Handling the Crunch - Part 3

Create a Filter

People seem to have a problem saying no. They end up saying yes to too many things and before they know it they are over booked, over worked, over scheduled, and over tired. One thing that I found is that we need to learn to say "No" and stop making apologies for saying it.

Well, you might be asking, how do I know what to say no to? All the things I say yes to are important, critical, eternal, etc. Well, I challenge you to make yourself a filter. A filter is a list of questions that you can run any decision, event, or request through to help find the right answer for you. We all have priorities, but sometimes are lives don't always reflect them, because we get distracted by good things that take us away from our "top" things, or better things. A filter helps to keep your actions in line with your priorities. It keeps you focused, and keeps you from getting "off track."

Our family priorities are:
1. Being led by the Holy Spirit
2. Family time
3. Peace & Simplicity
4. Relationship Building
5. Healthy Choices (food, sleep, restful schedules, etc.)

For my wife and I we typically use the following questions:
1. Holy Spirit, do you have direction for us in this?
*We check our spirit for any input from the Holy Spirit. We try to be intentional about including the Lord in every decision that we make. Our time = our life, so we believe that God cares how we spend it!! All our other questions come after this one. This is the biggie for us!
2. Does it involve the whole family?
* It is a huge plus if we can all stay together....what can we say...we like each other and we like staying together.
3. Is it simple?
*We value peace and nothing keeps the peace like simplicity!
4. Does it foster relationships? Will this help build friendships, accountability, intimacy, etc.?
*Relationships are worth spending time on.
5. Will we have to compromise our digestive peace? Does this interfere with naptimes or bedtimes?
* Grabbing fast food is NEVER an option for us, and we consider quality over convenience when choosing our food. Sleep is essential to good behavior and strong immune systems in kids and adults. We are protective of our health, but not to the point of rigidity (that's why it's our #5 and not our #1)

This is our filter system. It works really well for us. Each person's filter will and should be different. You cannot adopt someone else's filter - it simply won't work because each family is different. We're not all supposed to be alike. Respect your own priorities by living them out through filters and respect others for doing the same....even if their filter necessitates them saying "No" to something you consider high priority! We are all created unique and have different talents, jobs, skills, families, etc.

So, go ahead and create a filter and start using it to help guide your yes to be a yes and your no to be a no. Start lightening your load and being intentional about what you take on by running it through your filter.

Handling the Crunch Part 2 - Be Where You Are

Distractions are everywhere!! My iphone, my andriod tablet, my laptop, facebook, twitter, sports scores, my jeep, and the list could go on and on. Distractions takes you away from what is right in front of you. This is a HUGE challenge for me. I am like the guy on the commercial that is changing the baby's diaper, while talking on the phone and surfing the internet. I know I am not the only one that struggles with this. God has been walking me through this with the little phrase "Be Where You Are".

Too often we miss the moment! We miss the birthday party (even though we are there) because our mind is somewhere else. Maybe we went to the other room to just "check my email" for a second and get lost for 30 minutes. Many of us are often somewhere else. We are thinking about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and missing what is right in front of us. If you get caught up in this, you will find that "time flies." The days and weeks and years are a blur and you can't seem to recall much. When you really focus on what is directly in front of you, when you are truly present and engaged in the moment, something wonderful happens. In our house, we call it "slow time." It is a fantastic phenomenon where the day crawls by, and there is lots of time for all that we want to accomplish and then some. We talk, play, work, and live fully engaged and fully together - focused on our relationships in the moments of the day, rather on the line items of our to do list. Funny thing is, the list gets done in the course of it all. Seems that God honors us when we put relationships first which is what "be where you are" is really all about!

Jesus' ministry focused on who was right in front of Him. He focused on the PERSON at hand. In Matthew, the Bible commands us to not worry about tomorrow. So let's stop thinking and worrying about tomorrow because God is already there. Let's start living in the PRESENT because it is a wonderful gift from the Lord.

Handling The Crunch Part 1 - Be Intentional

Ephesians 5:15-17 gives these instructions….
1. Be intentional about how you live,
2. Be wise,
3. Don’t mindlessly waste your time and opportunities,
4. Don’t be foolish,
5. Understand what the Lord’s will is.

Life is Busy!! Most days we go to bed and feel exhausted and wondering where the day went. With technology, work, school, sports, band, etc we never seem to have enough time to do it all, much less rest or “be still.” How are we ever going to be able to hear God’s voice, to be still and know who He is if we can’t even manage to make it to school or work on time! We can’t even remember what happened yesterday, last week, last month, even last year. It’s all a blur!

I don’t know about you, but when my life is over, I don’t want to look back and see a blur of iPhone apps, work schedules, and rushed conversations. I want to KNOW God. I want to recall tender moments with my wife and children. I want to relish close friendships that were of great value to me. I want my time to have made a lasting imprint. How do I plan to make this happen while handling the crazy crunch?? By following God’s Word in Ephesians.

Let’s pretend that at the beginning of each day, we’re all given 24 tickets – each ticket is one hour. We only get 24 hours to a day and there is only so much that we can jam into that time. We need to REALLY consider…Are we spending our time on those things that will leave a lasting imprint on life? Things that really matter to us and to God? Let’s break down how much time we really have….

Sleep – 7 tickets (at least)

Work/School – 9 tickets

Shower/Eat/Drive – 3 tickets

We’ve already blown through most of our tickets and we’ve done nothing but the bare essentials!! What we do with our few remaining tickets is how our life will be defined. This is the CRUNCH. This is where we need to be intentional. This is where we need to decide. These tickets are nonrefundable. They are precious. We need to choose wisely - choose relationships over tasks, choose to be together instead of separate, and choose to rest instead of push harder and do more. The way we spend those few remaining tickets will determine the course of our lives. This is important!! We need to PAY ATTENTION to how we spend our time, and make intentional choices that reflect our goals. Don’t let others tell you how to spend your time. Their goals are not yours. Be intentional!

So….24 tickets….1 life. I’m going to pay attention to how mine is spent! How about you?