A little thought from Tolkien

My whole family loves to read...and lately we've had "The Fellowship of the Ring" floating around the house and we all take turns reading it and enjoying it together. We do crazy things like walk into the room and announce trivia questions like "How did Oin die" and "How many days was it from the time Frodo was stabbed to the time he got to Rivendell" and "How did Gandalf make his signiture "G" ? Things like that...and while we enjoy the movie, we still love to read the book and discuss it! :)

I ran across a passage the other day and I wanted to share it, because it has a really good principle. (and by the by, Gandalf and Frodo share this conversation in the mines of Moria in the movie, where as it's proper place is in chapter 2, The Shadow of the Past.)

Gandalf is telling Frodo the history of the ring and as Frodo begins to see the import of the matter this comes up:

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

Using our time wisely. It's not about what happens to us, it's about how we react to the events in our lives. I find that principle to be intriguing, and challenging. At least for me it's an ever present attitude choice: how am I going to react to the situation with which I'm faced. Will it be with a Christian spirit and a graceful attitude, or will it be out of passing emotions and lashing out?

So it's just a thought. And you could do so much more with this.

How are you deciding to use your time?

Begin With the End in Mind

“Begin With the End in Mind”

This principle was part of a secular article on rearing children I found in a magazine the other day. It went on to different points of which some were rather weak and others dumb-founding.

But that’s not the point. I was struck by that first line- Begin with the end in mind. How very important and profound!

As Christians, we should have this mind every day of our lives. When we first became Christians, we made that act of faith (baptism) with Heaven, the end, in mind. But do we spend every day with that same attitude?

“Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

Paul’s words, inspired by God are both a challenge and an encouragement. Every day we have the opportunity and obligation, as children of God to spend our time with the end in mind. What end? Living as a faithful child of God. That is the most important end. Any day where you were faithful to God, is not a wasted day. Maybe you didn’t get all your goals accomplished, but if you were faithful, if you strove to be pure, then your day was not wasted.

-Begin the day with the end in mind with your personal life- Bible study and prayer, attitude and outlook.

-Begin with your children, with the end in mind- Train their minds early in both the Word of God and good attitudes and habits.

-Begin with the end in mind with your marriage- I love to meet and talk with couples who have been married for so many years. There is a couple here in Trinidad that just celebrated their 50th. Start your marriage with 50 and 60 plus years in mind! Do what it takes to be the spouse you have agreed by marrying, to be.

Begin with the end in mind as a single person- Prepare you heart and mind for God’s use, whether it be marriage or single-hood. Be active, be aware of time, and use it wisely.

“Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.” Hebrews 12:1-3

The first part of this passage is referring to the faithful men and women in Hebrews chapter 11- they lived their whole life with the end in mind. We can have the same confidence and drive to live similarly. We have their encouragement and example to follow, and the more importantly we have salvation through Christ making it possible to live forever with Him in eternity. We will have the prize of Heaven when we have lived our lives faithfully, each day, with the end in mind.

A little thought from J.R.R. Tolkien

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

I really like this. It can say so much sometimes.

Proverbs 31:18

"She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable: Her lamp goeth not out by night."

It's a tiny bit ironical that the principle I want to touch on this week for this verse is time management and it's Sunday, 6 days late I'm posting!! *blush*

"Her lamp goeth not out by night"- You know that old adage about our mothers, "First up, last to bed." That's a long the same lines as this and how did our mothers manage this? How did the virtuous women pull this off? Time management.

We all have the same hours in the day, but how we manage them makes a huge difference! We need to take the time to analyze how we use our time and make the adjustments necessary.

Now I don't profess to know everything about this, in fact I'm not even equipped to write a long 'how to' in regards to children, but there are some principles that I think we all agree can be helpful.

I. Prioritize your time. Make sure you know how you're using your time. (added benefits-becoming aware of how you spend your time and catching bad habits)

II. Plan personal Bible study time. Even if that means teaching your very young to sit still on the couch by your side looking at a Bible book etc, while you study and pray. (added benefits- teaching your children dedication and self-discipline)

III. Plan your meals ahead of time. It saves money and headaches. (added benefits are ease in hospitality, emergencies etc.)

IV. Do a little house work each day. There are some good helps and planners like Fly Lady and Organized Home. (added benefits are ease of working within your home, hospitality, comfortableness.)

V. Don't plan too much. The object of using your time well is not to get more things done, but to get the things you need done, completed in a timely manner. (added benefits are spontaneous picnics, outings, time to care for other people and time with your children.)

These are just a few ways to work on better managing our time. I know sometimes it seems impossible to keep ahead of what seems like chaos, but we can have these anchors that will helps us keep our heads, and be able to be gracious moms, and daughters as we work toward these goals of virtue. :)

I would love to hear thoughts and comments on any of this!

12 April 2010

I can hardly believe that my month here in Tanzania is up! Time has a way of fleeing....

It's been such a lovely visit....being with the Jensen family, worshiping with the people here, the Swahili singing, the beautiful scenery...I could make a list a mile long. But I won't.

It's just good to be encouraged by people you love and to let the beauty of God's creation sink into your soul.

Yesterday Jacob, (with Don and Axe!) Julia, Luke, Linz and I took a walk up the hill from the house. It's really a lovely walk and the view is spectacular. You can see all the way to Kisongo where the school is. You can see the Maasai plain stretching out to Longido. It's just beautiful. Beautiful because there are round hills just at random. Because the yellow blossomed trees that line the road wind around like a wavy pencil line. It's beautiful because the sun is so warm and brilliant; it's beautiful because God made it that way. So we we walked and chatted and enjoyed the beauty. We ended up sitting on the green grass and just being together. Oh, Jake was brushing the dogs and Julia was taking pictures and I was not crying, just for the record! :) It was just so nice to be with my dear friends. Time stood still for just a few precious minutes. And then we walked home and that was that. But it's those moments in time that make life more precious.

That us standing in the sun-left to right, Linz, myself, Luke, Julia and Jake.

My flight leaves at 9:30 (or there about) and I'll get home around 5 pm on Tuesday. Please keep me in your prayers!