The "what" behind the Most Important Now is more than a question. When we turn, "What should I do next?" into a question for God, we quickly connect to God's motivation in and for our lives.
Asking God, "What is my MIN?" is, in essence, unceasing prayer and a step of humility. Asking for help from the One who knows YOU best, is a willing act of surrender. James 1:5 (NLT) says, "If need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer..." Once you get God's thoughts--and they will come into your mind and make sense; they'll sound like a parent or safe and strong advisor/counselor--make your move. Act immediately. This is the one-two punch that knocks out procrastination.
Your assignment this week, in addition to practicing MIN, is to ask yourself these three questions and journal your responses:
1. On a scale of 1-10, do I most often spend my money wisely or impulsively? Am I improving in this area? Do I tithe--give some or 10% of my earnings to God's work? Why or why not? How is God speaking to me about giving or saving money?
2. On a scale of 1-10, "Do I regularly or occasionally eat the wrong thing(s)?" Why or Why not? Does God give me any prompting to maintain self-control? If so, what is it? Do I heed, recognize or ignore God's promptings?
3. On a scale of 1-10, rate your overall time management: personal and/or workplace. Do you waste time--if so, explain HOW: Do you watch too much TV? Do you spend time on the internet needlessly? Do you have numerous projects that need your attention? If you answered yes to any of those questions, make a list of projects or organizational "to do's" and assign them a deadline for completion. Prioritize them. Begin, during this quarter, to complete them and "cross them off" your list.
I feel very passionate about this month's attack on procrastination--which at some level, we all struggle with--and I ask you to take seriously the MIN in your day. The result will be a deeper, more intimate and more effective prayer life! Woo hoo!
Be encouraged,
Becky
I have just come from a long walk with our dog and flet I had to blog today about a few things. I listened to the cnference call yesterday and it really placed a burden onmy heart to pray for our group. I rated myself as instructed bu Becky, and my best rating came in the saving calories section. It seemed that most of the ladies on the call this week gave that their lowest score. Today I read in CYL Dailly Bible the verse: (Jesus answered) "What is impossible for people is possible with God." Luke 18:27 Yes, yes, yes!! NO matter how hard it is, it is possible with God. We talked the other day about "Intentional" living in the womens Bible study I attend. Every morning we have to commit our day to the Lord and ask Him for help...all day long I ask for His help! Just like the MIN Becky has talked about....a passage I have on my desk: "First give yourself to God then to the work God gives to you". It is tough to get in the habit, but once established, there is no comparison to the day I have when I come to God first! Becky, I bouth the book you rec. and it has incredible ideas for diet and encouragement...highly rec. for anyone struggling with weight. Another book I higly rec. on changing your life forever about food choices is "The Great Physician's Rx for Health and Wellness" by Jordan Rubin. He is a living testimony of God's faithfulness in healing, walking by faith, listening and Obedience to His word. Get this book and soak in the Biblical truths of health. Whatever we eat now will affect us later in life. I saw it first hand over 25 years ago in my medical school pathology class. All the autopsies we would do on people, and most of the disease processes we studied were all related to what we put in our mouth!! I continued to see it for 12 years that I worked as a Surgical PA...the surgeries, complications, emergencies....most avoidable by good health/exercise. Don't give up! Get going! When you fall, get back up again! He will help you!
ReplyDeleteDaily dying to self and living for Him!
Got to go....
Please forgive all the typos above! I was in a hurry and didn't want to be late for my appointment :) ... typed a little too fast!!
ReplyDeleteGreat word about giving God our day.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on that.
I missed the call this week, but I guess I would rate the Money section a tad bit higher. Our businesses have been so slow, I've had to curb a lot of spending. (7).
Diet/Food-wise, I am an insulin dependent type I diabetic. I rely on carb counting to judge my dose with my insulin pump. This gets to be something you forget to do, and that isnt a good thing. So I am taking this opportunity to fine tune my counting, log my foods and blood sugars and avoid some of the snacking I do when I am stressed. I'm trying to walk more too, but that makes my blood sugar plummet twelve hours later, so there is some balancing work to be done there. (6).
And finally time wise, I have got to make a plan to get out of my office (in my home), away from this computer and move on to other things during my day. It seems I sit here all day, thinking that panic over how to get more business is going to help us get more business! In reality, I need to spend more time with God, take care of my house (laundry, meals etc) and start making a daily plan to accomplish just one main business task. My business has stolen away (because I let it), my creativity, my personal time and my housekeeping time. I really need to apply our group lessons to my work life. I know with God's help it can get better. I rate this one a 5.
Have a blessed weekend all.
What wonderful comments from you two dear group members. Thanks so much for sharing so well; I am grateful to have logged on tonight.
ReplyDeleteHugbear, I am going to copy your quote about "the work God gives you to do" and place it on my desk and/or computer area. I have consistently begun my day for several years now with quiet time alone with God, but lately, when my quiet time has started in the middle of the night and I've rushed through the Bible reading and journaling so that I can begin the tasks of the day hours before the sun comes up, I know that such a plan is NOT God's will. Today, for the second day in a row, I dragged out of bed at 2 a.m., with only four hours of sleep, and I got home from school at 6 p.m. This morning I prayed that somehow God would help us finish the yearbook so that we could get it in the hands of the students before seniors leave, and I am grateful to report that we did it. I am exhausted, though, and so are my students, who have been juggling the book and their other commitments, as well.
Emma, I can relate to your dilemma with too much time at your computer and focusing on work, too. Although I work part-time as a leader for a weight loss organization, I have not been following the program as I should. I feel that my body is craving time for exercise, and I vow to get back to it this weekend. Today we were so stressed out about the yearbook that the kids were munching away on all sorts of junk, and I just wanted to join right it. Now I feel tired and sluggish from too much of the wrong kind of food. (That book on the Physician's Rx for Health sounds like a winner, Hugbear.)
Now that the yearbook is finished, and I am no longer buried under term papers, my goal for the rest of the school year is to spend more quality time with the Lord in the morning, plan time for exercise regularly throughout the week, and enjoy every moment that I have left with the students who are getting ready to graduate soon. They need a teacher who is not bleary-eyed from late nights and too-early mornings and one who has the energy and creativity to plan lessons that will enable them to gain something from their last weeks of high school.
Becky, your advice on tackling procrastination was especially pertinent. It seems that my MIN for weeks has been meeting deadlines--for the book and for 3rd quarter grades. Had I been more vigilant weeks and months ago, I would not have had such stress recently (and neither would my poor yearbook students). For this week, I vow to get back to eating right, sleeping enough, exercising regularly, and savoring every moment of my morning conversation with God. I also promise to plan out my "to do" lists, as I used to do and record my food again for a while until I get back to the healthy habits that usually serve me well.
Thank you all for your insights. May you all have a wonderful weekend.
I'm sorry to be rambling on so much tonight. (That's the product of too little sleep, I'm sure.)
Hi!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your words of encouragement and inspiration. I don't have much time to write, but I wanted to leave my rating for tomorrow's conf. call.
I given myself a rating of 2 in every area, because I did not accomplish any of my weekly goals. However, I did have some small victories--I am keeping up with the 5 things to do before bed. Also, asking for God's direction for MIN.
I am keeping our group in prayer,
Sherry