Never stop learning.

Lately, I have definitely not been praying as much as I should or want to. Back when I used to teach, I prayed in the car on the way to work everyday, and I really liked that "tradition." Now, however, I don't have a morning commute anymore. A lot has changed in my daily routine, with moving, having Norah, and not working, and my prayer life has suffered.

I want to change that. There are those times throughout the day where you offer up little, short prayers for whatever is going on, but I need to find that time that's the same, everyday, where I know it's time to pray and that I do it so much it becomes instinctual. I will be working on that.

On another note, I have been doing pretty good with reading the Bible everyday. I'm not perfect and don't want to come across as that way, but when you are consistent and make something a part of your habits and routine, it's a lot easier to do it.

Awhile back I went through a phase, for about a year, where I did my daily devotionals/reading on my phone, through the Bible app. You can get great devotionals there, so I am not meaning to say anything bad about it, but it didn't work the best for me. I missed actually holding the Bible and feeling the pages. I am also a huge highlighter fan, so I missed that aspect as well. So, I ditched my phone and went back to the actual Bible, and it was a good decision. For me.

Usually, when I read, I gravitate toward the New Testament. After spending awhile doing that, I decided to go back to the Old Testament. I have been enjoying learning/remembering new things, because there is always something you can learn! I feel/felt like I knew many Bible stories, including many from the Old Testament, because I taught them at preschool for a long time.

Teaching Bible stories to children is so incredibly important, but that should also not replace revisiting those stories on your own time as an adult. There are many details that get left out, usually on purpose, because a young child simply cannot understand some aspects.

For instance, I never told my preschoolers that when the flood came and God saved Noah's family, that all the other people died in the flood. They wouldn't have been able to understand why God did that or would let that happen. I didn't mention that after David, with God's help, hit Goliath with the stone from the sling, that he cut his head off after. Wow! There are aspects like that that I purposely left out, because they wouldn't have been able to understand.

On another note, there are aspects that I left out because I had to tell the most simplified version to the kids. If you include too many details, they get lost quickly. You have to be quick and direct with your point and the main thing you want them to take away. It's been great to revisit those stories and remember all those details I left out before. For instance, I have been reading the account of Moses in Exodus. Did you know that when Pharaoh finally let them go, that there were 600,000 men? Just men! That's not even including all the women and children. I also had forgotten about the angel of the Lord leading the Israelites by day with a cloud in front of them, and a pillar of fire by night. Also, when Pharaoh changed his mind again and pursued the Israelites, along with many of his Egyptians, that the angel of the Lord left them from the front and physically moved to be behind them, and the cloud blocked them, making darkness on one side and light on the other, to confuse the Egyptians and protect the Israelites. I also enjoyed reading Genesis again. There are so many details from that book I had forgotten too.

I am so glad that God is big and that He is real. These stories I am reading really happened. God takes care of His people and provides for them. It might not always be in a way we can see or understand (that's very clear from so many people's stories from the Bible!), but He is there and ever faithful.

I am so glad that God is forgiving and that no matter what we have done, we can go home to Him and His grace will always cover us.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to teach at a Christian school and that I was able to teach His children about Him for three years.

And, I am so glad that Kley and I have been entrusted with Norah and we can teach all these things to her as well as she grows up. What a blessing.