A Gift in the Waiting...Time

One thing about waiting that we can be certain of is that waiting takes time. Usually, that time is too long for our anxious hearts. However, God consistently speaks of the "appointed time" in life throughout the Bible.

I've posted about what to do while you're waiting and praying in the midst of the wait. Last night, I found myself tossing in my bed. Sometimes, God wakes me up with a word. This time, it was a reminder.

Time is a gift.

He whispered it real quiet-like. "When you receive a gift, you need to open it. Don't leave it sitting in a box on a shelf in your heart. Open it and use it."

How often do we hate the wait so much that we never do anything with it? How often do we sit and wait for what's next, instead of living in today?

There were ten virgins in Matthew 25. The Word says that five of them were wise and five were foolish. See, they were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Five of them had the sense to do something with their waiting time and gathered oil for their lamps. The five who were foolish didn't prepare. They came to the waiting place with no oil in their lamps. So when the time came for the groom to arrive, they weren't ready for Him. They begged the five wise ladies to spare some oil for them, but they knew how much they would need and could spare none. Five ladies met their bridegroom. Five did not. Because they weren't ready.

Time is a gift. We need to use it wisely. Tweet This

Rather than fretting over what's to come, we should be making preparations. We should be seeking the face of God in the now, not waiting to do so when He arrives and says, "It's time."

Why does God give us all of this time in waiting? Let's take a look at a few examples from the Word:

1. Time to Repent: "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent" (Revelation 2:21). He gives us time to repent of our sins, so that we can be prepared for what's to come. I sometimes wonder if things I know my husband and I are called to do haven't come to pass yet, because we still need to get some things right in our own lives. Actually, I'm certain of it. We are in the midst of a season of repentance in preparation for what's to come. What do you need to repent of that could be holding you back from God's plan for you?

2. Time to Store Up: "Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:18-20). The ten virgins needed to store up their oil. They needed to have time to be filled with the Holy Spirit and do what God had called them to do. Five of them were wise and stored up their good foundation in Jesus. They took the time to know their Lord and Savior. Five of them did not. Jesus' response to them was, "I never knew you." God has a plan and purpose for everyone who loves Him. Before we can come into His will, we need to be prepared, so we don't cause another to fall when we fail. There's no worse feeling than seeing another person fail because you weren't prepared. Trust me, I know. By getting ready, we will have success in Jesus Christ in whatever He calls us to do.

3. Time to Redeem the Time: "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16). God allows us time to "buy up, to ransom, to rescue from loss, to improve opportunity." These are the definitions of "redeeming" in the Strong's Concordance. God wants to allow us time to improve our opportunity in these evil days. He wants us to become men and women of integrity who can share His love and His Word with those who don't know Him. He wants us to rescue time from loss. Be wise in the waiting. Don't fall asleep as the disciples did. Join Jesus in His will. Pray. Seek God's face. Do good works.

4. Time to Understand What the Lord Wills: "Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17). The disciples didn't understand why Jesus became so frustrated with them in the Garden of Gethsemane. He told them to watch and pray. After He'd prayed for a time, He returned to find them sleeping. He tells them to watch and pray again, and this time He reveals the purpose of His will for them to do so. "...lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). When we refuse to take the time to pray and watch in the waiting, we open ourselves up to an attack from the enemy. We can say we love Jesus and wish to do His will, but our flesh tends to be weaker than our spirit. We succumb too easily to heavy eyelids and deaf ears and heavy hearts. Understand what God wills for you. Watch. Pray. And quit sleeping every time you go to church or open the Bible. "...the hour is at hand" (Matthew 26:45).

5. Time to Realize Life is Short: I am most guilty of this one. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that'" (James 4:13-15). Not knowing where we will be sent next always leaves me wondering which city we'll be heading for and how long we'll be there. I spend a couple of hours a week, for about a month or two before the company tells us where we'll be going, looking at Google Maps and searching local schools and crime charts, trying to plan for what's to come--when I don't even know where we're going. Sad, right? I waste so much time, rather than taking care of today's cares. Life is short. We need to live in the here and the now, not the past (redeem that time) or the future (it could vanish tomorrow).

God's gift of time is precious. It's the oil in our lamps. It's the hour to tarry with Him. It's the opportunity to know Jesus and to prepare for God's opportunities in our lives. Don't waste it while you're waiting.

~Tuesday Tips~

Sometimes it's necessary to change the way we do things at home. Sometimes a schedule will work for awhile until a new activity shows up in our weekly schedule. Sometimes we get overloaded and our kids suffer for it (we do, too). Sometimes we need to step back and ask ourselves if everything in our schedule is bringing honor to God and good things to our home. Or do we need to become better stewards of our time? 
Setting kids up with a schedule (and ourselves, for that matter) allows for consistency in their daily lives. This may seem taboo to a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants planner, but that consistency brings stability to their otherwise chaotic lives. It brings a sense of peace to their day. They know what to expect (most days) and will adjust accordingly to the schedule put before them. Following is a list of tips or reasons as to why schedules are an important part of our daily life:
1. It teaches us time management. There are certain things we need to do every day. This is a great way to make certain it all gets done.
2. It teaches the importance of being on time. How many times has someone been late for something you were in charge of or leading? Don't they understand your time is precious? Americans have so much to do in 2010 that time is just as important as money or the air we breathe. Let's teach our children the importance of being on time as a courtesy to others. 
3. Scheduling hinders procrastination. If we know we have an assignment due on Wednesday, we know research should begin Friday and a rough draft should be finished by Monday. Turning work in on time is important. This is another important lesson in today's world. Our best work can't be done through putting it off until the last minute.
4. Through scheduling their afternoons, children will know what to expect. So many times things get thrown into our schedules. And kids are dealing with getting bullied at school, bodily changes going on, who's the next big thing and will I pass my test tomorrow? They need a place they can come to for rest and reassurance. Having a schedule in the afternoons, rather than just running all over the place, allows them that time peace and rest in their day.
5. It keeps them healthy. Children need up to 10 hours of sleep a night in order to maintain their health. Having a bath time routine, bedtime routine and assisting them in getting that sleep will make a world of difference in their health, attitudes, and behaviors.
These are just a few reasons why scheduling a child's day is important. Feel free to add to my list via the comments section below! I'd be happy to hear your thoughts!

~ Tuesday Tips ~

Life gets busy and things fall behind. Then there's always catch up. When this happens to me (isn't it obvious it has lately? I haven't managed a blog post in how long?) time management is the first thing that pops into my mind. (We won't talk about writer's block here.)

So, for my Tuesday Tips, I'd like to offer up some time management lessons I've learned over the years. Maybe I'll throw in some organizational pointers, too.

Make every step count. I learned this one from a wise boss several years ago. Waitresses must make every step count. If you are bringing coffee to a table, bring an empty plate or dirty fork back with you. Efficiency is key. The same can easily apply at home. If you are walking to the bedroom to put clothes or toys away, bring the garbage back to the kitchen with you. Some moms have it together, I'm sure, and can focus on one task at a time. I am not one of those moms. I multi-task until I'm spinning through my house like a torando. I go from one task to the next when I start cleaning. I'll start with the dishes and find toys on the counter. I run the toys to the boys' bedroom and find dirty laundry all over the floor. I drop the toys into the toy box and pick up the dirty laundry. Then it's off to the laundry room, where I find that I need to throw the lint away. Off to the kitchen I go with the lint, where I'll remember that I was trying to finish the dishes. For those who would enjoy some help with housecleaning, be sure to visit this wonderful website: www.flylady.net

Get organized. Some of us are blessed with the gift of organization (everything is in order, just as it appears). Some of us appear to be a mess but are secretly organized (Don't move anything, or I won't be able to find it!). Others of us just don't know where to begin (Do I keep it, toss it, hide it under the bed?). Being organized saves time in the long run, because you already know where things are. There's no fifteen minute hunt for the keys in the morning when you've got them on a key rack near the door you use most often. There's no hunt for the kids' sneaker(s) if they are neatly lined in the closet or on a shoe rack or are left by the back door. Being organized is always a time saver. I'll post more tips for getting organized next week.

Put the phone on vibrate and let it go to voice mail. One thing that can interrupt progress is the incessant need to answer the phone. Caller I.D. is a huge blessing to me. If I am trying to get something accomplished, whether it's writing an article on deadline or cleaning my house while no one's home (Isn't it great when the house stays clean longer than five minutes?), I use my caller I.D. If it isn't my husband or the school, I let it go to voice mail. If they want to talk with me, they'll leave a message. I can call back later when my immediate task is finished.

These are just a few pointers for managing time effectively. What time managment tools do you use in your daily agenda? Feel free to share your pointers!

Too Much or Too Little?

 
As I sit here tonight, I have the remaining ache of a migraine lingering on my mind. Usually, I can pinpoint what triggers the headache. Most times, it's a lack of sleep. Once in awhile, it's too much MSG, dairy, or caffeine intake. Whatever the cause of the pain, it's either too much or too little of something that brings it on.

Which makes me wonder why I subject myself to this kind of pain and suffering when I can easily avoid the things that cause the headache...

Have you ever noticed that about life? Too much of something brings pain. Too much food causes health and weight problems. Too much work brings stress and family issues. Too much spending brings financial trouble.

Yet, too little of something brings similar issues to the surface. Too little sleep brings illness or migraines. Too little work brings financial issues. Too little time spent with family brings relational issues. Too little education makes it difficult to get anywhere in life. Too little food brings health issues and starvation.

Our relationship with God operates under the same principles. Too little time with Him brings hunger and thirst to our souls. Too much time spent away from Him causes us to lose sight of the life He's called us to. Too much time spent working and too little time spent sitting at His feet keeps us distracted and busy. We need to find ways to make the time in our busy day to sit with Jesus, relax, and fellowship with the One who knows exactly what we need. When we focus in on Jesus, we realize that He has just the right amount for us. He knows just what we can handle in life. He knows just how much temptation we can tolerate. He knows just how much pain we can endure. He knows just how much encouragement we need to make it to the final goal. His Word promises us that He will never give us more than we can handle.

"Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." Make time for Him today. You don't need to suffer the headaches of trying too hard or not doing enough. He knows just what you need.

~ Weekend Wonders ~

Whew! These past two weeks have flown by, and I'm staring April in the face. Life seems to be moving by as quickly as the time. It feels as though God gave 24 hours a set of wings, lately.

I'm not complaining. I am honestly astounded at how much I've managed to accomplish over the course of the past two weeks. God has blessed my desire to organize my time and every other area of life. My to-do list has grown a bit, but by prioritizing it, I am checking each item off as I go.

Priority #1: Spend time with God every day. Seek His face. Do His will. God's Word has been thick with meaning as of late. Sometimes I go through the desert while reading my Bible. I read, read, and continue to read, but I hear very little. Nothing seems to be moving inside of my spirit. So I keep reading, thirsting for His word. One day I think I've got hold of something. To my dismay, it's a mirage, and I press on. Lord, when are you going to speak to me? I am desperate for Your word. I am dry and thirsty, Lord! One day, the sound of water is heard in the near distance. It is flowing like a river, steady, fresh from a recent rain. The Word opens up, and it pours forth refreshing verses of life-giving water. I find the wait and the perseverance to pay off...

Priority #2: Mr. Morales. My husband is the top priority on my list of people to honor and care for. I feed him properly. I exercise with him. I rise with him and fall exhausted at the end of a day with him. I meet his manly needs. I share my dreams with him. I walk through life with him. I love him. Did I mention that he's mine? Yep. All mine.

Priority #3: Many Morales Kiddos. Namely, Ezra, Caleb, Hannah, and Gideon. We've been homeschooling for a few weeks. I have seen a tremendous turn-around in their work, their efforts around the house, and their attitudes. Pulling them from public school was exactly what the Doctor ordered, and with His strength, we can do all things! I have not felt an ounce of stress. The kids are laughing and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere is relaxed, and for the first time in years, I am enjoying every minute of our day!

Priority #4: Ministry: God is incredible! That's all that I have to say...well, maybe not all. I recently discovered that my husband and I have finished a seven year season in our life together. I was able to look back at those seven years and recognize where we were and what we've been through to get where God has us today. I am honestly amazed at all that He has done in each of us individually, in us as a couple, and in our home and our ministries via church. It was an amazing season of training, growing, and preparing for things to come. Those seven years held challenges, blessings, a LOT of work, and even some brokenness. BUT GOD...did amazing things with us. BUT GOD provided all that we needed to equip us and train us for the things that He has called us to do. BUT GOD is AMAZING!!! We are blessed to be serving in ministry with our newest church family, Fountain of Life Fellowship. We are preparing to head up intercessory prayer on Tuesday nights. We have been given a platform to hold marriage ministry classes on Tuesday nights, following prayer. We are currently active in Victorious Overcomers at FOLF on Thursday nights. Vic will be leading the table in two weeks. We are honored to be used by God, and our jaws are on the floor in AWE of Him.

Priority #5: Writing. My fingertips have walked at least 3,000 words almost every day this week! I have submitted an article for critique. I am anxiously awaiting my four day vacation at the writer's conference this May. I am writing, writing, writing...and God is providing material every time I turn my head and look in another direction. I hear things I've never heard before. I see things I've never noticed before. The sun warms my face in new ways. I get giddy when I type that last period on a final page. I'm a lot like my eight year old son who discovers new ideas on nearly an hourly basis. Life is full of exciting things!

And some priorities are no longer priorities...like getting the kids up at 5:00 each morning. (I hated having to do that to them.) They sleep until 7:30 or 8:00 now. Like my craft business. (I think it's time to sell some things and buy myself a new laptop to play with.) Oh! And, don't worry, mom, that doesn't mean everything...just some things...Creating words on pages has become more appealing to me than creating items that may break a week from now.

Life is great. I feel refreshed, renewed, and re-focused. My gut is full of anticipation of what's in store. I know it will be above all that I could ever ask or think. My God is bigger than that...

Can I Be Superwoman for a Day?

I was just thinking this morning about all that I have to accomplish or would like to accomplish over the next few weeks.

We're on the move again, so there is a lot to get done. In the midst of that, my sister is coming down for a visit, which we're all really excited about!

So, time is short (even though I still have 24 hours in every day), and I have a lot to do. I was just wondering if I could be Superwoman for the rest of October?

We're getting close to Harvest Party time, so I thought maybe this could work well for me. Upon wondering that question, that Still Small Voice said to me, "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you."

I remembered that God is with me always, and in His strength and ability, I can find rest.

See, when I try to be Superwoman on my own, striving to get things accomplished in my own timing, I end up feeling run down faster than the speed of light. I get edgy. I get ornery, and I get my whole family cranky. (A wise woman once said that it is the woman who sets the tone in a house.) And, I end up feeling guilty and hating myself for it.

BUT GOD...said that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can find my joy in Him to carry me through the busy times in life. I can rest in Him knowing that I have 24 hours in a day, which He has blessed me with. I can find peace in knowing that He has a perfect schedule for me to follow, if I will be still long enough to listen for it.

I am thankful that I find my strength in Jesus.

Focusing on What I Do Well

One of the things that I am finding as I begin to make the necessary changes in my life is that I am in desperate need of prioritizing. And one of the things that I am learning about prioritizing is how to focus in.

I am currently reading "How Successful People Think" by John C. Maxwell. I love this book! Maxwell says to use the 80/20 rule. "Give 80 percent of your effort to the top 20 percent (most important) activities." He explains that people should focus on their strengths, those things that make best use of your skills and God-given talents (p.14). In other words, I need to quit wasting my time on things that won't bring fruit to my life, my walk with God and what He has called me to do, or my family. Stop playing games on Facebook for two hours a day and apply those two hours to my creative process time!

Another of my favorite authors is Joyce Meyers. I read her book "The Confident Woman" a couple of years ago. What stuck with me after finishing her book was a point that she made that is very, very similar to what John Maxwell said in his book. She basically says to stop focusing on trying to improve the thing that you're not very good at and to apply that effort to making what you are really good at exceptional. For example, I am alright at dancing, but I am great at writing. So, instead of spending my time, effort, and energy at improving dancing, which I may be 15% good at, I should spend that time, effort, and energy at taking my writing from 85% to 100%. I absolutely loved this simple paradigm shift, and it has stuck with me since I read it!

So, as my first step in prioritizing my time and my life, I am focusing in on the areas that God has gifted me with skill and talent. I am going to stop playing games and spend that time with family or writing or crafting. I am going to stop trying to improve the areas that aren't priorities in my life or my abilities, and I am going to start further improving the areas that I am talented in.

I always think about the parable of the talents when I consider what God has given me to work with. The three people that God chose to give his talents to had choices to make. Would they invest those talents and increase in them, or would they choose as the third man chose, and bury it for fear of what would happen if they tried to do something with it. I think that third guy had low self-esteem and a total lack of confidence in himself and in God. I don't want to be like him. I want to be like the other two and take some chances in the hopes that God will be glorified in the end. I want to use my talents to bless His people and His kingdom. I want to hear that I did well when it comes down to it. I am going to refuse to live in fear of what will happen along the way as I step out and put my faith into action. (See Matthew 25:14-30)

I am currently working from home as a "professional blogger" in order to pay off my past college loans. At the same time, I am focusing on keeping my own blogs current, writing to them at least once every other day. I am applying for scholarship funds to finish the writing/communications degree that I started fresh out of high school and never earned (even though I've paid so much toward it). I want to know that I know what I am doing as I pursue a career in that talent God has gifted me with. I don't want to do this half-way. God never gets the glory when we only go half-way. I want God to get the glory! It's time to focus in!

Time For Changes

Have you ever had one of those "Aha!" moments where you realize that you've been doing things incorrectly or inadequately for too long?

I've had that nagging feeling in the back of my head and tugging on my heart for awhile now. It's the one that keeps saying, "You're not getting your priorities straight. You're missing something big. You're in need of some rearranging in your daily life. You need to make some changes."

Yeah, I'm having one of those moments this morning.

The next question would naturally be, "Well, what are you going to do about it?" Answering that (in my case, anyway) is going to take a little research, a lot of self-examination, and some amount of hard and diligent work.

I do know that one of the first things that I will be doing about it is putting me back into the priority section of my to-do-list. What sparked this moment? It could be my husband getting upset this morning because he sees that I am clearly short-selling myself and my talents.

Which is why "a lot of self-examination" is at the second place on my to-do list.

The more important side of what sparked this is that deep desire burning inside of my gut, that large knot of anticipation that says something bigger and better is coming soon to my life, that still small voice of God that keeps whispering, "I have something better for you. I have something that you know you desire but feel you have no way to get. I have wisdom and knowledge and the power to make it a reality for you."

If you've heard that voice, then you know exactly what I am talking about. It's the one thing in my life that I just can't deny succumbing to. It's the voice that I trust and believe.

So, between God speaking to my heart for too long now and my husband getting extremely frustrated with me for short-selling myself, it's time to get active and start making some changes.

A short list of some of those changes will be these, I'm sure:

1. Blog for myself much more frequently, like, say, at least once daily...on BOTH of my blogs.

2. Start the social network running a little more regularly (i.e. Tweet, use Facebook for promotion of my Etsy shop, my blogs, and more...). Maybe as I get them up and running smoothly, I'll be able to add more to the list, but I want to start slow and steady with smaller steps. Then, one day I'll be able to leap and bound without falling on my face in a puddle and coming short of my goals.

3. Look at what I specialize in and go for that! Stop trying to be what others want me to be, and be what I dream of being! God is the One who gave these desires and dreams to my heart...why would I follow something else? It's those areas that I love and want to be involved in that are my areas of expertise! So, I look forward to what is in store, because it can only be really great if it's going to require this much change in me. Here's to a new approach!