There’s a lot of poignant food for thought in today’s link roundup. Each of these posts offers important takeaways on everything from faith to productivity to child rearing. Happy reading!

How Habits Can Help Us Pray, by Ed Cyzewski

“One of the reasons I struggled to make space for prayer was my lack of habits to add order to my life. Habits aren’t the silver bullet for prayer or other spiritual practices, but they offer a useful place to make space for prayer on a smaller scale than say a more rigid monastic community.”

Want to Work for Yourself? First You Need to Know Yourself, by Crystal Ellefsen

“If you need permission to ignore some standard business advice, take things slowly, take a big risk, or pivot, I’m here cheering you on. One of the things I have enjoyed most about working for myself is the level of self-insight I have gained through the years. It feels so satisfying to know what I need to thrive and know how to create a business that is sustainable and worth it for me.”

In a Rut? Break the Script Through the Power of Defining Moments, by Me for Austin Moms

“According to Chip and Dan Heath, our lives are shaped by ‘defining moments’—short experiences that are both memorable and meaningful. Often, these defining moments are spontaneous or unexpected, but we don’t have to sit around waiting for defining moments to happen to us; we can create them ourselves. When we strategically break the scripts we’ve been following, defying expectations for how an experience will unfold, we are creating defining moments. This requires energy, intentionality, and a willingness to upset the status quo . . . but it will be worth it!”

How to Create Space for Your Soul to Breathe, by Emily P. Freeman

“Creating space for the soul to breathe isn’t the answer to our problem, not by itself. It’s simply a way of setting the stage so that we can better see the answer who is Jesus Himself in whom all our hope is found. We don’t have to try hard to copy Him by mustering up a brilliant plan. We are simply invited to trust Him as we do our next right thing, with Him along the way.”

I Am Not My Struggle, by Shawna Beucler

“Do we want to be angry and sad or do we want to move on and choose happiness? There were days that I choose to sit on the bathroom floor and cry for a few hours. But there also came a time when those days, and the choice to grieve so painfully, became even harder. I had to find a way out of the darkness. I had to choose happiness.”

The Reality of Nature Deficit Disorder, and How You Can Fight It, by Gretchen Pierce

“Unfortunately, most kids today don’t spend enough time outside in nature, engaging in unstructured play. In the U.S., children ages 2 to 8 spend almost 3 hours daily with screen media, and kids ages 8 to 12 spend 6 hours per day. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for outdoor play. Other studies have found that kids spend only four to seven minutes a day engaging in unstructured outdoor play.”

Why Niceness Weakens Our Witness, by Sharon Hodde Miller

“We exist in a world that swings between sweetness and outrage, two behaviors that seem to be at odds with one another. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin: a lack of spiritual formation. When our civility isn’t rooted in something sturdy and deep, when our good behavior isn’t springing from the core of who we are but is instead merely a mask we put on, it is only a matter of time before the façade crumbles away and our true state is revealed: an entire generation of people who are really good at looking good.”

What is the best thing you have read or written this month? Drop a link in the Comments!