DEVOTIONAL Adulting 101 STUDENT GUIDE SCHOOLINLIFEPOD.COM Copyright Notice No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo copying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author for permission should be addressed to [email protected]. All Content is Copyrighted © 2020 By Ashley A. Adams, Schoolin Life, LLC All Rights Reserved Schoolin Life Devotional: “Adulting 101” Schoolin Life was asked by one of our listeners to develop material for a church small group. We are delighted to expand our existing content about adulting (one of our most popular topics) into a facilitated 8-week devotional guide. Schoolin Life is regularly hosted by Ashley and Marcy, but for this special project, Ashley is joined by Andre, a longtime listener and supporter of the show. Schoolin Life Schoolin Life started as a podcast, with a vision to extend my standard “girlfriend” conversations to a wider audience. I realized that not all women had access to the thoughtful, impactful, and affirming conversations I had with my friends, and I wanted to share what I had with others. Now Schoolin Life is a lifestyle brand that still includes a weekly podcast, hosted by Ashley and Marcy, and also live events, a blog, merchandise, and mentoring for new and mid-level professional women through the Mentor Me platform. Schoolin Life blends my passions for education, storytelling, lifestyle blogging, mentorship, and personal and professional development. Even with this expansion, the vision hasn’t changed. Schoolin Life still exists to have those same conversations but to impact more people, and share the authentic mission of helping women “school life” with a wider audience. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Heb 10:24-25 SCHOOLIN LIFE DEVOTIONAL: “ADULTING 101” 3 Meet Ashley I’m a big sister, empath, acting vice president of the #Beyhive and founder of Schoolin Life. My primary passions revolve around home décor and design, hosting house parties and fostering hilarious conversations through podcasting. My love for schoolin’ others and personal development started at a young age, as my favorite childhood game was “playing school.” Now I don’t play but do; I turned the game into reality. I earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration in 2015 and currently serve as the director of student affairs at a prominent R1 research institution in the Northeast and as a faculty member in the university’s College of Education. Schoolin Life has forced me to be more honest, introspective, and compassionate and the fact that it serves as a resonating sounding board for so many others inspires me every day. Meet Andre I am a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, the City of 1,000 Azaleas. I am passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and my walk with Christ. Known for both my preppy school boy dress and my love for Jordans, I married the two to represent my personality. Using my talents and passion, I am currently a doctoral student in my last year of coursework. My research is focused on the academic experience of Black males in cultural greek organizations. I am currently a senior administrator in student affairs at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park, Pennsylvania. As an avid listener and supporter of Schoolin Life my work is enhanced through a lens only which could be seen as a student in the Schoolin Life classroom. SCHOOLIN LIFE DEVOTIONAL: “ADULTING 101” 4 Letter to the Class: Your being here tells us that you are committed to following God and His direction and commandments for your life. Too many Christians hesitate to study His word and use it to guide their life so we’re extremely proud of your commitment to the study of this devotional guide. Thank you for taking the step to invite God and Schoolin Life into your lives, learning how to adult at your best. Adulting is hard and there are so many rules on how to do it right and wrong, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed at the start, you’re not alone. Know however that God’s plan for your life is clear and He will reveal it to you if you believe. This devotional guide is designed to walk you through the core principles of adulting and what the Bible and fellow believers have to say about living our best adult lives. This devotional guide is designed to help you understand the core principles of adulting, connect biblical principles and God’s word with this millennial term and provide some reflection and direction as you adult. We believe that this devotional guide is coming to you during a season for you to make a shift into new thinking and new possibilities. We pray for each of you here and look forward to the testimonies and breakthroughs that you experience together. Best of Blessings, Ashley and Andre SCHOOLIN LIFE DEVOTIONAL: “ADULTING 101” 5 Table of Contents: Devotional Framework of Weekly Episodes Week 1: Defining Adulting We discuss what adulting really means and the key components of adulting with purpose. Week 2: Money in the Bank: Personal Finances We discuss the key principles of money management for millennials and share our own personal finance journeys. Week 3: Making and Maintaining Relationships We discuss the power and importance of relationships and why human and Godly connections still matter in the age of technology. Week 4: Managing Up/Across at Work We discuss work and how to leverage your position and power to boss up. Week 5: Care and Advocacy for Self and Others We discuss self-care, self advocacy, and why you need both to be well and care for others. Week 6: The Mentee and The Mentor We discuss the power and importance of the mentor/mentee relationship and why every adult needs both to advance. Week 7: Living Out Your Dreams We discuss living out your dreams, doing it scared, and why your dreams shouldn’t die because you are an adult. Week 8: Adults Just Want to Have Fun We discuss the power of play and how having fun as an adult is necessary for fulfillment and living out your purpose. SCHOOLIN LIFE DEVOTIONAL: “ADULTING 101” 6 Week 1: Defining Adulting On this week’s episode, we discuss what adulting really means and the key components of adulting with purpose. The American Dialect Association nominated the word “adulting” as the word of the year in 2016. At the time, it described a new term that millennials were using to describe their engagement in adult behaviors. Adulting represents things like buying a house, navigating your relationship with your boss, or even going grocery shopping while following a budget; it’s all the little (and big things) we have to do as adults. When we reflect on our young adulthood, we were so eager to grow up, but now many of us are wishing for the freedom of being young again. Listen as Ashley and Andre discuss what adulting means to them, their adulting wins (and a few of their failures), and what it means to be an adult and a believer today. 1. How would you define adulting? Why do you think the phrase is so common? 2. When did you first realize you were an adult? 3. What are your most common adulting behaviors? Which do you love? Which do you dread? 4. 1 Corinthians 13:11 states “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” How does this verse relate to your experience with moving into adulthood? 5. By the age of 30, Jesus had a job He loved, was #passport goals, and had a tight circle of friends, no squares (well maybe a couple, but you get the idea.) Do you think that Jesus’s life is a good example of adulting for us today? 6. What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with the basic tenets of being an adult? Additional Readings: Songs/Podcast Episodes: • Big Idea Food: A Weekly • Schoolin Life podcast episode Devotional for Entrepreneurs, “Adulting 101” Side Hustlers & Dreamers by • Mary Mary “Slow Walk” Marlena Banks • Tye Tribbett “Can’t Live” • Ephesians 2:10 (LIVE) • Hillsong UNITED “Scandal of Grace” SCHOOLIN LIFE DEVOTIONAL: “ADULTING 101” 7 Week 2: Money in the Bank: Personal Finances On this week’s episode, we discuss the key principles of money management for adults. Our good Christian brother, Chistopher Wallace (known to some as The Notorious B.I.G.), famously told us “Mo Money Mo Problems” and we couldn’t agree more. Yeah sure, we finally have McDonald’s money but being good stewards of our coins, tithing, paying our bills (on time), and trying to save a little for a rainy day is exhausting. Listen as Ashley and Andre talk about their relationship with money, their personal finance methods, and what being a Christian has taught them about money. 1. Growing up, how did your family talk about God and money? 2. What is your current relationship with money? Is this relationship full of lies? 3. What are your top three personal finance mantras? 4. With more than 1000 references to money and finances throughout the Bible, clearly God was trying to tell us something (shoutout to Shug Avery).