Daily Habits of Faith

In a world where nothing seems normal right now, our family has had to rely on our faith more than ever to get us through and keep us grounded. The circumstances have changed our routines. It has changed our gratitude level; it has changed how we interact with people, how we homeschool, how we feel about world views, and how we plan for our future. I can say that with all the negatives of the last year, it has been the steadfast love of the Lord that has directed us in a more purposeful life, and I am beginning to see the positive side of things.

Time in the Word

I felt the need to dig deeper in the Word and schedule time with God so I do my best to start my day and end my day with Bible study and prayer. Just one chapter is all I commit to, and I journal about my thoughts, write out prayers, or copy quotes and scriptures I come across. I find it soothing. Sometimes speaking our concerns in prayer or brain dumping thoughts on paper is all we need to be able to see past what is concerning us, and instead of stressing, we can find peace.

At first, looking at a blank journal was intimidating, but before I knew it, it was filling up! Now I can flip through and look back on what I wrote and see where I have progressed and where I still need work. 

I have increased my time reading scripture. Whereas in the past, even with the best intentions, daily distractions used to take this precious time away from me. As a result, I have found that my phone has taken less precedence, and emails, texts, and the world of social media can wait. In fact, I now would rather pick up a book than waste time scrolling through feeds. 

Daily habits creep into our lives, and it is good to evaluate every so often if these habits are benefitting us or distracting us from better things. It is good to have personal time each day, especially in the mornings. It sets the tone for the day. I have found on days that I put off my morning time thinking I will get to it soon, then the distractions start. Then our schooling starts and then the phone rings and I have an unexpected errand to run, and so on, and I feel rushed through the day and just feel off-set. 

When I start my day with the Lord, I feel relaxed, prepared for what the day will bring, and I am more present for my family, and even my children seem to have a more positive vibe.

Discipling our Children 

For our homeschooling, I also have my children start their day in scripture. My daughter reads one chapter of her Bible, and I read to my son. It is hard to explain, but it makes a world of difference in their countenance and their attitudes towards doing their school work and towards each other. Sometimes, we incorporate Bible journaling and copy work in their personal journals. My children have had many questions over the last year in particular, as I think we all have had, and they find comfort knowing that they were created equipped with everything necessary to survive, through Christ.

Schooling has been hit hard, for both public and at home, and we have personally faced frustrations, but we adapt, and children are so resilient, but I do wonder what normal will look like for their future.

I feel blessed that we have been well established in homeschooling. Though we are missing group activities and sports, we have found other ways to get out and about. Instead of baseball, my daughter is able to take riding lessons this year, which has really helped her to face some fears and to find a bond with her Grandpa’s horse. She now wants to incorporate horse studies in the upcoming school year, and we are able to let her follow her interests.

Purposefully Thankful 

We have been able to spend more time with family siblings, allowing our children to enrich their cousin relationships. And of course now that spring is here and summer is around the corner, we will be busy in the garden, swimming in the river, and helping on the family farm. We are blessed to live a country life; it offers so much.

Through pondering where the last year went, I come to realize that perhaps we need to sometimes take a step back, even be forced to, to evaluate where we are at on our life journey. I have come to realize how much I have taken for granted over the years, especially in my carefree youth.

I wonder as my son just turned six, what happened to the baby I held in my arms. I feel now like I would give anything to take back those days of even sleepless nights just to be able to hold and nurture that precious new life form.

I try to live more in the moment, with my moments alone, with my husband, with my children, with family, and I try to worry less about what gets done and focus on the memories being made. I now make it a point to be purposefully thankful for literally everything. For being home safe with my family, for a roof over our head, for my husband’s work when so many are unemployed, for food that we can grow ourselves, for all that life can teach my children, for our health, for another day, for the breath of life, and for our Creator thinking us worthy to be a part of His big plan.

We do not know what the future holds. We can gain insight through study and through understanding our history, but we still have to take each day as it comes, no matter what that may look like. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, and I believe that was purposed so that we would be forced to live by faith, not by our own works or accomplishments alone. The well-known Psalm 23 has stood the test of time. I remember my parents and grandparents reciting it, and I hope we can all find comfort in those words today.

Written by Sandy Knudson

I am a homeschooling mother of two children from Alberta. We are currently full time RVers living a minimalist lifestyle. I keep busy with books and hobbies, mainly woodworking and pyrography, which I have been doing for a few years now. I enjoy a faith-inspired life and look forward to what new inspirations the Lord has in store.