Hello there, sweet readers!
How are you hanging in? Has the social distancing and self-quarantining gotten to you like its gotten to me? I am so ready for normal again.
If you’re like me, this strange season has brought with it lots of changes. Maybe you’re reading more. Or keeping a journal. Or exhausting all.the.shows. Netflix has to offer. Major kuddos if you’ve done all three!
While there’s not a lot of “slowing down” that comes with having 3 young children at home with me, I have managed to find some time to read and journal a little more than usual–two things that I love. In the midst of a lot of hard days, this has been a “high point” for me.
So I thought, what a perfect time for a Quarantine Giveaway!!
ONE lucky reader will receive a bundle that includes:
**A copy of Beth Moore’s newest book “Chasing Vines.”
**A copy of Jennie Allen’s newest book, “Get Out of Your Head.”
**A beautiful, leather-bound journal with Psalm 46:10 inscribed on the front: Be still and know that I am God (y’all know by now that this is one of my favorite verses!)
These two books have been life changing for me, so I thought you would like them too!
To enter to win this bundle, take these two simple steps:
- Drop a comment on this post and tell me a “high point” of your quarantine life.
- Subscribe to my e-mail list to receive posts straight to your inbox!
**If you’re already an e-mail subscriber, just drop a comment and you’ll be entered! Entry will be open until midnight on Friday, May 8th. After that, one winner will be chosen randomly and notified via e-mail.
That’s it, my friends! Thank you for faithfully reading along with me–I appreciate you!
With Grace,
I’ve been grateful for the cleared calendar for our family to pause and focus on time together.
Yes! That is an awesome high point, Kim – thankful you’ve had more time with your family!
Being able to take a walk or bike ride with my kids anytime it’s nice out… not just wishing we could because we’re busy.
This is awesome, time outside together is such a life-giving thing! So glad you’re enjoying the time and making sweet memories with your kiddos!
I am grateful to get to spend time with my two college girls . Even though they have to do school on line . We have still had a lot of fun .
Donna, that sounds wonderful! It’s hard for me to imagine my kiddos ever reaching that point of leaving–but when they do, I know I’m going to miss them! So I bet it’s been so sweet to have them under your roof again :-).
Extra time to just be STILL. With 4 kiddos it’s hard to do that and our family is really enjoying the extra margin in our lives.
Yes, friend!! I’m so glad you guys are enjoying the sweet family time. Missing you so much!
I’m grateful for the slow down at home even though work has not slowed down. Thankful for kids and husband who are supportive and show grace.
This has been a great reminder to turn to God first.
What a wonderful gift, to be secure with work and still have more time as a family!! And phew, yes, grace upon grace, right?!
Sitting down for family dinner every night. Since after school activities are canceled, we’ve been able to sit together around the table as a family and enjoy time together. The kids get to pick a question to ask, and we get listen to each other. It’s so funny what they have asked and answered. My husband made music playlists to go with each night (like salsa music for a taco night, Asian music for fried rice, an Italian playlist for spaghetti, etc).
Oh my goodness, this sounds awesome!! What sweet and creative ways to make those mealtimes even more special. I bet your kiddos are going to have so many bright memories from this time!
Highlight has been family dinners!! With our littles the end of the day often falls apart and kids end up eating early and grown ups eating later. We are now all eating dinner together and it has been such a nice and welcomed change for every single one of us!
I love this, sweet friend! Such special times together! :).
Despite the stress of having three small children at home and trying to telework, I have learned that my children have also grown in their creative skills, my husband and I are learning to give grace and mercy when needed to each other and our faults, AND we have started a garden, a worm farm, and are planning a future where we collaborate more as a family and encourage our children to understand the simple joys of slowing down and being with nature. God has taught us about scarcity and conservation, what we’ve taken for granted.
Wow, friend, these are awesome “high points”!! I love it! Such beautiful lessons you can take into whatever “new normal” the future holds. You are doing such a great job, mama!
I am a teacher and a graduate student so I have adapted to web-based class meetings in both roles. The high point is slowing down the pace of life so that I am cooking at home and walking in my own neighborhood. The beauty of nature makes these walks refreshing in a very different way. I hope your eyes “see” differently too. Celeste
This is beautiful, Celeste! How wonderful for technology to allow your school and work to continue, but also for the chance to slow down. One family has been loving the daily walks too–lots of high points when we have those eyes to see! Blessings to you!
I’m enjoying having someone, a niece, do my grocery shopping for us. This is a chore we really dread and are so thankful for her help so we can stay home.
Linnie, what a wonderful blessing to have the help of your niece!! God’s good provision for sure. Blessings to you, friend!
Reading more and leading a womens’ Zoom bible study that was already set to start on April 8, now it’s through technology, learning some tech stuff as my husband is the lead pastor of our church, doing church with him on Sundays as I’m the Worship Leader, all while looking into a camera and not the beautiful, friendly faces of our congregation, and lastly— and more time with my family!
Love all of these high points, Tracey! I can imagine it’s such a different feel teaching and leading worship through Zoom–but yes, such a blessing that we as the church can continue gathering in this unique way! And time with family, always a bonus :). Blessings!
I have been making the cloth face masks and donating them to doctors, nurses, and others in my community. Sewing and praying for each individual to be safe and healthy.
Oh wow, Paula, this is fantastic!! What an awesome high point, and I know these masks are so appreciated. Love how you’re using your talents to help others!
I’m grateful for the slower pace and extra time to spend in quiet worship.
Yes! Love that, and time spent in quiet worship is priceless. Blessings to you!
Loving the extra time with my family and getting some projects done!
Yes! That’s wonderful, Michelle, and great job getting projects done!
Going through my pictures and reliving some of the memories. Send some of them to friends
How lovely, Brenda! That’s a wonderful way to use this time, and I bet your friends have loved receiving those!
Lots of time at home
Yes! Sometimes we’re so busy out and about everywhere but home, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy being a homebody for a while :).
I have had more time to spend in my bible.
Wonderful, Sally! A beautiful way to spend this time.
I appreciate spending unhurried time with my family
Yes! It’s amazing how having time that’s unhurried is so life-giving. Glad you are enjoying that!
Enjoying the slower pace and listening for direction from our heavenly Father.
That is wonderful, Martha, it’s amazing just how welcoming that slower pace is! Thanks for the comment, be sure to subscribe to be entered in the drawing! 🙂
Spending more time with my husband and kids and getting to sleep in or really just lay in bed longer. My kids do not let me sleep in.
Sleep, yes!! I understand, my kiddos don’t let me sleep in either, but it is great to not have to get up and rush out the door, right?! Glad your family is doing well in all this. Thanks for the comment, be sure to subscribe to be entered! 🙂
Zoom meetings for bible study!
Yes! A great way to stay in touch and study God’s Word, even when we can’t be together! Love seeing technology used for good :).
I work in the kitchen at one of the local hospitals. I deliver meals to the nurses on the floors and they distribute them to the correct patients.
That is awesome, Patti, thank you for that hard and dedicated work!! Everyone in the healthcare field is a total rockstar – I know you are a blessing to many. Thanks for the comment, be sure to subscribe to be entered into the drawing! 🙂
Grateful to be praying over zoom with Bible & Moms in Prayer sisters. And grateful for extra game nights and lots of meals together with my husband & teenage sons
That is wonderful, Alethea! What a beautiful prayer group. And I’m so glad you’re enjoying that extra time with your family! 🙂
Being home and being able to decompress and just let my mind rest. No schedules, appointments,work or daily grind. It’s not the vacation I had intended but I have been trying to embrace it nonetheless.
I love all of that! It’s so nice to let the mind rest. Glad you’re embracing it and finding joy in this time!
Thanks for giving us a chance to win. Spending time with hubby.
Absolutely, Noelle, and thanks for entering! Love that you and your hubby are enjoying more time together–it’s a crazy time I’m sure we’ll all look back on and go “wow!” 🙂
I’ve whined plenty about allll the togetherness with my wild 7yo boychild (multitasking doing all the mom things and still having to earn my paycheck) but we have had some sweet sweet moments that we would not have captured otherwise. ❤️
Yes!! Mama, I feel you on the whining–I’ve done plenty of that around here too 🙂 But you’re so right, the time together truly does lead to some precious moments. And I know your son has got to be loving all the time to play!!
My husband and I have been going walking (around our neighborhood) almost every day. Lots of fresh air, talking and laughing. Generally we are very go go go so we love this. Our goal is to keep it up after this is all over – at least every other day.
That sounds wonderful, Carla! So glad you’ve been enjoying the time to walk and talk. I’m with you, that’s a great habit to keep up after things settle back down :).
I joined a Porch Puzzle Facebook group. Local friends and neighbors post pictures of completed puzzles to choose from and we do porch pick ups and drop offs. Love the community! But even better is the late night moment when.my oldest son (20).joins me while I puzzle, and we have mom/son chats. Moments to treasure.
Oh my goodness, I love this!! Just reading your comment gave me the warm fuzzies :). What beautiful memories you are making with your community and your son!
I love having Zoom meetings twice a week with my Community Group. So thankful we can stay in touch
Yes! That’s wonderful, it’s so great to see technology put to good use. Glad you are able to stay connected, Beryl! 🙂
I ma grateful for being with my family
That is such a blessing, Margaret! So glad you are spending quality time with them and making lots of memories I’m sure 🙂
At the beginning of sheltering in place I felt I was forced to be quiet. Now I am grateful to have precious time to reflect, listen and be still with God!
Yes!! I love your perspective, and how you’ve let God quiet you and speak to you. That is awesome!
I’m grateful for the slower pace life right now.
That is wonderful, Ann, I’m so glad this slower pace has been refreshing! I agree 🙂
It’s been nice to have time to relax and do things around the house. I love reading so I’ve been trying to read.
Oooh yes, so wonderful having more time to read!! I completely agree :). Thanks for the comment, and be sure to subscribe to be entered into the drawing!
I’m grateful that most days (5 out of 7) I don’t have to rush in the morning. I’m also grateful that I have been video chatting with my youngest daughter during this quarantine.
I love it! Great high points 🙂
I have enjoyed being able to cook breakfast every morning and having extra time to go on long walks with my dog!
That sounds wonderful! Having breakfast every morning and taking those walks are such life-giving things :).
I was blessed to be able to attend Mass yesterday.
Oh how wonderful!! What a blessing. I look forward to the day our church opens up again!
Thankful for the chance to create new dishes and always have supper with my husband.
That is a wonderful blessing, Amy! Glad you and your husband are enjoying this time together. Be sure and subscribe in order to be entered into the drawing! 🙂
The 23rd Psalm says in part “He maketh me the lie down beside still waters,”
During this Pandemic we’ve all experienced what it’s like to lie down by still waters. Our lives have come to a screeching halt.
We’ve gone into seclusion like a caterpillar goes into a cocoon.
Hopefully during this time, we will take time to physically, emotionally and spiritually heal.
After a season, we will burst forth from our confinement with new wings of joy, peace and love, radianting God’s love and goodness to everyone we see.
This is what I pray has happened to me and others as well during Covid 19.
Beautiful, Lolita! I pray that as well–blessings, friend! 🙂
My daughter and I live together and she is taking such good care of me. We are enjoying birdwatching. So far we have seen male and female painted buntings, red breasted grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, cardinals and so many more. We also love our two fur babies, Lulu and Hershey.
Oh I just love that!! What a sweet time for you and your daughter–I am a bird-lover too, sounds like you’ve seen a lot of great ones! 🙂
I have enjoyed the slower pace. As an educator, virtual “school” is crazy but at some level it gives us greater insight and connection with some students…and sadly less with others. But trying to focus on the blessings!
The slower pace is wonderful! And phew, yes, you teachers are amazing!!! Very thankful for you!
I’m glad I had days I wasn’t always going somewhere and I had time for myself to relax and unwind and time for me and my new husband to spend together as well
Yes! That’s wonderful, and sounds like great timing for you as a newlywed :).
A huge high point for me has been doing church as a family in the living room, opening up opportunities for great spiritual conversations.
Oh what a great high point!! I bet it’s wonderful getting to discuss the message and such right there as a family with fewer distractions. What a blessing!
I have been able to spend more time with my 3 great grandchildren that live with me .The 2 boys are usually in school .
Thank you !
Love that! It’s such a gift to have extra time with our loved ones 🙂
More time with my family. Also, my daughter and son have enjoyed each other’s company which has been an unexpected blessing as my daughter is 17 and my son is 9. They usually don’t pal around too much.
How sweet, Jessica! I’m sure it’s so neat to see them have this time to bond with each other 🙂
The high point has been spending time with my two teenagers and husband in the same house. Last year he was traveling for work out of state. So quarantine has let us reconnect to our kids while he now works from home.
Awesome!! Reconnecting is such a huge blessing to come out of all this! Thanks for the comment, be sure to subscribe to be entered to win 🙂
I am thankful for the empty calendar. With 3 kids active in school and sports we are constantly on the go; usually with my husband and I running in different directions. The quarantine has emptied the calendar and given us days and evenings together as a family to eat together, play games and go on walks. I am so thankful for the simple time together as a family.
That is wonderful, Brandy!! All the activities are fun, but I agree, having downtime to just be together and walk is such a blessing!
I am enjoying some time with my college students. Put off my empty nest for a bit longer.
Oh how wonderful getting to delay the empty nest!! I’m sure your mama heart is so happy :). Thanks for the comment, be sure to subscribe to be entered to win 🙂
That my husband is healthy and we’ll now after having had this virus in February. Thankful for each day I wake .
Oh my goodness, Tammy, praising God with you that your husband is healthy and well again!! I’m sure that was so scary! I love your heart of gratitude, it’s beautiful :).
Reading all day..reading books from over 10 years ago that I love again. Of course with a glass of wine
Nice!! Books + wine = perfection :).
I’m thankful that God has blessed us with this time to slow down as a family and spend quality time together. Plus, I’m getting to see a lot of Maverick’s firsts, which I may have missed. ❤️
Aww yay to seeing so many of Maverick’s firsts!! That is a precious gift in this time – and while we miss you sooo much, I’m so thankful you’re having this sweet time as a family!!
The highlight of my quarantine has just been having more time to read and study my Bible and spending time with my family.
That sounds wonderful! A great way to make the most of this extra time :).