Hello Friends!

The world has changed quite a bit since my last post, hasn’t it? It’s amazing how life can change so quickly. It makes the verses from James 4 incredibly applicable…

“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” James 4:13-15

The Lord has been teaching me quite a few lessons since the stay at home orders began back in March. Now that the end is (hopefully) insight, I thought I would share some of the lessons I’ve learned this past few weeks.

Maybe you can relate?

At the end of this post, I would love to hear what lessons you have learned during this entire experience.

Lesson #1: We Must Live By Faith Every Day

” (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) ” 2 Corinthians 5:7

It’s easy to “live by faith” when life is easy… when not much faith is actually required. But when life starts to spin out of control and life-as-we-know-it completely changes? That’s when faith is tested.

Our faith is built during hard times… but it should not end there. We need to be living by faith even when life is easy. We live by faith when we follow and obey God’s commands. We live by faith when we choose to pray big things and (in faith) expect God to hear and answer according to His will.

Yes, our faith can grow in hard times, but we need to be living by faith every day… not just when trials come. When COVID-19 is a thing of the past, we must continue to live by faith.

Lesson #2 : The Assembly of the Local Church is Vital to our Spiritual (and Emotional) Health as a Christian

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

When we gather with other believers to worship God in songs of praise and hearing of the Word of God, there is as special kinship that is formed among us. When we regularly meet with our brothers and sisters in Christ, there is such sweetness of fellowship.

This is something that simply cannot be replicated when we sit alone in our homes watching church behind a TV or computer screen.

During the quarantine, I am thankful for Livestream. I’m thankful for technology that allows us to see and hear our pastors preaching the Word. But this experience has taught me how much we as Christians take public church gatherings for granted.

Now, more than ever, I understand the command to “Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together…” This command is for our GOOD. Regular church attendance is essential for our spiritual (and emotional) health and well-being. This is something I’ve always “known” but now it is more real to me than ever before! When we meet together as a church body, we are strengthened, encouraged, and sharpened by our fellow believers.

When our churches are finally able to reopen their doors, may we never forget the lessons this quarantine has taught us. May we savor the privilege of physically meeting together with the body of Christ. What a sacred privilege it is for us to assemble as a church!

Lesson #3: People Need People (Especially During Hard Times)

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

The emotional impacts of the stay-at-home orders all across our nation have been astronomical. I believe one of the greatest reasons for that, is because people need people. Whether you’re the world’s friendliest extrovert, or the the quietest introvert… we all need people, especially in difficult times.

There is something absolutely lifegiving about a heart-to-heart chat, a warm hug froma friend, lunch break with a fun coworker, and sharing a hot cup of coffee with a loved one.

God did not create us to do life alone. He has given us other people (specifically other Christians) to do live alongside us to help shoulder our burdens during difficult times. Being without other people during this quarantine has taught me a valuable lesson about how much I need other people.

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Lessons #4: Freedoms Should Not Be Squandered

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” Hebews 12:48

It’s amazing what we take for granted… and then when it’s abruptly taken away, we realize how good we had it. That’s kind of how I feel about our American freedoms right now. One week, we had the freedom to go wherever we wanted, when we wanted, for as long as we wanted… then the next week, jobs were taken away, everyone was told to stay home and our world changed in a matter of days.

When the stay-at-home orders end, life as we know it is going to be different for awhile… I hope and pray our freedoms are restored to us as before. However, this experience has taught me to appreciate our American freedoms more than ever. It’s taught me a lot about standing up for what I believe, using my voice to contact my local state government, and it’s taught me that as a citizen of the United States, I have the responsibility to do what I can to preserve our freedoms for the next generation.

” For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…”

We have been blessed with so much here in America, let’s use our freedoms for good, before they’re gone!

Final Thoughts

Well, those are just a few of the lessons I’ve been learning during quarantine. How about you? Have you learned any valuable lessons from this experience? I would love to hear… please share in the comments below!

What We’ve Been Up To (During Quarantine)

Before I go, I thought it would be fun to share a little but of what we’ve been up to since the stay-at-home orders began…

Our son, Daniel, ended up needing an emergent surgery at the very beginning of the COVID-19 ordeal. He had surgery on March 17th and we spent two weeks in the city waiting for him to recover so we could go home. The stay at home orders began while we were still in the hospital and it was so strange knowing that everyone else was stuck at home. We were so relieved when we were finally able to go home! (Daniel is doing great by the way!)

These last several weeks at home have been productive and fun. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Reading…

• Large Family Logistics – My favorite homemaking book! This version is currently out of print, but it’s been updated as Homemaking Plain and Simple!
• Flourish – My bestie and I are reading through this devotional together and sharing what we are learning. It’s been so good! You can read my full book review here.
• The Secret Garden – This was a Christmas gift from my bestie, and I have been enjoying this classic very much, so far!

Playing…

• Ticket to Ride – our favorite board game! Hubby and I have been playing the American and European version here and there (after Daniel’s in bed for the night!).
• LOTS of music! I put together a “Daily JOY” playlist on Spotify with songs that encourage and uplift my heart.

Cooking…

• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Cheesesteak Skillet
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken
• Sausage Kale and Potato Soup
• ….and much more!

I hope you all have been staying healthy, safe, and sane during this time! Please share your thoughts and what you’ve been up to in the comments. I love hearing from you!

Until Next Time,