Making a simple schedule can sure help things run a little more smoothly (as long as you first submit it all to the Lord’s will, as I have been learning this week)! And who of us wouldn’t ask for that? My simplifying starts by a weekly evaluation and planning time on Sunday evening. I have developed a basic schedule for our household based on dividing the day into morning and afternoon blocks of time.
My household schedule may not work for every family, but trying out different methods is helpful to find which routine works for you. Any simple routine is better than nothing and will get you on the path towards simplifying your life.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you…” (1 Thess. 4:11)
Why does it seem that life is just a mad rush from one event to another? From soccer practice to music lessons, from school to church. You ask “how’s it going?” and the continual reply is: “I am so busy! I don’t have any extra time.” Does that sound familiar?
But we keep choosing busy! We choose it because in this Western world busyness equals success. The more in our dayplanner the greater our importance. Busyness not only wears us down, weaken our relationships, and vaporizes our time; it verges on idol worship. Who is the idol? ME! Do we realize that the root of this busyness might just be an obsession with “me”! Do I think that my efforts and actions will sustain my family and the world around me? Do I imagine it will all fail if I don’t complete this or that?
Are the priorities in the right place? The question begs to be asked, are we missing out on something?
Slowing down takes work, but it is possible and very worth it!
The goal in simplifying your life is to give you more time for the quality activities, for the investment in family and in ministry together towards others! If we aren’t seeing or talking to each other as a family, something must go. If we don’t have time to serve a friend with a meal because we are running around finding all the good sales, maybe we should re-evaluate what truly are our priorities?
This is the boat I was in and must continually be on the alert for those signs of the “busyness idol” creeping in (stressed, overwhelmed, relationships suffering, etc)…this is my weakness, and I have fallen into the trap many times. Here are a few lessons we have learned in the process of learning how to slow down…We are far from perfect, but God’s grace is guiding us as we seek to follow in His purposes.
Live simply that others might simply live. ~Elizabeth Seaton
This quote has been on my mind quite frequently…mulling over the reason for simplicity. “Simple living” is not a new fad, and yet it has been coming to the forefront as of late, possibly due to the challenges in our current economy for many a family.
I have heard many reasons given for pursuing simplicity including: savings and retirement, purchasing a home debt free, tight budgets, desiring to be less dependent upon the consumerist mentality of our culture, health, peaceful home and life, less stress, etc.
These are all wise reasons for pursuing simply living, many of which have been my desires as well…but should there be something more? Some more eternal, over-arching God-glorifying purpose for pursuing simplicity?
Late rising, long to-do lists, multiple demands upon our time…how easy is it for us to simply jump into the day without meeting the Lord? How often does this then result in a very trying day, filled with multiple stumblings into sin in reaction to husband, child or other, trying to do it all on my own ability, because I neglected to lay my day before the Lord…but is it really worth it? A moments rest at the foot of the cross leads to renewed strengthen and resting upon the Savior. What a delightful day it is when first centered around the Lord! Simplifies my life when I reflect upon and lay before Him the events of the day, seeking His face as to what is most important!
As John Blanchard points out: “Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptations and pressure? EVERY DAY! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? EVERY DAY! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all of these questions is the same: EVERY DAY!”
As Carolyn Mahaney says: “Meeting with God each day is a way of acknowledging that we are totally dependent upon his grace.”
Simple living all starts with making our relationship with the Lord our first priority for the day!
It’s time for my weekly evaluation. You want to join me? I have pulled out my small planning notebook (which is nothing more than a simple spiral journal, that lays out on the counter throughout the week), my pencil, monthly menu plan, and I will now set to work. This is something I want to start sharing with you and encouraging you towards the same purpose, if you are feeling disorganized or overwhelmed, desiring simplicity!
Every Sunday night or Monday morning, as time and events permit, I spend a 1/2 hour or so in prayer and seeking wisdom and direction from the Lord for my week. My passion is to live purposefully, making sure I am staying focused on my priorities in this season. It is so easy to get distracted with other good things, but not necessarily the best!
This is one of the most important steps towards simplifying my life. Simplifying starts with planning…pray and plan.
Homemade Gift Bags – this is a wonderful idea for reusing cereal boxes and transforming them into lovely gift bags! A fun project for the family! Gift bags are really quite cheap, especially when you buy them at your local dollar store (or reuse the ones you receive!), but this idea adds a fresh bit of creativity and makes gift giving extra special (especially to the recipient)! I still have an abundance of gift bags from our wedding and baby showers, but I thought I would pass the idea on! I love reusing and one more way to be a better steward!
Our family has enjoyed a lot of laughs over this simply amazing and insightful video for getting out and staying out of debt. You may have seen this already, but it is a fresh reminder of how easy we fall into the temptation of spending money we don’t have!
At least we have each other and a Sovereign God who provides all our needs!
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren….that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us…”(2 Cor. 1:8-10)
Our Great God is in control, even when fear is elevated during a challenging season in our nation’s economy. In our community alone, there are 4-5 condo units for sale that are not going any where. The value of our homes are decreasing substantially. Gas prices just keep going up! It has been overwhelming me as of late. You may likewise be burdened or overwhelmed by the challenges of budget-keeping, but may I assure you that it all has a greater purpose! In order that we might not rely upon ourselves but on God! How should we as Christians respond?
“Measure thy life by loss instead of gain;
Not by the wine drunk but by the wine poured out.” ~Ugo Bassi
“Only one life twill soon be passed,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
William Borden was the son of a wealthy businessman, and could have settled for a life of convenience and ease. He dedicated his life as a missionary, focusing his college years on reaching those around him with the gospel. He died before even arriving in China, but his devotion inspired multitudes. He left his fortune (one million dollars) to be invested in the cause of Christ, in addition to the thousands of dollars he had given away in his lifetime.
In his flyleaf was written these words:
No reserves.
No retreats.
No regrets.
After Christ has suffered so much on our behalf that we might be partakes of the gift of eternal life, how can we not live with a spirit of martyrdom…willingness to give it all for His sake! This has been on my heart and mind…and will not seem to go away. How can I learn to give lavishly – with no reserves! That I might come to the end of my life with no regrets! Is this the day I die? was the question that Brother Yun asked daily (in his book Heavenly Man -the story of a Chinese persecuted Christian).
How can I give to meet the needs of another today? Could it be with time, money or energy?
The challenge is to give when you think you can afford it but also to give when you think you can’t afford it!
Should I really be saving for myself? Give until it hurts – my dad always said!
I came across these two tips while reading Wise Bread this week, that I thought I would pass on to you. Definitely get you thinking when gas prices are estimated to hit $4 a gallon by summer!
1. Slow Down! – Save $.54 cents per gallon
According to this post, you can save approx. $.54 cents per gallon by simply slowing down your driving. It may be a challenging for most of us, but it appears that you can get an extra 15 miles per gallon (that’s at least an extra 200 miles per tank). The author shares how he increased his mileage from 32-47 mpg with this tip!
“In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about54 cents a gallon. That figure will be even higher for less fuel-efficient vehicles that go fewer miles on a gallon to start with (based on a cost of $3.25 per gallon). (CNNMoney.com) In response to the oil crisis in 1973, a 55 mph national speed limit was imposed. 55 mph is still a car’s “sweet spot” for fuel efficiency. What uses the most energy of a car at high speeds is the force of air. The increase in wind resistance is exponential, which means it rises more steeply between 70 and 80 mph than 50 to 60. Increasing your highway cruising speed from 55mph (90km/h) to 75mph (120km/h) can raise fuel consumption as much as 20%. – eartheasy.com
Driving behind big trucks can save 5-10% of your gas, due to drafting. Make sure to allow a good distance, so the driver can still view your vehicle in his windows.
“The science behind drafting is closely related to why driving slower saves energy. Basically, you have less air resistance in front of your car if a big truck has already passed through the air and your car is in the tunnel or “slipstream” behind it. A truck also blocks some of the air rushing at you. On the popular Discovery Channel show Mythbusters it was shown that if you follow a big rig by 100 feet you can decrease your fuel consumption by 11%.”
