No Ordinary Day Planner

Rest, true rest, is coming and waiting for us in heaven.

Just as Ruth was in search of a kinsman redeemer to redeem her and Elimelech’s land and family line, we are in search of the only Redeemer who can redeem our lives. That Redeemer is Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, who lived the perfect life that He might die and be the perfect atonement, the only acceptable sacrifice to God for our sin. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Once Christ is our life, we must learn to rest and learn where our rest will come from. Learning to rest is challenging no matter what season of life you are in. But rest began during creation.

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

e sleep on floor Genesis 2:2-3

This should be a mic drop for us if we are questioning why a human body even needs rest. God the Almighty had just spent 6 days creating the world, the universe and all that lived in it. But He didn’t need to rest! He is God! He does not get weary and need to sleep (Psalm 121:3-4). God is more powerful than the most powerful being we can imagine and then that won’t even compare with His might. But God rested and made that seventh day holy.

God commands His people to rest. It is one of the ten commandments given to Moses from God,

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

God Himself rested on the 7^th day, and He doesn’t request, He commands His people to rest on the 7^th day. This exercises trust that God will provide for you when you work only 6 days and keeping the 7^th in the week set apart from normal work week to rest.

When His people were in Egypt ruled by Pharaoh, the Lord wanted His people to worship Him. On their exile from Egypt to the Promised Land is when the Lord gave the commandment to the Israelites to rest on the seventh day. And the Israelites set their hopes on the Promised Land being place of security and rest. (Joshua 1:10-16) Elimelech and Naomi lived in this Promised Land with God’s people.

Rest is what Naomi wanted for Ruth, but it wasn’t a good night’s sleep that she desired for her. It was the security that would come with a husband in that culture because in that union was hope for children, hope for the future security and hope for the land given by God to be given to the child. While marriage provided the hope and image of security, it was only God who could provide what Naomi was truly hoping for.

We are searching too

We are no different from Naomi and from Ruth. Though our culture looks different and all our hopes and dreams as women do not rest upon the possibility of marriage or having children, we are still searching for security and rest. This type of security and rest is much deeper than job security, a steady income, a safe neighborhood and place to lay our head. Even on the most beautiful relaxing day at the beach or the lake, the most serene place where we would expect to find rest from our physical weariness, even on those days, there is still a restlessness searching for true, deep, profound rest for our souls. Rest from weariness, yes. But rest from worry. Rest from pain. Rest from the heartaches and unknowns. Rest for all that distracts and makes us rattled. Where can we run to find this true rest?

ang and e

As believers in Christ, we are searching for rest that turns into rejoicing.

On our journey heavenward, on our journey home, we know that true rest awaits us where Jesus Christ is Himself. Where there is no more striving, no more worrying, no more crying – only resting and savoring and worshiping our great Redeemer.

As we wait and strive toward heaven, I want to leave you with two things to challenge you as I challenge myself:

Rest on the Sabbath

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:9-10

Once we see Sunday’s as a gift from the Lord and as a way to trust Him to provide for us and to provide the time we need in the week to actually rest on Sunday, we will enjoy and find refreshment in a weekly break from the grind. Instead of dreading the day designed for rest, it will be a blessing and a day we look forward to.

Strive to enter the rest that is waiting in heaven for you by being diligent to be in and to know the Word of God.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:11-13

Let the Word of God do the work of God in your life. No one can expose sin, lies and how we are not living by faith the way God can through His Word. As sin is exposed, we have the joy of repenting and taking this to the cross, knowing our Redeemer is there pouring out His grace and mercy and loving kindness on us.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

The Challenge to Actually Rest

The theme of rest in the Bible is not about a good night rest, or even the physical feeling of being rested. Rest is turning our eyes toward Christ, trusting in Him and believing in who He is.

Trusting/resting that we cannot earn our salvation by good works, but only through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Trusting/resting that He truly is Sovereign over all things. (Romans 8:28-29)

Trusting/resting that I am a child of God once my life is fully & completely surrendered, and no one can snatch me out of the Sovereign Father’s hands. (John 10:28)

Trusting/resting that my eternal home is in heaven. (John 10:28)

Trusting/resting that even when I feel my loneliest, I am not alone. God Himself is with me. (Matthew 28:20)

Resting is all of these things and so much more when we walk with Christ. Let us strive heavenward together my friend. And there, we will find the deepest rest our souls will ever know. When we are home, face to face with our Savior, there will be no more striving or worrying or pain, only worshiping and resting in God almighty.

This post and photos are copyright by Mimi Brady No Ordinary Day Planner 2019.

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Rest for Weary Women, Part 1

January 10, 2019 No Ordinary Day Planner

rest for weary women part 1

Fighting for Rest

The word “rest” is used, if not thought about by weary parents, too many times in one day for any human to attempt to count. From the moment of the child’s arrival, the parent is constantly thinking about not just the child’s need for rest, but their own.

As parents, we quickly learn the signs that our child is tired, regardless of their age. And at the same time, no parent needs a memo or word of encouragement that they themselves need rest.

But what is good rest, especially in the season of motherhood when nights of uninterrupted sleep are sometimes only viewed as a gift that you’re waiting to receive and unsure of its arrival. Is it a nap? Is it sleeping in with no alarm clock? And why does it feel that even if we get that wonderful night of uninterrupted sleep, there’s something deep in our soul and in our body that is not satisfied with that rest that doesn’t seem to last?

Should we be thinking about what rest is differently?

Rest in the Bible

A common theme throughout the Bible is rest. We usually think about the common theme of redemption woven through the books of the Bible, and we should. But did you know that rest is also talked about from Genesis and through to Revelation?

The book of Ruth has rest as one of its major themes. Usually when you think about the book of Ruth, one thinks about God’s providence in all things. Or, one thinks about Boaz being the kinsman-redeemer for Ruth and that act of redeeming Ruth turns our eyes to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. Lastly, we often think about the lineage of Jesus as we watch the family of Boaz and Ruth give birth to Obed, who is the father of Jesse, who is the father of king David, which on down the line is then King Jesus. We often don’t realize that rest, and the search for rest in our lives, is addressed in the book of Ruth.

The Quest for Rest

Naomi wanted “rest” for her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. After losing her husband and her two sons, Naomi stood facing the only family she had left in the foreign land of Moab, bid them farewell as she was returning home to Bethlehem and said to them, “The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” (Ruth 1:9) Was Naomi wanting them to remarry and have a good night’s rest? No. That would be far easier to accomplish than what Naomi was really wanting for Orpah and Ruth. Naomi wanted them to have security, a safe place to live and to have children which would bring future security. In the depths of grief, Naomi wanted for them what she had lost, and what she at the time believed she would never have again.

It’s difficult for us to imagine the heartbreak and trauma this family experienced. Together, Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons left the Promised Land to live in Moab, a place Moses had instructed the Israelites not to go and a people they were not to befriend because the Moabites did not aid the Israelites while on their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). In fact, the king of Moab hired a diviner to put a curse on them to get them out of the land of Moab (Numbers 22-24).

The future must have looked too grim and too bleak for the head of the family, Elimelech, to stay in the Promised Land the Lord had given them, which for this family was Bethlehem. With a famine in the land, Elimelech moved his family to a foreign land, Moab, in hopes of a better life. While there, his two sons married Moab women, but after ten years of life in Moab, there were no children born to his sons. Ten years! Ten years of infertility in a time when children were quite literally everything – security to carry on the family name, land and inheritance.

After ten years, Naomi was the only one left from this family unit. And it was time to return home to Bethlehem, to return to the Promised Land, broken, empty and with no hope in having security in her life again. Naomi is in such depths of despair that upon arriving home, she insists to be called Mara instead of Naomi because “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

Grief is many things.

The one thing it is not: it is not restful.

Grief takes everything out of you and leaves you feeling emotionally depleted and exhausted in ways you never thought possible. Even after nights of sleep and what the body would consider rest, a soul filled with grief wakes up with heaviness that leaves the body and mind filled with weariness as though sleep never came. Grief is not just emotional, it affects every aspect of your being.

In the depths of grief, it’s not hard to question if happy days will ever come again and for the whole world to feel covered in sadness. Grief opens up depths of the soul that you didn’t know were there, and feelings of loneliness and deep sadness can be experienced even when surrounded by people who love you most.

So Naomi, in the depths of her grief and in her loss, bids farewell to her two daughters-in-law and wishes for them what she wants most in the world for herself, rest.

Where do you run for rest? Tomorrow we will talk about Naomi’s search and where she went looking for rest. What do you do when grief is just too much to bear? Who do you run to?

The Search for Rest

Naomi does not return home to Bethlehem alone. Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, vows her life to Naomi and leaves behind her family in Moab and all the possibilities of what life would have been like to stay home, and she gives her life to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16-17).

And rest part 1 pic now Ruth is the foreigner living in a foreign land, grieving all that she has lost and caring for her grief-stricken mother-in-law.

Instead of physically resting, Ruth goes to work to provide food for herself and for Naomi. Word about this Moabite living among the Israelites quickly gets around town. And in God’s providence, Ruth works in a field that is owned and operated by a relative of her father-in-law. This man is known to be a worthy, godly man (Ruth 2:1) and the moment he learns who Ruth is, he quickly asks her to stay in his field to gather wheat. He instructs his workers to look after and care for her with water and protection, and he prays a blessing over Ruth for “the Lord to repay her for what she has done” (Ruth 2:12). This man is Boaz. And throughout the entire barley and wheat harvest, he looks after her physical needs and showers kindness over not only Ruth, but Naomi as well.

But Naomi still wants “rest” for Ruth (Ruth 3:1).

Grief stricken Naomi becomes scheme ridden Naomi

Naomi comes up with a plan for Ruth to propose marriage to Boaz. A plan that is so scandalous that even in today’s culture if a mother-in-law instructed her daughter-in-law to do anything similar, everyone would easily be convinced that the mother-in-law had simply lost her mind.

Ruth 3 is filled with scandal, but Naomi instructs Ruth to wash, to anoint herself and to put on her cloak to go down to the threshing floor where Boaz was working and to wait until he has had nice meal after a long day of work and then goes to bed guarding the wheat grains from his field. Then, Ruth is to lie down next to him. In the dark of the night and wait for his instruction.

In the process of getting ready, Ruth does all that her mother-in-law instructs. She washes. She anoints. She dresses. These three steps are the same thing king David did after his first born son with Bathsheba died after being sick for six days (2 Samuel 12:20). Ruth washes, anoints and puts on new clothes readying for a new season of life. And Ruth does all that her mother-in-law instructs.

At this point of the story, it seems that “rest” comes in the form of a husband. But is that what Naomi is really after?

The Results of the Scandal

When Ruth goes in the night to lie next to Boaz and ask him to be the kinsman redeemer, to marry her, she is asking Boaz to continue Elimelech’s family name through her and to buy the land that belongs to Naomi in hopes to carry on this family inheritance and name. The REST Ruth is in search of goes beyond wanting a husband. Ruth is asking for security not just for her, but also for Naomi.

More is to come! Join me next week for part 2 of “Rest for Weary Women”.

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2019 Planners are Here!

December 17, 2018 No Ordinary Day Planner

Launch Day 2018-1217

All 2019 No Ordinary Day Planner are available for purchase as digital downloads. There are three different formats all in the desktop size (8.5″x11″): monthly, vertical weekly and horizontal weekly.

Pick the one that best fits you, print from either home or an office supply store and pick your binding! We’d love to see how you use your planner by tagging us at #noordinarydayplanner.

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Thank you Billy Graham

March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 No Ordinary Day Planner

BG black

A reflection from a former employee

I had the privilege of working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for almost 8 years. During those years, I often had days where I paused to remember everything this organization accomplished, an organization started by a simple farm boy who was obedient to the call God put on his life.

It is simply impossible for me not to reflect on my experience and what I learned from Billy Graham as we celebrate his life. Here are the nine things I learned while working in various departments at Billy Graham’s organization:

One of the first things I noticed when starting my job at BGEA is that Billy Graham was bold and adventurous. Billy Graham used every medium available to communicate the gospel message, and this continued with each new wave of communication. No new medium has gone untouched. BGEA learns about and creatively leverages each medium for gospel purposes.

The desire for everyone to know they are loved by God and to call them into a relationship with Jesus Christ is at the core of all that the BGEA does because it is the heartbeat and calling of Billy Graham. So, he took risks when new mediums emerged desiring to meet people where they are and where they spend their time.

Billy Graham was a man of prayer. With crusades in over 185 countries reaching over 200 million people, one could start to think that he simply had a goal to go to every country and state to preach the gospel, or that he threw a dart at a map to pick where he would go to preach the gospel that year. Not so. Each crusade had the humble beginnings of citizens in a community praying for the people of their town/city/country to know Jesus. When this prayerful group, or person, would connect with the BGEA for Billy to come to their city, the organization would ask if they told their pastor their desire. If this pastor had the same desire as the prayer group, their pastor was challenged to talk and to pray with other pastors in the area, especially pastors of other denominations. This was to see if they too had a burden for a Crusade in their community, desiring not just for Billy to come but for there to be an opportunity to reach people in their community for Christ.

The Billy Graham Crusades all had humble beginnings – people praying for others to know Jesus. And Billy and those working at the BGEA would be praying for these communities too, to see where God would have them go next.

Billy Graham loved the local church. A Crusade did not take place unless it was orchestrated by multiple local, Bible-believing churches of various denominations. The churches were the ones who organized their people to reach out to their neighbors and their city. BGEA came alongside the church to train them how to share their faith and how to invite friends to church, not just to the Crusade. Billy was very aware that his Crusades were only for a short time, so local churches in every Crusade city were trained for caring for new believers after the event. New believers would be contacted and invited to church as they began their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Billy’s message was consistent throughout the decades. When I started working for BGEA in 2005, I loved watching Billy’s old crusades alongside his most recent because the message never changed throughout all his years of ministry. Each of the countless sermons he preached remained gospel-centered and filled with Biblical truths.

Billy Graham was humble. While he was often the center of attention when he traveled to Crusade cities, he did not want to keep the focus on himself, but he would take every opportunity to communicate the truths of the Bible and the love of Christ. In countless interviews, Billy found ways to turn the conversation to the saving gospel of how much God loves you, that we are all sinners, and that the way to heaven is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Billy Graham was a student of the Word of God. When you listen to his messages from Crusades, and even interviews, they are saturated with Scripture. Billy Graham knew that his words didn’t change a person’s heart to come to know God, but that God’s Word would not return void.

Billy Graham was faith-filled and focused. I listened to an interview he gave one day where he simply stated that he didn’t understand everything the Bible said, but that he accepted everything the Bible said by faith.

Billy Graham was a man of integrity. He put up safeguards to protect his own marriage like never being alone with a woman who was not his wife. He put those same safeguards in place as policy for those working in his organization. I loved working at a place that desired to honor God by protecting the marriages of its employees.

Billy Graham knew who he was in Christ. As we continue to see the quote “My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” we see his focus and that he knew not only whose he was, but where he was going. In his messages, he confesses that he is a sinner and in great need of a Savior.

Billy Graham is proof that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things. A boy who grew up on a dairy farm, who had the makings of a small community pastor, who knew his calling from God for ministry was used by God to tell others that God was real and that He really loved them. He traveled the world urging people wherever he went to see who they are in view of what the Bible said: that we are sinners in need of a Savior. He urged people to confess their sins, believe in God, and surrender their lives to the God of the universe who knew them and loved them.

I will always be grateful for my days as an employee at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I will always be challenged by the example that Billy Graham gave as he lived a faith-filled, focused life in obedience to his calling from God. I look forward to the day when I am home in heaven singing praises to our great God alongside not only Billy Graham, but the countless other children of God, when God’s glory will truly be the song we sing.

Mr. Graham, thank you for living a life focused on making the name of Jesus known and giving all the glory to God. You set out not to make your own name known, but to lift high the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for being a man of prayer and a student of God’s Word. The extent of your impact will only be known in heaven as countless men and women walk through eternity because you were obedient to what God called you to do – to preach His Word. We may never know the rippling effects of one of those people confessing Christ after hearing the Gospel you preached to them on the radio, or on TV or over the Internet; entire generations of families changed as a result. Thank you for giving us Jesus.

“God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 3:16-17

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No Ordinary Day

When I Doubted God’s Goodness

December 4, 2017January 6, 2018 No Ordinary Day Planner

Do you doubt God's goodness blog graphic

It wasn’t God’s sovereignty or faithfulness that I questioned when my dad died; it was God’s goodness that I doubted. Did God know my pain? Was He aware of how devastated I was? How does a good God allow such suffering to happen to a good person?

My dad battled Lou Gehrig’s disease for almost 10 years. While I watched this terminal illness take away parts of my dad bit by bit, I grieved over those losses along the way. I grieved the day his arms could no longer raise up to hug me or dance with me in the kitchen. I grieved the day he said he couldn’t drive his stick shift truck and take me to practice. I grieved the day his legs didn’t allow him to walk into church. I grieved the day he couldn’t breathe on his own and was connected to a ventilator. I grieved the Fall he could no longer go hunting and enjoy his favorite activity. I grieved when he lost the ability to eat food on his own, without a tube. Along the journey of battling a terminal illness, we grieved each loss along the way. So why was I so devastated when he died?

Fall was my dad’s favorite season of the year. He was the one that cultivated my love for all things Fall. My dad’s birthday is also in the Fall; so, every time it rolls this way, it is common to find me thinking about my dad and missing him terribly. Just a few weeks ago, my mom brought me an Ancestory.com kit wanting me to participate in her newest activity of researching our family tree, I was a little annoyed. Then she said, “You are the only one with dad’s DNA.” I was stunned. This was a thought that had never crossed my mind.

My mom and I were standing in the kitchen watching the leaves fall down in the wind when she talked to me about Ancestory.com. My heart was deeply missing my dad. My dad taught me how to enjoy Fall and all its glorious colors when I went deer hunting with him as a child. I did not hunt, but instead spent my time bundled up in bright orange clothing inside a Smurf’s sleeping bag next to my sister. We were either napping or eating trail mix, with my dad high above us in a tree stand. When we were awake, we had a very important job – to watch for deer.

In the silence and stillness of those crisp Fall mornings, I remember feeling at such peace. My eyes would scan across the land looking for movement of any kind. But I would often get distracted looking across the land, and would look up at the leaves instead. I loved watching them fall down around us in what appeared to be a place as magical as Narnia. But the colors of the leaves – that was my favorite thing to hunt. I would lie underneath that big tree where dad was posted and name all the colors in my head. Then, I would try to pick a favorite tree with the most splendid display of colors. The color would change as the sun would rise, and I would start the joyous task all over again.

Memories of Fall mornings with my dad are still fresh in my mind, even though these moments are well over 25 years old. My sister and I were gifted by the Lord to have a dad who was always active in our lives. He did things like show us our first sunrise, take us hunting, attend a ridiculous amount of sporting events, show us how to write checks and balance a checkbook – being part of what appeared to be normal, mundane days filled with his presence and his love.

Dad was a hardworking, intelligent, “Mr. Fix Anything” kind of guy. And He loved the Lord and seemed most at rest while in God’s creation exploring the great outdoors.

While I grieved different losses along the Lou Gehrig’s disease road, nothing could have prepared me for the day he departed this earth to go home to heaven. I had always thought that on the day he died I would find great relief – not just for him, but for me and my family, especially my battle-worn mom, his bride. Nothing could have been further from the truth. His death was a crushing blow.

I was consumed with thinking about all the future events he would not be at: monumental milestones like walking me down the aisle, helping fix my first house, holding his grandchildren. I also found myself missing him in the everyday of life. The rhythm of the machines buzzing in the house that helped keep him alive were suddenly missing. The silence was deafening.

The inward focus on my pain and sorrow took over as my eyes came off of God and focused onto myself. Hurt and grief turned into anger at the world, and especially at the Creator of it all. I didn’t doubt that God was in control or on His throne, but I didn’t believe He could be good in the midst of such deep sorrow.

Over many years, friends would meet with me and open the Word of God with me and for me, and enter into my anger-filled heart. With eyes set on myself and not on the Lord, I had started to believe lies and not the Word of God. People must have been praying for me during these years because by God’s grace, I continued to attend church and small group Bible studies, while still holding onto my hurt and anger.

Over time, the Word of God started to melt away the anger and expose the lies I was believing. The Word of God is powerful enough to do the work of God, and that is exactly what happened to this hard heart. The Word revealed that God did not design death as part of His original design, but it came as a result of sin and of the fall (Gen. 3). Every word of Philippians brought life and exposed sin that needed to be repented of and brought before the throne of God. I read the story of Lazarus (John 11), where Jesus knew his friend would die and He would bring Him back to life, and wept in such a way that he was sobbing uncontrollably. I finally saw that Jesus knew my pain. Jesus suffered greater pain than I will ever know when He was on the cross, separated from His own Father to bear the sins of the world so that I might know Him, escape eternal death and live with Him and for Him.

The Word melted away my anger and revealed God’s character, and I could not deny God’s goodness any longer.

In God’s goodness, I saw marriage vows lived out between a man and a woman in what could be called the very worst of times. Yet, they continued to love one another and glorify the Lord in their perseverance and love for one another.
In God’s goodness, I watched and learned what hope in God means during suffering.
In God’s goodness, I watched the church and body of believers uphold and sustain my family during the Lou Gehrig’s disease journey.
In God’s goodness, He gave me a husband who is not afraid to point me to the Truth and would not let me stay in my sorrow. Instead, He took me to the Word and to the church to be with believers.
In God’s goodness, He placed me in a church that preaches the Word and the gospel, where people meet together to dive into the Word and into each other’s lives.
In God’s goodness, He gave me godly women who loved me so much that they wouldn’t let me stay in my anger, but gave me themselves and opened the Word of God with me.
In God’s goodness, He redeemed me. He called me His very own because the penalty of my sin was paid for on the cross by the spotless Lamb of God.
In God’s goodness, He redeems the hurt and pain from losing my dad in a terminal illness in unique ways that only God can orchestrate.

As I watch the colors of Fall change all around me, I still miss my dad. But God’s goodness is more evident than the pain and sorrow. My heart now sings:

“Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Give thanks to the Holy One.

Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son.”

Won’t you join me in singing and telling God how good He is. As we walk toward Advent, there is no better time than to reflect on God’s goodness in our lives.

I was not paid by any company mentioned in this post.

No Ordinary Day

No Ordinary Day Planner

November 6, 2017November 6, 2017 No Ordinary Day Planner

8 in 1

I used to be notorious for overcommitting myself and my family. This left not just me frazzled, exhausted and weary for the next week, but even my family!

This happened the most when I didn’t use a paper planner. Nothing against our digital age and the ease it provides for some routines. Schedules and items that need my attention stick better in my brain when I actually take time to write them down on paper. I had finally learned that I function better with pen and paper.

When I write schedules & commitments down, and I see it all in front of me, it is easier for me to see where we are overcommitted, where we need to back off and when we can take family adventures, even if it’s just a picnic in a park. Let’s face it, mom life is hard. Why should I make it harder on my whole family by overcommitting our time and making everyone a tired, emotional mess? Including me!

Moses asks the Lord in Psalm 90:12 to “Teach us to number or days that we get a heart of wisdom.” We should be praying this same prayer and asking the Lord to teach us to number our days and to give us a heart of wisdom. But how do we do that?

Plan your week.

Write out everything you’ve committed to for the week.

This is a habit I’ve had for a long time, and its benefits are countless. Every Sunday night after the kids go to bed, I write out what is happening in our families lives and when for that week.

I try my best to meal plan for the week during this time. We have learned as a family that when we don’t meal plan, we are more likely to eat out and spend more money than our budget allows for food. While this piece is not my favorite, it brings peace to my mind and helps us avoid confusion to know what’s for dinner ahead of time.

Don’t fill up your days to 100% capacity, but 70% capacity.

This is wisdom passed down to me that has proved itself extremely helpful and healthy for our family. As mom, I’m the timekeeper for our family. For our family, when we have something every day, we are a worn out bunch before Friday. And friends, that is not a pretty picture in our house. It means exhausted kids and parents, later bedtimes, earlier mornings and usually a good dose of unnecessary drama and tears because we are more tired than we realize.

Just because you see an empty hour or two in your days does not mean you have to fill them up. These are margins of time that should be left unplanned and empty. The margins allow for the unexpected to happen – whether good or bad – and provides flexibility for us to navigate them with less stress than if we didn’t have margins. When the school project takes longer than expected, or that one ingredient was forgotten at the store. Another trip to the dentist is needed to repair braces, or a friend needs you to pick up their kids from school. Without the margins, the unexpected can leave you frazzled and frayed.

And if those unplanned hours remain unfilled, enjoy them!

Keep the first things first.

What is most important to you? Is it reading time with your child? Maybe having that lunch date with your spouse? Is it completing your Bible study? Or learning a new discipline like Scripture memory?

Yes, plan for those! Make time for what matters most.

If we write down what is most important to us, we plan for that time. We find ourselves protecting it.

I write down in my planner a daily reminder to have a quiet time. This is not to have a box to check every day and feel good about myself, but it’s a reminder that I need to spend time with my Creator and Maker. I need to be in the Word of God putting my eyes and mind on the One who knows me and knows all things.

Don’t be afraid to say no.

My sweet Lee is constantly reminding me, just because it’s good doesn’t mean you should do it. And you know what, he’s right. Just because I can or because I have a little bit of time, does not mean it is best for me or for my family, even if it appears to fit in the margins of life.

8 in 1 to Make Life Run

All of these points led me to create The No Ordinary Day Planner, an 8 in 1 tool to help make the most of my days. I wanted a planner where I could write all our commitments down as a family, but would also help me to surrender these plans to the Lord and to walk with my eyes focused on Him.

Monthly calendar and weekly planning pages – These are not just empty spaces to be filled, but spaces for you to write down your family’s commitments to see if you are above capacity, to help plan for the margins and to help you say no. Making the most of your time and your families time each month and each week.
Scripture – The weekly planning pages have Scripture to help focus your thoughts and plans on the Lord by learning about His attributes, His character, who He is. There’s nothing more powerful to get your mind off yourself than to read about who God is.
Praying for the nations – The weekly planning pages also have a country’s outline. This is a country that does not know the Lord, has been difficult for the gospel to get into, and the people of these nations need us to pray for them to know Jesus. When I feel frustrated by things not going my way, it’s easy to get my eyes off myself by praying for a nation who does not have the freedoms I do to know Jesus. And when I don’t know what to pray for this nation, I refer to the country focus page for that month where there are specific ways to pray and information provided about this nation.
Prayer & Praise page – How often do we tell people, “I will pray for you.” But after leaving the conversation, we quickly forget. Each month has its own prayer and praise page to quickly jot down prayer needs. Then, we can go back and see how the Lord has answered them!
To-Do Lists and Brain Dump – We just need this space. Whether it’s a project or house work, it’s so helpful to have a place to write all the to-do items down and have a blank space for creativity or notes.
Goals & Gratitude – Start each month making 3 goals. When we take the time to write down and acknowledge what is most important to us for that month, we are more likely to do it! On the same page is a place to pause and be thankful, writing down 3 things we are grateful for from the previous month.
Date’s to Remember – Just because I’m terrible at remembering birthdays doesn’t mean I have to be! Each month has a place to write down those important dates. Having them all in the same place helps you see the big picture for the month and plan accordingly.
Beautiful, original artwork is throughout the planner. Each month is a hymn inspired piece of art that will encourage and spur you on, often leaving you singing the hymn of praise to the Lord.

Having all of these tools in one place is just what I needed! After using this planner for a year, I have grown in my walk with the Lord, better managed our families’ calendar and time, and I have found myself praying something I never did before, “Lord, teach me to number my days that I may have a heart of wisdom.”

The No Ordinary Day Planner is available as both a paper planner and as a digital download. We would love for you to plan along with us for 2018! You can purchase the No Ordinary Day Planner by going to Kickstarter! Hurry! This is a limited time offer!

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5 Truths to Remind our Kids as School Starts

August 3, 2017November 6, 2017 No Ordinary Day Planner

5 Truths to Remember 2017-0801

To My Child as You Start School:

Dear son, I know you are excited and nervous as we begin a new adventure- a new school year! All those feelings of uneasiness you’re having is simply you processing how you feel about the unknown. There are a few things I want to remind you – and myself about – as we begin the school year together. You may think I am silly to remind you of these truths, but know that these truths are reminders for me, too.

Everyone is created in the image of God. Every boy. Every girl. Classmates who dress like you and those who dress differently from you. Each one is created in the image of God just like you are created in the image of God. The Bible says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). This means that you do not have the right to be unkind, unloving, or rude in your words and actions with your classmates. This applies to your teacher and any parent that walks in the classroom to assist your teacher. God made each person in His likeness, and though we look different with different colors of skin, different styles of clothing, and have different beliefs and backgrounds – each of us is made in God’s image. Therefore, I expect you to treat each person with kindness in love knowing that the God of the universe made them just as He made you.

Give your very best. I do not expect you to excel and be perfect in everything, but I do expect you to give your very best. School is so much fun, but it is also meant to challenge and to grow you. New skills take time to learn, so do not expect to master each one the first time you try. Give yourself grace by giving yourself patience and time to learn and to try. Never be afraid to ask questions; that’s part of learning! And my son, giving your best is easiest when there’s no grumbling.

You will fail. At some point, at something…you will fail. And it is okay. Your dad and I love you deeply because of who you are and because you are a gift to us from the Lord. We do not measure you by your grades or by your skills. Your performance in school is not a measure of your worth or a measure of our love for you. It is also not a measure of God’s love for you. God’s love is unfailing and perfect. And nothing can separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). God loves you when you make great grades, and His love is the same when you do not make great grades. God’s love for you does not change because God does not change (James 1:17).

You are not alone. Though your dad and I are not in the classroom with you, God is with you. When you feel alone, or scared, or nervous remember that you can talk to God and tell Him how you feel. Then, remind yourself of His promise to never leave you nor forsake you but to be with you (Joshua 1:9). He is right there with you and will not leave you (Psalm 139:7). Remember this truth, too when you are tempted to do something that is not honoring to the Lord. Though you might think you will not be seen, God sees and knows everything.

Be grateful. You have a unique opportunity to have an education. There are so many children around the world who do not have the opportunity to go to school. When you experience frustration and might feel like giving up, take time to tell the Lord thank you for the opportunity to go to school, to learn, and to have an education. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

My son, I am excited to see what the new school year holds. I am excited to see how you will grow academically and in your character as a young sir throughout the year. I am also excited to see how you will grow in your relationship with the Lord this year. These simple truths are not just for you, but are for me to remember, too. And my son, always remember, we love you so much! But most importantly: God loves you the most!

Lord, we pray for this new school year for our child. We thank you that he has the opportunity to receive an education. We ask that throughout the year, we would keep our eyes on You. Give us courage and love to truly love others the way that You love. Give us eyes to see and give us love to treat others with kindness, even when it’s hard. We pray that our child will grow not just in academics and new skills, but that he would grow in his relationship with You. We pray that no matter what happens this school year, he will remember and know that Your love is greater than anything else in this life. Thank you for your promise to never leave nor forsake us. And thank You for the calling of being a parent. We love you and surrender this school year and our child to you, In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Searching for a Constant in an Ever -Changing World

May 25, 2017November 6, 2017 No Ordinary Day Planner

A Constant in an Ever-Changing World

My little guy thinks he’s playing in the national championship soccer game to be televised to the whole world this coming Saturday. He imagines that he and his team will hoist up (or run around) the same trophy that is awarded the NCAA National Champions. His excitement level for his last soccer game of the season is at an all-time high. And with his excitement level, his expectations are also super high – to WIN the game and finally score a goal! It is the last game after all! My little blessing is five. Reality is, his game will not be televised, and only those present will have the enjoyment of watching. And, there is not a trophy, but a medal…for every participant.

All of this excitement and expectation has led us to having conversations with him about what could really happen on Saturday. They might win and we will be thrilled, but they could lose the game, and we need to respond appropriately by not weeping on the field but giving our high fives and ‘Good game’ to the opponent.

Sportsmanship conversations are important, needed, and has also led us to talking about God’s love. Our conversations look a little like this: “Who loves you the most if you and your team win this game?” Response from little blessing: “God does.”

“Who loves you the most and just the same if you and your team do not win the game?” At first, there were long pauses before I answered my own question. But as we near Saturday, he now responds, “God does.” Even though he knows the true answer, You can still see his little mind processing this information.

It’s important for my little man to know that good or bad, win or lose, God’s love for him is the same. AND, God is the same! At first glance, this might seem trivial; since it is a five and under soccer game we are talking about after all. But this truth applies to me, too. Why is this important to me? What difference does it make in my day to day life as a stay-at-home mom?

But Everything Is Changing. . .

In an ever-changing world, God is the only constant. This is one of my favorite characteristics of God. He simply cannot change. He is God and there is none like Him. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:9).

It is not hard to feel overwhelmed just reading or listening to the news. It’s all about change. Let’s consider a few things that could cross our minds in one day:

The weather is constantly shifting; you can’t remember all the recent changes to your homeowner’s insurance. Will the house be okay in the next storm, or if it isn’t, will your insurance cover it?
The political climate and hot topics in Washington, D.C. – some directly impact you. Will it change your life? Your children’s lives?
The school board is rezoning the school district…again. You love the teachers and have adapted to your current school’s routine. Will this devastate your child? Will she make new friends? Will you?
You just got a phone call that changed your world. Friends who are more like family receive a cancer diagnosis. Their world is turned upside down. And so is yours.

How we respond to change reveals what we believe. Yes, there is a time to grieve what was lost – whether it is a life or a dream. And tears are needed to wash away the emotion and hurt. But in the tears, in the grief, to what are we running and clinging ? The easiest thing to cling to is fear. All the ‘what if’ questions flood the mind. Deep sorrow, fear, anger and bitterness could consume you.

OR we can cling to the One who doesn’t change, but is constant.

Unlike unpredictable weather – God does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
Unlike our wavering affections – God’s love is steady, unchanging and inescapable (Romans 8:38-39).
Unlike the political climate (internationally, domestically and locally) – God is in complete control of the universe (Isaiah 40:28) and in complete control of those who are in political leadership (Proverbs 21:1). He knows you by name and calls out the stars by name each night (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 147:4).

Why is this Important in our Ordinary Days?

In a world that is constantly changing, God is the only constant.

Friends, when you have joy filled moments and feel like you’re overflowing with love and rockin’ this mom thing – God is with you and He loves you. And friends, when your day feels destroyed by your temper, hurtful words you cannot take back; temper tantrums and meltdowns – God is the same as He was yesterday, and He will be the same tomorrow. His love for you hasn’t changed. You cannot escape it.

I fell in love with this attribute of God after my dad was diagnosed with the terminal illness Lou Gehrig’s disease. During that same period, my sister was running away from home and making poor choices. In the midst of it, I found my mom crying or being just plain mad at the world most days. I developed an eating disorder craving something I could control in my rapidly changing world. I was thirteen and fourteen during this time period.

Over the next year, I surrendered my life to Christ after searching for a way out of the anger that was consuming me and the fear I was drowning in. I read James 1 and felt like I was the one being tossed about in the waves not knowing what I believed. Then, I got to James 1:17, which says, “God does not change like shifting shadows.” My ever-changing world now had a constant, and I was no longer being tossed in the waves. I received my first taste of God’s love, and it was greater for me than anything I had ever known.

Friends, it is hard to run in the opposite direction of fear, but let us run to God instead. Let’s train ourselves and train up our children to believe that yes, everything in this world and this life is constantly changing, but God can never change. He never will.

And His love can never change either.

In fact, His love was so great, He sent His only Son to die on a cross, so that we would know this truth: His love for us is greater than anything we can ever understand (Romans 8:32).

Join me in teaching our little blessings now (even while they are small) that God never changes, and that His love for them can never change because God Himself never changes. And this truth can change us, too. On days when we think we are doing great at this mom calling and days we think we have failed miserably, God is the same and His love for us knows no end. When really difficult trials enter our family and we are flooded with questions about why such a hard thing is now part of our lives, God loves us and He is the same today as He was yesterday before the hard news.

God is our Constant in an Ever-Changing World.

Knowing and believing in God’s immutable, unchanging character is foundational to how we respond to trials and how we view God from our earthly, fallen state. And if we train up our children to know that even in sports and in school, whether they win or lose the game, ace or fail a test – God’s love is the same and He is the same. We will teach them to build their lives on the only firm foundation, Jesus Christ, on whom they can stand for life.

Lord, thank You that You are the only thing in this world that is constant and unchanging. Help us to see in your Word how You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. May this truth about who You are change how we view ourselves and the hard things in our lives. May we see that because You do not change, Your love for us does not change. Thank You for being constant.

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Do My Days Matter?

May 11, 2017May 11, 2017 No Ordinary Day Planner

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Have you ever wondered what makes your days count? As a stay at home to two small children, my days look very similar from day to day. The hours are filled with what appear to be ordinary events and mundane tasks. Reading books, preparing meals, washing dishes and the loads of laundry – it is not long before the hours of each day are filled up. I end up feeling like nothing was accomplished, except for the pile of once dirty clothes that are now clean…although likely not yet folded.

The days felt and appeared extremely ordinary.

I have recently challenged myself to see every day as though it was not ordinary, and that includes each part of my day that appears mundane. This does not mean that our days are filled with amazing adventures. Life is a series of uneventful visits to the grocery store, meal planning, and tackling all that laundry. The challenge is to see that the mundane moments are moments that train, and are gifts from the Lord.

Gifts From the Lord

Seeing each day and each person in my life as a gift has completely changed my daily perspective. My sweet husband is a gift from the Lord. Each of my children is a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Each friendship that comes into my life is a gift from the Lord. Every day that the Lord wakes me up with breath in my lungs is a gift from the Lord! Having this change of mind has helped me become a grateful person, and I am now less likely to take these sweet gifts for granted. While this sounds like a “no brainer”, when you’re in the daily grind it’s easy to lose perspective and take people for granted. We are not guaranteed tomorrow (James 4:13-14), and I want to love and treasure the gifts and the people in my life every day. When I actually do that, gratitude turns to joy throughout my day.

The Mundane Moments Train Us Up

All those mundane moments throughout our days are not wasted moments. God is using them to train, sanctify and teach us how our theology matters in the everyday moments.

The list can go on about what the mundane is training in our lives. This looks different for me in the different seasons of life, but knowing that these mundane moments are training me and my children is life-giving. Yes, the dishes are waiting from the night before, and the laundry is still in the washing machine. But taking on these daily tasks with a smile instead of my usual grumbling changes my attitude for what’s next and shows my little people that joy is possible in these daily moments.

The mundane moments are far from ordinary. We just have to look to the Lord to see these ordinary moments sanctifying us to be like Christ from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18). Lord willing, the ordinary days will be building blocks for our children to come know the Lord because they see our gratitude.

But How?!

Seeing each day as a gift, and seeing the mundane moments of our life as daily gifts, is a moment by moment challenge! For example, doing the dishes used to put me in a bad mood every night. After a challenge from a friend, I put Scripture verses on my kitchen window to memorize, and a list of people to pray for while I did the dishes. Some nights I played praise music to sing along with. If I did the dishes in the morning, I’d say the Scripture out loud and have my kids repeat the verse with me. This was a game changer. Sounds too simple, doesn’t it? But it changed my outlook and my attitude. Mom was no longer grumpy after doing dishes, but happy and ready to move on to what was next.

I can easily lose perspective that every person and every day is a gift from the Lord. After reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss’ book “Choosing Gratitude”, I started journaling. Nancy Leigh DeMoss challenged her readers to write five different things they were grateful for at the end of each day. I took Nancy up on her challenge. I made sure to include at least one thing I was grateful for about my sweet husband. This was life-giving to our whole family, not just to me! I went to bed with a grateful heart, and less worried about tomorrow or the items from my to-do list that were not accomplished that day.

Seeing each day as anything but ordinary sounds simple enough, but for me it takes daily training. The most important part of my daily training is being in God’s Word and spending time with Him. It is tough to carve out time to read and meditate on the Word of God, but this time is needed as it is shaping and focusing our hearts and minds on God for the day. Whether we are nursing babies, chasing high energy toddlers, working a full-time job, our days are filled with mundane moments. Our theology matters in these mundane moments. When we choose to be grateful that our laundry baskets that are full instead of frustrated, we are glorifying the Lord. When we sing praise songs to the Lord while doing dishes instead of grumbling, we are glorifying the Lord. When the crayons found the walls instead of paper and we respond with calmness in our disciple, we are glorifying the Lord. We can glorify the Lord in the mundane moments as our theology comes to life!

So, I pray the verse that Moses prayed to the Lord in Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days that we may have a heart of wisdom.” Lord, help us to be life-givers and to see each day and each person in our lives as gifts from you. Remind and teach us that the mundane moments train us to know you better, and at the same time, these moments are displaying our view of you to our friends and our family. May we bring you glory in every moment, even while washing dishes!