Feb  3^rd  2011             Blog #13   Confessions and dreams of a middle age woman

Dear Tania

                  Good Blog yesterday Tania. Time is something we battle for balance. I think at the end of our lives no matter how young or old we die, it will be how we used our time that haunt or bless us the most as we transcend this life to the next. I think the easiest way of knowing whether or not we are using or squandering our time would be to break it up into percentages. For example if 24 = 100% ,  then working 8 hours =  33% of our day! Sleeping (8 hours) = another 33 %. This leaves us with 33% or 8 hours to do other things. How much of that time do we want to devote to computer, facebook etc. Assuming that 10% of our 24 hours perhaps should be devoted to God (based on the tithing 10%) then that would mean that 2.4 hours in our day should be in the pursuit of God… What does that look like? How do we accomplish that? Does that include prayer and reading the Bible only? While it certainly should include those it perhaps is also devoted to encouraging others, helping others, sharing with others…etc. In fact I would say that understanding one’s ‘spiritual gifts’ would definitely come into play here. What is your spiritual gift Tania? And how do you use that? What outlets have you allowed yourself to be available to, in order to use your gifts? Gifts are for the building up of the body and the spiritual growth of the individual.

Of course as Christians, we must look to God for our center

but again what does that look like? Is just believing enough? Is just reading the bible enough? For me, I need to hear Gods word in order to be balanced. In order to be a doer of his word. I need his perspective daily because I know that my perspective will be swayed by society, friends etc... even the things I hate! So I hear his word on Sundays but I try as often as I can to listen to other teachings as well from people I believe are God centered. For example Chuck Swindoll, in the past David Manise, and intermittently Steve Brown (great sense of humour) and James Dobson. Through the preaching and teaching of God I am being exhorted and encouraged in my walk. The great part is that all of these are available online. So while I’m doing dishes I put on Swindoll. While I’m cleaning I’m listening to Focus on the family. So I am easily getting my 2.4 hours per day. Now how much of my 24 hours are my own leisure. 10% seems reasonable don’t you think? That’s another 2.4 hours! Again all the same questions occur. What does that look like? Who does that include? Take 4.8 hours from my original 8 hours I had left (after sleep & work) and I’ve only got 3.2 hours left for the business of my day. It might be larger if I overlap some things like listening and cleaning for example. 

      So why break it down like this?       Why go to weight watchers?       What does weight Watchers really do for us?

This week I had my physical with my new Dr. She said to me Suzanne you are in good shape. Internally everything looks good. You have good health except for a few areas that are probably related to 1 problem. Your are way over weight! You need to lose it or you will lose your health. Then she suggested I consider a weight program like weight watchers… why? Because the benefit of WW is that is makes you mindful/aware of what you are consuming! MAKES ME AWARE….  That is what church should do… that is what accountability between friends should do…. It’s what WW does. It makes us aware. So I break this ‘time’ thing down to make us aware. It about more than just ‘am I on facebook to much’… it’s about being more aware of all my time and where it’s going. Then my leisure time, when in balance,  can be used guilt free for whatever I want! 

These are my thoughts today… Tania.