Day 20: Try Something New

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We're tw0-thirds of the way through our 31 Days to Hallway Praise challenge!

Last month, I bought my first-ever bottle of sriracha sauce.  My sriracha-loving sister would be proud.  It was really fun to try something new.  And as it turns out, I really like sriracha, too!

Once in a while, it can be great fun to try something new and different, to step outside of our routines.  Maybe trying a hot sauce for the first time isn't your cup of tea, but today, I'd like to challenge you to try something new.

It doesn't have to be expensive or extravagant.  Do you have pretty dishes up in your cupboard that you've never used for fear of breaking them?  Why not get them down for dinner tonight?  Have you been looking for a new project to do with your kids?  Why not find an experiment on Youtube that uses items you already have on hand?When life is hard, it's easy to get frustrated and even a little depressed at times.  Trying a new project or endeavor that you've not previously experienced isn't going to fix your financial struggles or your broken relationships, but it can give you a breath of fresh air.  It can be encouraging.  It can give you a bit of hope.

It can also be a great reminder that the Christian life doesn't have to be a dour one.  Because we have the hope of Heaven, we should be joyful no matter what our circumstances.  As my friend Deb likes to point out, "'Happy Christian' should not be an oxymoron!"

Some ideas to try:

• Adult coloring books (Money Saving Mom occasionally lists free coloring book pages for Kindle)
• Homemade Bath Bombs
• Going for a nature walk with your kids (even if you live in the middle of suburbia)
• Making a new recipe for dinner
• Playing a new game with your kids (my aunt recently introduced my spark plugs to Uno.  It's now a beloved family game!)

Today's action steps:  Decide what new thing you want to try.  Is there something you've always wanted to do but have never made time for until now?  As long as it fits into your budget, now is a great time to try it!  Let me know what you tried and how it went.  Leave a comment or post to social media with the hashtag #hallwaypraise so I can follow along!