In the Quiet of the Morning

As the pale November dawn spilled softly through the kitchen window, I poured a cup of tea. Steam curled up from it, dancing with the light of the new morning. I gazed a while at it. It was one of those soft moments of peace and fleeting loveliness that we so often miss in our too fast world. So I lingered over it. The promise of a fresh day beckoning and the hopes and peace of my morning prayers mingled together above the kitchen table.

I love morning–especially now that I get up before sunrise. It feels like a quiet, sacred time to wake gently, prepare my heart with God, and map out the day. For me this sets the tone for my whole day. The days that I do not make time for it are punctuated with hasty words, needless worries, and, more often than I’d like to admit, a lack of patience. Does my day go perfectly everyday I begin it slowly with prayer and homemaking intentions? No, nor do I expect it to. It does, however, help me to meet the inevitable hiccups and mistakes with much more grace and kindness. I’m not super groggy because I greeted the sunshine as it rose. I’m better about reminding myself of Jesus’ promises and love during moments of anxiety and discouragement. And I have a list to go back to for encouragement and direction should I veer off course throughout the day.

After waking and drinking some water, I like to pray and listen to the Bible in a Year podcast or read a chapter from my Bible. Then I make a pot of tea and breakfast (lately this has been frying an over medium egg in the cast iron), and I’ll map out my day. I developed a format for how I like to make my to do list. I like to include a verse and a quote to set the tone for the day. I find this helps me keep my heart focused in a positive direction throughout the day as I come back to it to check items off. Here is today’s as an example:

Tuesday: supportive and sweet

❤ May your kind spirit guide me. –Psalm 143:10

❤ “Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” –Snow White

❤ to do:

-go to Kroger

-pray novena

-laundry (wash and fold)

-tidy living room

-write blog post

This helps set the tone for my day as well as give me a good expectations of what I’d like to get done today. I hope some of you, dear Readers, find this format helpful in creating a positive and cheerful to do list for yourselves.

Do you have a morning routine? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below! And now matter how you begin your day, I hope it is filled with happiness and peace.

With love,

Caite