 Hello there! It's been a while, but I wanted to share some favorite finds with all of you. Dwell AppThe Dwell Scripture listening app has been a game changer for me as I dwell on the Scriptures. I received a subscription through winning a giveaway last year, but I loved it so much that I paid for an annual subscription for this year. If you're looking for a way to spice up your time with God and reading the Bible, then this app might be helpful to you. The thing that I love the most is that I can easily change between different translations, voices, and what music plays in the background. Google KeepI've been on the hunt for an app or a means to collect all of the articles, random photos, screenshots, recipes, and save for late things that I acquire on the interwebs regularly. I finally found something that works well for me - Google Keep! I use the Google Suite for a lot of things already, but I'm new to Keep, and it has been such a help. Now, I can easily add articles that I read, enjoy, and want to find again to one place. I can add random screenshots that I take of things that I don't want to forget and so much more. If you need a place to store lots of links or screenshots other than your phone photo album, this might work well for you too! Clean MamaI recently learned about Clean Mama and her weekly cleaning routine. I started using the routine in my own life a few weeks ago, and it has been a huge help in having a rotation of which areas I clean each day. My house feels more regularly cleaned now, because the rotation makes cleaning not feel so overwhelming. Here is her list of weekly tasks. Habits of the HouseholdI just finished reading this book, and it has a number of really helpful nuggets that I'm already implementing in my daily life. Justin Earley offers a lot of hard won wisdom in the realm of building helpful habits and rhythms as a family with a focus on shaping the family spiritually. I've enjoyed other books on building habits, but this book is particularly helpful in thinking through the habits of a family as a whole. These are just a few of my favorite finds from the past few weeks. Let me know in the comments below if you have any favorite finds lately.  (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
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 I love sharing things that I find around the interwebs and I haven't shared many finds lately. So here are five favorite finds from June 2022 1. Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those with an Embarrassing PastAn article from Crossway.org - such an encouraging article/video connected to the story of Tamar and how Jesus is not ashamed of those with embarrassing pasts. 2. Don't Make Me Count to ThreeA book by Ginger Hubbard - this is a book on heart-oriented discipline of children. I've been reading this book lately as I growing in mothering my daughter Thea, and it has been a big encouragement to me. 3. Honey in the RockA song by Brooke Lightwood - I've been loving this song lately and worshipping to it. 4. The Fruit of DiscipleshipAn Article by Glenna Marshall about discipleship and how discipleship happens in the ordinary everyday moments of life. 5. Hello FreshA meal delivery service - Okay, this wasn't a new find, but I received a great deal for Hello Fresh in June, and I looked forward to our meal delivery each week that we used it. I fully plan on using it again when they send me more deals in the future. If you'd like to try Hello Fresh, you can get $120 by using my referral link. What are some of your favorite finds lately? Let me know in the comments below. (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
As we enter December it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that often accompanies Christmastime. I don't know about you, but if I'm not intentional this month, it's easy to get to December 31 and wonder where the time went, and I often regret not slowing down to really enjoy the Christmas season. Over the years, I've found resources that help to prepare my heart for Christmas and the joy of Jesus' birth. I thought I would share some of these resources with those of you looking for reminders of the true meaning of Christmas. Here are my favorites organized by categories: BooksWaiting Here For You: An Advent Journey of Hope An Advent Devotional by Louie Giglio - as the title says it's is definitely a journey of hope. My mom and I read this together a few years ago, and we enjoyed it. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name Every Christmas I read the Nativity Story in the Jesus Storybook Bible, and I'm eager to read it to Thea this year. We read this Storybook Bible year round but I particularly love reading it at Christmas and Easter. Repeat the Sounding Joy: A Daily Advent Devotional on Luke 1-2 This is a devotional written by Christopher Ash. I love that he breaks down Luke 1-2 into bite sized readings for 25 days. VideosThe Weary World Rejoices by Girl in Calico A short Youtube video reminding us of the hope of Christmas. The Nativity Story This is a live action movie that depicts that Nativity story. It's very well done, and it always reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. The Star A cute animated film about the Nativity story but told from the perspective of a donkey. AudioThe Quiet Collection I listen to Emily P. Freeman's Quiet Collection every Christmas. It's a short audio devotional. I love to listen to it when it's dark outside and with a few candles lit inside. These are just a few of my favorite resources to remind me of the true meaning of Christmas. Do you have any books, videos, or podcasts that you enjoy during Christmastime? Let me know in the comments below.  (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
 For this month's formative finds, I thought it would be fun to share previous articles from She Laughs Without Fear, specifically articles that were fun and formative (see what I did there) for me to write. So here are a few fun and formative finds from the SLWF archives. Beauty and The Beast and The Greatest Tale As Old As TimeHave you ever noticed how certain movies remind you of the gospel or Biblical truths? I think about these things all of the time while watching films, and I was particularly reminded of it while watching the live action Beauty and The Beast a few years ago. Lay It All On ChristJust like I find glimpses of the gospel in films, I also love finding them in songs. Ed Sheeran's song "Lay It All On Me" is another example of a glimpse of the need for the gospel. When Humility Brings PeaceThis post was written after reading the book Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson. I really appreciated this book and how humility brings peace in the life of an anxious person's life. Seeking the Kingdom SeriesI once wrote 31 day series every October, but this was my all time favorite series that I've written so far. America's Largest Home to God's House in HeavenOne of my very first posts and my first time sharing publicly about something I was learning about God and His kingdom.
There's been a lot going on in my life between some personal health struggles, the death of a loved one, a friend's wedding and my husband's and my five year anniversary. It has been a lot at times, and so I haven't had as much time to be present in this space. However, I wanted to share a few finds from May. There You'll Find MeI've been getting back into reading fiction and this is the first fiction book that I've read in a few months. I really enjoyed it. They actually made it into a film, which is how I heard about it and what enticed me to read it. It's focused on a teenage girl named Finley and her journey of processing through grief over the loss of her brother and how that has affected her relationship with God. ChatbooksI recently discovered Chatbooks, which is an app/website, that allows you to easily and quickly create photo books for printing. I've creating three family yearbooks through the app just on my phone, and it saved me the hours it would have taken to create them on a different website. If you would like to try it, here's a code for a free photo book or a $10 credit for a book. Favorable Conditions Never ComeI appreciated this article from Cal Newport. The essence of the article explains the title - favorable conditions never come when it comes to building new habits or making changes in your life. This applies to these areas, but even to spiritual matters. We need the Lord the most in unfavorable conditions and so it makes sense to work at building habits that help us to draw near to him and to grow spiritually even when the conditions are not favorable. I really appreciated this article in the midst of mothering a toddler. Favorable conditions from time with Jesus are difficult when you have a toddler desiring time with you all day, but I'm working at guarding and carving out that time when my current condition is not favorable to studying the Bible and time in prayer. I'm Not Languishing, I'm DormantAnother helpful article in this month's round up. I thought it was particularly helpful in thinking through the tug and pull of a pandemic forcing people to slow down, but then our culture's proclivity to productivity. It's okay if this season is one in which you've been dormant. Self-Denial Leads to HappinessA timely reminder of a truth that Jesus made clear - if you want to gain your life, you need to lose it. These are a few of my favorite finds from May. Let me know if you've found any formative finds as well!
(P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)  Hello friends! It has been a busy few weeks over here, and I'm thankful for a slower pace after a busy start to spring. If you're new around here, I love sharing fun and formative things that I find around the interwebs in the hopes that they might be fun and formative for you too! Here is a list of a few finds from April. Subtract: Why Getting to Less Can Mean Thinking MoreAn article on how subtracting things from your life can actually add to it. The Tech-Wise FamilyThis wonderfully short book offers ten principles in thinking about a family's engagement with technology. This is something I've been thinking about lately with my toddler and I found it encouraging and helpful in thinking through what boundaries might benefit my family as we engage with technology. A Woman's Highest CallingThis quote sums up this find: "The next time you hear someone offer a prescriptive way of living, go get your Bible and look up the operative word of their prescription (wife, mother, father, shepherd, pastor, money, marriage, children, etc.). Read every verse on it just so you can see the array of stories God's people lived out." Worth the read. Access The GameThis is a fun find. It's the website for the social strategy game that my husband Brandon created, and full disclosure, I won the second season of this game. He's now taking applications for the third season 😉. Whether you're interested in playing or not, you might find the website amusing, especially the reviews. Promises by Maverick CityThis worship song has been reverberating in my head for the past month! A helpful reminder of the faithfulness of God. Let me know If you have any fun or formative finds from this month! (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
 Every year it feels like December sneaks up on me, and it's usually Christmas Day before I have taken time to really savor and soak up the joy of the season and its true meaning. Over the past few years though I've collected various resources that have helped me to slow down in December and prepare my heart for Christmas and celebrating the birth of the Savior. While I heartily recommend reading about the birth of Jesus in the Bible first, I wanted to share a few resources that I've found that help prepare my heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This collection includes movies, books, videos, music, and devotionals. I plan on enjoying them all over this next month, and I wanted to offer them to you as well. So if you're looking for resources that will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas, I hope these offerings bless you to that end. The Weary World Rejoices - The Meaning of ChristmasThis is a Youtube video created by girl in calico, a content creator that I enjoy. I love watching this video and the simple truths that she shares about Christmas and its true meaning for Christians. The Christmas CandleThis is a movie based off of a book by Max Lucado. It's beautiful. You might cry, but it'll encourage you too. The Nativity StoryThis is a movie about the birth of Jesus. I watch this every December and I cry, but my heart is stirred by the visual depiction of the birth of Jesus and the significance of his birth. Unwrapping the Names of JesusThis is a written Advent devotional, and my mom and I are currently reading it for this Christmas. We have enjoyed it so far, and I love that it very specifically focuses our hearts on Jesus and his significance through his various names, such as King of Kings. The Quiet CollectionThis is an audio devotional created by Emily P. Freeman. I have listened to her original devotional every Christmas since it's release a few years ago, but this year she released a new Quiet Collection audio devotional. It is well worth the $10. Are there books, movies, podcasts, or music that help prepare your heart for celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas? I'd love to hear about them. Let me know in the comments below. (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
 One of my favorite things is to share fun and formative things that I've found with family and friends. So here is a round up of fun and formative finds from the month of October. I hope that you enjoy them. Let me know if you have any fun or formative finds from October. "The Wave" by Darius ScottI first heard this song at the end of a creative narrative film by a spoken word artist whose work I enjoy. Since then, I keep thinking about this song and listening to it. Random, Granular Tips for Christian BloggersTim Challies, a Christian writer and blogger, shares some great tips for Christian bloggers. I took some notes. If you've ever thought about writing a blog, these might be helpful for you as well. Be the BridgeI just finished reading this book by Latasha Morrison, and I thought it was a helpful primer in thinking through racial reconciliation. I know that's a loaded topic right now, but Latasha offers some gracious and helpful thoughts as a Christian for Christians. Julie and the PhantomsBrandon and I enjoyed watching this Netflix family show at the beginning of October. We were impressed by the music, character development, and the enticing story, and the general cleanliness of the show in terms of content and language. There are definitely some things that we would disagree with theologically ;) but overall it's a family tv show we'd recommend. Seeking the KingdomThis one is a throwback. It's a 31 day series I wrote back in 2016. It was life-giving to write, and I've considered writing some more on the topic. If you're looking to learn more about life in the kingdom of God, you might enjoy this series.  (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
 I took a break from Friday Fives for the month of July and August, but I was thinking about starting them back up again. I'm making no promises to share five things every Friday, but I hope to start sharing them more regularly on Fridays. So without further ado, here are five fun and formative finds for your Friday. 1. Confessions of a Creative ChristianIt's almost October, and every October I am reminded of the season of life in which I participated in Write 31 Days. Confessions of a Creative Christian was my first 31 day series and was incredibly formative for me as I started blogging more regularly. I was reminded of it recently while working on a new automated message for new blog subscribers (which if you're not a subscriber, you should subscribe, as there are some fun things coming for subscribers). But anyway this one is from the archives, and I love it. 2. Sharing Jesus Without Freaking OutDo you freak out when you think about telling others about Jesus? I know that I do at times, and I work for a campus ministry! I'm currently reading this book, and Alvin Reid comes alongside believers in various levels of comfortability with evangelism and offers encouragement in talking about Jesus with others. I'm currently reading this book right now, and it's been very helpful so far. 3. A Pumpkin for Peter: A Peter Rabbit TaleMy mom bought this book for Thea last fall, and I've been regularly reading it to her lately. One thing I love about reading Peter Rabbit books is that they are written to be read in a British accent hehe. So if you are a parent or a grandparent or an aunt or a sibling or a teacher or a babysitter that regularly reads to little ones, this one is a treat! 4. Girl in CalicoI'm not sure if I shared about this before, but I enjoy every single video that Girl in Calico creates for her Youtube channel. It's a great channel for those that love simple, seasonal living. As a bonus, her video The Weary World Rejoices | The Meaning of Christmas is one of my favorites. 5. Loyal Brave and True (Mulan Music Video)A lot of people have different opinions about the new live action Mulan movie. I have yet to see it, and likely will not watch it until it's accessible for everyone on Disney+ without paying extra, but I would really like to see it. However, in the mean time, I recently watched the music video for Christina Aguilera's new song in the movie, and I really like it! Check it out and then let me know if you watched Mulan.  (P.S. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and purchase a product, this blog will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping to support She Laughs Without Fear!)
It's hard to believe that August is at an end, but I can't tell you how excited I am for September. I have never been this excited for fall in my life, and maybe part of it is that I have never paid this close attention to the changing of the seasons. One blessing in the midst of this Pandemic has been being forced to slow down and pay attention. It's a lesson I clearly need. But fall is coming, and I am so thankful and ready. I wanted to share with you a few fun and formative finds from around the interwebs this month. I hope they are a blessing to you as well! Easy Beef Burrito SkilletThis isn't a new find for me, but this recipe was made for my family by a friend after we brought Thea home from the hospital. It is delicious - so delicious that I make it at least twice a month. In fact, I will likely make it this week, as I usually have the ingredients on hand. Weight Loss Without RestrictionI joined this Facebook group in the beginning of the summer, but I started listening to the live videos that Annie and Jen (the founders of the group) make throughout August. Their discussions and videos have been really helpful to me as I continue to build health habits for weight loss without restricting foods. If that's a new concept to you and it intrigues you, you should check out this Facebook group. While these women are not talking about weight loss from a biblical perspective, they do offer a lot of principles that are actually biblical principles when it comes to food and eating and healthy living. Heaven - Eternity With Our SaviorThis is a podcast I recorded with a few of my co-workers for DiscipleMaker's Podcast, and it's all about heaven and eternal life, which is one of my favorite topics to talk about. If you have an interest in learning more about heaven and eternity with God, take a listen to this podcast. These are the main finds to share with you this month. Let me know if there are any fun and formative finds that you have found! |
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