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My Bible, my journal, a few favorite things, and the quiet hours I’ve come to treasure.
My morning.
I don’t call it a “routine” because that word makes it sound, well, routine. And it is anything but.
It’s more of a ritual. A rhythm. One I’ve clung to for decades.
I am, by nature, a night owl. My motto used to be that nothing exciting ever happens in the morning. The nightlife was for me.
And then I had a child.
And then another child, a very quick eleven months and one day later.
I was living the nightlife, all right. Nighttime feedings.
Over time, the morning became my time.
And somewhere along the way, I determined two things:
- I had to get up really early if I wanted to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, time to journal, and time for Jesus.
- I really, really needed that time to myself.
According to my husband, I have more than enough Bibles for the entire family. And the neighborhood.
One can never have enough Bibles.
I started collecting Bibles long before we could search for things on computers or phones. And honestly? I’m still a paper girl.
Give me all the books, the paper my hand glides across, and every pencil, pen, and highlighter known to man.
And don’t even get me started on the rest of the office supplies that are absolute must-haves.
Speaking of paper and journaling, I’ve tried all the journals.
I’m always in search of a good writing journal. From regular school notebooks (wide rule only, thank you very much) to ridiculously expensive journals, I’ve tried just about everything.
And I’ve pretty much settled on this one.
My friend Annette always said the title of my first book had to be And the Pen Must Be Purple.
My love of purple pens was known far and wide.
And then one day, I switched to pencils.
And I never looked back.
Oh, I still love a good purple pen. And if you ask whether I have a pen in my purse you can borrow, I can almost guarantee it will be purple.
Along with the writing and reading and studying, there is the coffee.
The mugs are ever-changing, especially with the seasons, but the combination is always the same.
Fresh percolated coffee, a spoonful of raw sugar, and local A2 heavy cream.
There was a time when I would drink multiple cups, but these days, one nice big cup will do. Then I switch to water.
And somewhere in all of this—the coffee, the Bible, the journal, the pencils, and the quiet—is a rhythm that has become one of the most treasured parts of my day.
It’s not always the same. Some mornings I read more than I write. Other mornings I fill pages in my journal. Sometimes I sit quietly with my coffee longer than I intended.
But the point was never to check everything off a list.
It was to make room.
Room for God’s Word. Room for prayer. Room to gather my thoughts before the rest of the world starts asking for them.
And after all these years, I still need that room.
Maybe more than ever.
A Few of My Morning Favorites
I’ve gathered some of the things I use and love during my morning quiet time—my Bible, favorite journal, pencils, pens, and a few other little necessities, including a fabulous book by one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Dukes Lee.
You can find them all in my Morning Rhythm Favorites list on Amazon.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
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