• I usually read one book at a time. But this month, I couldn’t restrain myself. There are six that I am dabbling in at the moment.

Less Clutter , Less Noise: Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales by Kem Meyer. I picked this book because I am always looking for ways to make my ministries relevant. This title suggests the opposite of what I’ve known and done. Go here to read Kem’s blog. Here are some posts to get you started . . . Want to change people’s behavior? Make it fun. . . . Don’t talk about money…. . .  Top 5 places to start reading in the Bible… . . . What I’ve learned in 20 years as a parent…

Sanctification: An Alliance Distinctive by Samuel J Stoesz. This book is required reading for consecration. “This book documents the scriptural understanding of the experience of sanctification and the historical antecedents of the teaching as it concerns The Christian and Missionary Alliance.”

The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God by Stormie OMartian. Last year I made prayer a primary focus of my time and efforts. That study is continuing. Plus this books talks about praise; that sounds a lot like gratitude. Gratitude is something else I’ve been focusing on.  Combining the two sounds like an awesome and powerful combination.

The Shack by William P. Young. Everybody has read this book. My former roommate Janelle, Theresa, Pastor Mike, one of my seminary profs, Gerry Breshears (here and here), and CNC’s reading club. Time I read it for myself.

Words of Gratitude: For Mind, Body, and Soul by Robert A. Emmans & Joanna Hill. I am continuing on my quest to learn more about gratitude. I want my life to be led by gratitude especially gratitude to God.

How to Make a Journal of Your Life by D. Price. This sounds fun. These 2 books also sound fun: Making Journals by Hand: 20 Creative Projects for Keeping Your Thoughts and How to Be an Explorer of the World.

What do my choices reveal about me?

• I’m interested in improving my ministry and work.
• I want to keep tabs on the culture around me.
• Prayer and gratitude are still very important to me and still need more work and attention in my life.
• I want to have fun.

Your Turn

• What are you reading and why?
• What does your choice reveal about you?
• What book(s) do you recommend?

Related Posts

• 5 Reasons to be Grateful to God
• 10 Read Out Loud Tips for More Enjoyment
• 13 Benefits of Reading
• 40 More Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
• How Do You Spend Your Time?
• If Google Doesn’t Have God’s Phone Number, Try This One
• My Prayer 4 Today

Our time is ours to spend as we choose, wisely or poorly. 

To know how it is spent, it is a good idea to take a time inventory every once in a while. I recently did that at work.

For 2 months I charted how I spent my hours at work. 

I wrote down the amount of time I spent in doing the following: administration, study, pastoral care, women’s ministry, children’s ministry, and small groups. I went over the numbers with my boss. Turns out I’ve been spending my time well.

Dr. C. C. Albertson calculated that the average person spends their life in the following ways:

“There are 168 hours in each week.

• 56  of these we spend in sleep.
• Of the remaining 112 hours, we devote 48 to labor.
• This leaves 64 hours, of which let us assign 12 hours for our daily meals. This allows 30 minutes for each meal, and 1½ hours extra to promote good digestion.
• We have left 52 hours, net, of conscious active life to devote to any purpose to which we are inclined. Is it too much to say that God requires a tithe of this free time?

One tenth of 52 hours is 5.2 hours. How much of this tithe of time do we devote to strictly religious uses?

• If we attend church twice on Sunday, that will take 1 hour.
• If we attend prayer meeting, another hour.
• We have two-tenths of an hour left, our little margin—shall we not stay for the Morning Watch?

But when we review our lives, how few of us attend religious worship thus regularly!” Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications

I’d like to do a time inventory of my personal time as well. I wonder how well it will match up with Dr. Albertson’s calculations? I have a feeling my free time is not balanced. Go to this link to see a chart of possible categories. Just looking at the possibilities makes me fret. I feel like I don’t have time to do it all. I think I don’t have enough time left in my life to do anything else well.

But Edward H. Griggs says, “Fifteen minutes a day devoted to one definite study will make one a master in a dozen years.”  I can do 15 minutes a day. I will most likely live 12 more years.

Question is, what shall I spend those 15 minutes on? I need to remember that my times are not in my hands. God has a plan for my time. So it would be wise to ask for His input.

How will you spend your 15 minutes a day for the next 12 years?

Related Posts

• 6 Tips to Consistent Bible Reading

• Bingo Helps Me Get Things Done

• God is in Control

• How to Hear God’s Voice

• My 6 Word Philosophy of Life Brings Perspective

• Progress is Progress Even When the Steps Are Ridiculously Easy

• Rumoured Death of Fidel Castro Ushers In Personal Questions

• Time is a Mixed Blessing

• Twenty Wishes Can Change Your Life (more than a book report)

• Wondering about Options, Brings Answer

School is done. So is the licensing interview.  The move is finished. Now I have time, time, time to devote to new life goals.

Before I decide upon new goals and habits for 2010, I need to see how well I’ve done these past 2 years. Therefore between now and January 1, 2010, I am going back over my 51 Things to Do in 365 Days List I made for my 50th birthday. Click here to read the original idea. Click here to read about my goals and click here for the habits I hoped to meet and acquire during my 50th year of life (2008).

Let’s start by reviewing my Educational Goals.

1. Complete 1/4^th consecration requirements. Before I could work on consecration (ordination for men) requirements, I needed to become licensed with the C&MA first. Getting ready for the licensing interview was bigger than I thought and so I postponed that until I completed all my MA coursework. On November 12, 2009, I had that interview. I had a few bumps, but passed! Now I am working on consecration requirements. I hope to be done with all this in 2012.
2. Vote intelligently for presidential election. Done
3. Read 2 books for fun. I read The 21 Balloons by William Pene Dubois. Click here for the review. The second book was The Secret of the Old Clock - the first of the Nancy Drew mystery series. While attending seminary I didn’t have time to read for fun, so these quick-to-read youth books were what I had time for.
4. Figure out what’s wrong with my camera. Couldn’t figure it out. So it was tossed. But my sista and her family bought me a camera for my graduation (June 2009). I LOVE this camera. And it loves me back by rewarding me with GREAT photos.
5.  Learn to do one thing on my blog.  My sista introduced me to stockxpert – the leading free stock photo site. So I have been able to include pictures on my posts. It is quick to sign up for a free account. Nice choices. Easy to use. And if I can use it, anyone can.
6. Finish courses for masters degree from Western Seminary. DONE as of September 1, 2009!!! 

My score is a low B (83%) with 5/6 of my goals accomplished. I am happy with this especially since I decided to wisen up and postpone Goal #1.

 When you look back over the past year or two, what educational goals have you achieved?

Related Posts

• Seminary Has Started
• Twenty Wishes Can Change Your Life (more than a book report)
• Answering These 6 Questions Will Turn Wishes into Attainable Goals
• 5 Things I Did in 2007 and Wish I Didn’t
• Are Thoughts Getting in Your Way to Goal Achievement?
• 10 Things on My Pessimistic List Which Hamper Resolutions
• Progress is Progress Even When the Steps Are Ridiculously Easy
• 12 Motivating Ideas to Goal Achievement
• Identifying Not Just Goals, But Legacy Goals Makes Junk Tossing Easier
• 30 Days, Ugly Truths & Gratitude
• Goal Round-up and People Catch-up 1
• Goal Round-up and People Catch-up 2

What you think about makes a big difference. “Whether You Think You Can or Can’t, You’re Right”–Henry Ford

You need to “firmly etch onto your mind your goal. Whatever you fix your thought upon or steadily focus your imagination upon, that is what you attract.” Claude Bristol in The Magic of Believing.

The Bible says the same. What you think is what you are. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Today I am identifying what my thoughts are about my goals. I’ll do this by journaling my responses.

What are your thoughts regarding goals for your life? Any of them holding you back?

There’s more to this topic.

Setbacks, roadblocks and detours are unavoidable; they are human. Make sure you have support people. They can positively influence you and your current lack of courage, enthusiasm or belief.

Then get up and focus on your next step. Rewrite your goal plan to include some more ridiculously easy baby steps. A baby step, I drink two glasses of water a day, may not seem like much, but it is progress toward the big picture, I drink 8 glasses of water a day. It is progress. Be gentle, patient, take those baby steps on a regular basis, and you will attain your goal.

My action plan for today. I am on a decluttering mission. My ridiculously easy baby step is to get rid of 7 items in the bathroom. I’m choosing the bathroom because it is the neatest room in the house.

This works for me. For other Works-For-Me- Wednesday posts go here. There are currently 249 ideas.

What step will you rewrite so that it is ridiculously easy?  What will you accomplish today?

Read these other posts in the series about Goals.

• Answering 6 Questions Turns Wishes into Attainable Goals
• 12 Ways to Keep Your Motivation Going