Julie Naturally
natural self-reliance for Christians
Have you ever felt like your prayer life was a bit stale? Or, have you struggled to teach your kids creative ways to pray to develop their relationship with the Lord? I know I have. I have tried creative worship ideas to bring new life to praising the Lord. But other than prayer journals, guided …
As a child, opening the stocking came last. After all, when I was growing up, my Christmas stocking was usually filled with underwear, socks, and maybe some candy. Very practical, but not very Christmas-y. I guess my parents thought it best to throw in some necessities to put a small dent in the usual clothing …
When my children were small, having a gift free Christmas didn’t seem possible. We did limit the number of gifts so they never expected a shower of gifts on Christmas morning. With four children and a limited budget, this was a necessity. But, now that they are older (and all the cousins are, too), it’s …
Being grateful comes easily when hubby receives an extra bonus at work. Or, when everyone enjoys good health for awhile and friends visit often. The car runs well and we avoided purchasing a “lemon.” But what about those years when hubby works overtime and instead of a raise, he gets a pay cut? Or, little …
Every year, my church has Missionary Christmas and they invite one of our missionaries to come and speak about Christian missions. It’s wonderful to see slide shows and hear about the impact they are having in Taiwan, Germany, India, and even in remote northern Canada. There is always an invitation to the congregation to be …
My favorite Israel subscription box comes to my home once a quarter from Artza Box. I love getting a taste of the Holy Land and collecting new treasures for my home that reflect my faith. Here is the latest one: An Israel subscription box that delights all the senses Feast for the eyes and warms …
Have you heard of Artzabox? These quarterly subscription boxes aim to take you to the Holy Land and walk in Christ’s footsteps. While a trip to the Holy Land is on my bucket list, this offers a great alternative. I can even use it in my homeschool to teach my kids about Israel. In this …
Generally, I don’t really like Bible studies for kids. I feel that they often make Jesus look like a nice man who helped people and Biblical history look like a Saturday morning cartoon show. My own children have told me that they find many programs ask obvious, silly questions. So, when I found these inductive …
Many homeschooling families feel a bit lost without a planner or schedule. Using these tools is a form of goal-setting. But, we often fail to see why goals are important in other areas. We make vague goals that are really only dreams. Or, another popular idea these days is making a bucket list of things …
Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to ponder what went well over the past year and what didn’t. After the flurry of activity, I like to spend New Year’s thinking about what I’d like to accomplish in the next year. But, how to set goals that will rock the new year? I …
Before I get started, I’m talking about mom’s morning devotions, not the kids’. I also want to acknowledge up front that homeschooling moms often don’t get much time for their own morning devotions. I’ve heard some say they have as much as 30 minutes or as little as five. These secrets are useful no matter …
Adult coloring books are all the rage these days. These relaxing coloring pages recall youthful days with bright new crayons. Do you remember the joy of opening that new box of crayons with all the exotic colors and none of them broken or with flat tips? The only thing I didn’t like was the smell. …
Did you know that one of the benefits of journaling is that it can save your life? Because of its effects on the mind and body, journaling has some surprising benefits. For example, according to Psych Central, research shows that journaling strengthens the immune system and acts as a stress management tool. Another example includes …
We all know that things often get crazy when we’re at the relatives house. It’s noisy. Kids are running around everywhere, maybe bickering, maybe yelling, but definitely getting in the way, right! And, oh no! Aunt Sarah made that dish Michael hated last year. Or, maybe Uncle Eric brings up politics again. With all the …
As Christians, we know that finding peace starts with a relationship with Jesus. But, sometimes even if we have a strong faith, we can get sidetracked. This especially happens during busy times of year, such as the fall when school starts and the holiday season hits. Suddenly our peace flees us and we feel just …
This time of year is supposed to be joyful, but many times, it brings stress and exhaustion instead. It is possible to have stress free holidays, but we have to be proactive about it. Why do we get so stressed out? What can we do to change that? Here are some of my favorite ways …
Well, autumn is here and you know what that means. Lots of time indoors again, as if we haven’t had enough of that this year. Very often, we resort to spending our hours watching too much television and depression sets in. All the disturbing, bad news affects our mental health and relationships. Sometimes, we need …
Family game night is a great way to bond and have fun together, especially during the holidays. However, with so many different games on the market, it can be difficult choosing the best ones. When selecting which family games to invest in, you need to consider the age range of the people playing, along with …
Trying to find great toys for boys in the 8 to 10-year-old age group? As trends change seemingly every two minutes, it can be difficult keeping up with what’s hot right now in the world of toys. It doesn’t help that there are literally thousands of toys available to choose from either. While it’s great …
Whenever I write Bible studies, I always use a variety of authoritative sources to help me. These usually include a Bible commentary, a concordance, a Bible dictionary, and study notes from other established sources. Some of these sources pose challenges for me. For one, the writing is almost always super tiny. Second, flipping through huge …
Let’s return to the importance of ridding our lives of clutter in order to find calm. This idea truly cannot be overstated. Decluttering is the most important step to leading a less stressful life, as far as I’m concerned. Sometimes people focus so much on doing one big cleanup, however, that they forget to embrace …
Often times, one feeling can promote another. During our 30-Day Challenge, we’re seeking ways to create calm in our lives. Today, I’d like to introduce you to the importance of gratitude. Feeling grateful about what you have in your life can lead to a tremendous number of other positive feelings. One tool to help you …
We talked about doing a brain dump, but what about something a bit more intentional? How about journal writing for stress relief? This is a bit different from just dumping all your random thoughts on paper in a stream of consciousness, chaotic fashion. But, it doesn’t have to be well-thought out, either. After all, it’s …
We’ve covered multitasking and discovered how it’s actually better in so many ways to focus on one thing at a time instead. You’ll also enhance your sense of calm when you can give your full attention to what you’re doing through block scheduling. Another thing that aids in feeling calm is to embrace the benefits …
