Growing up, my family concluded every dinner by reading a passage from the Bible, or a page from a devotional. Psalm 100 was a popular choice. We had it bookmarked with a pressed flower petal.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
By the time I was eight-years-old, I had heard this psalm so many times I had memorized it. This stands out as one of my favorite childhood memories because it was my first personal step towards God. I went to bed reciting the psalm, imagining what entering His gates with thanksgiving looked like. Lots of dinner rolls, I thought.
It’s been 20 years since I committed Psalm 100 to memory. I have since fallen away from the church, and returned again as an adult. (Shoutout to New Vintage!) But over the years, regardless of where I was in my relationship with God, I turned to Psalm 100 when I felt the need to pray but couldn’t find the words.
I am thankful to my parents for building structure into dinner time. Because of them, I feel comforted by routine. And because of them, I turn to the Bible when I miss home.
Studies show that people who take time to journal, read, exercise, or meditate daily are more relaxed and perform better under pressure. It gives them an opportunity to reflect on their emotions, learn from their mistakes, and live in the present.
While I do workout most weekday mornings (yay healthier lifestyle!), I don’t use the time to be introspective. In fact, most evenings Michael and I eat dinner in front of the TV, a habit I’m not proud of. I’m looking for a devotional I can work into my daily routine. Something I can listen to while I’m on the treadmill each morning. Do you have a podcast (religious or not) that you love to listen to regularly?
And, to answer your burning question, Yes, I can still recite Psalm 100 from memory. It’s one of my crazier party tricks.
Happy Easter, everyone!
Beautiful reflections and thoughts.
https://www.ligonier.org/ has some great things to listen too….more deep than some devotionals
Do try to eat dinner with conversation and questions before you get in front of a screen. Many families ban phones or computers or TVs from dinner time so that you give each other undivided attention which is very healthy for connection and relationship building.
May God bless you on your journey of life and faith.
We love you lots….Ed & Janet
I love the Rise podcast by Rachel Hollis (she also wrote two amazing books, Girl Wash Your Face and Girl Stop Applogizing). She is a follower of Christ but her podcasts are not religious. Also, she and her husband have one together called Rise Together. Mike and I both enjoy listening separately and then talking about the subjects they touch on.
I dont have a podcast in particular that I listen to daily. I have a friend who sends me videos of a couple people she enjoys. I also catch videos of a military Chaplin when they pop up on my Facebook news feed. Its more of a video devotional on their ride to work. What I am currently doing: I have 2 yearly devotional books that I read. It is easy to throw them in my purse and take where ever I go or to have bedside. I also have a daily Bible journal. The journal is not long winded. It consist of 1 scripture and a few questions for reflection. I complete this one with a co-worker. It gives us a chance to reflect with each other our thoughts on a particular scripture.
Dinner time is not what it use to be. A lot of families are so busy they dont eat together and eating in front of the TV is a norm for others. Maybe instead of a show you can watch or listen to a devotional piece and discuss it.
I hope you find the Podcast that is fitting for you.
Thank you for the engaging read.