Signature: #Write31Days - Oct 7

I can remember being in elementary school and being at Children's Camp where our Youth Minister walked the halls singing to us to wake up...

Good morning to you

We're all in our places with smiles on our faces

Good morning to you!

It wasn't that I wasn't a morning person, but I'm not usually one to wake up ready to immediately engage in conversation either. So, I'm somewhere in between. I can remember my Mom telling me to get up repeatedly and finally banging on my door with a hairbrush. Hollow doors and that rattled me straight up out of the bed. We still laugh about it.

My former roommates would tell you how I could turn off multiple alarms and never wake up/hear them, though they heard every one. I've always had to set alarms and back up alarms to get up.

And, I've always struggled to consistently get my time in reading my Bible and doing Bible Studies.

I'd set goals, I'm going to get up every morning and do this. I'm going to ____________.

And fail.

And fail again.

I wouldn't ever fully commit to the morning. I'd plan to do my reading/study before I went to bed. Or, right after work. Inevitably I would go work out, go out to eat, hang out with friends, watch tv, fall asleep on the couch, be too tired...blah blah blah. Excuses.

Over the summer, I got consistent most days waking up, making coffee, sitting at my kitchen bar and reading my Bible, doing a Bible Study and spending some time praying. Granted, in the summer it was at my leisure, and sometimes I would sit there for well over an hour, and maybe a second cup of coffee.

Then, it was time to go back to school and I was convicted about the morning. How do I maintain my routine and will I get up to do this still in the morning....so every day my alarm looks like this...

I know myself well enough to know one alarm at 5am isn't going to wake me up. So, I have 3 that go off within 8 minutes. I also know myself well enough that I might turn off those 3 and not realize it, so I have a 6am back up set.

Has it worked? Yes! I was even shocked at myself when I woke up just to the vibrate of my phone before I could really hear the alarm going off. (Side note: I set the slow rise alarm ring tone, I feel like it's not so abrasive and awakens me vs jarring me awake) I read recently that it takes 3 weeks to form a habit and 3 additional weeks for it to become routine. And, after 6 weeks of back to school, my routine is in place. I get up, make my bed and am at my kitchen bar by 5:15 every morning. I don't usually make coffee on school mornings, but I drink a SPARK drink that's waiting in the fridge and get my day started looking mostly like this...

Think there is no way you can become a morning person? I would be willing to bet that you can. No one is asking you to get up and engage in immediate conversation. The only talking you're doing is to God, and that might be through journaling or silent prayer. I've heard, and I've said, God has bigger things to worry about than me getting up. Dare you, pray about it. He is concerned in the finite details of all of our lives. And, he speaks to the morning throughout the Bible:

Psalm 5:3 In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning]. {also "him"}

Psalm 88:13 But to You I cry, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come to meet You.

Psalm 90:14 O satisfy us with Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning [now, before we are older], that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Even Jesus spent time praying in the morning....Mark 1:35 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.

And my very favorite reminder...Lamentations 3:21-23 But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation: It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

The day is new. We have a fresh start. What better way to start the day than carving out some time to get in the Word, begin your day with truth and still your mind for a few minutes before the rat race begins, the to-do lists set in and the day gets away. I know it seems easy for me to do this, it's just me I have to worry about in the morning. I can assure you every day from 5:00 - 5:05 this happens...

5:00 - alarm - "UGHHHHHHHH" Press snooze.

5:01 - Remind myself, I have a back up alarm set

5:02 - close my eyes

5:03 - most likely back asleep

5:04 - alarm - "Ughhhhh."

5:05 - You'll regret this if you don't get up.

5:06 - Straighten the covers, get out of the bed, make the bed and start the day.

And, I've not regretted it one time yet.

So, if you're struggling with fitting in your "quiet time"... I challenge you to the morning. It really is the only time that won't get taken by something else. Give yourself some time to make it a routine and I would imagine you will begin to look forward to that time. Find a place in your house you enjoy sitting. Make coffee. Do whatever it is that will help right your day. And, read some verses, spend some time praying.

If you don't know where to start, what book to read or how to study, I would love to help you. A couple of suggestions are a Psalm a day. Or a Proverb a day. Or start by reading the book of John in the New Testament. Simply ask the Lord to show you something through his Word for the day. It doesn't have to be complicated. I recently blogged on my favorites including books I'm currently reading, a few study books on my list and some recommendations. Click here and here for those posts.

Rise and shine!

Blessings,