Planning & Prioritizing

So this weekend I've been able to have some personal retreat time mainly to focus on the aspect of music in worship and how I can glorify God through that but also to reflect on this new phase of life. Ok, maybe it's not so new, but there are some new things coming up as well as old things that I really haven't put a lot of effort into:

1. I have a boyfriend/soul mate/promised one/... ok, I have a man. In some ways, I have put a good amount of effort into our relationship. In other ways, I haven't.

2. I have the responsiblity of being a daughter who lives at home. I've been a daughter for 19 years. You think I would have it down by now. BUT no, there are still quirks God is working on there.

3. I have the privilege to lead music at my church plant. I've been doing that for 5+ years. Trust me, God will be working on me in that area until... I go to heaven. :)

4. I just accepted another job that entails some serious planning, patience, and lots and lots of prayer.

5. I have a Savior who loves me and cares for me and protects me and fights off the enemy for me and who has conquered death on the cross for me and I rarely ever take more than 30 minutes to sit at His feet and just enjoy His presence.

That's the one I really need to work on.

Given all of these areas of life that need work, after reading through "Shopping for Time" by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters, I have come up with a plan. I'm a planner. It's what I do. I make plans like nobody's business and most of the time the only person who knows about any of them is Jesus, and that's where life gets crazy. Oops.

Well, it's worth a shot. Here's some ways that I could put more effort and plan to spend time in specific areas of life:

• My relationship with Christ:
• Early morning wakeup call: 5 AM. Like, every morning. Not just the mornings that I have to go to work. What is that?? Thinking I just need Him on the days I go out in the world? Hello. I still need him on the days that I'm sitting at home doing homework or planning to conquer the world or cleaning the toilet with a toothbrush.
• More time in prayer. Yes yes yes yes yes. I can spend more time in prayer by...
• going on a walk (exercise and prayer: this works for my multi-tasking brain... I seriously cannot sit still (hence, sitting at Jesus feet and just enjoying Him) without making a list, playing out a melody with my fingers, tapping a note to myself on my iPhone, browsing Pinterest... you name it).
• in my early morning time, reserving at least fifteen minutes for only prayer.
• on the way to work/school
• in the shower
• My relationship with my parents:
• Fixing dinner for them at least once a week (like a nice sitdown dinner where we're all there, not the kind where I fix it and Daddy's out hunting and dinner gets cold and.. yeah.)
• Turning off the TV (this applies for all of us) and playing a game together, having a bible study or prayer time, or going on a fun trip together.
• PRAYER.
• Helping my mom out around the house with projects that she needs done, not my endless string of projects....
• My relationship with my man.
• PRAYER. Yeah, it's a recurring theme. Pray without ceasing...
• Notes & Gifts: I used to be really good about those... I've been slacking lately. It's nice to have notes and gifts, especially those that remind us of the gifts that God gives us or how he blesses us, etc. and I know my favorite guy really appreciates that.
• Spending more time with him and his family.
• Music in the Church
• Prayer. :)
• The Gathering: new event I'll have at my house once a month to encourage "gathering" to worship together and practicing our God-given skills to glorify God with them.
• Coming together with others and patiently waiting for God to bring others to serve with me in music at the church.
• Remembering that even when I want to give up because things just aren't going right, God never leaves me or forsakes me. And that truth alone should cause me to worship at His feet.
• My new job.
• Prayer. Prayer for employees, prayer for me, prayer for patience, prayer for children, prayer for outreach, prayer for community helpers, prayer for protection... the list is endless.
• Planning. I need to carve out specific times each week to have time to plan out details, whether major or miniscule.
• Meet with older, wiser, skilled, and experienced employees who have much more wisdom than I do and learn from them.
• Enjoy the planning process.

Alright, I think that's enough for now. This weekend has been filled so far with Starbucks coffee, "Uncle Si Tupperware," a hairy little dog that I love so much, a Steinway grand piano, and lots of time with Jesus.

I hope your weekend is wonderful and full of God's blessings.

K

 

Agness.

As I sit down to spend time with Jesus this morning, I keep looking at Agness, "my" little girl from across the world. She has a beautiful deep brown complexion, along with deep brown eyes that make you want to melt and take care of her every need. I long to hear her laugh, and perhaps one day I will. When her picture and information first arrived, I cried. God has given me a love for her and her family already and for that I am grateful. But I also know that she is a blessing in so many ways, one of which is reminding me of my own selfishness. God is really good at that. He doesn't like anyone else taking His glory, and no one else can. Isaiah 42:8 says, "I am The Lord, that is My name, I will not give My glory to another or my praise to idols."

Amen, amen. My constant stream of wants and desires for myself are nothing compared to the glory of God. Agness most likely had a point in her life when she didn't have food to eat, and I have never been through that. Yet God has allowed me to now care for her across the world by providing food for her and so much more. Praise God for Agness, and for reminding me through her that I am a selfish human being covered by the blood of Jesus and in desperate need every moment of a Savior.