Do mornings motivate you, or do you kind of dread them? What if loving your morning has nothing to do with waking up earlier and everything to do with waking up differently? In this episode, we talk about how to love your morning in a grace-filled, life-giving way that helps you start your day with peace, intention, and joy.

Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of How to Love Your Morning (April 2026), believes that being a morning person has nothing to do with the hands on the clock, but rather how you wake up. Having researched the 200 mornings that appear in the Bible, she has concluded that not only are you a morning person, but God is too!

In our conversation, we talk about:

• Jennifer's journey from being an agnostic news reporter to a Good News news reporter
• Four morning archetypes and their impact on how we start the day
• The distinction between a routine and a ritual
• Morning rituals to keep you grounded in grace
• Jennifer's 5-minute Quiet Time Template

Jennifer is a best-selling author, a fan of queso, bright lipstick, and singing loudly to songs with great harmony. She lives on a fifth-generation farm in Iowa with her husband, where together they've grown crops, pigs, two beautiful humans, and an enduring faith.

If you've ever struggled with how to love your morning, let today's conversation help you reframe how you experience the start of your day--with real grace for your real life.

“If you have something to wake up for, it's easier to put your feet on the floor.”

"God is always there. He doesn't come in the measure of time [you] spend with him. "

"We see a God who seems to have a soft spot for mornings, an invitation into hopefulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Genesis 1:3 "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."

🌿Jennifer Dukes Lee's Book (April 2006, available now for pre-order): How to Love Your Morning 🌿5-Minute Quiet Time Template 🌿Additional FREE Resources 🎶 Jennifer's go-to grace song: Your Grace Still Amazes Me by Phillips Craig and Dean

Website: jenniferdukeslee.com Instagram: jenniferdukeslee Facebook: JenniferDukesLee

Ep. 59 Chased by Grace | Carol McLeod Ep. 41 What if Doubt is Part of Faith? | Niki Hardy Ep. 25 Divine Detour and Deepened Faith | Lori Ann Wood

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Are you longing for a gentle, thoughtful start to your year? These two reflection questions for a grace-filled year offer space to breathe, and to notice and invite God into what’s truly life-giving. January doesn’t magically erase December’s grief, stress, or exhaustion—but it does offer a quiet invitation to pause, reflect, and listen for what your soul needs as you enter a new season.

In this episode, I share how I’ve learned to appreciate January not as a month of pressure and hustle, but as a tender reset where God meets us in the quiet. Inspired by Emily P. Freeman’s reminder that “reflection is a lifestyle, not a one-time event,” I walk through two simple yet deeply grounding questions that help uncover what God is teaching, restoring, and nurturing in us.

1️⃣ What was life-giving? 2️⃣ What was life-draining?

I share honestly from my own reflections—like the ways ignoring food sensitivities and trying to manage other people’s emotions drained life from me this past year. And I talk about the gentle, grace-filled practices that breathed life back in: breath prayers, worship songs, and choosing a word of the year.

These questions aren’t about performance or perfection. They are an invitation into grace, awareness, and partnering with God as He leads you forward.

• Why January can feel hard—and how God meets us there

• Why reflection isn’t about being “late” or “behind”

• How these two simple questions can reshape your spiritual and emotional health

• Real-life examples of draining patterns and life-giving rhythms

• Encouragement to move into the year with compassion, clarity, and grace

Whether you’re grieving, hopeful, exhausted, or somewhere in between, you’re not behind. You’re right on time. And God is with you—inviting you to notice, breathe, and step forward in grace with Him.

🎶So Much Grace by Jonathan David & Melissa Helser

🎶Roses by Andrew Ripp

Ep. 21 A Word of the Year to Transform Your 2025 | Jennifer Sakata Ep. 8 Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale | Jody H. Grubbs Ep. 24 The Power of New Beginnings in Genesis 1 | Jennifer Sakata

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Prayers That Change Us 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates ⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!

Have you ever been surprised by God—truly caught off guard by His kindness, His timing, or the quiet ways He’s been pursuing your heart? In this final week of our Advent series with author Cynthia Ruchti and her devotional The Spirit of Christmas, we bring the journey full circle as we explore what it means to live in a continual awakening to the Spirit.

Many of us move through December longing for wonder, craving peace, or carrying the weight of a year that felt heavier than expected. This closing conversation invites you to pay attention to the sacred surprises tucked into your everyday life—those moments when the Holy Spirit whispers hope, guidance, and grace right when you need it most.

• The invitation that comes when we live with a heart full of expectation
• How the Spirit led the wise men to ancient writing about the Messiah--even though they weren't Hebrews
• King Ahaz's refusal to seek God's wisdom and the familiar prophecy Isaiah offered in response.
• The remarkable faithfulness of God's people during the 400 years of divine silence
• How awakening to the Spirit helps us see God's generosity and presence long after the Christmas lights fade.

Christmas Day may come and go, but the Holy Spirit stays. He continues the work Jesus began—forming in us a generous spirit, awakening grace within us, and guiding us into deeper belonging with God.

So listen in, lean close, and join us in an awakening to the Spirit of Christmas in this culmination to our Advent journey.

 "Our gratitude rings loud and strong for You, Holy Spirit, as we move forward in Your power to bless others as You have blessed us. May we never lose sight of where You are, where You're working, and how near You've chosen to remain with us. Amen." -Cynthia Ruchti

Consider the Holy Spirit as One who gives, provides, enables, comforts, infuses, and fills throughout our Advent longings. Choose one of these actions that reflects the Holy Spirit to bring joy to someone this week.

🎄Cynthia's The Roles of the Holy Spirit downloadable 🎄Jennifer's Make Room for the Quieter Voices of Christmas downloadable 🎄An excerpt from Cynthia's devotional The Spirit of Christmas 🎄Cynthia's book, The Spirit of Christmas

🎶 Cynthia's go-to grace song: Worthy of It All by CeCe Winans

Website: cynthiaruchti.com Instagram: cynthiaruchtiauthor Facebook: cynthiaruchti

Ep. 66 Grieving with the Spirit of Christmas | Cynthia Ruchti Ep. 65 Pausing with the Spirit of Christmas | Cynthia Ruchti Ep. 64 Living with a Yes Heart at Christmas | Cynthia Ruchti Ep. 63 Discovering the Spirit of Christmas | Cynthia Ruchti Ep. 22 Make Room for the Quieter Voices of Christmas | Jennifer Sakata

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Make Room for the Quieter Voices of Christmas 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates ⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!