[Brief commercial break before the encouragement begins]

This is week 90 despite last week technically being week 90 of Sunday Encouragement posts…but that’s kind of proven the point I’ve been trying to ignore: I can’t encourage you guys anymore, I don’t have it in me.

I’m joking when I say that, but in all seriousness, I don’t have nearly as much time as I’d like to write for The Faithful Wanderer consistently.

So with that, after week 100 of Sunday Encouragement posts, I will not being continuing the weekly Sunday posts. Right now, I’m focusing on working full-time hours, balancing school and dual enrollment with SEU, fundraising for my 2027 mission trip to South Africa, and leading a Bible study (and then add in trying to make time to hang out with my family and friends too).

I’ll be trying to post regular posts every now and then, maybe once a week or once every other week, but it’ll likely be sporadic. But let me say this: The Faithful wanderer is not done! Merely slowing down for the time being.

Onto the encouragement, which actually relates to this:

This time of year as we’re approaching Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (what?!), things start to feel like they’re getting busier. Sometimes it feels really hard to find God in the rush. Often for me the problem isn’t even that He’s not present, it’s that it’s hard to me to set aside time for Him.

Any time that I have to just sit I want to do just that: sit. Maybe call a friend. Watch a show. Talk to my mom.

And while these things aren’t inherently bad, sometimes what we need is to set that time aside instead for the Lord.

I’m learning this every day—at work when I’m on my break, do I want to spend my time on Instagram or reading my Bible? When I wake up do I want to check my notifications first or pray as I start my day? When I’m choosing to watch a show or just lie in bed, what could I replace that with instead?

‘Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.’
Joshua 1:8 NIV

A lot of times I can’t help but compare it to setting an alarm in the morning—when I hear the alarm, I want to go back to sleep. But when I get up earlier, shower, brush my teeth, I suddenly feel good about it. Starting is the simply hard part.

The same goes for developing any good, healthy habits—it’s hard to start, but once we do it, it becomes a joy and something we want to continue to do.

This week, I’m starting to prioritize prayer and reading my Bible. Maybe you would like to join me in trying to start new habits to strengthen our relationship with the Lord.

Thanks for reading, have a great week, friends.
~Willow