As a former student who couldn’t wait to shop for school supplies and a girl who listened sadly as the librariarn told her she couldn’t go through the summer reading program again (for the fourth time in one summer), I find myself thinking of the new school year as the real “new year”.  The actual turning of a New Year on January 1 just seems so anti-climatic compared with a brand, spankin’ new room of different students and a new teacher.

Fresh, sharpened pencils.  Crayons without peeling wrappers and dry-erase markers that still have sharp points.

After teaching for ten years in an elementary classroom, I now believe that New Year’s Day is the day the new school year begins.

So as I’m visualizing my daughter walking through the doors of her second grade classroom in two short weeks (the grade I once taught), my mind flutters over the possibility of making new resolutions, thinking of what I want to do differently from her first year in elementary school and what needs to be better about me.

And I want to squelch the nudge but I know better so I face it begrudgingly.

I must become a morning person. 

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Though I had met precious Katie Orr at the Allume Conference almost a year ago, I was able to spend more time with her during She Speaks and she offered me something I couldn’t resist.

Something that will keep this night-owl, don’t-talk-to-me-before-8:00 a.m. girl accountable to 1) spend time with Him and 2) write a bit before I scurry my babes off to their respective schools 3) be more intentional about how I use my time and 4) perhaps consider a regular exercise routine.

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Katie asked that I become an “Accountability Captain (AC)” for Hello Mornings!, a group that encourages beginning your day with God, then planning your day, and doing it.  It was started by Kat from Inspired to Action and was birthed after she wrote her free eBook entitled Maximize Your Mornings.

Here are a few things you will learn from her book:

• Learn why getting up early is so important.
• How to get out of bed – tips to make it easier to crawl out of your cozy bed.
• How to develop a doable Prayer and Bible Study plan.
• How to find an exercise plan that works for you.
• How to plan your day so that you actually get things done.
• Learn the key to developing a great morning routine.
• Download forms and charts to help you plan and stay on track.

As an “AC”, I will be blessed to have up to 15 women in my group which will check-in via Facebook every morning, Monday through Friday.

We will encourage one another, share scriptures and pray for each other.  It will be a safe place where we can support and encourage as we walk through this journey of life.

The program starts gradually – the first week you’re only asked to go to bed 15 minutes earlier and get up at least five minutes before your kids.

I can totally handle that.  This is my kind of morning program.

Everyone can rise at their own time (in other words, we don’t all have to commit to be out of bed at 6:00 – you just check-in when you are up and hopefully, if it’s the first week, it will be at least five minutes before your crew is up).

The only requirement of you should you choose to join my group?  Check-in with us in the morning.  A simple “Good morning – hello everyone” posted in our Facebook group lets us know you are awake and ready to go.

Throughout the day, we might ask one another for prayer or encourage each other through scriptures but the morning time is the only time you are asked to commit to being on the computer for a brief moment.

I would love for you to pray through this and if you would like to join my group, click here. 

Once the group is filled with 15 women, it will close but I am offering a jump-start to Mommy on Fire readers for one week.  After the week is over, the group will open to all and the spots will be full once 15 is reached.

Click here to learn more about Hello Mornings in general.

Come back tomorrow to learn about “The Stinkin’ Thinkin’ Makeover” beginning right here at Mommy on Fire on Monday, August 8.

So, what’s your biggest challenge in the mornings?  If you’ve found a way to make it better, what did you do?