Welcome to the first episode of 2026! As we welcome the new year, a time marked by fresh starts and new routines, it’s the perfect opportunity to talk about making over our mornings!
I personally needed this conversation because I am not a morning person, and I desperately need to make some changes. (Mark would say that I’m only aware of 6 o’clock happening once a day, and that is in the evenings.)
My guest, Tara Beth Leach, is a pastor, speaker, writer, and author. She’s the Senior Pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, Illinois. Tara has written four books, including The GREAT Morning Revolution: Daily Spiritual Practices for Meaningful Moments with God.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How transforming your mornings can have a deep personal impact
- An acronym to have a GREAT morning
- A framework for lifting up our exaltation to God
- And more!
I hope this conversation has inspired you to make a shift in how you start your day!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Connect with Tara on her website, Instagram, or Facebook
- [BOOK] The GREAT Morning Revolution: Daily Spiritual Practices for Meaningful Moments with God
- [BOOK] The Miracle Morning: The 6 Habits That Will Transform Your Life Before 8AM
- [BOOK] The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) Renewal can involve both spiritual AND practical aspects. One of the reasons we should want to overhaul our morning habits is that it starts our day off on the right foot. Consider how you start your mornings now. If you are like most people, the day starts out with scrolling social media or the news before your feet even hit the floor. When we commit to making over our mornings, it not only leads to us feeling better physically, but we can be renewed through spending time with our Savior.
2) How we spend our mornings sets the tone for the entire day. Great days start with a personal connection with God. This is a part of Tara’s acronym for having a great morning. We can focus less on how long this process takes and instead focus on hitting all five areas: gratitude, reflection, exaltation, asking, and trusting.
3) There is grace for our mornings. Tara decided to make a radical change that started with waking up at 4 AM for a season, but this didn’t become her norm. It was a way for her to radically reset her morning routine. What is one practical step you can take to makeover your morning? It could be switching out your phone for an alarm clock, so you stop the cycle of looking at your phone. Maybe it’s investing in an automatic coffee maker so that you can start your time with God from the kitchen table with a warm beverage. Whatever it may be for you, commit to this practice for a season and see how it transforms not only your mornings, but the rest of your day!
About Tara:
Tara Beth Leach is a pastor, speaker, writer, and author. She’s the Senior Pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Naperville, Illinois. Tara has written four books, including The GREAT Morning Revolution: Daily Spiritual Practices for Meaningful Moments with God. Tara frequently addresses topics such as church leadership, women in ministry, and the spiritual practice of morning prayer. She lives near Chicago with her husband, Jeff, and their two rambunctious sons.
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