What I'm into {March Update} - Intentional By Grace

Just as with each passing month, I like to give an update from behind the scenes. It’s always fun to take a more personal tone and write to you as though I were writing to a friend.

So here is what we were into in March:

What I’m Reading:

You can see everything I read in March here. It was a slow month for reading, and quite a disappointing month too.

However, I did pick up the book Seven Sacred Pauses, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’m slowly, ever so slowly, making my way through it.

I don’t agree with everything the book is about theologically, but it has been fodder for much thought and contemplation. I want to live more mindfully throughout my days. I want to worship God with all that I am and all that I do. This book is helping me think about my prayer life in a much more meaningful way.

I look forward to wrapping this book up and implementing some of the ways God has been stirring my heart.

I also started reading Grace-Based Parenting. I’m really enjoying this book.

There are some areas I feel like he goes off on some unnecessary tangents, and sometimes I think his “rules” for being grace-based for your kids feel more “legalism-based” for the parents, reading this book has really opened my eyes to many areas in need of improvement as a parent. It’s given me a lot to think about and for that I’m grateful.

What I’m Watching:

I’m a former basketball player. It’s hands down my favorite sport, and if I can pass on just an ounce of my love to my boys, I’ll be a happy mom!

Since we’re living with my in-loves right now, we thought it’d be fun to have a little house rivalry. My father and mother-in love each filled out a bracket along with my husband, four year old boy, and me.

We all spent a lot of time glued to the TV together (they are retired and we work from home), and we’ve had a down right amazing time bantering about whose bracket is winning when and whose bracket is totally shot.

I miss playing basketball. Oh, old age. Ha!

A year or two more and I’ll be able to play with my oldest. I can’t wait to teach him the fundamentals of a sport I’ve enjoyed for a quarter of a century.

What I’m Relaxing With:

As an introvert living in a sea of extroverts, I’ve been taking some extra rest time here and there. Right now, my favorite rest time activity is a book (see above) and a cup of tea.

I recently discovered Super Irish Breakfast Tea. I am in love! I put a splash of heavy a cream and a smidgen of sugar into a freshly brewed cup and go instantly into a restful state. I’ve no idea what makes it so yummy, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it!

Plus I’ve implemented a mandatory (almost) daily quiet time for my oldest. He gave up naps a year ago, but quiet time has not been something he could manage until now. We’ve been getting back into the groove lately, and it’s been great for all of us.

I set the timer for one hour (with the goal of working up to 1.5-2 hours) in the afternoon, give him a busy box, and put him on a blanket in the living room. I either work or rest myself. Lately I’ve been resting more often than not.

In Our Home:

Spring has sprung where I live! After a rainy, cold and somewhat dreary March, the weather is finally warm enough to play outside. We are so very thankful!

March brought along a couple of rounds of the stomach bug. I avoided the first one and only mildly caught the second one. You can read more about that here.

Around the middle of March our house went under contract, which an answer to prayer. We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision. Now we wait the long process of finalizing all the paperwork and legal stuff.

In the meantime, we’re on the search for housing in Virginia. We are grateful for the generosity of the in-loves, but we are meant to leave and cleave, right? 🙂

We would prefer to buy a home, but we’re okay with renting if that’s what the Lord has for us. We’ve been watching the housing market and crunching numbers for most of March as we pray and seek wisdom from the Lord. We look forward to what April has in store for us!

The last half of March has been dedicated to preparing our hearts for Easter. This is the first year we’ve used Resurrection Eggs, and we are thoroughly enjoying it. You can see all the ways we’re seeking to celebrate Easter in a meaningful way here.

We do family devotions in the evenings right now because that seems to be what is working for us at the moment. Each night we read about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. It has been a rich, rich time for us. I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach my children about who Jesus is!

In My Heart:

Right now, I ebb and flow between extreme faith and extreme hopelessness. I’m more aware than ever of my need for the Cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I identify so much with Paul when he says:

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…For I know nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ~Romans 7:15-20

Needless to say, I have been camping out in Romans 8 for the majority of my quiet time these days.

On the Blog:

I prepared several posts for March back in February. I have felt pretty disconnected here until just this last week.

I’m so grateful for my team who works behind the scenes to make sure you never notice a thing when the going gets tough in my real life.

I do not run this site alone. I couldn’t run this site alone. I don’t want to run this site alone. If you ever think, I do it all, please think again. This site has mushroomed beyond what I could ever do alone. I have help. Help that I am so very, very grateful for!

We just wrapped up our Planning 101 series this month. I had so much fun writing this series. It’s definitely my sweet spot. I hope to write even more practical posts like this in the future! You can see all posts in the series here.

And that’s what I’ve been into lately! What have you been into? Do you like these type of posts?

Never miss another update from Intentional By Grace. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and receive a weekly digest of the week’s post delivered straight to your inbox. Plus when you sign up to receive my emails, I’ll give you a free year of monthly checklists to help you live intentionally all year long!

This post contains my affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.

What I’m into {March Update}