I am not a morning person at all, in fact I struggle to get up by 5 a.m. in the morning. It took some time to develop the early morning habit. However, over the years I found that there is great value in getting up early, especially since becoming a mom over 17 years ago. Most of my children’s lives I worked outside my home during the day, and with little time left over in the evening, early mornings became a refuge. Early mornings became my quiet time to spend with Jesus. Mornings are also the only time slot I could find for self-care such as exercise, or the little meaningful things I do to remain peaceful and balanced. When I take the time to quiet my soul with Jesus first thing in the morning, I care for those in my world a little better.

Jesus practiced the habit of being alone to pray very early in the morning, while it was still dark. Jesus is a great example to follow, and having experienced following after Jesus’ example, I learned that the stillness of the morning is a sacred place I don’t want to miss out on.

Even if you have a different type of schedule, this biblical principal can still apply. The idea is to create a time space to spend in the word and prayer. I had seasons in life working various shifts with night shift being the most challenging. Yet, even with different schedules there is a rhythm to a person’s day. Perhaps waking up for a new day may come in the evening but that could be your quiet time as well.

Jesus is relational, always putting the care of others as high priority. Even though he had a constant demand to care for many people each day, he took time to quiet his mind with the Father and dig into the power of a praying life. Connecting with God before the sun even came up.  Perhaps, some prayerful consideration and possible adjustments to habits and routine is something to consider and could set the tone for the day that you have been longing for. There is no disappointment when you posture your heart with the word of God and connect with him through prayer. He is the one who holds it all. He can prepare your heart for the day, for the people in your life, and the many important tasks before you.

“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.” (Proverbs 31:15 ESV)

The past few years I have been getting better at being intentional as I look at the week ahead to meal plan for my family. It is important to me that we eat healthy while running around between work, school, and activities. I still struggle with being overwhelmed in the kitchen. Certain health challenges, restrictions, and picky eaters are difficult. Cooking may come naturally to many people, but for me this is something I had to grow into. For a long time, being busy gave me an excuse not to put in much effort in this area, but I am learning what a blessing it is to be the one in the family that provides nourishment to my people in this way.

The Proverbs Woman is an example of what a blessing of getting up early can be. She is described as wise, thoughtful, and humble. She is efficient and gets up early to plan and prepare for the days tasks and the people God has entrusted in her life. I used to be intimidated by this woman, but now I understand that we can all learn from her. Rising early and living a life that is thoughtful of others, looking ahead to take care of all she has been entrusted with is a virtue to not only admire but to implement. I love that!

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promises benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (1Timothy 4:8 NLT)

In 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to not only be a good stewards of the body God gave him but more importantly to be concerned with growing spiritually. We certainly should invest in exercise and a healthy lifestyle as that is a good thing and just makes you feel better, right? There is nothing wrong with a good work out, but we must make time for our spiritual wellbeing. Investing in spiritual training, prayer, and understanding the scriptures promotes a change in a way that’s beneficial to us and others now and later. As we grow, we cultivate a Christian life that glorifies God. The health of our spirituality affects the way we worship, practice the fruits of the spirit, and determines the decisions we make in our lives.

Joining a Bible believing church and a Bible study group can also foster a strong relationship with God. For some time, I was longing to be a part of a women’s Bible study group. My schedule wasn’t open to meet mid-morning or in the evening. I would sign up with the hope of attending, yet my schedule kept me from being consistent. God is so good through, and he answered not only my prayers over this matter, but some other women’s prayers as well. This past year I’ve been meeting up with a couple ladies at 3:30 in the afternoon for a Bible study. It was perfect timing for us all. I was amazed how God knitted our hearts together and met our desire to grow in fellowship and in Him. The Lord is faithful!

I hope some of these scriptures and ideas encourage you to reflect and bring your closer to God! If so, please share and comment about what you like to do to connect with God and how you like to start off your day!

One more thing…

I enjoy making a breakfast bread. Oatmeal Bake with Blueberry Syrup, recipe by (Jessie James Decker “Just feed me” pg. 13). Making this bread makes me feel like a proverb’s woman, woo-hoo!

Oatmeal Bake with Blueberry Syrup

1 teaspoon melted coconut oil for baking dish. 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce, 2 large eggs, ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 2 tablespoon of almond butter, 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup of blueberries.

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients then add in wet ingredients. Lastly, fold in the blueberries. Bake In a 8×6 baking dish at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes

Blue Berry Syrup

½ cup blueberries 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup.

 I have made variations to the oatmeal cake, and it was just as yummy. I’ve changed almond milk for oat milk and used sunflower butter. I always use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I have also used frozen blueberries. Enjoy!