One session led by Heidi St. John (you can find her at The Busy Homeschool Mom - she's hilarious and so real!) was on the topic of time management. The Scripture she shared at the beginning of her talk has really stuck with me these past few weeks.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 27:11-13)
Having that peace that God promises is certainly enticing. It's necessary to have a smooth and productive day. And lately, it hasn't really made an appearance around here. Four active kiddos and an (ahem) lack of organization have not helped that at all.
The thing is - Heidi St. John wasn't really talking about time management but rather "me-management." Time doesn't need to be managed. It doesn't go faster or slower - it does exactly the same thing every day. The only thing I can manage is me.
She talked about modern-day "time bandits" - pasttimes that are good in and of themselves but can wile away valuable time if not used carefully. Heidi encouraged us to think of our own "time bandits", write them down, and then seek God's help in managing them.
God brought these three culprits to mind: Facebook, blogging, and my Iphone. When I indulge in these activities excessively, it sucks time away from my priorities. What are my priorities? Well, I made another list: 1)relationship with God, 2) marriage, 3) family, 4) home, 5)homeschool, and 6)outside pursuits. I certainly don't want to be an absentee wife or mom - one who's "there" but not really available or present for her husband or kids. Even more importantly, it makes me cringe and feel shame that something like Facebook would take precedence over the most vital relationship in my life - the one with my Lord and Savior.
So I wrote this all down and made a decision to really seek out God's wisdom on these issues. I have been re-exploring the Psalms in an effort to see the ways that David connected with God. I am learning that Facebook, blogging, and my Iphone have their places in my life, but they are WAY down on the priority list. I just have to put the proper parameters in place so they don't crowd their way back to #1 on the list.
And that's what I've been doing. I'll definitely continue to blog about our always-crazy life, but it will have to fit in after hubby and the kiddos get their share of me first.
See you around.
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