My Mind on Time

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important, because
I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something
that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, not loss;
good not evil; success not failure;
in order that I shall not regret
the price I paid for it.
Author Unknown

Days go by and suddenly you realize that a lot of time has gone by and much of what you wanted to do as gone astray. We all started diets, set fitness goals, household goals, work goals, and made numerous spiritual quests and commitments at the first if the year. Well, here it is April the 6th and I feel like April's fool. I talked about having two many irons in the fire earlier. The sad thing is I have a lot going on and yet nothing accomplished. Wah! Nothing is a strong word but I would have liked more of my goals to come to fruition.

On January 6th of this year I wrote about “Plans of the Diligent” on this blog. I listed several questions I wanted to ponder throughout the month of January-February. I started the journal/list but never finished it nor accomplished much of what I started. I am revisiting this list to keep me mindful of my days and to be a better steward of the hours.

I am thankful for these verses as written in Lamentations:

Lamentations 3:22-24 (King James Version)
22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
I found it interesting as I was looking for this passage. I scrolled through several scripture references that noted where some one had “rose EARLY in the morning” to accomplish something or perform a command, (emphasis mine). I am sitting here at 10:30ish writing a blog when on days gone by I would have been done by now. The key my friend is to rise early and greet my Lord’s “mercies” which are new every morning.

This girl is going to have to drag her sleepy head out of bed earlier, which means go to bed earlier without a book and get some sleep.

Girlfriends, I have the “know how” but the discipline lacks. So today I once again dust off my knees from praying…begging, pleading forgiveness for my lack of discipline. I will not walk in my own strength and I will return to the plans of the “diligent”.

This resolve is sure to bring to humor to future blogs. I will show my humanness – my stubborn resistance to “budgeting and good stewardship”. Apparently my time management is about as good as my financial endeavors. I going to a class for our finances so who knows time management is next.

Here are some great quotes on time management. There are quite a few. Pick a favorite for yourself. I am particularly rattled by the last one listed. Enjoy.

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
Rodin

Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life.
Alan Lakein

Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.
Charles Richards

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau

Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.
Lord Chesterfield

Never let yesterday use up today.
Richard H. Nelson

One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time.
Author Unknown

To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.
Eva Young

A year from now you will wish you had started today.
Karen Lamb

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
Michael Altshuler

Those who make the worse use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. Jean De La Bruyere

You cannot kill time without injuring eternity.
Henry David Thoreau