Welcome to February! In my world, this is the last month of winter. In case you missed it, my word for the year is refine. For the next few weeks, I will update you on the four areas of refinement I have been working on this winter: soul, body, mind, and spirit. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find something inspirational in today’s post.
Worship
December was a beautiful month of celebrating Christ’s birth with family and friends. A highlight of our year is the Christmas Musical at Penn View Bible Institute in Pennsylvania. This year was extra special because two of my sons sang in the choir. My Christmas is never complete without a rousing choral edition of “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. This choir did not disappoint. It was such a wonderful moment of worship.
Church
Attending church several times a week is something I need for soul care. Meeting with my church family each week to worship, pray, and learn the Word of God together is essential. On the last Sunday of December, our family got to be together in church. We snapped a photo since it’s a rare occasion to be together for church anymore.
Devotional Time
While worship and church attendance are key habits for our family, my devotional time is up to me. I heard Nathan Brown speak last year about how our prayer time should be a conversation with God in response to His Word. He has created a wonderful resource to read the Bible chronologically on his website, Following Jesus. I have already learned so much reading through the Bible, using his Bible study tools, and listening to him teach the passage I read each day. I would highly recommend this if you want to learn more from your Bible study. The best part is that he gives a template for how to pray the Scripture back to God and continue what he calls “The Conversation.” I so enjoy my time alone with God each morning.
I also bought a brand new Bible this year. My old one is about 21 years old. I love it so much, but it is not holding up to use anymore. I found the updated version of my Bible, and it is so beautiful! What do you think?
What I’m Working On
For Soul Refining this winter, I have been working on two key habits. The habits are getting up at the same time each morning and reserving the first portion of my day for my time with God.