Friday, November 25, 2022

What I've Been Reading, Watching, Listening to, Working on and Praying About

 What I'm Listening To...


This week I thought I'd share a post about what I've been reading, watching, listening to, working on and praying about. 

I've had Matthew West's new Christmas album playing for the past week and I love it! It's not traditional Christmas songs, so it's fresh and new, although I do like the classics too. But his songs are more like stories, which is what I love about his music. 

I've also been listening to a few new podcasts this week, which happen to include Matthew West (again), as well as Candace Cameron Bure. 



Candace's podcast is straight up Bible talk, with her cohost, which I'm really enjoying. They go pretty deep into the Bible and aspects of not only God, but being a Christian in your daily life.  She's only several episodes in, so it would be easy to start at the beginning and catch up if you prefer to listen that way. 




Matthew's podcast is him interviewing friends, such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Candace Cameron Bure and others. He's basically just catching up on their lives and latest projects, which I enjoy listening to. 

In fact, in his episode with Candace, they talked of her new movie coming out this Sunday and how the theme song is actually off Matthew's new Christmas album. There is a great God-story involved in how that song came to be a part of the movie. You should listen to it, if those kind of stories interest you. 




What I'm Watching...

These days I'm totally stuck on Heartland. I love this show and I watch 1-2 episodes a day, depending on how the day is going. 

I love the family dynamic, the horses, the environment, the scenery and just about everything concerning this show. Every now and then the story can become a little predictable, but it quickly moves into something I wasn't expecting and redeems itself. 

This is a great alternative to Yellowstone, which has horrible language and I won't watch it. But if you love the horses, ranches, cowboys and beautiful scenery, this one would be a great choice. 





What I'm Reading...

I'm almost finished with this thriller. I've set it aside a few times, thinking that I hate to read a thriller during the holidays! But I wanted to finish it, so I'm plugging along, determined to get through with it by this weekend, so I can start a Christmas book or at least something more uplifting.




What I'm Working on...

This is a little Christmas project I started a few weeks ago, to help me get in the holiday spirit.

It's just a small booklet that I'm decorating and will use to write inspirational stories or quotes for Christmas and keep it to look at next year too.



I love working with paper and stickers and tiny envelopes like this.

I stick these envelopes throughout my books and tuck little messages inside them, just for fun.


I am a paper girl and I will forever create things with pretty paper and stickers. I've even enjoyed adding stamps and watercolors to some of my projects this year.


Next is What I've Been Praying About...

Well, of course there are many things to pray about on a daily basis, but something big I've been praying about lately is the new year and what the Lord would have me focus on during 2023. 

I'm a project person, meaning that I like to have a project and a purpose to my days. I have way too many ideas and things I would love to do, but recently I felt the Lord tell me to put away my exhaustive To-Do list and just seek him daily for direction. If you're an idea or a project person, you know that this is hard to do!

I like having a plan, a check-off list, feeling accomplished at the end of the day, so it's tough to wing it and not know what direction I'm going in. And I don't know if this is exactly what the Lord is telling me, but it's certainly something I'm continuing to pray about. 

As with anything, I have to be patient and wait on Him to guide me and I have faith that he will.

I can feel the stirrings of something new coming and it's exciting to know that I'm stepping aside and letting God guide the timing. 


What about you?

What are you reading, watching, listening to, working on and praying about (if you care to share)?

I would love to hear all about it!


Until Next Time...

Blessings!

7 comments:

  1. Love the Christmas booklet you're working on. Great idea.
    I'm reading another Anne Perry Book.
    We are watching George Gently - DVD 's from the library
    Not listening to anything
    Though my son is a wonderful, loving. kind hearted, caring man, he is not saved and I pray daily for his Salvation.

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    1. Karen, I will pray with you for your son. Thank you for sharing :)

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  2. What a great idea to do a booklet! Well, you read my blog, and since I'm an open book, you know my inclination to Hallmark, Great American Family Network and Lifetime Christmas movies. I've been reading all the Christmas books! Nancy Thayer is a standout to me right now, along with Susan May Warren, who authored the book Evergreen that I shared about. I have a fabulous Christmas playlist on Spotify that includes worship songs as well- it's so beautiful it usually makes me teary singing praises to Jesus. I love Christmas worship music! A favorite is Come Thou Long Expected Savior by Meredith Andrews, Joseph's Lullaby by MercyMe, and O Come All Ye Faithful by Passion and featuring Melodie Malone. You should look all of those up! I love Christmas music, but not necessarily the classics. I'm working on our new Bible study for next fall on the book of Judges and WHEW. That is not for the faint of heart studying about that dark, dark time, but also it points to the blessed hope we have in Jesus! I love the bright spots of the lives of some of those beloved judges who helped redeem Israel...again, it points me to the redemption that only Jesus offers. I always pray for my sons. Their relationships with the Lord are not where they should be, but they do know Him and for that I am thankful. I know He will draw them closer one of these days...I had that same issue when I was their ages. I just keep praying and trusting and encouraging when it's needed. (Or wanted.) I loved this post, my friend! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thank you for sharing, Jennifer! I love the playlist and the book recommendations and that you are writing Bible studies and getting to dive deep into the word, like that. I pray that your sons will grow in their walk with the Lord. I know that is something everyone struggles with at some point in their faith. But as a mom, it would be especially hard to stand by and watch. Prayers are the best, because it's like you're going to battle for them and they don't even know it :)

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  3. Your something to pray for sounds like something all of us could pray more about - well, especially those of us who enjoy a good to do list. And isn't it exciting to feel the stirrings of something new?? Hope you will be able to share more in the months ahead! Happy Monday (a bit late but nonetheless....)

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    1. Hi Jennifer! Yes, I love it when the Lord starts stirring something new :) I just wish he would call a meeting and tell me how to go about his plans :) haha! Wouldn't that be nice?

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