Hi everyone!

This past week has gone by like a whirlwind. We had so many boxes to ship out and some Christmas gifts to ship out to our friends and family in Italy, so it felt like the days went by so fast! I didn’t have as much time to devote to my “December Daily” so that’s why you didn’t see as much posted online as well.

But today I did want to show you what I had time to create last week and this week so far, and I wanted to share some thoughts with you… if you’ll indulge me.

I mentioned last week that I am using the 2 TN (Traveler’s Notebook) inserts that I put in the kit for this month. One I am using as a weekly planner and one I am using for a Christmas devotional journal. The devotional journal I am writing in as I spend time in my own morning devotions and as I am also using Ruth Chou Simons Advent devotional cards. I am reading those most days and picking a verse from the scripture and writing it in the journal. Then I am journaling my thoughts about the verses, as well as my own journaling about this time of year and any other thoughts about the book of the Bible I am going through right now, which happens to be Ephesians.

As you’ll see in the following photos, some days I just wrote a verse and played around with the ephemera in the kit, and that is all I had time for. Other days I took more time to watercolor or go deeper in my thoughts.

Some of my thoughts in the morning go deep… but I wanted to go ahead and share them this month. I honestly can’t say that I have these thoughts on my own, and sometimes when I read my journals back I am amazed at what the Holy Spirit puts on my heart, when I am reading the Bible. I have spent so many years either not reading God’s Word or “cursory” reading it. (Basically skimming it or hastily going through it without much thought or understanding.) Life is so different now. I am so thankful the Holy Spirit woke me up and brought a fire in me to WANT to understand as much as I can! Reading God’s Word that is alive and waiting for us to open up and LIVE in, is like nothing else you will ever read. It is the ONLY book that is still ACTIVE and SPEAKING to us! Once I starting understanding that and praying each time BEFORE I read the Bible that the Holy Spirit would speak to me and help me have knowledge and understanding of it, it changed everything. If your desire is the same, I would encourage you to wake up a little earlier, find a place in your home to spend some time alone in God’s Word and open up His Word and pray over it, before you start reading it. And… as you probably know by now, I would also encourage you to get a journal, grab a pen and write down what the Lord is showing you.

Now for the Weekly planner, this is fun because this is where I jot down what our schedule is for the week and the fun activities that we are trying to fit in with the family. It’s like my ode to scrapbooking! LOL… I used to spend hours, even days on ONE scrapbook page back in the day. It was so over the top, it was ridiculous. I understand it was for the design aspect of it and it was mostly so that the companies I worked for could display them in magazines or at their shows. But when I realized how much time that took up in my life, I knew I had to find a different way to document our lives. Using the Traveler’s Notebooks (there are endless types of inserts, just go to Etsy…) has given me a way to “Write my Story” and be creative, but in a much faster way and in an easier format. It’s why I just love these journals and keep using them year after year!

Here’s a couple photos of Week #2 in the weekly planner.

Ok, this is maybe where some of the not so fun things that we have to do are documented as well. But it’s just like a day planner or something where you put your “to-do’s” in and keep track of your week. That’s what’s so great about these Traveler’s Notebooks, because you can carry it around in your purse and use it just like those other planners that are much bigger and bulkier. I use TN’s for all sorts of things. I have a weekly insert, a devotional insert, a watercolor insert, a “To-Do” insert, sometimes a expense record insert… the list goes on. Anything you can think of that you need to keep track of, there will be an insert for that! (kinda like “there’s an APP for that”… :)

So you can see some of our week, this week in the photo above. I don’t keep ALL my to-do’s on the weekly, otherwise it would be off the charts long… and I forgot to add our weekly Friday family dinner with Dany & Victoria, but you get the idea. This isn’t that detailed on purpose… we want this to be PRETTY this month! I also try to add photos to both inserts. I haven’t taken that many yet this month, but sometimes I leave room for them and go back after Christmas and add them. Or I will add them like last week in my journaling pages or this weekly planner. This week was pretty slim on photos, but I’ll end up going back and printing out photos and adding them later. In fact, I have to add this one somewhere…

Adeline is getting so big and she’s such a cutie! She bring so much joy to us and I know this Christmas is going to be so much fun with her! Today we are taking her to the German Market downtown… so I need to finish this post quickly…

But before I finish this post, I wanted to add a little bit on what I’ve been reading in Ephesians because I think we all can be encouraged by Ephesians 2:10.

Here is what I posted on IG earlier this week:

Reading through Ephesians and this is one of my favorite verses the last few years. 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

We are God’s workmanship, created for Holy work! Now don’t leave yet... I know that last sentence could be intimidating, but it’s really not.  As a believer in Jesus Christ, you were born with “God plans” already established for YOU.  Prepared by God beforehand, that you would walk in them. 

That’s exciting work ladies! That’s holy work... NOT of ourselves, that we should boast, but that the fruit of the Spirit would be shown through our lives. Not of “good works” that they would save us... only faith can bring us to saving faith in God. 

The work God has prepared for us before we were even born isn’t complicated. It’s being an image bearer of Christ in all areas of our lives. It’s wanting to conform to the image of Christ... excited to walk the path He has for us. Trusting the Holy Spirit as we walk out the fruit of a relationship with an amazing God that loves us and is with us every day, equipping us to do just what He’s created us to do! It’s everyday work, it’s creative work, it’s God sized dreams kind of work, it’s raising kids kind of work... it looks uniquely beautiful to each one of us!

What is Gods Word speaking to you today? It is full of truths that are there for you, in 2020, to cling to... to have hope in... and to walk with on this adventure we call life.  

If you haven’t opened your Bible in a while, start today in Ephesians. My Bible is a study Bible that helps explain the verses and has helped grow my understanding of Gods Word by leaps and bounds! And know that you can always message me if you ever have questions or want resources on the Bible I use or devotionals I read. 

Btw... a little side note: my word for 2020 has been PREPARE, which has been eye opening to say the least, and I “think” my word for 2021 is WORKMANSHIP.  I’ll share more on this as we get closer to 2021. 

Have a great day everyone! We have SOLD OUT of our Traveler’s Notebook Journals, but we do have a couple of the Vintage Christmas Kits left. We also have 3 of the Italy in a Box kits left in each kind and some bath salts as well. You can check out what’s still available in our shop.

Hugs to all,

Laura McCollough