Week 46: A Peek Into This Past Week (+ what I'm reading, watching, and listening to!)

Last week, one of our older kids got some really hard news. My heart was really sad for them. I was trying to process through how much my heart hurt for my child and I was really struggling with it. We sat down to dinner and I was telling the younger ... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  View Online Here's what's new: Week 46: A Peek Into This Past Week (+ what I’m reading, watching, and listening to!) Week 46: A Peek Into This Past Week (+ what I’m reading, watching, and listening to!) Last week, one of our older kids got some really hard news. My heart was really sad for them. I was trying to process through how much my heart hurt for my child and I was really struggling with it. We sat down to dinner and I was telling the younger kids the bare basics of the news so they could be more compassionate with their older sibling.  I was completely caught off guard because Micah piped up almost immediately and said, “let’s pray for them.” And then he followed it up with asking me to pray a really specific prayer — something that felt like a really big ask from God. Something I didn’t feel like I even had the faith to pray. I realized he wanted me to pray right then and there. You guys… I did stop and pray with the younger kids right then and there. But I admit I prayed more of a basic prayer. You know, the kind where you mean it, but you aren’t fully asking for all the things you want to because that feels pretty audacious and bold. Well, I got finished praying and Micah went… “Mom, you didn’t pray for everything.” I looked at him and was so convicted by my 4-year-old. He had much more faith than I did! Then he said that I needed to pray again and this time to pray for what he had said we should pray for in the first place. How could I not follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings through my little child? And so we prayed again. And this time I prayed a much bolder prayer. When I got done praying, I saw Micah’s face and it exuded such confidence. God is Who He says He is — whether I believe it or not. And I’m so grateful for reminders from my 4-year-old on days when my faith feels shaky. Speaking of Micah, it was a BIG week for him — and for me! He started full-time preschool!!  He has been going to half-day preschool in the mornings since the beginning of last school year and we were thinking of switching him to full days in January as he was showing signs of readiness.  But the last few weeks, we just really felt the nudge that it was time to go ahead and switch to full days. And then he came and asked if he could! His preschool and teacher were so thrilled to make the change for us.  Micah has been SO excited about it and we are so excited for him. We love the tiny little classical/montesorri preschool he attends and we love his teacher so much! At the same time, it’s so strange for Jesse and I to now think of only having baby girl 3-4 days a week and to have 1-2 days a week with no little kids at the house during school hours!!  Years ago, I thought I would homeschool all my kids all the way through. And I definitely couldn’t imagine sending a child to preschool. And yet, here we are.  God has changed my stubborn and legalistic viewpoints where I believed that only one path of schooling was the right path for every family.  We now hold to the belief that we are our children’s primary teachers and we are responsible before God for their education and spiritual discipleship. But also, we can work alongside other fantastic teachers to help our kids learn and excel.  We re-evaluate and pray every year for every child. And we keep our hands and hearts open to how God leads. That means we have a variety of schooling paths for our kids and it changes up sometimes, but we want each of them to be where they are thriving, being challenged, building character, and being surrounded by good influences.  And if someone disagrees or disapproves of our schooling choices, I don’t have to feel like I need to defend myself. I am the one who stands before God for the decisions made for my child and I can rest in God’s leading and direction for us. There’s so much peace there. (I just wish I had known this more when my older three were younger! I made parenting so much harder than it needed to be because I was so worried about my reputation in front of others.) So often, we can’t see what God is doing when we are in the midst of the hard.  But on the other side, we can look back and see how He used so much in our life that didn’t make sense for so much good. I cling to this on the days when life feels like it’s crashing in. So grateful that He is my firm foundation, the Rock on which I stand.  Many of you know that I love following politics. However, the past few months, I’ve stepped back from following a lot of the sources I had been following because I noticed it was stealing my peace and causing me to feel upset. Maybe you can relate?? If so, I found a news source that keeps you informed without causing you to feel all worked up and unsettled — which is such a gift. It’s called The PourOver and it’s a weekday email that covers all the top news stories. I also love that they include Christ-centered perspective and encouragement woven throughout. And you can read their daily emails in five minutes or less and know what you need to know! Best of all, it’s FREE! Go sign up here for The Pour Over to stay informed on current events without feeling stressed! Did you see November’s book club pick?? Check out why I picked it here. This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: Running My First Half Marathon Join Jesse and I for this episode as we discuss all things regarding my recent very first half marathon! This was truly an experience that turned out to be even more memorable than I ever expected! From the nerves leading up to race day to the unexpected friendships I made along the way, there were plenty of lessons, surprises, and moments that I will never, ever forget! Listen in as I walk you through how I prepared for the race, including my training taper, carb loading, hydration, and fueling strategy, and share what it was like to run 13.1 miles for the first time. Jesse and I also discuss the unexpected connections that made the experience so special — such as how, even though I showed up expecting to run by myself, I ended up finding a group of fellow runners who encouraged one another, cheered for everyone along the course, and helped make those tougher miles fly by. Plus, I share what it meant to me to have family cheering me on and waiting near the finish line! The half marathon wasn’t the only big thing happening over these two weeks, though! My new book finally launched, I traveled to New York City for an exciting opportunity, and I received some unexpected news about a fracture in my spine. I also explain how a seemingly harmless foot injury turned out to be something much stranger: a piece of glass that had been hiding in my foot! With some significant health questions still unanswered, I honestly don’t know what running will look like for me moving forward, but I’m incredibly grateful I got to accomplish something I once wasn’t sure that I could ever do. We talk about pushing beyond our comfort zones, finding courage in the things that scare us, and how much the people we surround ourselves with influence what we believe we can accomplish. I can’t wait to share it with you, and, as always, please feel free to reach out with any thoughts or questions! Listen to the episode here. What I’m Reading… This week I finished House Hushing and Helping Kids Through Grief. House Hushing would be a good read if you feel like your home and life feels chaotic and overwhelming or you just want to make your home feel more calm when it comes to how it is decorated. And Helping Kids Through Grief is a really worthwhile resource for all parents to read and have on their bookshelf. I’m currently reading: Rooted Not Rushed, After We Fall, The Belle of Chatham, Beyond Fit. The Burning Side, But God, and A Beautiful Unfolding. What I’m Listening to… I’m currently listening to Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–And How to Think Deeply Again from Libby — someone recommended this and I’ve been on the wait list for this for awhile. So far, it’s actually been really interesting and insightful, though I think it is a little research heavy and does have some language in it. What I’m Watching… This past week, the girls and I watched week 9 of Dancing with the Stars together. (It’s fun to have a show that Kierstyn, Kaitlynn, and I all enjoy together!) We also watched Season 5 of Special Forces (we really enjoyed it!)! This Week’s Featured Gift Guides: Do you need budget-friendly gift ideas? The MSM Team has put together gift guides to help make your shopping easy, affordable, and fun!  This week’s highlighted guides are:  15+ Beauty Gift Ideas — Looking for the best beauty gifts for her? In this Beauty Gift Guide, Gretchen on the MoneySavingMom team shares her favorite beauty finds, all under $30! You’ll find gifts large and small, as well as beauty gifts for teens, moms, and more. ​ 10+ Gifts for Teen Boys — Need some help with finding the best Christmas gift ideas for teen boys this holiday season? I asked my 17-year-old son, Silas, to put together a gift guide for teen boys since so many of you have come to me to ask if I have any ideas of what to get teen boys for Christmas. ​ Gifts for LEGO Lovers: Perfect for Kids and Adults — Do you have a LEGO lover in your life? Sometimes finding the perfect set to give as a gift can be challenging. To help you choose, Sarah and Gretchen compiled a list of their favorite LEGO sets in a variety of themes. You can also see all our budget-friendly gift guides here, and stay tuned for more to come! More Links You’ll Love from This Week: FREE Black Friday Playbook — Want to save big this Black Friday without the stress or overspending? Grab your FREE Black Friday Playbook! This is your simple, step-by-step guide to shop smarter, save more, and enjoy the holiday season with peace of mind! Baked Cheesy Potatoes and Ham Casserole — You might have tried this frugal recipe for Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes as a side dish, but it’s also delicious as a main dish. Simply throw in some leftover diced meat when you’re assembling it, and suddenly it becomes a yummy, kid-approved entrée! Pair it with a quick and easy veggie plate with hummus for a well-rounded meal. 11 Books I Finished Recently — It’s been a long time since I’ve given you an update on what I’ve read (other than sharing in my weekly emails), so I thought I’d do a big review of 11 books I finished recently. Read my reviews in this post and share what you’ve been reading recently! Curious What My Week Actually Looks Like? Get a behind-the-scenes peek at what I’m reading, loving, and learning — plus subscriber-only recommendations you won’t find anywhere else. YES! I Want Your Personal Emails!       Latest finds on Pinterest This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is one of our family favorites! It’s easy to throw together with leftover chicken or turkey and rice -- plus, you can prep it as a freezer meal for later. Wondering if a budgeting app can actually help you save money? Yes, it can! In this post, we’ll break down the best budgeting apps so you can choose the one that makes managing your money simple and stress-free. Have ripe bananas to use up? Make these easy Whole Wheat Banana Muffins! They're soft, moist, freezer-friendly, and perfect for breakfast, school lunches, or an afternoon snack. 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