My Days are in His Hands

Those who believe on the LORD shall be like trees near the stream of living water.

Sitting ..... in the quiet of my study, wrapping up a few loose ends of correspondence.  

Working ..... on lessons for my homeschooling co-op classes and clearing out my In-basket from all the clippings I've picked up over the past six months.  It's a long process.   

Thinking ahead ..... to taking a trip to North Carolina to visit our grandchildren and son and daughter-in-law.   Hoping the leaves are still pretty on the trees so the trip will be lush and lovely.

Thankful ..... for my family and my husband who bring me so much joy and grateful for my good health.  

Planning ..... for a Christmas gathering with the girls and their mothers in my "Building & Furnishing a Christian Home" co-op class.   It will be a late-afternoon "advent by candlelight" event.   The topic will be "Five Women Who Changed Eternity" (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary), based loosely on the Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers (one of my favorite authors).   

Encouraged ..... by the enthusiasm of my Nature Study co-op class students, I must plan our upcoming field trip.       

Listening ….. to birds visiting my feeders just outside the window where I'm working.    They're quite busy out there.   

The heavens declare the glory of the Lord,

the earth and everything in it.

To Be Self-Controlled & Busy At Home

To Be Self-Controlled 

& Busy At Home

“Teach the older women to … train the younger women to 

… be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind 

... so that no one will malign the Word of God."

Titus 2:3-5

Today begins a series of new posts on the topic of Time Wasters.   Each article will tie into the above Bible passage – with the goal of helping you to become the woman of God that you desire to be as a Daughter of The King!

 * * * * *

Can you believe how quickly the days fly by?   Do you accomplish even half of what you set out to do each day?   Or do you drop into bed at night thinking “did I even get one thing done today?”   

I’m not talking about women with infants at their breasts, babies on their laps or toddlers hanging on their skirts.   Daily life with tiny ones is already a full-plate smorgasbord!  

I’m talking about the rest of us—who have older children who can talk and walk without needing our eyes on them every minute all day long.   

 * * * * *

Sometimes I am ashamed of myself.   When I think about Gramma, I’m always in awe of what she accomplished each day with only a wood-burning kitchen stove and how (for many years) her water was toted in from the pump outside.     Convenience foods were things Grampa carried in from the garden and ate raw!   

I have all kinds of labor-saving devices at my disposal that Gramma never even dreamed of having!   Blender, mixer, chopper.   Microwave oven to pop corn and melt butter.  Swiffer.  High efficiency washer and dryer. 

I should be getting a LOT more done each day, yet I find myself constantly feeling guilty for wasting time.   

Maybe that’s because I WASTE TIME.   I do.   

I waste time.  I spend far too much time in front of my computer.   Sure, I work as a “virtual assistant” so I have to sit here.  And yeah, I write this blog.    

But do I really need to check my Facebook as often as I do?   Will the world come to an end if I don’t immediately respond to e-mails or Facebook?   Probably not.   

“Probably?”  Come on, Deb!   The answer is a firm and resounding NO!

What’s really weird is that I can be such a fiend about self-control in other areas.  I mean like a dictator.   Like, worse than a dictator!  

So, I’ve made up my mind to change my ways.   And I know that with God’s help, I CAN change my behavior in this area!  

Perhaps you’ll feel compelled to join me in this endeavor.    Tomorrow I’ll post the first in this series.   

"With the Lord begin your task; Jesus will direct it.

For His aid and counsel ask; Jesus will perfect it.

Every morn with Jesus rise, and, when day is ended,

In His name then close your eyes; be to Him commended."

Text:  Morgen-und Abend-segen, Waldenburg, 1734, 

translated by W. Gustave Polack, 1890-1950

from "Christian Worship" Hymn #478