To Choose Wisely

I know myself.

I know if I don't exercise right away in the morning, I won't get it done. If the clock reaches 9:AM and I haven't hit the streets or the gym, it ain't happening, people.

But I also like to start out my day gradually, sitting quietly with a cup of tea in my office, checking emails, Facebook, reading blogs. And I know I need some quiet time with God in prayer, reading His Word, soaking in what it has to say, taking the time to put thoughts to paper to cement what I'm learning.

To accomplish all this by 9:AM requires me to either get up pretty early, which I often do, give something up, or be extremely disciplined, which I'm not. Every day, every single day is a challenge, a battle. A cloudy morning makes my bed more appealing. I oversleep and feel bloaty so I choose the Y instead of my quiet office and Bible. I check Facebook first and get lost in cyberspace. A online bunny trail steals my time.

"I must make a conscious, deliberate, daily choice to sit at His feet, to listen to His Word, to receive His love, to let Him change me, and to pour out my heart’s devotion to Him. When I get into His presence, the whole world looks different.”

A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

How can I choose wisely? How can I force myself to make that deliberate decision to do what I know to be best? I remember the prize--the perspective shift I gain in His presence, the peace and direction which only come from Him. I mean, c'mon, which would you rather do, run three miles or find calming guidance for your day? No contest.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24

To choose wisely, I think of the prize, not the discipline.

Join our host Debbie at Heart Choices for more thoughts on this quote.

Does God Reward Our Time?

“Inevitably, the calendar crowds out the Spirit and the face of the clock hides the face of God. Prayer ceases to be the free breath of a ransomed soul and becomes a duty to be fulfilled."

From “Transforming Prayer” by Daniel Henderson

I hit the ground running yesterday. Really. I got out of bed, put on my workout clothes, clipped my disheveled hair and ran out the door for a little run. Half an hour later I thought I was going to die and noticed by the look of my poofy, frizzy hair that it must have been more humid than I thought.

I don't usually exercise first thing in the morning. Typically I get a hot cup of tea and settle into my office for at least an hour of quiet to myself, but I knew on this Monday my day was going to be packed. It didn't help that I woke later than normal, so in my quest to get the most out of my day, I skipped my quiet time. There. I admit it. My Bible sat unopened on my desk. My prayers were sprinkled between "Oh, Lord, help me"s as I ran.

My only kid at home was gone by 9:AM and I anticipated a day of high productivity with no interruptions. But my house needed attention and the phone beckoned and the dirty clothes pile shadowed the few clean ones and I had no idea what was for lunch. I kept adding to the to do list and making contact with some friends (which was delightful, by the way) and by the end of the day I had little to show for my hours of alone time.

Would my day would have gone smoother, would I have gotten more done if I had squeezed in that quiet time first? People tell me frequently when they take time for God, He somehow blesses them for their efforts and their days go great. I wish I could say the same, but in my experience, that isn't always true.

I know I was having consistent quiet times during my dad's last week of his life. I knew I needed God's presence to help me make decisions about his care and deal with the high emotional toll, but that didn't mean God miraculously cured my dad. His time to die came whether I had my quiet time or not.

Maybe it's not a good idea for me to write on this particular quote, because I'm not sure I agree with it. I don't think God is an if-then kind of God. If I have my quiet time, then I'll have a good day. If I pray fervently, then He will answer yes. If I read enough scripture, then He'll bless me. I'm not saying those things aren't important. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you understand I believe there is no replacement for the Word of God. We need to be in it! But we shouldn't expect to be rewarded in a tangible way for seeking His face.

I have a consistent quiet time, not because I think it will make my day go better, but because I want the strength, the clarity of His presence. I'm not looking for special favors, only for His face. Busyness can distract me from that, but it doesn't make my prayers any less meaningful to God.

Perhaps I'm missing the whole point of the quote, since I don't have the context from which it came. We need to guard our time with God. Absolutely. We need to make it a priority. AMEN! I would not be the person I am today without His touch on my life, without His instruction in the wee hours of the morning. But I bristle at the suggestion that when life gets away with us for a day or two, we lose our passion for God.

I'm anxious to hear how others have taken this quote. I hope you'll read along with me and visit Debbie at Heart Choices.

Building Faith Muscles

Three years ago, when Drummer Boy was a senior in high school, I realized all of my children would be out of our home in ten years. I immediately asked God to tell me what I needed to do in that ten years to be prepared for the next chapter of my life.

In true God form, He gave me three specific BIG things to work on--get an advanced degree, write the novel on my heart and build a writing platform. Pretty intimidating things, but given a ten year window, I thought they were doable. At first I tried doing all three at once and not only wore myself out, but ended up feeling defeated, like I was getting no where, only spinning my wheels. God gently told me to take one thing at a time. Building a writing platform is a long-term, gradual thing, so I'll always be working on it, but the other two are possible to knock off in a couple of years each. So I concentrated on the novel for a full year. It's pretty tough to make it a priority when I have no idea what will become of it, plus life crowds in, stealing my time away. Some things are more urgent than writing thousands of words no one reads.

Now our next child is a senior in high school and I'm evaluating my progress. And feeling frustrated. The writing platform is coming along. Slowly. The first draft of the novel is only halfway done and because of circumstances in my life, I'm wondering if I should switch gears to the advanced degree. I know what I need to do in the next seven years, but don't know how or in what order. These three goals are in addition to my normal activities. How can I fit it all in? Do I need to give up something to accomplish this? I want God to be very clear (and told Him so), yet the answer He gives me over and over is, "Keep doing what you're doing." Sigh.

“Learning to wait on God’s timing and having the patience to follow his lead rather than running ahead of him is essential to those who are committed to seeing their faith journey through to the end. God seldom rushes things along. Getting used to his pace will help you in the long run.”

~ Essentials for Life For Women by Marcia Ford ~

I totally understand that God's timing is not mine. Totally. And I'm okay with that most days, but when I look back on my life, I wonder what I've accomplished. But there's the problem. I'm looking to see what I've done, not waiting to see what He'll do.

He's asking me to build faith muscles, not sprint to the finish line.

God says, "Trust Me," with my material needs, my loved ones, the future, and WITH MY TIME. I do today what He places on my heart to do and then do it again tomorrow, trusting He will accomplish what concerns me today.

Can I get an advanced degree, write a novel and build a writing platform in the next seven years? Not on my own power. The last three years have proven that. If I want to reach the goal, I've got to do it His way, in His timing, trusting Him for each day's activities. I won't quit asking God for specifics on how to do this, because aren't we supposed to bring everything to Him? One day He'll show me the path. Until then I'll learn to rest in His timing and follow His clear words, "Keep doing what you're doing." The waiting will strengthen my faith.

What are you having a hard time waiting for? Can you use it to build your faith?

To read what this quote inspired in other people, visit Deborah at Coffee and Chocolate.

Lessons Learned From My Computer Fast

I CAN live without my computer.
Who knew?! I surprised myself in how little I missed it.

I use my computer in more ways than I realized.
It's not only for email, blogging and Facebook. I discovered I use it in habitual ways I didn't even think about--checking the weather, scoping out what's playing at the movies, finding out the pollen counts, paying bills, rehearsing music for church, finding recipes, researching for Bible study, googling anything under the sun. No wonder I became dependent upon it.

I waste time on my computer.
Okay, this isn't exactly news. Anybody with a Facebook account understands how much time can be killed on that site alone, but constantly reading any new e-mail that pops in or getting lost in bunny trails while researching steals chunks of time with little effort.

I save time on my computer.
This is not my lame attempt to justify using my beloved machine. Do you know how much faster I can type than write? LOTS faster. It's easier to check for movie showings with a few clicks than turn through pages of the newspaper or look up the phone number to give them a call. I kill many birds with the stone of one e-mail. Any possible information I could want is all at my fingertips.

It's not necessary (or practical) to read every single status change of every Facebook friend.
I like to see what's going on in your lives (or maybe I'm just super nosy), so I often spent a considerable amount of time sifting through Facebook. Sometimes it's relaxing, but often it eats up WAY too much of my time. There are other ways to connect with people, like actually TALKING to them! Don't be offended if I don't comment on all your clever updates. I probably missed it.

There are ways to use my computer more efficiently.
Preparing for this fast, I wrote four blog posts in one day. FOUR! Why can't I do that every week? Why can't I set aside a time for blog writing instead of squeezing it in late at night or early in the morning? Doing the same with Facebook and blog reading may help too.

It's easy to feel out of touch when not online.
On Friday, friends were having fun on Facebook with one of my notes and I was out of the loop. It's like being the little girl who hears about the awesome Saturday night slumber party Monday morning. Now this is not the worst thing to happen, but I realize being online helps me stay connected.

It is possible get more rest and relaxation.
This was my most surprising revelation. Without access to my computer, I couldn't spend evenings writing blog posts or returning emails. Instead, I parked it on my couch (gasp!), read the paper and generally let myself wind down in the evenings. LOVELY! Instead of catching up on Facebook at bedtime, I went to bed! This alone was worth the few days away.

I need to use the tool, not let the tool use me.
My wise friend asked how this fast will change how I use my computer. I hadn't thought about it, but her question made me consider how to take charge of my computer. To that end, I decided some new ground rules were in order:

I will fast from my computer on Sundays.
A day off would be refreshing and allow for the relaxation I found I really liked and for more engaged time with my family. Plus it forces me to be more efficient on the other days.

I will set aside one afternoon a week for blog writing.
It may not be enough to finish the posts for a week, but it will certainly help in freeing up some evening time when my family is home.

I will check my e-mail less frequently.
I usually leave my e-mail on continually, but I've decided to close it even while working on my computer to allow for more focused time. Instead of taking a peek whenever I hear the ding of a new message, I'll check it at set times of the day. A few minutes saved here and there could add up to an hour, you know.

I honestly enjoyed my computer fast and found it well worth the effort. I encourage you to give it a shot if you never have. Some of you e-mailed and said you were going to try it too. What were your observations? What did you learn? How will you use the tool better?

May God continue to teach us. Have a lovely day, friends!



Photo Credit: kodomut

Tick, tick, tick. . .

School got out yesterday and I'm already stressing. How am I going to keep these kids busy all summer and still be able to work on some personal goals?

There never seems to be enough time. I feel like I'm continually accounting for my minutes as a miser counts his coins. And I don't even have a job--I don't have time for one!

But God tells me, "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) He says, "...the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure." (Ecclesiastes 8:5)

I need some major wisdom then, Lord, for I'm spinning my wheels most days.

On Sunday our pastor talked about God wanting us to have order in our lives. Amen, brother, I'm all for that. He quoted Proverbs 24:27, "Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." See, definite order in how to approach your work. But what are my fields and what is my house? Help! I want order, but I don't know how to establish it.

I have things I want to get done, things I feel called to do, things I feel compelled to do, but I have to be flexible enough for someone to drop by unannounced and visit a while. I have to spend time with people I love. I have to maintain and develop relationships. People are always first for me. They make life fun and worthwhile. So you think people are my fields? Maybe. Then my house would be. . . ?

There is never a shortage of things I COULD do, but what SHOULD I do? I analyze the use of every minute and try to organize my time, but even then I wonder if the time spent thinking about it actually wastes the precious time. OY! You see how I go in circles over this? Is anyone else feeling dizzy right now?

I've been praying a lot about it this week and God has shown me three verses.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
Psalm 32:8

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.
Isaiah 30:21

...I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
Isaiah 48:17

He promises over and over He'll direct me and I'm ashamed I haven't seen my problem until now.

Yet again, I'm having trouble trusting God.

Just as He asks me to trust Him with my money or my children, He asks me to trust Him with my time. I am faced with a choice. Will I worry about how to spend my days and what I need to accomplish or will I start each morning in His presence and then make a plan? Will I accept disruptions in my schedule as divine and enjoy them? Will I trust that whatever happens in a day is no mistake? Can I determine not to worry about the things on my list that don't get finished and purpose to tackle them tomorrow? Can I hand Him my future and say, "Thy will be done"?

Lord, I don't want to waste a minute of the precious gift of time. Help me trust You to order my days. Give me wisdom. Speak to me. Direct me. I thank You that even time is in Your hands.



And now, if you'll excuse me, I feel God directing me to my kitchen floor. As my dear friend, Amanda, would say, "It's disgusting." I hear ya, Lord.

Be sure to visit Iris for more Thankful Thursday posts.