Finding Joy in Your Home

UPDATE: You can now find all the details for the MEN'S companion reading challenge here. Wrangle your husband into doing the challenge with you or send to a man in your life who might want to dig into some amazing Gospel-Centered books. 

Reading is one of the best ways that I invest in myself, in my homemaking, and in my spiritual life. But with four little munchkins and one on the way, it can be really tough to find the time to read (and to find books that are actually worth the time)! 

Jason and I are both avid readers and love to do so, but if we don't plan to make time for reading (and put together reading lists) then it just doesn't happen. I've been thinking about my reading goals and lists for 2017 this month and just came across Tim Challies' 2017 Reading Challenge late last week. 

Listen to the Podcast:

Listen in to my podcast episode from this week to find out more about why I developed this reading plan, tips for following along, and the reasoning behind the books and categories I chose. Or skip the podcast and head down below for all the info :) 

And don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast in iTunes. 

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

On Friday night, Jason and I sat down with a pen and paper and started mapping out the books we would read to follow along with this reading challenge. We are doing the highest reading tier which is 104 books in the year (yes, we are crazy)! 

But as I started writing out the categories and trying to pick books, I realized that I was going to be fitting into books that I really didn't interest me and leave no extra time for other Christian books I knew I wanted to read. 

I'm ALL for broadening my reading horizon, which is why I was so excited about this new reading challenge idea. But in my busy life and schedule, I just don't have the time for some of the categories: read a book that won a prize, a book of poetry (poetry so does not speak to me), a graphic novel, a book of comics, etc. 

So then I started thinking about this wonderful community here on my blog and that while I'm putting together this reading challenge, since I'm going to go off of it anyway and create my own, that you might want to follow along with me! 

So I sent out a quick email to my weekly newsletter ladies and got hundreds of responses that you would love to join a reading challenge if I created it geared towards Christian women. And thus, my 2017 Christian Reading Challenge was born. Ready to jump in? 

Please note: Jason (my hubby) is putting together a companion lists for men. So if you're husband wants to follow along the reading challenge with you, stay tuned for that list coming tomorrow or download the free toolkit to get access to it immediately. 

2017 Christian Reading Challenge for Women

Here's how it works: 

I have given you category suggestions for each book as well as my book recommendation. I personally recommend all of these books and tried to think about the very best books I recommend all women read. If you've already read that book or simply want a different suggestion, scroll down and you will find more book recommendations for each category (OR feel free to choose any of your own books). 

Then download and/or print off the reading list to follow along. 

A note about fiction: This list does not include any fiction. I LOVE reading fiction and read many fiction books throughout the year. However, since this is for entertainment and relaxation for me, I don't need to add these in as reading goals. When we are on vacation, or I have more down time (like during Christmas), I read a lot more fiction. But I'm already prone to being lazy and reaching for a fiction book more than a ...

It's only been recently that I started truly understanding the deeper meaning and purpose behind Christtmas. And it has radically changed how I approach this month, teach my kids, and look forward to the next year. 

Of course, we all know the true meaning of Christmas: Christ's Birth. But how often do we go deeper than that? Can we put into words the power, the majesty, and the real beauty of that? WHY is Christmas such a time of celebration? 

This might seem like an easy thing to answer at first, but the heart of Christmas takes us into the very heart of the Gospel - and our lives as Christians. Understanding Christmas on a deeper level is the very first step in truly teaching our kids (and our own hearts) about the manger scene and why it's so significant. 

Listen to the podcast: I’ve recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. You can read it here, or if you prefer, listen to it as a podcast below! And don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast in iTunes. 

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

Christmas becomes such a busy time. Time for parties, looking at Christmas lights, making cookies, buying and wrapping presents...If I'm not very careful, my entire month can get swallowed by all the fun and practical parts about Christmas. 

So much so that I have no brain power or energy left at the end of the day to really focus on the larger picture and meaning of Christmas. 

Discovering the Deeper Side of Christmas

I've been so thankful because for the past several years, I feel like God has been confronting me with the importance of the Gospel. The importance of relying on God and His strength for everything and starting to see the bigger picture at work. 

And this is especially true when it comes to my view of Christmas. Throughout my study, I've really come to see that the Christmas story is really just the story of the Gospel, or at least, the beginning of it. 

Through baby Jesus, we glimpse the entirety of God’s redemptive plan, and when we truly understand that story and how it unfolds, then we see the immense beauty and celebration of the tiny babe born in a manger on that dark night.

In essence, to understand Christmas and the Christmas story is to understand the basics of the Christian faith: The Gospel.

Why Was Christ Born?

The first thing to look at in understanding the celebration of this season, is to first ask why Christ was born? Why do celebrate his humble birth in a stable?

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

- Luke 2:8-15

Jesus didn’t come simply to perform miracles, or teach his disciplines how to lead moral lives, or to even simply point people back to God.

Jesus had a very clear purpose in coming to earth as a human baby: He came to one day die on the cross for all believers. For you and for me. He came to be our holy sacrifice and to die in our place...

A really big problem for modern homemakers today trying to draw closer to the Lord, is developing the consistent habit of weekly attend Church.

It can be tough with crazy schedules, young kids, or unsupportive family members to get to Church consistently. And even if you do manage to get there consistently, your Sunday mornings might be chaotic and hard. 

Listen to the podcast: I’ve recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. You can read it here, or if you prefer, listen to it as a podcast below! Enjoy!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

So today we are going to address the importance of weekly attending Church and then get into some practical suggestions for helping make your mornings and weekends go smoother. 

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:24-25

The Importance of Regular Church Attendance 

"The reason corporate worship may be the single most important Christian habit, and our greatest weapon in the fight for joy, is because like no other single habit, corporate worship combines all three essential principles of God’s ongoing supply of grace for the Christian life: hearing his voice (in his word), having his ear (in prayer), and belonging to his body (in the fellowship of the church). - David Mathis, Your Single Most Important Habit

I love that he says it can be our greatest weapon in the fight for joy! How often do I fight for real joy in my life? That joy that can only come from God himself? And our greatest weapon in that fight might just be found right inside our local Church. 

"The New Testament also teaches that every believer is to be under the protection and nurture of the leadership of the local church. These godly men can shepherd the believer by encouraging, admonishing, and teaching. Hebrews 13:7 and 17 help us to understand that God has graciously granted accountability to us through godly leadership. - John MacArthur, What's So Important About Your Church?

Another key piece of corporate worship is putting ourselves under the authority and teaching of our local pastor and elders. Yes, there are solid preachers that you can listen on the internet, like many of these resources I'm sharing with you today, but these should be in supplement to your local congregation and pastor's teaching not replacing it.

It's not always easy to make it to Church with all our littles - but it's WELL worth it in the end!

I'm studying through the book of Acts right now in my weekly women's Bible study and one very clear principle we find is how important is was for the Early Church to come together regularly for teaching, for support, for prayer, and more. It was NOT a solo journey but a journey that was very much lived in community.

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." - Acts 2:42 

Speaking of the early Church in Acts, John MacArthur says,

"They learned God’s Word and the implications of it in their lives, they joined to carry out acts of love and service to one another, they commemorated the Lord’s death and resurrection through the breaking of bread, and they prayed. Of course, we can do these things individually, but God has called us into His Body—the church is the local representation of that worldwide Body—and we should gladly minister and be ministered to among God’s people.

Active involvement in your local church is imperative to living a life without compromise. It is only through the ministry of the local church that a believer can receive the kind of teaching, accountability, and encouragement that is necessary for him to stand firm ...