Overcoming Negative Thinking With Scripture w/ Natalie Abbott

Discover practical ways to combat negative thinking and find peace in your daily life. Join us on the Coffee and Bible Time podcast as Ellen welcomes Natalie Abbott, co-author of "Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God's Truth." Together, we unpack the idea of "negative superhighways"—those repetitive, negative thought patterns that can dominate our minds—and offer powerful tools for replacing them with God's Word. Natalie shares her personal journey and the transformative impact of Scripture memorization in her life.

Our conversation reveals actionable strategies to navigate these mental struggles using mnemonic devices, temporary tattoos, and lock screens to make Scripture memorization achievable for everyone. Hear compelling stories about how specific Bible verses like Psalm 42:5 and Matthew 11:28 have provided solace and hope in challenging times. We also discuss the importance of remembering God's past works, journaling, and utilizing visual aids to keep Scripture at the forefront of our minds, helping us to anchor ourselves in God's truth.

We delve into the significance of trusting God’s control and finding peace in His promises. This episode is packed with practical tips and resources for Bible memorization, making it accessible and engaging for all. Whether you're battling anxiety, depression, or simply seeking a deeper connection with God’s Word, Natalie and Ellen offer encouragement and advice to help you thrive in your Christian walk. Don't miss this enriching discussion that aims to transform your mental and spiritual well-being through the power of memorizing Scripture.

Natalie's Favorites:
For membership discount, use code “coffee”
Book: Dwell Differently
Website: dwelldifferently.com
Go-To-Bible: Reformation Study Bible ESV
Favorite App/Website: Streetlights App
Favorite App/Website: YouVersion

Transcript

Ellen Krause: 0:04

At the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. Our goal is to help you delight in God's Word and thrive in Christian living. Each week we talk to subject matter experts who broaden your biblical understanding, encourage you in hard times and provide life-building tips to enhance your Christian walk. We are so glad you have joined us. Welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast.

Ellen Krause: 0:29

I'm Ellen, your host, and if you have followed Coffee and Bible Time for any length of time, you know that we are very big advocates for memorizing God's Word, and for good reason. You know we're bombarded with daily stressors that introduce worry and anxiety and fear into our lives. But Scripture memorization, which is embedding God's truth into our hearts and minds, can equip us with the armor needed to combat negativity and find lasting peace. Joining us today is Natalie Abbott, who has realized the life-changing power of memorizing God's word, and she, along with her sister, Vera, are the co-authors of the new book Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God's Truth. And she is here to share with us the benefits of hiding God's word deep within our souls and how to focus our hearts on what matters. So, in addition to being an author, Natalie Abbott is the co-founder of Dwell Differently. It's a vibrant online community committed to memorizing one million Bible verses together. She is also co-host of the popular Dwell Differently podcast. Please welcome, Natalie.

Natalie Abbott: 1:58

Hey Ellen, Thanks for having me.

Ellen Krause: 2:01

Oh, I'm so excited to have you, Natalie. I think I was just so excited too when I learned that you and Vera are sisters and we can kind of relate to that over here at Coffee and Bible Time, except I'm Mentor Mama. But yes, those are my two daughters. And how is doing ministry with your sister?

Natalie Abbott: 2:23

Oh my gosh, so it's the best thing ever. I'm actually 10 years older than her, so I know that I look so young, but no.

Natalie Abbott: 2:35

I'm 10 years older than her and, honestly, it's a beautiful thing. I became a Christian when I was in college and I shared my faith with her almost immediately and she was still like a great schooler at home and I came back and said, Vera, you have got to know about Jesus, and shared my faith with her. And yeah, we've kind of been. It's funny because I sort of mentored her growing up in a lot of ways and now definitely, although I will say that she was like a 65-year-old trapped in like a 10-year-old body, so she has always been wise beyond her years and in so many ways appear even when I was in college. I mean, she's just amazing. So I love, love, love working with her. We share just a passion for God's Word. We have both, in different ways, passion for God's Word. We have both, in different ways, just come to the Word and it has been everything for us and so that's why we do what we do and it couldn't be more fun, couldn't be more exciting.

Ellen Krause: 3:37

Oh well, you have a beautiful, beautiful ministry. This topic that we're going to be talking about here negative patterns of thinking I really like what you guys refer it to as this negative superhighway, and you in the book, talk about 11 of the most common super negative superhighways. So why don't you just I want to kind of set the stage for the overall discussion here with tell us about these negative patterns of thinking. What are they?

Natalie Abbott: 4:13

Yeah, first of all, so I am not a neuroscientist but I do know that science supports this idea, that we have these neuropathways in our mind and we sort of tend to have these thoughts that are repetitive. So right now, science says about 6,000 thoughts is what we have in a given day, which is massive I can't even imagine. And yet let me just share with you I don't have 6,000 original thoughts, I have a lot of repetitive thoughts. So all day long we're never not thinking, and I think we find that to be true of our experience, whether it's 6,000 or 1,000 or 10,000. I don't even know. We know that we're constantly thinking and we're constantly typically thinking about repetitive things and then, sadly, the majority of those things, it's often negative. We have a thing called negativity bias, where somebody can say 100 good things to me and one person says something negative, and I'm going to dwell on that one thing and be like, oh my gosh, maybe they're right, maybe I am XYZ, y, z, maybe I do, blah, blah, blah, and so that's kind of the way that we tend to think. And then what happens with these negative?

Natalie Abbott: 5:31

The reason we call it a negative superhighway is that we're actually creating. It's like when you say that phrase, you get stuck in a rut. It's like that same thing where it's like you start traveling this path in your mind and it starts out as like a footpath, and then eventually it's like a paved path and then all of a sudden it's a two lane highway and then before you know it, it's like you're stuck in traffic in the middle of LA and it's a six lane highway and it's just like you don't know how to get off. And oftentimes I think of it like in St Louis, where my sister's from we both live in Missouri there is this highway that goes around St Louis. It's called 270. And if you get on 270, you actually can just keep driving along 270 forever and ever, because it's this big circle, interesting and what we need as humans from the science, but particularly as Christians. We need off ramps, we need another way of thinking and oftentimes I think sometimes that feels really difficult, especially if we've been on that negative superhighway. Like, say, you struggle with feeling insecure about yourself. You've been on that superhighway for a really long time.

Natalie Abbott: 6:40

There's a whole narrative that you're telling yourself and yet God says something better, God says something different, and the hope of our book is that you would be able to easily memorize Bible verses for each of those things that give you this sort of off ramp right that you can take. And once you've memorized that verse, it's like no, I'm not going to focus on this or that about myself, I am going to believe what God says is true about me and I'm going to say that to myself instead. And so that's what each of the chapters in our book. It's almost more like a resource guide where you could basically open up to any of those chapters and they stand alone and that chapter is specifically about that particular struggle and a verse that you can memorize, the context of that verse, how Vera or I have seen God really use that verse in our lives. And then some application questions at the end of every chapter to help you really think about or to read with somebody else and to go through those questions together.

Ellen Krause: 7:41

That's so fascinating and as I was learning more about your book and reading up on it, I was really thinking to myself gosh, what are the things that I some of this items that we're talking about here are feeling unloved, feeling insecure, feeling unaccepted, being anxious, depressed, afraid. You need direction, you can't pray, you need rest, troubles. So, natalie, those are kind of the categories that you guys focus in on, like you said. Right, how about for you personally? Which ones of these do you struggle with the most? And I know you have individual chapters here but which?

Ellen Krause: 8:40

one would you like to maybe share with our listeners.

Natalie Abbott: 8:43

Sure, you know. It's funny because, as Vera and I were kind of thinking through, what are the things that we tend to dwell on, that we get caught in, that we get caught on that super highway and then what are the off ramps that God is using in our lives or has used in our lives? So much of what is in this book is actually our own, like man. That verse is such a great verse and I want to teach people what it means and I want to help equip people to memorize it. So in the book we actually have these beautiful designs that Vera created and we take the first letter of every word in each verse and they're in a design that kind of goes with the idea of the verse to help you. It's kind of like a mnemonic device, essentially, where it helps your, it triggers your mind to remember what that verse means. And then we also have companion stuff like temporary tattoos and these beautiful cards that you can set up in your house. But, however, we can help you memorize. In fact we actually have. We created lock screens for your phones and right now on my phone I have. I didn't even know you could do this, but one of my teenage daughters taught me how to do this where you can set a carousel of all these pictures. And so I have a carousel right now as my screensaver, my lock screen. That is every verse, and so every time I pick up my phone it's a new verse, and I force myself to say that verse before I open up or unlock my phone. And I shouldn't say I force myself, but I do. I say the verse because it just is a way of, in the middle of my day, grounding myself on what is true and what is beautiful. But the verse that I mean there are a couple of them, but the one that I would say, if we're going to go dark, probably my go-to struggle is depression and it's kind of a funny thing because I'm a very upbeat person 99% of the time, but every so often I wake up. And it's like of a funny thing because I'm a very upbeat person 99% of the time, but every so often I wake up and it's like there's a cloud over my head and I don't know why it's there and I'm not. It doesn't even have to be circumstantial, Um, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

Natalie Abbott: 10:58

But the verse that we have um for that chapter is Psalm 42:5 and it says for that chapter is Psalm 42, 5. And it says why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within you? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God.

Natalie Abbott: 11:13

And what I love about this specific verse is that the psalmist starts out the Psalm talking about his troubles, and then he gives us this verse and he says why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Like he's asking himself his soul, like what's the problem? And he is encouraging himself put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God. And it's just this, this beautiful reminder. But what is actually even more comforting to me is that he says the exact same phrase again at the very end of the Psalm. He says he's he's not done yet. So he pours out his heart to the Lord and he, he gives his complaint to God and he says I don't even know. I know that you are my savior, I know that you are my God, and yet I'm still struggling with this thing. And so I love that this is a repetitive question and that it sort of ends on this dissonant note.

Natalie Abbott: 12:14

The Psalm itself is like a place of allowing me to not give myself a tidy answer, to not have everything all buttoned up and perfect and to be like, oh well, I prayed about it and now I'm done, you know, and now God is going to do the thing and I'm going to be fine, but instead to be able to allow myself to recognize and be honest and say I'm still, I'm still here, I'm still wondering. And yet this beautiful glimmer of hope of like but put your trust in God, for I will yet praise him, it's this beautiful, like faithful promise to God. Like I will believe in you, I will trust in you because you are my Savior and my God, because you have saved me. I'm calling on all of the things that I've seen you already do in my life and I'm saying this is the thing that I'm going to hold on to, even though right now my heart wants to go.

Natalie Abbott: 13:17

So oftentimes I feel like in my thinking brain, I know what's true, I know what's right, I know that God loves me, I know that he has a beautiful plan for my life. I know that there, that the end of the story is a beautiful end, and yet sometimes in that middle, I still in my heart, in my soul. I feel downcast, I feel disturbed, and this verse is a beautiful way of acknowledging like both, the of like speaking to your heart and saying come along, just come along, it's okay, Keep coming, it's okay. Trust in the Lord, and this is going to be okay too. So that's one of my. I do say this verse to myself with fair regularity and, again, I love that it's repeated in the psalmist because it gives me permission to not get to a place where like feel like I need to be, in, a place where everything is hunky dory, all of a sudden.

Ellen Krause: 14:12

Yeah, it's almost like you're giving yourself permission to release exactly how you're feeling. Thank you for being so authentic and willing to share that, because depression is I've had depression in my lifetime and it is a challenge that many people face. How would you, from practical speaking, you know in that in this particular chapter you give six sort of takeaways and for someone who's listening to this, how would they practically apply that? Let's say they are as you described. Sometimes you just wake up and you're really depressed. How can they use this?

Natalie Abbott: 15:50

Yeah, one of the things that I talk about in that chapter is how, when we are remembering what God has done in our life, that's a really helpful way of encouraging our hearts that, like I've seen God do X Y Z. So I would say, even from a journalist kind of, or a journalistic perspective, like if you are somebody who writes down things in a journal, or even if you're not, just get out a piece of paper and either make a timeline you know depends on, like, are you a spatial person? Do you want to write out a timeline? And this year he did this and this year he did that, and I saw him do this. Or maybe you're more of a like sequential, like give me a list kind of person, but to just remember those things or just to get on your knees before the Lord and tell him Lord, I have seen you do X Y Z, I have seen you show up in this way and in this way and in this way and, like this verse says, I want to put my trust in you, I want to praise you, I want to see this happen again. I am claiming that you are the one who saves and I've seen you do it again and again and again. And so in this season where whether it's a circumstance or whether it's just my heart that can't be happy, would you work, would you change that in me? Yeah, so I would just say that's one really practical way of applying this and, honestly, the whole practice of memorizing Scripture is as a practice of bringing to God.

Natalie Abbott: 17:33

Oftentimes those things that he says are true.

Natalie Abbott: 17:36

So when you're going through something difficult and you have a verse like this, you just keep saying it.

Natalie Abbott: 17:43

I don't know if it's just me, but when I'm going through something difficult, a lot of times my first knee-jerk response if I don't have a verse to carry me through, I'm looking for that verse and I'm like God, what is it in this season that you are going to use to anchor me? And the reverse is true, for when things are really awesome and you want to be able to say thank you, God, you have. You know, I love the Lord, because he heard my voice, he listened to my cry for help. Like I want to have that verse memorized too, because when he does show up and when he does do the thing that I've asked him to do and he is faithful, I want to say God, I love you because you heard my voice, because you listened to my cry for help, and so they're just constantly. I think these words that we can be saying back to God that are beautiful and that are true, and that are better than the words that we sometimes speak to ourselves.

Ellen Krause: 18:36

Mm-hmm, absolutely. And you mentioned here practice saying this verse on repeat. So for me, that kind of you know stuck with me like, okay, you know what repetition seems to be a common theme throughout what you guys are talking about here. Whether you're viewing it, you know, as a tattoo on your arm, or in your Bible, or on your key chain or wherever it might be just that repetition of reminding yourself to combat these negative thoughts.

Natalie Abbott: 19:13

Yeah, and I would like to say too that you know as much as Scripture memory. You can do this yourself, like you can. If you're going through something like right now you're listening to this and you're like I need help, like this instant, I don't have time to wait for a book to show up at my house. Go to the internet, type in Google or whatever search engine you use Bible verse about blank and find a word. Or when you're reading through your Bible, so oftentimes verses just jump off the page and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is exactly what I need to hear from the Lord right now. This is the truth that is going to help me through, or to be sort of the word of this time that I'm going through, and so oftentimes that's a really great way to do it and get yourself a three by five card, write that verse out on one side and on the other side, write the first letter of every word in that verse, and that will help you memorize it, because when you see those little letters, it sort of tricks your mind into thinking, oh, I kind of know what that next word is, and it makes it memorizing so much easier. And the other thing you can do is you can get one of those like fine tipped Sharpie markers and just write it on your hand Not the whole thing, because that's way too much, but the first letter of every word in that verse and just see if it doesn't work.

Natalie Abbott: 20:28

What we do at Dwell Differently is sort of like the easy button for that, but you can do it on your own. I do it all the time personally. You know it's not. I'm not just memorizing the verse that we're memorizing as well. I'm always memorizing something and definitely forgetting things all the time too. But yeah, there are definitely verses that I'm constantly carrying around in my mind and that are following me around, even sometimes like those convicting things that God is saying to you. You're like why do you have to follow me around with this verse? Yeah, but it's good, we need those too.

Ellen Krause: 21:00

Yeah Well, closely associated with depression is anxiety, which is on the rise, as we know, everywhere, especially since COVID. I particularly enjoyed that chapter. I know that's your sister who talks about it, but I could really relate. She talks about her gymnastics experience and just anxiety like performance anxiety, and I can relate to that, because our daughter, Taylor, struggled with that as well. But what I really liked about how you address the anxiety is by identifying the lie and combating it with the truth. Why don't you tell us just a little bit more about anxiety and how people can approach that?

Natalie Abbott: 21:57

Yeah. So I do really appreciate that chapter that Vera wrote. The verse that we talk about in that chapter is cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. It's from 1 Peter 5, 7. And it's an invitation for us to consider the fact that God cares about what we're worried about, like we are not all alone by ourselves in our worry. And verses like this are in the Bible because it's just real, like this is a real struggle that real Christians have struggled with forever. And this verse I think sometimes we have kind of a shallow idea of well, I'm going to be a Christian and therefore, as a Christian, I shouldn't struggle with these things, and this is evidence of my, my sin, and you know I'm a terrible person because I'm not trusting in the Lord.

Natalie Abbott: 22:58

But I do think that anxiety so oftentimes is just really difficult and it's a reality. Definitely it's something that my sister Bira, we talk about it we were just talking about it the other day how you sort of have these iterations of things where you struggle with a thing and then you think, oh my gosh, here it is. This is the answer. I memorized the Scripture verse I've gotten victory and now, forever and ever, I'm going to be free and clear of anxiety or for me, more the depression, but the reality is it's going to keep coming back up. I mean, hopefully it doesn't, but definitely it can.

Natalie Abbott: 23:42

And I think to recognize that we have these propensities in our lives, we have these sort of natural inclinations towards certain things that Satan can really use to just mess us up and convince us that we're not even Christians at all, or that you know to hide in a corner and don't tell anybody that you struggle with this because real Christians wouldn't struggle with anxiety or real Christians wouldn't have that problem. That's just too much, that's too bad. You don't trust in God. But the reality is is that God wants us to bring these things to him. He wants us to cast all of our anxieties on him because he cares for us. He wants us to do that in community with other believers.

Natalie Abbott: 24:23

And so in this chapter that we talk about how these lies, that we tend to believe about anxiety, we believe that our situation is in control and the reality is that God is in control of our situation. We tend to believe that we are in control and the reality is God is in control of our situation, and then sometimes we even believe that the enemy is in control and that the truth is that God is in control. So, in all things, god is the one who is in control and therefore he is sorry, I just about spilled my drink. He is the safe place for us to cast our cares, because not only does he care for us, but he is powerful and capable and he holds all things in his hands. And so because of that, because of what we know is true about him, he is the safe and right person to go to with every care that we have.

Ellen Krause: 25:26

He sure is. You mentioned the word control and I feel like that's why I tend to have anxiety so much is because I feel like things are out of control, like I have so many things to do I can't get them all done. It feels so out of control and when I was just looking at this and just remembering speaking that particular verse over and over again, particular verse over and over again, what really struck me was that he asked us to cast our burden on him, as opposed to just getting rid of it Like it's not important or like this is something that God loves us and he knows us intimately, he knows what we're facing.

Natalie Abbott: 26:20

So I loved sort of that personal aspect of that verse truth when you need rest, and the verse is come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest from Matthew 11: 28.

Natalie Abbott: 26:43

And just that promise of Jesus to carry our burdens and to invite us, in our weariness and in our heaviness, to relinquish those things, to give those things to him, and that, in return for our junk, jesus gives us everything, and most especially rest.

Natalie Abbott: 27:08

And when he's talking about rest, he's not talking about like a spa day, he is talking about deep soul rest, the very thing that we need when our anxious minds are spinning or when we feel like we've got too much on our plate and we just don't know. You know, we're we, I think part of our part of the blessing of being limited soul also needs that space where we can lay down and be at rest, and so that is what Jesus offers us, and it's a beautiful thing for any season that we're in whether we're in a season where we feel like things are particularly easy or whether we're in a season when things feel particularly busy that this rest that Jesus offers is an intangible kind of beautiful soul rest that we need all the time. It's not the same kind of sort of shallow rest that I think sometimes we go to when we feel like we're overworked and, and you know, stressed out or whatever that we can um have, that that kind of rest is just otherworldly and transformative in the, in the very thing that we need.

Ellen Krause: 28:28

Absolutely. We all need God's peace that surpasses all understanding. I that is something that I really like to cling to, and God has granted it so many times and so helpful. Well, what would you say, Natalie, to someone who's like well, we have, I can look up the Bible verse, you know, in an app on my phone. As opposed to having them memorize, why do you focus on the memorization part?

Natalie Abbott: 29:01

I would say if you have ever woken up at 2 am in a panic, if you've ever been with a friend who just got some really bad news and who's reaching out to you, if you've ever been in a car line for way too long and your mind is just going down a path, you and there's something beautiful about having God's word in you and it's different. It's really different than having it on your phone, and not that that's not a good thing, because we generally have our phones with us and we generally have God's word literally in our back pocket. When you allow it into your mind, there is a transformation that happens. When I wake up in the middle of the night and instead of thinking, oh Jesus, please be with me and not that I don't say that prayer, but I say to my soul cast your anxieties on him because he cares for you I'm rooting myself in this beautiful truth that is bigger than my own words and that is helping me remember, not just this vague idea.

Natalie Abbott: 30:10

Or one time I listened to this lady on a podcast talk about anxiety. Not that that's a bad thing, but that's not going to help you in the middle of your panic. What will help you in the middle of the panic is the God of the universe speaking what is actually true over your life, and when you have his words in your heart and in your mind, that is what you're going to cling to and that is what is going to pull you out, and not that you can't and you definitely should. You know, read your Bibles, study your Bibles, spend time in your Bibles, but when you come across a verse that you're like man, this verse is clutch. I need this verse right now.

Natalie Abbott: 30:47

Do that three by five card thing, write it out, memorize it and see if it doesn't, over time, just become more and more beautiful to you. I recently memorized Psalm 19, which talks about the heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech. Night after night, they reveal knowledge and keeps on talking about how they don't have any speech, they don't have any language, and yet somehow they just are always declaring who God is. And it's beautiful. And I can tell you how many times have I said that to the Lord.

Natalie Abbott: 31:20

Now, where I'm out and I'm looking at the clouds just floating in the sky, like clouds floating in the sky, why, why are they so beautiful? And yet I can say to God I know that those declare your glory and that no one is deprived of the warmth of the sun. And there's something intrinsically glorious that is revealed about who you are in the character of the clouds. It says something about your character, and so you know. It's just when you memorize that, though, there's something different that happens. It's not like I'm getting my phone out and then I'm looking. I'm like where is that verse that talks about how the heavens declare. It's like man, I knew I wanted to memorize that verse because I came out of my hairdresser and this, this sunset was just glorious and I'm like I know somewhere it says this and I'm like I got to memorize that, I got to get that in my heart so that the next time I see a sunset or a sunrise, or the beautiful clouds floating across the sky or just like lightning I mean just some crazy stuff that happens in the heavens and and just to say the heavens declare the glory of God.

Natalie Abbott: 32:27

Like I want to be able to say, I want those words. And you know it's. It's words for our praise, it's words for our thanks, it's words for us in the middle of our mess, it's words for confessing, it's words for our friends. Like man, if I could give anybody one thing and we talk about it in the book I would give you God's word in your, in your wondering what to do next, in your wondering who you are, in your parenting of your kids that can be really hard, or in walking through something with a really um with a friend. That's really difficult. In your relationships, like in any possible situation, god's word is the thing, not because they're a magic wand, not because they're going to solve all your problems, but because God himself, the maker of heaven and earth, loves you and made you and wants you to cling to him, and when you have his words in you, it's like you can't help yourself. You're always clinging to him. You're always talking to him. You're always clinging to him.

Ellen Krause: 33:27

You're always talking to him, you sure are. I've kind of done the same thing with Psalm 23. And I've memorized and carried that through my life and I've applied it in so many situations that are not at all similar Not at all similar, but it's been so helpful too, even in Psalm 139. For people that are looking for some ideas too, those are some great psalms to get into those memory banks. Well, natalie, as we start to wrap things up here, why don't you just share with our listeners a little bit about how people can find out more about you and some of these great ideas you guys have for Bible memorization?

Natalie Abbott: 34:14

Absolutely so we are. You can find us on Instagram at Dwell Differently. We're on Facebook. We have a Facebook group of awesome people who are over there just gabbing and talking about all the things. We have our book. We have a podcast, so you could go to our website. Actually, that's probably the best place to go for all the things. It's dwelldifferently. com, but our book has a podcast too. It's called Overcome the Dwell Differently Book Podcast, but then just Dwell Differently the podcast. Every week we're talking about the verse that we're memorizing. If you follow us on Instagram, you can see those verse designs that my sister creates and they are just amazing.

Natalie Abbott: 34:55

They're so beautiful and helpful to help you remember those verses. So, any way that we can possibly show up in your inbox, we send out a weekly devotional on your Instagram feed. Wherever you are online, we are trying to be there as a way of just helping remind you of what God says and what is true, and what is beautiful and what is good.

Ellen Krause: 35:18

Awesome. Well, we will definitely put all of those links in our show notes. I love how, at the end of the chapters, you have QR codes where you can listen and kind of dig a little bit deeper, so that's awesome. Well, natalie, before we go, I want to ask you a couple of our favorite Bible study tool questions. What Bible is your go-to Bible? What translation is it?

Natalie Abbott: 35:43

Okay, well, it is a ESV translation and it's called a Reformation Study Bible. My husband gave it to me, I don't know probably 15 years ago the first Bible that I ever had. How I became a Christian is that someone gave me an NIV life application Bible, yes, and after that fell apart. Literally it fell apart. I was not the kindest person to that Bible. I got this new Bible, which I've been a lot more kind to and has lasted me for a while, and I love the notes in it. I think it's really helpful. I use it all the time, but I also read other versions, just because, gosh, I love to read multiple versions and just see the nuance of different verses. I really love the Amplified Bible too. That's another one. I love all the words.

Ellen Krause: 36:36

Yes, yes, we could go crazy. I know we love them all. We could have a huge library, all right. How about do you have any favorite journaling supplies or anything that you like to use to enhance your Bible study time?

Natalie Abbott: 36:48

Yes, ma'am, I use a wide-lined composition notebook from Walmart. You can get them for about a dollar and back to school they're usually 50 cents. So that is my whole life. I've always used the cheapest journals and people have given me really beautiful, nice journals, and there's something about having a journal that is beautiful that I'm like I'm going to mess the pages up.

Natalie Abbott: 37:15

So I write less and I feel like I have to be perfect where, as if it's like a composition notebook, I'm like I'm tearing pages out, I'm just scribbling. I don't feel like I have to fill up every page if I don't want to. You know, it's just like there's so much freedom in a composition notebook. So yeah, go get yourself one of those All right?

Ellen Krause: 37:32

Well, that's a great tip, okay, lastly, what is your favorite app or website for Bible study tools?

Natalie Abbott: 37:38

Oh, I love just the plain old Bible app. I think it's YouVersion.

Ellen Krause: 37:44

You can find it on your phone.

Natalie Abbott: 37:45

It has great Bible studies on there. I listen to the Bible with that app all the time. And there's another one that I love that it's a little smaller, a little bit more small time than that. It's called Streetlights. Have you ever heard of Streetlights? No, so it is a Bible, audio Bible, and it's all done with like beats in the background and it's a little bit more like urban hip hop sounding. So if you're looking for like a fresh way to listen to the Bible, I'm like over here, like bopping my head as I'm thinking about it.

Natalie Abbott: 38:21

But yes, it's a really it's a great one. Streetlights is a great app. I love that one too.

Ellen Krause: 38:26

Okay, all right. Well, we will make sure we include links in the show notes for all of these things. Natalie, thank you so much for being here today to share with us your new books, actionable methods that people can really use to become rooted in God's word.

Natalie Abbott: 38:44

Yeah, it's my joy. Thanks for letting me be here and I appreciate all the people listening. I hope that this is helpful to y'all.

Ellen Krause: 38:50

Oh what a joy, all right. Well, for our listeners. We will have the link in our show notes. Be sure, and get a copy of Dwell Differently, I know you're going to find it very practical and useful and helpful.

Natalie Abbott: 39:05

If they want to sign up for a membership, we can give you guys a code called. We'll just say the code is "coffee, and then they can get their first month free if they're interested in getting a membership All right Coffee, we'll get you all set up.

Ellen Krause: 39:18

All right, look at that. We will have that deal in our show notes too. So thank you, natalie. That's awesome. All right, folks. Thank you so much for listening. We appreciate you all. Have a blessed day.