pouring out. pouring in. pouring forth.

you might get tired of me talking about Beth Moore... i hope you don't, though. most of the Bible studies that i've done in life have been written by Beth Moore, so i've learned a LOT from her.

i was in the middle of a study called "Living Beyond Yourself" when i was really pregnant with my daughter. once she was born, i stopped going and never did finish the study [i had great plans to finish on my own and watch the video sessions online, but i think you all know what happens when the newborn arrives]. anyway, i plan to finish it now that i'm done with "Breaking Free". it's sort of a sequel, in my opinion.

in the very first video session [way back when i watched it] i remember being so convicted of the fact that your "quiet time", or "devotions", or whatever you call your time in God's presence, needs to be in the morning. listen, i know this is hard. i know it's not easy for moms. especially moms of little babies that still wake up and still eat all the time and barely give us time to breathe. i know that. and i know that God gently leads those with young and there is more Grace for us mommies than we'd like to believe... i know all of that. BUT if you are wondering how to have an effective, day-by-day life that brings Him glory in everything, that literally allows the Spirit to live and breathe through you and direct your every move... it starts in the morning, before you go about your day. it won't work if you're waiting until your head hits the pillow to finally read what God has been waiting all day to show you, to finally talk with Him. your day is already over. spirit-filled? probably not. 

[again, please don't feel like i'm judging you or like i'm putting some sort of impossible burden on you. i was convicted of this in my own life and knew i needed to make a change. we are all in different seasons. my current season allows for this routine, and God loves you and me just the same. there are times where it's all you can do just to hang on and survive, and there are other times when God is calling you to pour out into others. if you're in this "pouring out" season, i'm talking to you, because you need to be poured into, in order to pour out.]

Beth Moore wakes up every day before the sun, [not very surprising] and takes the first few hours just to be in God's presence. she reads, she prays [out loud] and she studies. she listens and He speaks. if you've ever read Beth Moore, you know that. no wonder she's so "effective". wouldn't you love to live like that?

she outlines a morning routine like this: pouring out . pouring in . pouring forth

pour out yourself through prayer. if we're full of ourselves, we can't be full of Him. they can't co-exist successfully or effectively. praise Him for who He is, confess your sins [and accept forgiveness immediately], ask Him for what you need, intercede for others on your prayer list, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you as you do the next step:


pour in through reading His Word. you really CAN just open your Bible and start reading. the chronological Bible is a great way to stay on track. you read through the Bible in a year, in the order that all the events happened historically. what an awesome resource!? [my friend leslie recommended it to me in the NLT - New Living Translation - because it reads much easier, like a novel. i agree]. the point is, you don't need to go through a specific Bible study, though that does help if you're in a little slump. and who are we kidding, i'd recommend anything by Beth Moore.

pouring forth is the last step, of course. you may have heard it said that we are saved for good works [not by good works, lest we should boast]. God has sent His Son to save us so that we can do His work. so that He can do His work through us, more accurately.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

and it all starts in the morning. little by little His Word will change you. His Spirit will change you. but you have to start, and you have to keep on. can you imagine being twenty years down the road living a life you never though possible, because you gave your mornings to Him? it's exciting to think about. join me to "maximize your mornings". i think it will be the best challenge you [and i] ever take on.

p.s. if you think of me tomorrow morning, would you pray for me? it's the last day of our Bible study [sharing day] and i'll be singing/playing that song i wrote. i'm already getting nervous, and i never get nervous. hopefully i can post a video of it for you on friday :)