I am enjoying the signs of spring — daffodils blooming, lambs in the field, blue skies, and buds on the trees. The days are getting a bit longer. The seasons are changing. I am thankful for the seasons as they remind us of God’s faithfulness.

What happened in March? Are you asking yourself that question? Well, let me think and flip back through my planner and my notebook.

My word for the year was Connect. Do you remember your word for the year?

One way I remember my word is most weeks I write the verse I selected for with my word, in my planner.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,” Hebrews 10:24

So how did I connect in March?

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Connect with God

Time in the Word – I have continued following The Bible in 90 Days – Reading Schedule. I have been slowly reading this book as I go through the books of the Bible. That has been helpful to just give a bit more background and help to understand. I normally read it after I have read the book of the Bible.

Prayer – I spent a bit of time working on updating my prayer journal. It has been a few years since I have done that. I will write a bit more about why I keep a prayer journal.

I read the book You Can Pray by Tim Chester. A few years ago in church and small groups, we went through Exodus. Since that time, Exodus has become a favourite book. Well, as the author finished You Can Pray he talked about the parallels between Exodus and the Lord’s Prayer.

Connect with Others

Connecting with others can be as simple as a chat or as formal as a coffee with a friend. Taking walks with a friend can be a great way to connect. I think some times sitting and staring at a person across the table can be a bit intimidating. What is the reason for connecting with others? The reason to encourage and point them to Jesus. Connecting with others takes time and planning. It requires we learn to listen. This is worth it both for ourselves and for others.

Connect through Hobbies

I have continued to host and invite people for craft afternoon. In March finished piecing my red and turquoise log cabin quilt. I began it in February and it is now at the quilters to be quilted. This was just a bit too big to attempt to quilt it on my machine. I began and almost have a finished project. I think one thing that helped was each Friday I posted on Instagram an update of what I had done that week. Accountability can be a good thing. Instagram gave me accountability.

I did quite a bit of reading in March. Here are some books I enjoyed:

The Dean’s Watch – That was recommended but I admit it took me a long time to begin it. It was a bit slow at the beginning but as I got into the story it was easy and one I wanted to keep reading. It is a story of how something unintentional began a change in the lives of so many people.

Evidence Not Seen – First of all a confession, this book has been on my shelf for almost four years. I decided to read it as part of my reading goal is to read books I have on my shelves. Once I got into the book, I could not put it down. Darlene could have said, “I did my time, now I will just live at home.” But she didn’t she went back there because that is where God had called her. If you have not read this book, get it and read it. Don’t put it on the shelf for four years before reading.

I have been thinking about why it is important to read missionary biographies. Do you have a favourite missionary biography?

Connect with Me

In March I did 15 minutes of walking/running every day. It has been good to be moving. I am going to switch it up in April and just do a total of 110 minutes a week. Then I can take a day off if I want. I decided if I kept going with the 15 minutes a day, it was going to be difficult to continue.

I am continuing to just declutter. My big focus is making sure that I don’t bring much more into the house. I want to get rid of more than I acquire.

Connect with As He Leads is Joy

I have written a bit about special needs. 21 March was World Down Syndrome Day. This is what I wrote for that.

Here are some of the topics to look for in the coming weeks on the blog:

How to grow deep as a Christian.

Why read missionary biographies.

I am excited to dig into these topics and trust that it will be an encouragement and challenge to you.

 

How was March for you? Are you making progress?