Time 2015 ~ Seriously!

I have known for a long time that I need to better manage my time.
I often ask God to show me the areas I need to work on. Warning, if you ask, He'll tell you!
For me it was how I spend my time and how it was prioritized.
The topic of time and how we spend it goes hand in hand with our spouses, family and friends.

Knowing my first priority is to know God and to serve God, it's my starting point.
To know Him well is important and like any strong relationship we need to put in the time.
Time in His Word, time in fellowship with other believers. Then,time in our marriage and family, time with non-believers is also important..

If I want more quality time with my spouse, I need to show him he matters. When our needs are unmet it's possible one or the other is not willing to put in the time to show the other that they matter? Or, you maybe you've quit trying?  Another reminder once again it's not about me, it's about us, or it should be. Spending time with our spouse/family shows them that they matter, it keeps the relationships fresh, it allows us to know each other and what is going on with each other, in thoughts and individual lives. What are we telling them about their worth, when we're squeezing them in our over committed schedules...? Hmmm. How many over commit at the expense of a spouse or children, friendships?.

Spending time with a spouse's is an expression of love. Be it sitting in the same room without words, it still speaks to them, "this is where I want to be, alongside you!" Ideally, time without distraction of the electronic world, i pads, phones etc.... They kinda speak your not worthy of my full attention, ouch!  We don't want to miss the moments....Imagine if you put the time into your relationship you do outside the home. I believe it could be very powerful to be the recipient at  the other end of that investment.

I hope  in 2015 to share more meals with friends, more moments to cherish with my husband and our family.
At the risk of sounding cliche, on my death bed I don't think I'll be wishing I had more commitments that took me away from my family and friends. I don't want to squeeze either into my schedule. I hope to be what I need to be to them.  If I am doing that in an unhurried manner, and they know I'm making them a priority, then I can consider saying yes to more commitments.

I've been  reading  "the Best yes" by Lysa Terkeurst, I highly recommend it to those that have a hard time with saying no, and are over committing. She puts commitment and saying yes or no into perspective based on Biblical verses.

If I focus solely on myself and doing just what makes me happy, rarely considering those closest to me day in and day out, how are they to know they matter? Even with the flaws and things that may drive us crazy about them, we need to show them our love. Show them in ways other than, placing a meal before them and doing their laundry. Really, one could go to a restaurant if it were only about the meal, right? It's about doing more than the minimum for our spouses, and in our friendships. If it's solely about self, how are we to ever empathize and connect with them? Both  important factors in a marriage,and other relationships, go figure.

1 Corinthians 13:4 New International Version

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

If we could just focus on the loving part it would make the being kind, being patient part much easier. (however, no one said it would be easy) Take our focus off past hurts, what they don't do, what they do wrong and just love them today. God never said quit trying, quit loving when it gets hard. He said to LOVE!

Love today because there is no promise of tomorrow.

Proverbs 27:1 New International Version

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Psalm 90:12 

Teach us to realize the brevity of life,

so that we may grow in wisdom.

As a believer, it behooves us ask, Is God pleased with how I spend my time? Have I prioritized my life and those in it correctly? When we use our gifts and abilities to help others it's called our ministry or service.

Ministry or service both inside our homes and out! If it's about love, God's greatest commandment, shouldn't our spouse/families be just under God on that list? Before we volunteer for yet another thing that takes us away from our families/spouses I believe we need to first make sure we taking the needed time with them, loving them as God does? That requires changing the I to Us.

I read these recently and they really grabbed my attention.

I prefer to think of 'time management' as 'Personal Leadership' because when a leader 'leads' themselves then the events (time) in his / her life works out properly and she/he impacts his target zone properly. When a wannabe leader squanders time or uses it frivolously she may also fritter away the chance to have the impact that God has in mind.
 
~ 
Being busy does not wear us out – in fact if we’re doing what we’re ‘wired to do’ it charges us up.  

 (Jeff Fuson)
 

I'm wired to study God's Word and live it out in action and deed. I'm wired to be a wife to my husband, mother to my children and Namaw to my 7 little gifts. Time is my word for this year, and managing it better is my goal. Time is mentioned more times than I knew in the Bible, that makes it  important to Him. My life needs a better balance of how I spend my time and my first ministry will start at home. After all, it was very much apart of our wedding vows...... I promise to_______!

Taking the time to remember them all. 

Time, and tomorrows not promised are what echo from my heart today.....