Above All Else: Jesus Over Everything

What does it look like to put Jesus first, over everything else? Though that is our desire, it's helpful to be challenged and encouraged with fresh thoughts and perspectives on how to live out this desire. 

Just what could it look like for me? For you? To have Jesus first? Above everything. For each of us, it could look differently, for we are each created uniquely. I love Lisa Whittle's description of life lived in this way:

 "A Jesus-over-everything lifestyle is a 

Jesus-take-over-me-and-my-lifestyle 

so that I don't ruin my one precious life. 

It is the understanding that the 

priority of Jesus brings order to 

the chaos of our lives, 

a job only God is big enough to do."

This highest desire surely calls for us to make intentional daily choices, moment-by-moment choices, a life-time of choices. We cannot coast along and follow the crowd, and expect to live out the high calling of putting Jesus first, over everything.

Some of the choices that I have learned and also continue to learn:

* Making it a priority to immerse myself in His Word, in His Truth. Reading His Words not to be able to check it off my list each day, but with a longing and a deep heart desire to listen closely and to learn from Him. There are so many voices calling for our attention, more and more each year, and it is of utmost importance to keep our minds grounded in what is true. And the source of real Truth is in God's Word.

* Watching closely over my own heart. My heart is key. Pouring out my heart to Jesus is so important. My heart, my thoughts, need to be in right relationship with Jesus. There are so many emotions connected to being a wife, mother, grama, grams, and also sister and friend. And it is critical for me to bring my thoughts, my heart, full of emotions, concerns, needs, to Jesus continually. Is it the same for you? For me, my main way to communicate all that happens in my heart is through writing my words on a page, written as prayers in a devo journal. This relationship with Jesus is key. For everything flows from the heart.

* Choosing to honor Sabbath Rest, a gift that Jesus modeled while on earth, and also has given to us, even today, for our good. This may look different for each of us. A few hours tucked into a busy week, or as my hubby and I have chosen to do in this season of retirement life, setting aside one day a week for true Sabbath Rest. This happens on most Saturdays for us. This is a gift, a day of refreshment, primarily a time of quiet, slowing down, pausing from our busy lives (yes, even in retirement) to rest, to listen closely, and to learn from Him more deeply. This is probably our favorite day of the week. 

These are just a few of the ways that I am continually being challenged and encouraged in, making intentional choices in keeping Jesus above all else during our daily living. Choices that grow sweeter with each passing year.

We all in our own individual living can find ways "to organize all of your life around the practice of the presence of God, to work and rest and play and eat and drink and hang out with your friends and run errands and catch up on the news, all out of a place of deep, loving enjoyment of the Father's company." (From The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.)

We have been given the most priceless, incredible gift of His love, His forgiveness, His very presence with us.

Yet through His powerful declaration of acquittal,

God freely gives away His righteousness.

His gift of love and favor now cascades over us,

all because Jesus, the Anointed One,

has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, 

and power of sin.

(Romans 3:24 The Passion Translation) 

___________

Thanks for reading along as I process through the books I read and the time spent reading His Word, learning and growing towards a life of putting Jesus first, above all else, over everything. And thankful for His Spirit within, speaking Truth to us, as we listen and follow. The life we are made for, the best kind of living!

From the Archives: January Memories

I thought it would be fun to pull up some posts from the past. After all, I've been writing here at Pursuing Heart since 2010, sixteen years ago now!

These posts bring back memories for me, and maybe will bring some encouragement and inspiration for you as you read them. Click on the link below each photo to view and to read ...

Jan. 2025: Starting Out the Year with Good Books

Jan. 2023: A Collection: January Books and Cozy Winter Decor

Jan. 2021: Starting Out the New Year : In the Kitchen

Jan. 2019: In the Kitchen: Make-Ahead Dishes

Jan. 2018: Quieting My Heart: In Memorial

Jan. 2014: When it's Okay to be Helpless

Jan. 2013: Digital Scrapbooking/Mid-January

Valuable Tools for the New Year

A planner, a devo journal, a prayer journal, pens & markers

Starting out into a New Year is much like starting out on a long journey. We may have limited space as we travel, and we try to take along what is most important, the things that we could not do without. 

I've been using these quieter days and weeks after the holidays to prepare for this journey into the New Year. We had some wonderful and full weeks prepping for the holidays, and then the greatly treasured days with family home. I am holding these memories close, and thanking God for a precious, wonderful Christmas season with most of our family home.

(in)Courage Devotional Bible, my devo journal, verse cards

For me, my journey all starts with a focus of spending time with Jesus, reading His Words, taking notes of what He is teaching me. Writing out my prayers and desires, pausing and listening. Every year I learn in deeper ways than before, how essential this is. I think it becomes even more essential with each passing year, for each year there are more and more voices that call for our attention. And we need to purposefully immerse our hearts and our minds in the source of Truth, Love, and Wisdom.

My main reading plan this year is to continue on with reading chronologically through the Bible. I use the NLT Chronological Life Application Study Bible for the chronological reading format, sometimes reading from there, but often reading the passage from my (in)Courage Devotional Bible (CSB). I also sometimes listen to the passage being read on my Dwell App as I follow along with the text. This is my second time reading through the Bible in chronological order, and am loving reading it in this order. 

And then, of course, taking time to write out my thanks, my prayers, what I have learned in my devo journal. For me, it is the writing down, that helps me connect my heart deeply to what I read and learn. 

My planner for 2026

My planner is also an essential tool for me, a tool to keep me focused, and on the right course. It holds so many things, and helps me out so that I don't have to try to hold it all in my memory. What would I do without a planner? It keeps me going in the right direction, with the priorities that are important to me. All coming from time in the Word, listening to His promptings and desires, and using the giftings He has given me. 

Some of the sections in my planner: a calendar for each month, a page for each day, home care and cleaning charts, a menu page for each week, a record of books read, an exercise/health record, and on and on. This year I am using a new type of notebook, click here. I love that I can freely move pages around, and also add additional pages where I want them. I have used purchased planners already set up, but in recent years have made my own pages directly tailored to my own use. And as you get a glimpse of in the photo above, I love post-it-notes. I especially love using some vintage colored post-it-notes, that I also cut down to various sizes that work good for me. (Click here and here to see the ones I use.)

Here are a few photos of some of the pages I have created for my planner. Sharing these in case they would be helpful or encouraging to you, with your own creations. 

Left: a monthly page/post-it notes to write in important priorities
Right: a weekly page, writing some of the monthly priorities into the current week

Left: a sample of the daily page/adding a post-it note of things that need to be done,
and then often filling in what I actually did at the end of the day
Right: a weekly menu chart/post-it notes for possible recipes to use

These are my most valuable tools to have with me as I journey into this New Year. What are your most valuable tools? I hope to connect here as I travel along this journey through 2026 by posting here a bit more often than I have in the past few years. And I'd love to hear about your journey, as well.

It's the Little Things

It’s the little things. 

I want to pause more, and treasure the little things this New Year. Not looking for the flashy, but quieting my heart to hear and see what could so easily be missed in the rush of life. A life that goes by faster and faster with each passing year.

This morning … taking time to fill my diffuser, I am captured by the beauty of the soft sounds of mist filling our living room in a slow and steady stream. A living room that just six days ago was filled with precious family members. Love cannot be measured in tangible containers, but it certainly filled our home to capacity over Christmas weekend, more present and real than any tangible object in the room. For how do you measure the presence of Jesus, sent from God to our world, the One who Himself created human love and who is Himself Love.

And now, just a few days later, our home is much quieter, but the sounds of love remain, and fill up every room. It is beautiful. We are so very grateful. And we will watch all through this year for love present in our home, and love from afar. And always, the presence of Love Himself, filling every corner and every space. More real than anything else. To be treasured, noticed, if we will pause to listen and to see.

Thanking God for the gift of this New Year, and cherishing the memories of family “Home for Christmas”.

 

Advent: A Heart Posture

I love most everything about the holiday season ... I love creating a warm and cozy home, the decorating of our home for winter and for Christmas, soaking up the warmth of our electric fireplace stove on a snowy day, the anticipation of having precious family home, the baking of goodies, and all the preparations for Family Christmas Day.  I always have loved this special season.

It isn't all perfect, of course.  And the older I get, the less energy I have to do the things that I love.  But I still love it.  

And with each year, I find myself more in need of focusing on caring for my heart amidst all the preparations.  I am more aware of my weaknesses, emotionally and physically.  I am more aware of my need of His strength.  Each day.  Each day becomes a space to be deeply blessed by the gift of His Presence.  The gift of Emmanuel: God with us.

I imagine that you are the same.  Each year of our lives brings more uncertainties, more people that we care so deeply about, and more opportunities to draw closer to Jesus.

An advent reading is one tool to help keep my heart anchored on what is most important during this joyous and busy season.  This year I will be re-reading the advent devotional that I read two years ago in 2023 ... Pursuing the Christ: Prayers for Christmastime by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.  It contains two short readings for each day, one in the morning and one in the evening.  And each one, written as a prayer ... 

Pictured above are two other advent readings that I have read through in recent years ... each one, so helpful to keep our hearts on track with what is most important.  The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp, and Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons.  

A Favorite Breakfast: Egg Quiche

There's time for one more recipe to share this month, before December is here!  I noticed recently that I first shared this recipe back in 2010, and it is greatly in need of being updated, especially with the photos.  (Click here for the original post, back in 2010.)

Egg Quiche ... an easy, crustless quiche, with just five ingredients.  I do not even remember where I found the original recipe, but it has remained as a favorite to serve for breakfast when family or guests are here.  It also works just great for the two of us, providing several breakfasts for us through the week.

Egg Quiche

6 eggs

3-4 slices bacon (I use the pre-cooked bacon)

dry, minced onion

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the bacon in the microwave, according to directions.

Crumble, and place on bottom of a buttered 9" pie plate.

Sprinkle some onion on top of the bacon, to taste.

Layer the grated cheese over the bacon and onion.

Next, beat the eggs and milk together.

Pour over the top of the other ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Test by inserting a knife (it should come out clean);

remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving.

Egg Quiche is such an easy dish to prepare.  The crumbled bacon, minced onion, and grated cheddar cheese add such good flavor to the eggs.  It's perfect to serve with some toasted sourdough bread, and fruit for a refreshing, nutritious breakfast.

 

In the Kitchen: Autumn Cooking and Baking

Autumn cooking and baking is the best! Sharing a few from my kitchen from the past few weeks/months. 

A new recipe for me in recent weeks ... Chicken Parmesan. I had made a different Chicken Parmesan recipe in the past, but this one from a favorite food blogger caught my attention, and it did not disappoint! It was delicious, and I think it looks especially beautiful during the autumn months.

Soup season is here! I usually try to serve a soup menu once each week during the fall and winter. My very first one for this season was Best-Ever Potato Soup! I often even double the recipe for just the two of us, as we like to freeze it in meal-sized portions to use on days when I don't have the time to cook a meal from scratch. 

I haven't prepared this delicious Hot Spiced Cider yet this season, but just had to share it here. Whenever I serve it, it fills the kitchen with the warm aroma of autumn ... and tastes like autumn, as well.

The Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling shown above is made in my kitchen most every year at this time. We enjoy it as a dessert, often served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top, or sometimes a dollup of Cool Whip.

Pumpkin Squares are a dessert that I make every autumn season, as well. It tastes just as delicious as pumpkin pie, and is even easier to make than the pie. I make a 9x13 pan of it to serve for guests, and then freeze the remainder in meal-sized portions for the two of us.