Making the Most of the Time

-

Ephesians 5:15-17 (HCSB) ~

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

I realized yesterday that it's been over a month since I wrote out a to-do list here. Most of that has been because with my knee situation I just haven't been able to do much of anything. Now that I've had surgery and it's getting back to normal, I can begin to get back into a routine though obviously, I still need to take it easy.

 Yesterday, I sat down and finished one of the projects that I need to do for consecration. I was supposed to write out a five year learning plan for my life. I had been mulling it over for a couple of months now, but put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) and typed it out. I felt it was a good exercise and a way to live my life a bit more intentionally.

 I'm finding as I get older that this verse in Ephesians is hitting home a bit more. I want to live my life in a way that is very deliberate. I want to make the most of the time and I want to be wise as I try to discern God's will for my life. So the activities I choose need to be deliberate and I want to make sure I'm working smart.

 I was also in the process of typing up my monthly report to my mentor yesterday and as I did so, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I was able to accomplish even with multiple doctor's appointments, a week's vacation and knee surgery. 
  • I was able to put together an afternoon event that was attended by 105 women.
  • I completed 3 papers and 1 project for consecration.
  • Competed a book and an article that I needed to read as well.
  • I had 7 people over during the course of three different days.
  • I wrote and distributed our district newsletter.
  • I put together registration materials and sent them out to the district churches for our upcoming fall retreat.
  • I took a friend out to lunch.
  • I had dinner with my mentor.
  • I responded to more emails than I can count.
I love when I can look back and see how much actually got accomplished. The majority of that happened from my armchair since I couldn't get around much so it was nice to see some productivity. 

But it also wasn't done in my own strength because there were many days when I didn't want to do anything. However, when I keep in mind the idea of making the most of my days, living deliberately and keeping to the path laid out by the Lord for my life, it's easier to keep moving forward.

Spiritual/Personal Development

1. Bible reading and prayer - 5 out of 7 days
2. Required reading for consecration: A Basic Guide to Eschatology by Millard Erickson

Husband & Marriage

1. Date with Dan
2. Mend a pair of pants and a sweater that he's been asking me to do for a while

Family

1. Follow up with Nathan's paperwork

Health

1. Do physical therapy exercise 3 times per day, 7 days per week.
2. Continue to cut back on sweets and salty snacks

Ministry

1. Bulletins and announcements for Sunday
2. 3D Kid's picnic (some of the children were missing it for the summer so we decided to have a picnic
3. Begin working on my annual report as Great Commission Women's Director
4. Begin formulating a plan for ministry for the fall.

Household

1. Dust  & Vacuum master bedroom
2. Declutter master bedroom
3. Clean both bathrooms
4. Sew curtains for kitchen

Most of this is still "sitting in a chair" activity, but since I'm following my doctor's advice it will have to do for now.

Comments

Post a Comment

I love your comments and encouragement! I can't always respond back but do read each comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Oh What to Do; I'm Sixty-Two!

-
Image
Today is my sixty-second birthday and it's hard to believe I've achieved that....um....seasoned age! My first thought this morning was one of not being sure that I like it. However,  as I thought I about it, I decided to take joy in the fact that I've reached an older age. Because age comes with benefits. Benefit #1 - I'm a bit wiser.   When I look back at some of the decisions I made when I was younger, I cringe. With age has come the ability to slow down and think things through before I make major upheavals in my life. I've also discovered that getting worked up about certain things is just an absolute waste of emotional energy. Benefit #2 - I'm enjoying my life.   As I've aged I've learned all kinds of skills and hobbies and can honestly say that I'm never, ever bored. I love all the different things I'm able to do and it's fun! Benefit #3 - I've learned to appreciate my relationships. With age I've learned to work on developing a...
Read more

Eating to Live

-
Image
  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...
Read more

When the Unexpected Pops Up

-
Image
On Thursday afternoon, just as Dan and I were getting ready to leave for a meeting, we received a phone call from our son. He was sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine in his car. The problem is he lives 3 1/2 hours away. After back and forth phone calls he called a tow truck and got it towed to a garage. He ended up renting a car and headed here for the holiday. We've been working with him to figure out his next steps because he still owes thousands of dollars on the car which will also take a significant amount to replace the engine. His rent is going up in the new year. His seasonal job ended and he is trying to find something else, but needs a car for that to happen. His car still has not been looked at by the mechanic. It is all more than a little overwhelming. Long story short, we extended an invitation for him to live here temporarily so he can get out from under all of this. It would save him money on expensive rent and utilities.  The timing was right since h...
Read more