Start Your Day Happy With This 20-Second Routine
The alarm sounds, and it’s been less than an hour since I last laid eyes upon the digital numbers. In fact, I believe I saw these red glowing numbers every hour throughout the past night. What do you do when the idea of learning to start your day happy feels entirely unrealistic?
I hear a little voice outside the bedroom door. In the room next to me, tiny legs kick hard against the crib mattress as the youngest considers whether or not to cry for more milk. I pray he returns to sleep.
How to Start Your Day Happy
I’m praying for little Aiden to return to sleep when a gentle voice offers me an invitation: Begin the day with joy by soaking in God’s goodness before your feet hit the floor.
Taking a deep breath, I exhale the words in a whisper: “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Sixteen words.
Immediately, these 16 words change the trajectory of my day.
In the time it takes to speak these 16 short words, something in me shifts.
The words remind me of a dozen different realities.
These words remind me there are mothers who wake up each morning and face the grief of empty cribs – mothers who would give just about anything for little ones hustling throughout the house and babies stretching growing legs.
They remind me that are women who are too ill to climb from their sheets this morning, and I have been one of them, and by the grace of God, I am not one of them on this day.
These words remind me that there are families living in war-torn fear, mothers who don’t know where they’ll find breakfast for their children on this day, and parents rocking babies in hospital beds today.
Learn How to Start Your Day Happy by Reframing Your Struggles
As I consider the words, I count the blessings in my life.
My joy expands. My heart fills.
It sounds too simple: Start your day with God’s Word, and you will find the deep kind of joy you crave.
But something happens when our first words of the day are God’s Words: Our hearts are lifted heavenward; our perspectives are realigned; and most powerfully, we actually encounter the Living God.
When we speak words of gratitude to God in the morning, our hearts are uplifted by an attitude of praise. And since God inhabits the praises of his people, if you want to encounter God before your feet hit the floor, speak his words before your grumbling leads you to climb out on the wrong side of the bed. 
Here are 5 powerful truths to help you start your day happy:
1. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
2. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
3. Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8
4. . . .the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
5. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3
Your Invitation:
If one of these verses resonates with you, commit it to memory, and ask the Lord to remind you of these words before you get out of bed each morning. Allow the first negative thought of your day to be a gentle reminder that you are turning over a new leaf as you aim to begin your day with a reminder of what is true.
This practice will change you from the inside out.
Allow these words to be more than just a quick catchphrase. Let them sink deeply into your soul. Finally, let them remind you that although many significant aspects of your life might be difficult in this season, there is something for which you can thank God.
This is a 20-second life-change that can shift the way you see the world all day long.
A Free Devotional Book for You:
Lastly, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
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Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
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