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About

About

Hey! Thanks for coming to my blog!

I’m Deborah, the Naptime Theologian. Theologian out of calling from the Lord. (We are all theologians, really). Naptime as a necessity. When I became I mom, I learned that I REALLY needed God’s Word and time with Him. Nothing that I could do would fill that void. So, I began dedicating my daughter’s naptimes to studying God’s Word and working on my heart. Boy, what a difference that has made!

And this blog is the fruit of those efforts! I share all things Bible study, mom life, mothering for Christ, book reviews, and a bunch else!

I learned about the Lord from an early age because I grew up as a missionary kid overseas (more on that here). Then moved to Southern California where I met my wonderful husband and had my daughter.

That picture up top is my little family: me, my husband, Herald, and daughter, Aletheia. What a joy and privilege to be their wife/mama!

I’m excited to have you on this journey with me as a Naptime Theologian. Make sure to get connected below!

Take a look around and thank you so much for reading!

Xoxo,

Deborah

P.S. I attend Grace Community Church of the Valley in Sun Valley, CA. Check out the website here.

P. P. S. I will occasionally share a recipe here and our diet is based heavily on the diet found here at the Weston A. Price Foundation in case you’d like more information on that too. 🙂

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    Welcome! I’m Deborah. So glad you’re here!

    Here you’ll find encouraging, Scripture-filled posts and Bible study tips. Because theology is for every mom! Get to know me here.

    Here’s what I’ve written lately…

    • Dressing Modestly | Theology of Clothing
    • How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe that Works For You!
    • My Winter Capsule Wardrobe | Navy, Blush, Gray
    • Enjoy Screen Time With Your Kids in 3 Easy Steps
    • 5 Ways to Share the Gospel With Your Kids

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      naptimetheologian

      Deborah Gandi
      Did you know that God first invented clothes? We r Did you know that God first invented clothes? We read in Genesis that after Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit they were not supposed to, they created coverings for themselves. Then we read that those "coverings" were not covering enough and God created clothing for them that did. (See Genesis 3:7 & 3:21)

So does that make God the first modesty police? I don’t think so. But it does show us that modesty is important. You see, God created the clothing in the first place so that Adam and Eve would not be ashamed because of their sin. Our clothes are a direct result of the fall. We need clothing so that we do not feel ashamed or guilty. 

Just as God was there for the beginning of clothes, He knows what we are wearing today and everyday. That's why the Puritan Thomas Brooks said, "Certainly such as fear the Lord should go in no apparel but first, such as they are willing to die in; secondly, to appear before the Ancient of Days in; thirdly, to stand before the judgement seat in."
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What we wear matters to the Lord. 💕
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#theologymatters #bibletheology #modesty #humility #christianwomanhood #womenintheword #womenoftheword #deeplyrooted #wellwateredwomen #biblicalwomanhood #christcenteredmama
      How to Dress Modestly. 👗💕 . . . #christianma How to Dress Modestly. 👗💕
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#christianmama #gracefilledmotherhood #motheringforchrist 
#godlymotherhood #beautyfromashes #shedelights #womenintheword #deeplyrooted #wellwateredwomen #womenintheword #womenoftheword #modesty #dressingmodestly #theologymatters #motherhoodstyle #reformedmama #reformedtheology #christianblogger #1peter #modestheart #humility
      At the root of it, modesty is a heart issue. In m At the root of it, modesty is a heart issue.

In many Christian circles we have turned modesty into nothing but a set of rules and regulations. But modesty is not just about how short your skirt is, how much skin is showing, or whether you wear a bikini to the beach or not. All of those things are part of being modest, but that’s not solely what modesty is. 

There are several passages in Scripture that show modesty as a heart issue, but let’s look at one in particular.

First Peter 3:3-6 says, “Your adornment must not be merely the external — braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way the holy women of former times, who hopes in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”

Did you notice how much it talks about our attitudes and not just what we wear? Peter was not merely telling women to not braid their hair or wear jewelry. He was encouraging them to focus on their heart attitude. 

What makes you beautiful is your heart before the Lord.

Peter goes on to use Sarah as an example of this beauty. You remember Sarah, right? She’s the one whose husband packed up and moved because the Lord told him to and he didn’t even know where he was going. Sarah is also the one who was barren for MANY years and the Lord gave her a promised son when she was 90 years old! 

Was Sarah beautiful because she wore braids in her hair or had fine jewelry in her ears? While those things are beautiful in and of themselves, they did not define her beauty. Peter says that her modest, submissive, obedient, fearless heart before the Lord is what adorned her, not what she was wearing.
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So what is it that adorns you?
      John 8:36 says, "If the Son sets you free, you wil John 8:36 says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." That means that as believers, we have true freedom in Christ, both in big ways (freedom from sinning, freedom from the power of darkness, freedom to please the Lord with our lives) and in little ways (freedom to choose what to wear everyday or how much makeup to put on). I believe it's these freedoms that Jesus was talking about later in John when He says that He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). 
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So enjoy your freedoms in Christ! As long as what you're wearing is modest and appropriate, you should wear the colors you like, put on the makeup you like, and know you can enjoying doing it because of Christ. We honor His name when we enjoy the good gifts of freedom He has given us. 💄👗💕
      CAPSULE WARDROBES A capsule wardrobe is a collecti CAPSULE WARDROBES
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothes and accessories that includes only items considered essential. These wardrobes first appeared in America in the 1940s as a way to purchase your entire wardrobe at once. They were advertised then as a small collection of garments designed to be worn together which harmonized in color and line. I saw an advertisement that noted the whole wardrobe could fit into one suitcase!

I’ve personally seen capsule wardrobes become more popular in the last couple of years as the minimalist movement has also gained popularity. Some wardrobes I’ve seen have as few as 16 items total!

WHY A CAPSULE WARDROBE?
Now you may be wondering why I chose to do a capsule wardrobe. Good question! For me personally, I knew that I would be moving across the world this past January and I wanted to downsize my closet as much as possible. 

I also knew that our move from California to England would bring a big change in the weather. The clothes that I wore all the time in California would simply not be warm enough for England, so I needed to get warmer clothes.

For those two reasons I saw this as a perfect time to try out a capsule wardrobe and see if I liked it. And, now that I’ve been wearing my wardrobe for the last two months, I can confidently tell you that I LOVE it! 
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Having all my clothes match makes it very simple to get dressed everyday. There’s no staring at all my clothes wondering what will go together, I already know that they will go together because they are all in my color palette. It was also very easy to pack up and move since I paired it down to the basics.

And more personally, my capsule wardrobe has made me a better steward of my clothing. Now instead of having clothing in my closet that I don’t use, I wear all of my clothing items. And, now that I have clothes I like to wear, I find myself taking better care of them so that they will last longer. I’m also not constantly looking for items to wear so I don’t spend a lot of money on clothing all the time. We can honor the Lord with how we steward our clothing! 
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Head to my blog for detailed instructions about how to create YOUR capsule wardrobe! 💕👗
      Guys, I made a capsule wardrobe! 🥳 This is some Guys, I made a capsule wardrobe! 🥳 This is something I've wanted to do for a while and it was perfecting timing with our move to England. 
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Here's why I'm loving my capsule wardrobe: it keeps my clothes to a minimum... I only have 32 items in my closet! 😱 (We have a small closet here in England anyway!) That makes it SUPER simple to get dressed in the morning. It all matches and goes together so there's no doubts involved. And my wardrobe has made me appreciate all the pieces I own, seeing how versatile and cozy they can be. 💕
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Head over to my blog at the link in my bio @naptimetheologian to see each piece in my wardrobe and how I found them. 
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Would you try a capsule wardrobe? Let me know in the comments. ☺️
      Do our clothes really matter? Does what we wear ma Do our clothes really matter? Does what we wear make a difference in our walk with Christ?
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My answer to both of those questions? YES! That's why we're talking about our wardrobes and modesty this week here on @naptimetheologian 🥳 Let's learn together how to glorify God in ALL we do (even what we wear), and look beautiful while doing it. 💕
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Let's start with some fun...tell me your go-to outfit in the comments. I'll go first:
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A pair of comfy, worn-in jeans, light wash, an oversized sweater, hair in a low side bun, and socks with my birkenstocks (only around the house though 😆). 💃
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Now it's your turn!!! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
      Hey there, I'm Deborah! 🙋‍♀️ A wife to on Hey there, I'm Deborah! 🙋‍♀️ A wife to one Oxford Graduate student and mama to one super cute almost three-year-old. I love to study God's Word and learn more about my Savior with any spare minute of my day. You can usually find me listening to a Christian podcast while washing the dishes, reading my Bible while my daughter naps, staying up late at night writing out what I'm learning on my blog, and, as of last week, biking around Oxford, England with my precious cargo (my daughter!). I also love helping other moms find ways to study the Bible and learn theology because theology is for all of us! We've got to learn it, love it, and live it out in our lives. 💕 So happy you're here!
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Okay, now tell me something about you in the comments!
      Even though my daughter is young, we have gospel c Even though my daughter is young, we have gospel conversations all the time. Sometimes they go well, other times she pulls up her shirt and pretends to take sins our of her heart and physically hand them to Jesus saying, "Here you go, Jesus!" And just recently I overheard her "reading" these words out loud from one of her books: "Instead, they hated her, Cinderella. And put her on a cross to die."
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Okay, so we've got some kinks to work out. But I don't want to ever miss an opportunity to share with her the most important thing I ever could share with her: the Gospel. I'm sure you don't want to miss these opportunities either. That's why I've written out 5 Ways to share the Gospel with your kids on my blog today! Go read them at the link in my bio so that you're prepared to share the Gospel with your own kids.
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And, if you don't know the Gospel, it is the good news that even though we are sinners, Jesus died for us and we can be forgiven through His perfect sacrifice by believing in Him as Lord and Savior.
      Saw some sights today... 😎 . It was so nice to Saw some sights today... 😎
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It was so nice to spend the afternoon walking around taking it all in. 😍 The chores at home can wait. 💕
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#expatwoman #expatmom #expatfamily #expatriate #expat #livingabroad #discovertheworld #athomeintheworld #globalcitizen #overseas #overseaslife #alifeoverseas #showthemtheworld #aroadlesstraveled #cornersofmyworld #thisgloballife #expatlife #expatliving #expatblogger #expatmum #expatwife #ukmoms #oxford
      "Trust in God... means abandonment of myself. That "Trust in God... means abandonment of myself. That's going to be very difficult to do in this day and age when we are told we are supposed to be loving ourselves. Well, it's gotta be one or the other. You can't have it both ways. So you can choose to love yourself and that's going to be a full-time job for the rest of your life, you're not going to have much time to love anybody else. Or you can choose to abandon yourself to God and greatly increase your confidence thereby... Abandoning all my worries, all my schemes, all my suggestion to God. And when you have run out of all possibilities and you're in turmoil, you say to God, 'Lord, I really do believe you know what you're talking about. I do believe You've got the whole world in Your hands. I'm going to trust You.' ... All preoccupation with oneself leads to turmoil and destroys a quiet mind. If we are preoccupied with ourselves, working on our self-image, trying to fulfill ourselves. Do you know what we're asking for here? We're asking for the kind of peace that the world can give. When we let go of ourselves and put ourselves totally at the disposal of God, He gives us His kind of peace. Supernatural. The kind that the world can never give." -- Elisabeth Elliot
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Wow, listening to Elisabeth Elliot say those words in a podcast today gave me chills. Do I really trust God despite my circumstances? Am I focusing on myself instead of on Him? Do I settle for the peace of the world instead of God's supernatural peace? Challenging and helpful insights from this tried and true saint. 💕
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📷: Another Oxford church. 😍
      Thankful for the warmer weather this week! My Cali Thankful for the warmer weather this week! My California heart is happy. ❤️ 
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Still can't believe I took this picture while walking around our neighborhood. 🤯
      Things I have searched for in the last week... . C Things I have searched for in the last week...
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Centimeters to inches
Kilograms to pounds
What is a 1.5v C battery?
Warm socks
US to UK shoe size chart
US to UK clothing size chart
128 pounds in stone
Stones to pounds
Miles to kilometers
Celsius to fahrenheit
Bike helmet chart centimeters
ASDA groceries
Where to buy glass jars UK?
Where was Pride and Prejudice filmed?
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So thankful for the internet and good, new friends who are helping with all my crazy, expat questions. 😅 Also so thankful for God's grace to navigate all the exciting, new things of living in England. I'm smiling brightly in the bright sun after a successful grocery trip! 🙌🇬🇧❤️
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Happy weekend, friends!
      One thing I've learned as a mom? You have to take One thing I've learned as a mom? You have to take over screen time before it overtakes you. 💪
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I've felt that more than ever this year! Our screens are valuable and helpful, but they can also turn into crutches and guilt trips. I knew I had to change how we handled screens in our house when I was reminded of a verse in Philippians 4. Was what we were watching in a kids show lovely? Sound? Of good report? 😬 
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Now we ENJOY screen time instead of having it control our day-to-day life. And you can too! 3 simple steps are laid out for you on my blog today, link in bio @naptimetheologian 
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And if you've been watching my Disney Princess Movie reviews in my stories, you'll be glad to know that, yes, I do tell you the one princess movie we watch over and over again. ☺️ So head to the link in my bio! 💕
      Whenever you have the chance to recount God's good Whenever you have the chance to recount God's goodness in your life, do it. I got the chance in the form of a podcast interview. Go give it a listen @outofdarknessintolight ! 😍
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And, no, this picture is not from Oxford. It's a particularly cold day today here in England and I needed a warm, CA beach memory. 💕
      When we showed up at our new house, suitcases in h When we showed up at our new house, suitcases in hand, I didn't know it yet, but... Whew... moving to a new country is a lot of work! It has been a wonderful experience thus far, there's just a lot to do. We've been doing a lot of running around to find bikes, helmets, wellies, and little things here and there for our home.
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But that's just it, isn't it? It's starting to feel like home! Setting up our little "flat" as they call them here has been quite fun for me. Working like this at home has really reminded me of God's will for my life. He wants me to work hard at whatever He has given me to do. The work that is before me is sacred work because I am working for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
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What a reminder that we can glorify God in all that we do! Even setting up a house here in Oxford, England. ☺️🇬🇧
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What are you working at today as unto the Lord?
      Currently wearing: insulated tights, joggers, ther Currently wearing: insulated tights, joggers, thermal undershirt, chunky knit sweater, wool socks, birkenstocks. In case you can't tell, I just moved to England from LA and the 40 degree farenheit (which I now have to specify) weather makes me chilly! 🙃 oh, and joggers because all my jeans AND my overalls are covered in mud and I didn't know it til this morning. 🤣
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Currently taking: a mirror selfie because I have a full length mirror now! (Yay!) 🥳
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Currently learning: God is sufficient for all of our needs. When I'm tired or overwhelmed from moving, or, let's be real: cold, I can run to Him for comfort, strength, and encouragement. You can too, friend. ❤️
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Currently excited cause tonight is date night! At home date night, that is. I may even keep on my joggers. 😍
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Currently realizing: studying God's Word is the life of my day. When I skip out or push it til later my attitude, and, therefore, my day, goes down hill fast. Get in the Word, Mamas. 📖
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Also currently realizing: I have strong opinions about Disney Princess movies now that I'm a mama to a two-year-old girl. 😅 And it seems that you do too! Check out my stories to get the scoop. 🍨
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Which movie should I talk about next? Let me know in the comments. 👸
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Signing off for the weekend, so have a good one, friends! 💕
      We need God. This move around the world has showed We need God. This move around the world has showed me that in a new way. In all of these new, exciting, and sometime daunting experiences I've been able to have courage, to remain steady. But is that because of me? No!
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I've wanted to give up, to give in, to not put in effort. My flesh fails me everyday. It's only because I believe in a faithful and true God that I've kept going. It's His faithfulness that pushes me to be faithful. It's His love that pushes me to love. It's His grace that makes me gracious. I need Him!
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That is why we must dedicate time to getting to know Him. Knowing true theology can make all the difference because it is our theology that guides us through each day. Every situation we face, every decision we make, are all dependent on what we believe about God. 
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Whether we admit it or not, we are all theologians because we all need God. Head to my new blog post linked in my bio @naptimetheologian for why YOU should study theology and ways to do it today!
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Pictured: my time of studying theology in God's Word is usually joined by my daughter's sleepy head these days. 🙃
      "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors.” —Roman "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors.”
—Romans 8:12

"As God’s creatures, we are all debtors to him: to obey him with all our body, and soul, and strength. Having broken his commandments, as we all have, we are debtors to his justice, and we owe to him a vast amount which we are not able to pay. But of the Christian it can be said that he does not owe God’s justice anything, for Christ has paid the debt his people owed; for this reason the believer owes the more to love. I am a debtor to God’s grace and forgiving mercy; but I am no debtor to his justice, for he will never accuse me of a debt already paid. Christ said, “It is finished!” and by that he meant, that whatever his people owed was wiped away for ever from the book of remembrance. Christ, to the uttermost, has satisfied divine justice; the account is settled; the handwriting is nailed to the cross; the receipt is given, and we are debtors to God’s justice no longer. But then, because we are not debtors to our Lord in that sense, we become ten times more debtors to God than we should have been otherwise. Christian, pause and ponder for a moment. What a debtor thou art to divine sovereignty! How much thou owest to his disinterested love, for he gave his own Son that he might die for thee. Consider how much you owe to his forgiving grace, that after ten thousand affronts he loves you as infinitely as ever. Consider what you owe to his power; how he has raised you from your death in sin; how he has preserved your spiritual life; how he has kept you from falling; and how, though a thousand enemies have beset your path, you have been able to hold on your way. Consider what you owe to his immutability. Though you have changed a thousand times, he has not changed once. Thou art as deep in debt as thou canst be to every attribute of God. To God thou owest thyself, and all thou hast—yield thyself as a living sacrifice, it is but thy reasonable service." -- Charles Spurgeon
      Isaiah 40:11 says, "Like a shepherd He will tend H Isaiah 40:11 says, "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes."

This verse comes after a brilliantly strong pronouncement of Jesus as the warrior-King that He is. But the same arm that destroys and comes with might for His enemies comes with tender love and care for... us, mamas! I read this verse a couple weeks ago when I was jet lagged and awake at 4AM catching up on my Bible reading. It's been swirling in my head since and I love it. What a comfort that God, in all of his strength and might, cares for mother's in such a tender way: gathering us in His arms and gently leading us along. ❤️
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