February 2021 Lately List
Here’s a snapshot of Scripture study ideas, pondersome reading, and yummy recipes! Enjoy the February 2021 Lately List!
I hope these lists give you some ideas of what YOU might want to try or consider for your life. You do what works best for you.
For me, this has become an excellent opportunity to reflect on where I’m actually at each month. Do my expectations for myself need to pivot? What’s been super awesome? Not?
Who knows – perhaps you’d like to do your own monthly check-in (it doesn’t have to be on a blog!) to see where you’re at with your own cup-filling activities. (Or identify what’s NOT filling your cup that needs to be tabled…)
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Here we go!
Dwelling on these Scriptures
Some of these are repeat hits from the December 2020 Lately List. These include:
Reading the Bible in a Year
If you’d like a pre-structured, carry it in your pocket read the Bible in a year plan, the YouVersion CCV: the Bible in ONE Year plan might fit the bill.
Reading through the whole Bible has been so good for:
- Reading books I don’t typically go to (like most of the prophets)
- Gaining more context about the Jewish world pre-New Testament and during Jesus’ ministry
- Knowing the Bible better
In many ways, it’s been a marathon reading experience. While phenomenal, I’m also really looking forward to dwelling in one book at a time.
Earlier this year, I had big plans: reading the Bible in a year, sitting in Philippians for a deep study, and studying John as my women’s group co-leader.
So my Abide study of Philippians got tabled until we finish reading through the Bible in the year.
I’m coming back for you, Philippians! Maybe the hubs will join me, too!
Memorizing these verses each week at mealtime
In the January Lately List, I shared that during our weekly planning, my husband and I pick out a verse to memorize together.
Then, every time we sit down for mealtimes, we recite it and pray it.
Let’s do the math. If you eat three times a day (most likely more, if you have a small child), then you’re reciting your Scripture 21 times a week (3 meals x 7 days).
More than just reciting it, it also gives you an opportunity to THINK about it. What does this mean?
Each week, I’ve been updating my Trello goals board with the verses we’ve chosen. I think it’ll be fun to see at the end of the year all the Scriptures we’ve been consciously dwelling on 🙂
Like some verses to get started with? Here’s our list so far:
Reading
I should mention that I tend to be a quick reader, so if you read at a normal pace and/or don’t enjoy reading as much as I do, please don’t ever hold yourself to the standard I’m presenting!
Binged the whole Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke (books 1-7). Seriously, add nostalgic feelings for childhood + some sicky ickiness = a solid reading binge is born.
Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, Joanna Sawatsky – If you’ve grown up in the Christian sphere, you’ve most likely been taught SO MUCH good about sex, male and female. You’ve probably also, like me, picked up some messages with some unhealthy aftereffects. This book digs into those messages given by top-selling Christian books and reframes more positive messages to dwell on and speak into each other’s world. It’s a controversial read that I found really powerful.
Repeat hits
If you’ve read previous lately lists, these books were listed before!
Like you, sometimes I’m not able to hit all the goals I had in mind. Not reaching them yet, though, doesn’t make them impossible. Just pivotable.
So, if you’re struggling to hit some goals (reading-related or not), give yourself some grace! If it takes you longer than you expected, that’s okay. You’re still making progress.
I’ve finally realized that for non-fiction books, I need to set a few days or windows during the week when I’ll dig into them. As a result, I enjoy them more and look forward to them more. (What?!)
Hidden Potential by Wendy Pope
Finally finished it! Once I got going, it was such an encouraging read. I’m glad I picked it up again when I was in the right head space.
As I’ve shared before, we read a lot with our toddler and have many favorites. Lately, a few of his current top picks are listed below. (These are the ones he quotes throughout the day or immediately grabs for reading.) Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony Little Man has gotten really great about saying “please,” which this book has further encouraged. Of course, he often says, “Thank you very much. I love doughnuts!” arbitrarily, too… The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen We prefer to read it like a rap, but you do you. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney Such a fantastic book for getting into a little kid’s head about bedtime and being alone! (Little Man also likes to recite it while he’s loudly chattering after his bedtime…) One of the goals I set for myself this year was to try three new recipes a month. Before you get totally freaked out and overwhelmed, I want to be clear – this is intended to be FUN and not frustrating. This is an opportunity to shop my own pantry and get creative with our current options. It’s also often inspired by needing to use up food before it expires soon. Each Wednesday is our “making food” day where Little Man and I make something together – either a repeat hit (like muffins) or a newbie attempt. So, here’s what we’ve been trying this month: I hope you enjoyed my February lately list. What’s on your lately list? Anything you want to try out? Explore? P.S. Want some crazy simple steps to start living intentionally? Grab the Embrace Your Potential Playbook. It’ll help you zoom in on your God-gifted personality and give you practical tips to be more intentional, passionate, and purposeful as God’s beloved so you can become the best version of yourself. I’m Cortney, a recovering over-achiever and God’s beloved who loves helping fellow Christian women like you embrace your God-given gifts so you have the confidence to live authentically. I’m also a full-time mama to two sweet little boys, wife to my best friend, motivational speaker, and part-time Christian life coach. Chai lattes, strong coffee, podcasts, yoga, dance, and fairy tales nourish my soul and add sweetness to life. Discovering the joy of embracing my God-given gifts and who He created me to be was a game-changer—a journey that brought freedom, unexpected delights, and relief from guilt. Finally, I felt free to be myself and ditch the pressure of being someone I wasn’t. Incorporating those gifts into my day—from weekly planning to deciding on commitments, nurturing my marriage, and parenting—transformed everything. Now, I can’t imagine life without the perspective of fully embracing who God created me to be. I was missing so much without it!Toddler Book Picks
Making and Tasting
Other related Lately List posts
Wrap-Up of the February Lately List
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