Monday, March 15, 2010

The Time Keeper


You have a word too. My word lately is time. I’m wise to manage it, to be a good steward of it. Quite simply, I need to take a thoughtful look at how I’m making use of it. I’m giving you an acrostic. Hopefully it will provide some accountability for me today as I think about how to maximize my time.

T = Tenderness

Ever been interrupted? Did I hear laughter? My life is a hopscotch game, leaping from one interruption to another. And if I’m not careful this drives me to a certain crankiness that robs me of the joy I know God wants for me. I’m learning to mindfully treat little tugs on me with tenderness. God appointments.

I = Importance

By prioritizing the have-to vs. the want-to I’m able to spend my time on those things I think will have the most eternal impact. Sometimes this means my house is messy. It also means I don’t hesitate to say no when a church member calls to ask me to volunteer for childcare when I’m already invested in other ministries (and potentially low on energy). Most often it means pouring my time into loved ones—relationship building.

M= Mindful, Meaningful & Me Time

M is a three for one deal. Being mindful of when I’m tapped out helps me to rest when needed. I want to invest my minutes left on earth involved in meaningful activities. And me time consists of ways to recharge. Reading the Bible, writing, reading, going for a run, and painting furniture pieces are five of the best ways for me to come back into a right mindset.

E = Engaging

This one might surprise you. If I begin a book and it doesn’t grab me, doesn’t hold my attention, I stop reading it. I don’t watch a lot of TV. I probably couldn’t tell you who is on the latest Hollywood “it” list or the latest fashion trend. And I’m discerning with friendships. An engaging relationship reminds me of lumberjacks sawing a tree. There’s give and take.

What word could you make an acrostic from this week? Faith, Discipline, Fun, Rest…?


Thankful for the Eternal Time Keeper:
“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” Acts 17:26


*photos by flickr

30 comments:

  1. I love what you wrote about a lumbersjack-- I can picture that clearly and I too hate to waste my time on something that doesn't engage me fully:) Have a blessed day!

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  2. Love this, Wendy. I like yours for TIME. Time is very crucial to me right now, too.

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  3. You always amaze me with the constant flow of creativity "wending" from your soul, Wendy.

    I love this acrostic, especially the saying no to church members. I need to practice that one more!

    My acrostic for today will be JOY.

    J: Jesus in me makes me an overcomer. My feelings are not lord.
    O: The typical symbol for a hug. I will give verbal, prayerful and physical hugs to those around me who need them. Need, not deserve.
    Y: Yes! I will say yes to truth and no to lies and temptation.

    Thanks for asking,
    Jen
    Audience of ONE

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  4. I love your points here, Wendy! Especially the tenderness one...I have so many interruptions, but I need to treasure them, too!

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder

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  5. This was such a lovely post to read on this Monday morning!! Thank you! For me, i think my word is MERCY for today
    M ~ Meditate
    E ~ Every thing happens in it's own time, according to God's will
    R~ Remembering to set priorities and stick with them
    C~ Complete my gratitude list today
    Y~ Yearning for God's mercy is what i will do daily

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  6. Oh, I LOVE this post! I used to time manage like a Swiss train conductor but have slipped. What brilliant reminders!

    Hmmm.
    Perseverance. Daily
    Love, infused as needed
    Obedience to God as an umbrella over all
    Discipline gained by The Word and The Holy Spirit to know when to love, when to obey, when to persevere, when to say ENOUGH.

    Love this blog!
    Patti
    www.pattilacy.com/blog

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  7. I am not tender when interrupted or tired or just have the grumps. Good idea to assess one's time and where it is going :O)

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  8. What a great way to look at how we spend our time. Mind if I steal this one and use it as my own?

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  9. How about this on a Monday morning. My tribute to coffee -

    C - Can't
    O - Often
    F - Function without my
    F - Faithful,
    E - Energizing
    E - Elixir.

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  10. You amaze me anew every time I visit! You're incredible, Wendy. :)

    Something I've been thinking a lot about lately is faith:

    F- Fragile. Faith is something that needs to be bolstered and shored up every day. What got you through yesterday isn't going to be enough to get you through today without work.

    A- Absolute. We need absolute trust in God, and it doesn't come over night. We need to truly get to know who He is so we can trust Him absolutely.

    I- Independent. Our faith needs to be independent. We can lean on others while we work on building it, but there comes a time when we're going to need to stand on our own two feet.

    T-Trust. Trust in ourselves, and trust in God's timeline. Things are not always going to happen how and when we want them to. And that's okay. Doesn't mean He's not listening. It only means He knows what's best.

    H-help. It's okay to ask for help. Faith, like anything else, takes effort, and sometimes we aren't enough. That's okay. But we need to keep moving forward, and we can with His help.

    Thanks, Wendy, for making me think!

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  11. Thank you for such a refreshing read as I start Spring Break with all four kids!!!

    Arts

    Always embrace truth
    Remember simplicity
    Teach the children
    Surrender to His path

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  12. Great post. Very timely:) Must be something in the air! Yes, Jody's post was wonderful, too. I got a lot out of it, as I did from yours.
    Blessings and happy week!
    Karen

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  13. It's amazing how very much goes into one word's meaning. Which is what I like about this exercise, it just makes us think and respect all the layers of the many words that define our lives!

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  14. Love your letter E. It's so true! I hardly watch TV, and I've recently learned that it's ok to put a book down. I used to plow through them no matter what, but there's just not enough T-I-M-E.

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  15. Love the scripture! I scribbled to commit to memory. I thank God for ordering my steps and crafting my time.

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  16. Good accrostic about time. I think about that one all the time - managing it. Some other very good acrostics on here. Esp like Juile's since I am drinking my first cup of coffee today as I read this.

    W - Wrestle to prioritize your efforts
    O - Organize your tasks and activities
    R - Restrict yourself to your current task
    K - Know your efforts will pay off.

    Good exercise!

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  17. Love that acrostic, Wendy! I'm with you on the engaging aspect. If I'm using my time wisely, I have to really make sure the book or show or whatever is truly worthwhile!

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  18. Yours is beautiful!!!! I love all your posts Wendy. I can't wait to read the novel you've written! I will try to work on one for the word PEACE. Lord knows I need it right about now.

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  19. F-finally getting a little warmer
    U-under the sun (here in FL)
    N-now ready to go to the beach. :)

    Silly and shallow...but hey, it's Monday!

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  20. Excellent. I'm in such dire need of time, I can so relate to this today!! :)

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  21. Wendy:
    Trust

    Truly
    Relying
    Upon the
    Savior's
    Timing OR Traits.

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  22. So wishing I have the *time* to respond to all of you tonight. Not in these cards. I'm going to try hard to do that tomorrow. I did so much laundry today and I have no reason reason why--nothing to blame it on. Not a recent vacation or anything.

    Loved reading your thoughts and acrostics.

    On the treadmill in about five I'm going to think up one for
    S
    L
    E
    E
    P

    Thank you for coming here.
    ~ Wendy

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  23. Great post, Wendy. No acrostic, just a bunch of letters. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

    heehee. ;)

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  24. That's a really good acrostic for time. I like your E, especially. I think we're very similar in that E.

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  25. Oh I LOVE your acrostic! Can I print out your post? I'd love to hang it up in my office where I can see it to remind me of the truths you spoke in it.

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  26. Trust would definitely be my acrostic! However, I have no idea what words I would choose. Maybe I should mull that over and write a blog post about it. :)

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  27. I'm all about faith this week.

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  28. I love your personal TIME. Not all of my friends understand why I sign up to help out at the kids' school or drive field trips and such, but it's important to me to take advantage of these opportunities now. They won't be around later. Publication is only one of my goals. Having a strong bond with my husband and kids is the other!

    I have an award for you on my blog 3/17/2010!

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  29. Hmmm. That would be still. Silent Thoughts Instill Leaning on the Lord. Loved your post!

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  30. Hey Wendy!
    Sorry I haven't been by in a while. I like this idea of taking a word and making an acrostic out of it. It just so happens I was given a word yesterday to concentrate on. Stable. I'm going to have to think a bit on that one. Thanks for the idea! I would have never thought of it and it will go a long way to help me concentrate on being stable.

    Happy St. Patrick's Day,
    Jen

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Taking Time

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