Today, I'm going to be sharing all of our favorite Christmas traditions. And sharing this is really just to encourage you to make time for the most important things, and hopefully just to invite you into our family for a little bit in sharing how Will and I have brought our different sets of our own family's traditions and made them our own. For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/90.   Resources from this episode: All Nancy Ray Courses (Foundations are on sale!) Sign up for my Emails The Giving Manger Minted (where I get my Christmas cards!) The Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

Work and Play with Nancy Ray

090 - Our Favorite Christmas Traditions

If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know that I've always been big on having a morning routine and a quiet time and journaling.  To me, these have always been super important in my life: they ground me and anchor me.  So when I became a mom, during that newborn phase of life, it was very hard to determine which way was up or down. And the Lord taught me this simple practice. It doesn't take a lot of time, but still to this day, it speaks straight to my heart and it grounds me. It's simply focusing on one word throughout your whole day.  For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/89.   Resources from this episode: All Nancy Ray Courses (Foundations will be on sale!) Sign up for my Emails The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence Tweezerman Pointy Tweezers Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

089 - One Word A Day

Welcome to this month's edition of the Nancy Ray Book Club, where I choose 12 books to read in a year, and I invite you to join me in reading them, and then I share my takeaways in the book of the month every month. This month I am thrilled to be talking about Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.  He argues that social media is crazy, it's out of control, it's addictive, it's unhealthy, and yet it's a very real part of our lives. We have got to learn how to live with it and not just live with it, but to live well with it, which in a big part means limiting it.  Digital Minimalism is an answer to this daily, sometimes hourly, struggle that we all face and feel. And honestly, I'm really excited about this episode, and to dive in to my three big takeaways from Digital Minimalism.  For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/88.   Resources from this episode: Nancy Ray Book Club Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport Episode 012 - 3 Habits to Put Social Media in its Place Episode 083 - Book | Rhythms of Renewal Episode 045 - How to Journal Episode 079 - Why I Have a Business Journal Episode 042 - Book | Switch on Your Brain Hands Free Mama, by Rachel Macy Stafford The Tech-Wise Family, by Andy Crouch The Social Dilemma (film) Freedom Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

088 - Book | Digital Minimalism

Happy Election Day! Now, listen, I know tensions are running high. I know convictions and beliefs that we hold have been tried and tested in this year. And especially this election season, it's been heavy. It's been divisive and it's been really hard. I don't know about you, but I have been doing a deeper dive behind the scenes, listening to podcasts, reading books, having conversations with my close friends and family, to really answer the question: What are my own beliefs about all of this? What do I believe to be true? What do I believe is the best way forward?  In today's episode, I want to remind all of us of three things the Lord calls us to, in any and every season of our lives (three things that, if I'm honest, I feel like they've been pushed to the side). Three things that I believe were part of the founding of this country and three things that we absolutely must maintain if we are to move forward.  For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/87.   Resources from this episode: Framed for Posterity, by Ralph Ketcham  A quality American flag  Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

087 - Encouragement on Election Day

Okay, have you ever sat down and thought about everything you do in a week, all the work, all the things you're responsible for all the fun you want to have, all the exercise you need, all the sleep you need, and thoughtfully written out how you would like to live your ideal week? If you never have, I'm so excited for you to try this. And if you have done this before, I have found one of the greatest benefits of this exercise is doing it often, because guess what? Life changes. This week, we're going to be talking about how to get the most out of your week with the ideal week exercise. And you can do your very own ideal week exercise by downloading a PDF that I've made just for you at nancyray.com/idealweek. When you download and print the PDF, you'll be able to write in your own week and hours and things you do, and I promise you're going to find hours in your days and in your weeks. I do every time. Grab yours below. Free Ideal Week Download: nancyray.com/idealweek For the full show notes, visit nancyray.com/podcast/86.   Resources from this episode: Free Download: Plan Your Ideal Week What’s Best Next, by Matt Perman QALO Rings Episode 009 - The Secret to Success in Business Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

086 - Find More Hours In Your Week

Writing a five year business plan can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you don't even know where you want to be in five years, which is probably most of us.  Today, I'm going to break it down. I'm going to break it down for you in a way that is actually attainable. You'll be able to wrap your mind around it. And quite frankly, for me, it's really exciting to have that kind of a vision.  Let's take a few minutes to dream about life and work and lay out a game plan for the next five years.  For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/85.   Resources from this episode: Free Guide: Clear Your Phone Photos! Traction, by Gino Wickman Download the VTO pdf Episode 026 - My Favorite Business Book of All Time Rocket Fuel, by Gino Wickman Vitamix Blender Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

085 - How to Write a 5 Year Business Plan

This episode is the gentle reminder that Halloween is in two weeks, Thanksgiving is coming, and Christmas is on its way. The shopping, the planning, the decorating, the end of year celebrations, and parties, and whirlwinds, all of it is right around the corner.  Often times, this is the time of year where we go a little off the rails with our eating, our spending, with our planning. We just do too much of all of it.  So, my encouragement to you today is that if you want to finish this year strong, you have to start now.  For the full show notes, visit nancyray.com/podcast/84.   Resources from this episode: Free Guide: Clear My Photos! Episode 033 - Our Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition Episode 075 - A Vision For This Season Anthro Scrunchies   Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

084 - Start Now to Finish Strong

Today's book is Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons. And it's one of those books I just kept hearing about. It kept popping up on my social media feed or in a podcast or I saw a friend reading it. And after looking into what it was all about, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. In it, Rebecca outlines four rhythms for a life of peace and purpose. I couldn't help but think back to my episode just a couple episodes ago on self-care, because I feel like this book is a deeper dive and how we can live out these rhythms and have a healthy, mature life as a believer. All in all, I love the book. I feel like Rebecca is somewhat of a soul sister and I can't wait for you to hear my top takeaways. For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/83.   Resources from this episode: Free Guide: Clear My Photos! Nancy Ray Book Club Rhythms of Renewal, by Rebekah Lyons Deuter Kid Comfort Backpack Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

083 - Book | Rhythms of Renewal

Every year we go camping, and we go camping with another family, the Thomas family. We have been for eight years. In fact, just this past weekend, we went camping with our dear friends. It was crazy and fun and once again full of new memories in a slower pace. John and Emily Thomas have been our friends for well over a decade long before kids and even still with kids.  Today, I brought Emily on to have a conversation about camping, kids, and slowing down. You might know Emily because she is the Chief of Staff at Cultivate What Matters, and a beautiful writer and blogger over at emformarvelous.com, one of the very few blogs that I adore and read. You're going to love Emily. She has a depth and a graciousness that is unmatched, and I love her. It's why she's been my friend for so long. So, I'm so excited to share our conversation today. Head to nancyray.com/podcast/82 for the full show notes.   Resources from this episode: Emily Thomas’ blog, Em for Marvelous Cultivate What Matters Settlers of Catan NC State Parks Website White Noise Machine Powerbank Goldenrod Hike Guava Lotus pack ‘n’ play Clip-on Highchair Native Kid’s Shoes Master Camping List Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

082 - Kids, Camping and Slowing Down with Emily Thomas

We are constantly hearing and seeing the message of self-care. Take time for yourself. Don't forget to care for yourself. Drink water. Exercise. Go get your nails done. I have had so many mixed feelings about the phrase “self-care” for a long time. So, today, I'm going to dive into the good and bad of self-care and offer a better, more holistic approach.  For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/81.   Resources from this episode: Episode 025 - Work Hard, Sabbath Hard Blog post : Where do you put yourself in your list of priorities? by Michael Hyatt Blog post: Self-care for people who don’t like self-care, by Emily Thomas Present over Perfect, by Shauna Niequist Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

081 - A New Look at Self-Care

Today I'm talking with my friend, Chrystal Evans Hurst, and let me just say, this woman, I love her. She is a wife, a mama to five, a grandma of two. She's an encourager. She teaches people to love God, to love others, and to love themselves. Today we talk about prayer—specifically a seven-day rhythm that you can set for yourself—if you maybe feel stuck in a rut with your prayers, or like she talks about in our conversation, if you want to activate the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life to be more real, and fresh, and conversational. I feel like I just sat at the feet of a woman who I admire so much, who is a prayer warrior, and I got to learn from her, and I simply invite you to do the same today. For the full show notes, visit nancyray.com/podcast/80.   Resources from this episode: The 28 Day Prayer Journey, by Chrystal Evans Hurst Chrystal’s Website Making Things Happen Fervent, by Priscilla Shirer War Room A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman AquaNotes Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

080 - A Helpful Guide for Consistent Prayers with Chrystal Evans Hurst

Today's episode is short and sweet, and I am talking about why I have a business journal—a work journal. Yes, a separate journal, completely dedicated to my work. And I'll be telling you why I think you should have one too. For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/79.   Resources from this episode: Hope*Writers (doors open Sept. 14!) Hope*Writers’ Free Quiz: Discover Your Writing Stage Episode 045 - How to Journal C12 2 Second Lean audio link 2 Second Lean book link Emily P. Freeman The Next Right Thing podcast   Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

079 - Why I Have a Business Journal

About a year ago, my friend, Sammy Jo, who works with me on my content creation and producing this podcast, she recommended this business book to me called The Pumpkin Plan. She recommended it at the time that I was launching this new brand that I have. I had just launched this podcast, and I added this book to my long list of books that I wanted to read. As we were starting to do research and kind of figure out what content we wanted to make, she started asking me these questions that were really good questions to challenge my thinking and think outside the box with work and not just go the same direction that everyone else was going, but to blaze a new trail and do something different. And it challenged me. It challenged me to push pause on all of my own ideas, to zoom out a little bit, to get some more perspective, and ask better questions, not only of myself, but of my clients, my audience, and my work. So, I've been so excited to read this book since then. Let me just say it did not disappoint. I'm really excited to dive in today and share what I learned! For the full show notes, visit nancyray.com/podcast/78.   Resources from this episode: The Nancy Ray Book Club The Pumpkin Plan, by Mike Michalowicz Cultivate What Matters Episode 009 - The Secret to Success in Business Episode 004 - Seasons of Business Shout Color Catchers Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that I do receive a small commission if you use those links to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you! I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

078 - Book | The Pumpkin Plan

Doing school shopping this year as a parent, I've realized there's a different side to it than when we were younger, and it's not so pretty. There's a lot to manage. There's a lot to take hold of. And I've learned this: there's a lot of different correspondence and papers, a lot of different things going on. And so I have decided, I am going to learn from other moms and put some systems into place. I don't have a ton of years under my belt—I fully admit that—but I am committed to putting systems, and rhythms, and routines into place as we go back to school that will allow us to flourish instead of being stressed out. And today I'm excited to share those with you. Read the full show notes at nancyray.com/podcast/77.   Resources from this episode: White file folders Clear waterproof envelopes Magazine hanging rack Large clear storage bins Time Timer The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo Affiliate links have been used in this post! I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them.

077 - Back to School Rhythms and Routines

How to write a purpose statement. It seems a little daunting, doesn't it? All right, I have to enter this episode with the worst purpose / mission statement of all time. It's actually like the best-worst mission statement of all time. And then we'll play a little game after I read it, you can guess what company it is, all right? All right, this is it: “We provide our products and services with dedication to the highest degree of integrity and quality of customer satisfaction, developing long-term professional relationships with employees that develop pride, creating a stable working environment and company spirit.” Any guesses? Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. That is their mission statement. And actually I think the Michael Scott Paper Company is the actual worst, which says, "I will not be beat, I will never give up, I am on a mission," that is the Michael Scott guarantee I can not get through this without laughing. I feel like this might be the best intro ever to a podcast episode because of all The Office references, but here's what I want to do in this episode today: I want to help you write a really, really good mission statement and maybe even reframe your entire thinking about a mission statement and what you even call it. Because for the most part, mission statements / purpose statements / "what's your why" statements are just too wordy and a bunch of gobbledygook that doesn't help you or clarify your vision. So if you've never written one for your work, or if you have one, but you can't recite it right now off the top of your head and you don't really believe in it: this episode is for you. For the full show notes, head to nancyray.com/podcast/76.   Resources from this episode: Traction, by Gino Wickman Episode 026 - My Favorite Business Book of All Time The Marco Polo App My fave snack: Perfect Bars Some of the links above are affiliate links. I do receive a commission when you choose to purchase through these links, and that helps me keep this podcast up and running—I truly appreciate when you choose to use them!

076 - How to Write a Clear Purpose Statement

Work and play with Nancy Ray is a weekly podcast all about learning to balance the two most competing areas of our lives: work and play. She’ll dive into topics like productivity, work life balance, leading a team, time management, contentment, play, sabbath, marriage, parenting, and rest, always pointing back to scripture, the ultimate guide for a life of faith. This is a podcast all about learning to work and play well, which ultimately leads to a healthy soul and a fulfilling life.

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Work and Play with Nancy Ray

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