Recently I sent my husband Ian to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Now, I don’t know how other husbands operate, but MY husband doesn’t like to take a list. I don’t know if it’s that he can’t be encumbered by the 1 ounce piece of paper or if he just likes the added challenge of trying to remember everything. But this time, I really tried to make him take a list because we had been out of toilet paper for 2 days. (Hey now! We’ve all done it!) We had been to the store in those 2 days but we kept forgetting to get toilet paper every time we were out– I’m sharing the blame for that. For some reason, we couldn’t remember to get it until we were in the moment of actually needing it! So I tried to make Ian take a list because I didn’t want to forget the toilet paper again. But no. He taps his head with his finger & says “It’s all up here,” & I roll my eyes like a good wife. haha When he came back from the store, low & behold– he forgot the toilet paper AGAIN! But he DID, however, manage to get cake batter flavored Oreos into the cart… Grrrrr. If only he had made a list! I’ve been feeling this same way about my Lists by Faith devotional as I’ve been working through it.
We’re humans & sometimes we check out, right? God is always there, but our mind is wandering to other things. It’s focused on the new pair of shoes we just bought. Or the concert we’re attending on Saturday. Or the gossip that we heard at work today. ALL things that are distractions (cake batter flavored Oreos) from what we really NEED to be focused on (toilet paper). As I’ve been working through this devotional book by Cori Spieker, I’ve found how essential the things are that I’m listing about. Reasons why I love the Lord, people I admire, things I want to accomplish on Earth, etc. Making a list of these things is absolutely essential to our faith!
Have you ever heard that expression “What if tomorrow you were left with only the things you thanked God for today?” Making a list of the things we want to thank God for will ensure that we don’t forget anything! Making a list to God is like speaking such profound bulleted truths about your life!
I thought listing my faith would be easier than journaling my faith, but I think I was wrong. You see a prompt like: “Why I love the Lord,” & you think “Oh well that’s easy.” But distilling your feelings for the most profound presence in your life to some bullet points is actually really challenging. It makes you dig down the core of soul. It makes you search for the most basic reasons why you love the Lord. The prompts about listing your favorite people & stories in the Bible force you to flip through the catalog in your heart & locate your absolute favorites. Which means you’re reviewing them all in your head & reminding yourself of stories you haven’t read in ages. Everything about this devotional is just so good.
Even if you don’t have the kit & the Lists by Faith devotional book; that doesn’t mean you can’t make a list to God. Make lists of any faith-based things that come to mind so you don’t forget them. Make lists to tone down all the distractions in your life & focus on your faith. Anything you put on a list automatically becomes more of a priority. You’d hate to be caught with cake batter flavored Oreos when what you really need in your life is toilet paper.
<3 Elaine
Illustrated Faith Showers of Blessings printables by Elaine Davis | Illustrated Faith “Lists by Faith” Devotional kit by Cori Spieker | Illustrated Faith “Lists by Faith” stamp set by Cori Spieker | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Encouragement Paper Pieces Die Cuts | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Family Paper Pieces Die Cuts | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Mini alpha stickers in “Bless Her Heart” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Typed alpha stickers in “One in A Melon” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd His Love stickers | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Label It stickers | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Point It stickers | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Banners stickers | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Say It- Colorful stickers | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Criss Cross washi tape | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Date it stamp | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd pen | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Shanna’s Favorites Paint Set | Bella Blvd Tiny Text in “Fruit Punch”
I love the color palette you chose. It really makes your lists pop. I can’t wait to get to get and use my devotional. I am really excited about it.
It is super challenging. I have to start a list and then take a few days (or longer) to add to it let alone finish it. Great post!
So pretty!
Such a good word, Elaine! Thank you!
love this.
Wow!!! So perfectly said. Describes me to a tee!!!! Thank you for this…I am going to work harder on making my own lists and go from there!
you sure make me chuckle Elaine :) Thank you. Love how God gets in our everyday life of oreos and toilet paper :D
Is there a reasone that the list devotional is no longer available? Will you ever come back out with it?
The lists devotional is one of our monthly kits that once it’s sold out is sold out for good. There are no plans to rerelease it however there could be another one similar in the future depending on DaySpring’s plans for future devotionals.