Encouragement for your Earbuds

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Everyday our homes are filled with noises and sounds. In my home, there is often a lot of noise--my music soft in the background, cars buzzing, lego play, boisterous boys, shouting, conversations and directions, and of course, a few sibling squabbles.

Lately, I've been thinking about the importance of what we hear in our home. Not simply the level of noise, but what is actually being said and heard. 

Are my boys overstimulated by the extra music in the background or is it contributing to the mood?

 Is that podcast teaching my kids Biblical truths or trustworthy ideas? 

 Is that audiobook engaging and helpful or is it full of unkind characters or content?

 Is my tone kind and gentle or harsh and critical (or loud!)? (Ouch. That's a hard question to ask!)

 As I ask myself these questions, I find myself on the hunt for resources that bring a “noise of encouragement” in our home. So, I'd like to share a few resources and tools that have been helpful for me as we work towards this :)

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Here are a few of MY FAVORITE encouraging + positive listening resources

DWELL BIBLE APP

I love using this for myself, but also like to use it for our Bible reading or listening time. I especially love the variety of voices and translations included. It really is SO encouraging to not only read, but to hear, the word of God! It is a yearly subscription, but it has been absolutely worth it! Learn more about Dwell here.

MUSIC PLAYLISTS

I love using Spotify to create playlists for different moods and genres. You don't have to use Spotify, but it's fun to curate a list of music that is encouraging and uplifting! I'd love to know some of your favorite songs/playlists!  Recently, I’ve loved the music by Mission House, Shane and Shane, and CityAlight. You can see some of my favorite playlists here:

PODCASTS

Of course, you can definitely find a lot of not-so-great content on podcasts, but I'll share a few that we've enjoyed. For kids, we've loved the God's Big Story podcast, Lamplighter Kids Stories (this is a new-to-us podcast that we’ve enjoyed so far), and Kid's Bible Stories. I’m looking forward to listening to a few on this list too :)

For me, I've loved Risen Motherhood, Gentle and Lowly Podcast, Journeywomen, Knowing Faith (one of my new favorites!), At Home with Sally, and The Elizabeth Elliot podcast. I often go through spurts where I will listen to a lot, and then have a period of time that I hardly listen to any at all (maybe my mind needs a mental break?). Does that happen to you too?

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SCRIBD

Scribd is my new favorite audiobook resource—mostly because they have so many options. You do pay for it—but it has been well worth it! If you use this link, you can listen for two months for free (and cancel at anytime if it isn’t your thing!). We do use our local library for many audiobooks (through Libby and Overdrive), but they often don’t have the books we want to listen to, so Scribd has been a helpful resource to give us more listening options.

So far, my boys have enjoyed:

I am currently listening to:

  • Triggers by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake

  • Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar (which is a little listening treat while I fold laundry or tidy the kitchen)

I’d also recommend and have enjoyed:

Ooof. That was a bit of a list, wasn’t it. But! I hope that you earmarked some new resources to add some encouraging noise to your home :) I’d love if you shared your favorite podcasts, audiobooks, or scripture passages that have been encouraging to your (or your family’s!) earbuds lately! Ps. We love our Doss speaker in our home—just in case you are on the hunt for a speaker with awesome volume and sound (plus there are so many fun colors!)

Have a good one!

—Nicole