Week 35: A Peek Into This Past Week (plus what I’m reading, watching, and listening to)

Okay, I’m going be honest: I had fallen into a bad habit of checking Instagram and TikTok right after I got up in the morning. I have had some posts that kind of blew up both places this past month and I got sucked into seeing the numbers on those climb. 

It was usually only 10 minutes of checking, but it wasn’t how I wanted to start my day. The pull just felt so strong to check for a bit every morning! 

I was convicted by a podcast I recorded this past week with Ashley Martin that I wasn’t prioritizing Jesus first thing in the morning. So I committed to return to my habit of not getting on my phone for the first 30 minutes of each day. It has been making such a difference in how I start my day! 

Instead of checking my phone, some of the ways I love to start my day are by watching the sun rise, moving my body, and reading books that are spiritually uplifting and challenging. (If you want some book ideas, check out this post of the Best Devotionals and Christian Books for Women!)

I got this message this week and am curious if you’ve ever felt like this. If so, I’d love to hear from you! 

Hi. I know you keep talking about budgeting and I’m sure you’re passionate about it, but I never thought it was necessary in our household. We are not big spenders, never get coffee at Starbucks or things like that, etc. Never was short at the end of the month etc. so I’m not sure how a budget would be beneficial. In our household bills are always paid in full first every month. So l don’t see how a budget would be beneficial. Never have. Also could never figure out how to forecast. Car payments and mortgages are exact, but things like water bills, electric bills, credit card bills, etc differ. Always confused me. There’s no way to guess. Sorry for rambling.

Here are my thoughts… 

I’m so grateful for this question because I think it gets at the heart of what makes consistent budgeting SO hard for people!

A budget isn’t just for people who are struggling financially; it can be an amazing tool for people who have some wiggle room in their budget, too. It allows you to set goals, work towards them, give more generously, save more aggressively, and not have to worry about whether or not you can spend money on things.

If you want help budgeting, I walk you through how to set up a budget and what to do about variable expenses in my FREE 5-Day Budget Makeover course. Having a budget has given us so much freedom — and it’s allowed us to never have debt and to be able to give generously!

Speaking of budgeting, did you know my 6th book is all about good money habits?? (Plus, it has so many fun stories from my childhood and early marriage!)

It comes out October 27 and you can get a free signed bookplate sticker from me if you preorder this week or have already pre-ordered!

This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: Reimagining Church as Family with Dr. JJ Jones

What does it really mean for the church to be a family? In this episode of The Crystal Paine Show, I am joined by my friend and one of our pastors, Dr. JJ Jones, co-author of Reimagining Church as Family, for a conversation about how to help others feels seen, welcomed, and truly included in our churches!

Listen in as JJ shares how years of research and ministry experience led him and his co-author, Rich Griffith, to rethink some of the traditional approaches to family ministry. Too often, as he discusses, our programs, language, and even the ways in which we structure church life assume a traditional nuclear family, and that can unintentionally leave single parents, divorced parents, single adults, foster and adoptive families, families raising children with disabilities, and others feeling like they don’t quite belong.

The two of us talk about what it looks like to move beyond simply supporting someone during a crisis and actually walking with them for the long haul. We discuss the importance of examining the words that we use, listening to people’s stories, and asking what the church can do differently so that people don’t feel like outsiders in God’s family.

We also get practical about what church members and leaders can do to enact change such as creating more intergenerational spaces, inviting someone to sit with you, sharing a meal, making accommodations, mentoring younger believers, and simply being willing to have the sometimes-awkward conversations that lead to real connection!

Maybe most importantly, we talk about following Jesus toward the people who may feel overlooked or pushed to the margins, and I truly hope this conversation encourages you to look around your own church community with fresh eyes and ask: Who might be here but still feel alone, and what could I do to change that?

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading… 

I finished Reimagining Church as Family this week. If you are looking for a resource to e, 

Currently, I’m reading: Capable (SOO good!), Take My Hand (it’s been heartrending but so good so far!), House Hushing, More Than You Can Imagine, Moving with God, This Moment Matters, Lost No More, But I Prayed for This, Helping Kids Through Grief, and 101 Secrets For Your Twenties (been prepping for lots of podcast interviews — stay tuned for some amazing episodes dropping in the next few months!)

What I’m Watching…

We finished the second season of The Mole and enjoyed it. If you like reality shows that keep you guessing and Who Done It sort of mysteries, I think you might enjoy it. Note that it does have some language in it.

The younger kids and I watched Soul Surfer this week. They were fascinated by Bethany’s story and so we then started watching the season of Amazon Race she was on (Season 25).

What I’m Listening to…

I finished listening to Glad You’re Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Breaking Fences this week and really loved it. A fascinating and convicting story of how to show up for others and have deep friendship.

And then — because it felt like almost every other person on the internet was recommending it — I started listening to The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. People said that Volume 1 is very slow, but I’m enjoying the story so far!

In Case You Missed It — Links from Recent Weeks: 

• How to Get Out of Debt — Paying down debt is challenging even in the best circumstances. Between rising grocery prices, higher rent or mortgage payments, and everyday expenses that seem to cost more than they used to, it can feel harder than ever to make progress. If you find yourself feeling defeated and want to get out of debt, I hope this post will encourage you and give you practical, doable steps to climb out of debt. It may not happen overnight, but with a plan and consistent steps forward, progress is absolutely possible.
• A Precious Video That’ll Make You Smile… And Remind You of the Impact of Adoption! — We found these two swinging on the back swing like this before school one morning this week. 🥰 We’ve heard over and over from people that their greatest fear in adopting a child with disabilities is how it would impact their bio kids. Listen, it definitely has impacted ours — in the most positive of ways. They are more caring, kind, loving, patient, compassionate, and empathetic people. David has changed us all for the better.
• For Those Who Never Want to Miss a Deal — My team sorts through hundreds of deals every day to find the very best ones! Then we send the top 10-15 straight to your inbox, usually once in the morning and once in the evening. If saving money is one of your goals, this is one of the simplest ways to stay on top of the best deals that tend to go fast.
• How to Start a Savings Plan that Works — As you know, I’m passionate about helping you save money in practical, everyday ways. But there’s another important piece of the puzzle that sometimes gets overlooked: having a plan for the money you save. When you intentionally direct those savings toward specific goals, that’s when your savings will start to actually give you breathing room and peace of mind. This post will help you get started!