get breakfast ready~I spend time with the boys at the kitchen table while they eat breakfast.  I'm not a breakfast eater, so I usually just drink my coffee as they eat.  While they eat, I read a passage of Scripture that goes along with our devotional for that day.  Then I move onto our devotion.  I pray for them and their day either right before or right after I read the devotional. 

I did this same thing last year, but it was in the car while we waited in the car line, and last year's devotional we used had one Scripture to read, not necessarily a passage.  I like this year's book better.  I think it suits them more, since they seem to have matured by leaps and bounds since this time last year.

This routine has totally changed our mornings, therefore changing the entire course of our day.  This time we spend talking, reading Scripture and praying is priceless to me, and I am pretty sure they feel the same way.  Especially since most of our mornings are so smooth now.

The Word goes down deep into their hearts, and I always pray that the Scripture will replay in their minds all day long.  All in all it only takes about 5-10 minutes (depending on how awake they are) and when they're finished eating, instead of running to turn the television on like they used to, they now are active in the mornings and either play upstairs or outside if it's nice enough. 

The reason I am writing about this is because I would like to challenge you to re-examine how you spend your mornings.  Our mornings are almost always smooth and peaceful.  We do have exceptions, but for the most part, all is well each and every morning.  If you want to try this, don't be discouraged if the kids balk at the idea of this.  It took about 6 weeks of consistency before my kids stopped asking if we were going to have devotion.  Now they just automatically come downstairs, grab their breakfast and chocolate milk and sit down at the table.  If you are in need of some recommendations of a good devotional, I encourage you to do your homework online.  Go to the Lifeway Christian Bookstore website and search under devotion, then maybe age or gender.  It took me a while before I found the book that we're doing now.  I'm about to stop doing this one for the moment, however, and start a new one on Advent.  It's for the whole family and it's one I saw advertised in the Lifeway flier I receive every month. 

If you are more interested in the one I'm doing, leave a comment and I'll let you know.

Love to all.