Slaughtering the Sacred Cow of Busyness

Kathy Howard—writer of Bible studies, speaker, wife and mom. She “gets” 24/7 life.

“We’re up before the sun, pound the pavement or keyboard all day, then spend the after-work hours doing housework or homework, cheering at ballgames, and volunteering,” Kathy says. “We’re crazy busy and proud of it.”

OK … she’s gone to meddling. But I love Kathy for her gut-level honesty, so I have to listen.

She continues …

Our culture values busyness. We tend to see a “busy” person as in demand, talented, and indispensable. “Busy” is good. Downtime is bad.

The Danger of Busy

So what’s wrong with “busy?” Everybody’s doing it.

Our society encourages us to push the limits of our time, resources, and physical ability in order to do more, make more, and be more. Often, these limit-busters are positive, beneficial activities.

But over-pursuing has a price. We’re too busy for unhurried conversation with our families. Too busy for physical rest. Too busy to foster relationships.

The greatest danger of “busy” is little room remains for God. No time to soak in His presence or seek His guidance or respond when He calls. No time to develop deep intimacy with the only One who can meet our every need.

Dethrone the Idol of Busyness

I’m not saying we should shred our calendars. God’s plan for us includes good works. But God also knows our limits. If we don’t have time to rest, renew, or relate, then we’re too busy!

God desires our lives to be “full,” not busy. “Busy” is packed with activity – some purposed by God, but a lot purposed strictly by us. “Full” describes a life filled up with the plans, purposes, and peace of God. Relationships, service, good works, and time characterize a “full” life. Time to focus on things that matter for eternity.

I challenge you to tackle something that could change your life. Use the following prompts to evaluate the way you spend your time. The goal is to transform your “busy” life into a “full” life.

1. Start with prayer - Ask for God’s guidance to bring your life in line with His best.
2. Involve your family – Explain what you’re doing and why. Sit down together and prayerfully consider your family’s commitments, including church activities.
3. Make a thorough list - Include any activities you and your family do on a regular basis.
4. Wait - Let it sit for a few days. Ask God to show you what things are from Him and what aren’t.
5. Discover your place of service - God does have a place of service for you in your church. Ask Him where He wants you.
6. Make cuts - Cut out involvement as God directs. Unless God says otherwise, fulfill any existing short-term commitments.
7. Set limits - Set limits on your children’s activities too. Teach them now how to live life at God’s pace, with plenty of room for Him.

Now make a fresh commitment to your relationship with God. Regular time with Jesus will help you leave “busy” behind and fall headlong into the full, abundant life He promised!

Would you describe your life as “busy” or “full?” What activity takes up the most time?

Kathy Howard helps women live an unshakeable faith for life by encouraging them to stand firm on our rock-solid God no matter the circumstances of life. Kathy, who has been teaching the Bible for over 25 years, is the author of five books. Her most recent, Fed Up with Flat Faith, helps readers discover 10 attitudes and actions to “pump up” their faith. Find out about her books and speaking ministry and get discipleship tools and leader helps at her website: www.kathyhoward.org.

Two All Beef Patties

"Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

"I wrote that from memory and I imagine many of you could do the same," Gail Purath said. "Pretty amazing considering that McDonalds only ran that Big Mac jingle for one year (1975-76). And even more amazing because I didn't try to learn it."

I don't know about Gail, but I memorized things a lot easier back then.

She continues ...

Our memories are incredible. We memorize things throughout our lives without even trying—sights, smells, sounds, names, recipes, addresses, phone numbers, songs...

Sadly, studies show that:

“Put to the test, Americans recalled the seven ingredients of a McDonald's Big Mac hamburger and members of TV's 'The Brady Bunch' more easily than the Bible's Ten Commandments.”

I’ve memorized Scripture ever since becoming a Christian, although not as faithfully as I should. And I fear that my head is still filled with far more useless information than with God's life-changing words. 

So, if you're like me and need an occasional boost to get back into the discipline of memory work, let me give you a few "painless" ideas:

1. Reading Memorization: write out and repeat a verse daily. Eventually you'll memorize it.

2. Mutual Memorization: Memorize a passage a week with a buddy.  It always helps to have accountability and someone to "show off" what you learn.

3. Musical Memorization: Music helps us remember. That's how we learned the alphabet as kids and why advertisers use catchy jingles. Think how many words to songs you've memorized without trying. So why not put Scripture passages to familiar tunes, or make up your own Scripture “jingles.”

4. Retro Memorization: Find some old 1970's praise albums (or 8 track tapes? just kidding) when many of the songs were straight from the words of Scripture.  I became a Christian in the 70's and these choruses are the source of many of the verses hidden in my heart.

5. Artistic Memorization: Draw pictures and symbols, even if they are just stick figures and doodles, whatever will help you visualize the passage.

6. Academic Memorization: Tear the verse apart, identify the parts of speech; create an outline or bullet points to help you remember passages.  You English teacher-types will especially like this.

7. Figure 8 Memorization: This method based on Psalm 119:97 involves reading a passage eight times a day for eight days.

"Hiding God’s Word in our hearts" (Psalm 119:11) has far reaching benefits, and is well worth the effort, especially when we can employ one of these painless methods. 

Why not leave a comment with your favorite method of memorization so others can benefit. And please share any special stories about ways memorization has blessed you or others.

Gail Purath has been married to her best friend for 42 years, living the life of a nomad here on earth (40 homes in 62 years), looking forward to her heavenly home. Mother of two, grammy of seven, Gail writes about her joys, struggles, failures and victories in her short-but-powerful 1-Minute Bible Love Notes and shares a short Bible study each week on Bite Size Bible Study.

5 Tips to Strategically Simplify Your Holiday Season!

Do you tend to get a wee bit frantic as November and December arrive each year?

Marcia Ramsland wants to help you UPGRADE your holidays and relieve some stress with some positive strategies.

“If you do anything more than once in life, organize it and simplify it," Marcia wrote in Simplify Your Holiday Season. "That’s especially true for the holidays that come year after year like clockwork.“   

Two years ago, I finally understood what Marcia meant as I felt the weeks snowballing toward Christmas. Last year, I took her wise advice.

She continues ...

There is one date that signals we’re only 8 weeks away Christmas every year – November 1^st! Knowing that, you can be ready and sail through the holidays by planning well.

Here are Five Tips to Get Ready Early and make it the peaceful Thanksgiving and Christmas season you’ve always dreamed of.

1. Mark Your Holiday Dates for November and December. 

Thanksgiving is “late” this year on November 28, which means Christmas is only 3 ½ weeks after Thanksgiving. It might seem that Christmas comes early this year. It will! That’s why we have to accelerate things before Thanksgiving.

2. Write A Master Gift List.

List the names of people that you are planning to give gifts to. Better yet, find your list from last year and follow that same order early in November.

Can’t find last year’s list? Download a 2013 Free Master Gift List and Holiday Calendar.

3. Organize Your Gift Wrap Center.

Right now you don’t have to wrap any gifts. Just organize these seven items in an under-the-bed box or drawer: holiday wrapping paper, gift bags, gift tags, fresh tissue paper, bows & ribbons, scotch tape, and a dedicated pen. Get it organized and ready to use.

4. Plan Ahead by Writing Things Down

Mark your calendar with family coming to town, favorite concerts, kids' school vacation dates and business vacation days. This forms the structure for your holiday season.

5. Sort Your Holiday Decorations Early

The best weekend to put up Christmas decorations this year will be Thanksgiving weekend, but not turning on lights until December 1. That way you can enjoy them for five weeks before taking them down on New Year’s weekend.

Donate what you don’t use early in December. Why?

• Someone else can enjoy your excess decorations this Christmas.
• Charities won't take them after Christmas because they don't have room to store them for 11 months.

Free up space by donating this year!

Planning is powerful! And with a good plan and your eye on the calendar, you can simplify your holiday season. Instead of playing “catch-up” and feeling stressed, you will experience freedom and calm.

And this year, you can say like the angelic heavenly host who praised God appeared to the shepherds and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:13-14).

Dear God, today as I work on preparing my heart and home for Christmas, may I reflect on the events of the first Christmas and find strength in knowing you have a special plan for my holidays this year.” Amen.

What do you do to start planning for the holiday season?

Marcia Ramsland, the author of two holiday books: Simplify Your Holiday Season: Turn Seasonal Stress into Holiday Success and Simply December Devotions, was a recent spokesperson for Sam’s Club Holiday Entertaining.

Download a free 2013 Holiday Calendar and Master Gift List at OrganizingPro.com. 

A Winner at Parenting

Cathy Horning is gifted in drawing practical truths from the Word of God and showing women how God can transform their lives and homes.

"My family loves to play games! Card games, board games, verbal games—you name it, we love them,” Cathy says. “My children are grown and gone now; still, whenever we get together our time often ends with a healthy, fun, and competitive game.”

Some families play games … others play sports. I love how Cathy makes this great parallel between playing and parenting.

She continues …

So, when I was asked to speak to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group on “How To Be a Winner at the Game of Parenting,” I reminisced about all the times our family played games. I discovered three necessary ingredients to truly be a winner when playing the very serious “game of parenting.” 

1. Get to Know your Game. When my children were young and received a new game, they tore into the package, unfolded the playing board, examined all the pieces, and quickly claimed the game piece they wanted to represent them. A similar process is essential in parenting.

We must get to know our family. What do we look like? Who are the players? What distinguishes our family from all the others? I found it helpful to learn about each person’s temperament, their love language, his or her learning style, and each child’s position in birth order. It was also invaluable to discover where each child was gifted, what their strengths and weaknesses were, and how best to train, correct and discipline them.

Gaining insight and gathering information about your “game” and its “players” helps a family work and play better together.

2. Learn and Follow the Rules. Next, my children found the list of rules. Then, our rule keeper explained the instructions to his siblings.

Of course, there are many rules to follow in the "game of parenting." For me, the rule I needed to learn and follow more than all the others was, "I am the boss." My peace-loving personality wanted my children to like me. I didn't want to be too hard on them.

My college child-development classes taught me I had to reason with my children and always be ready with an explanation. This did not work, because it was not true!

I had to re-learn that it was okay to say, "Just because I said so!" Period! The End!

3. Model and Practice Good Sportsmanship. Finally, my children settled down to the business of playing the new game. There was always healthy competition, often roars of laughter, and occasionally friendly squabbles as they learned to play their new game.

However, as leaders of our family, my husband and I knew that we set the tone. We were the role models—we gave our children an example to follow. There was NO whining. NO temper tantrums. NO name calling. NO storming off. NO silent treatment. And absolutely, NO QUITTING!

Unlike the board game of Monopoly, we understood there are no short-cut versions to the invaluable and eternal “game of parenting.”

Of course, being a parent is much more serious than playing a game. But when we apply the essential ingredients of game playing to our parenting, we will always come out a winner. Like Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it" [Amplified version].

Which of these points has been a “game changer’ for you in your parenting?

Cathy Horning has been a women’s ministry leader, Bible Study teacher, speaker and writer for more than 20 years. She loves the Word of God. Nothing brings her greater joy than sharing with others how very precious, practical, and powerful the promises and truths in God's Word. Married for thirty years, Cathy has four grown children, eight grandchildren, and many spiritual sons and daughters. She loves long walks by the bay, a good book or movie, Starbucks ice tea, and especially family get-togethers. Read more by Cathy at her website.

Faith Like a Taco

Rhonda Rhea is quirky and fun, but with extraordinary wisdom and depth. I love the way she makes me laugh and then think ... as I did when I read this UPGRADE Your Faith post:

“Okay, so here’s an idea,” Rhonda said. “A taco, but with a folded hamburger patty for the shell. Because nobody lives forever anyway.”

I had to create a photo to go with Rhonda’s inspiration … complete with fat in the pan.

She continues …

It makes me want to imagine there’s actually a quote that goes, “Ask not for whom the Taco Bell tolls. It probably tolls for thee.”

I’m not sure how to stop my brain from coming up with new ideas that add fat content to my diet by the thigh-load. You’d think my cholesterol numbers would scare me straight. Of course, this is precisely why I don’t regularly have my cholesterol checked. Knowing might actually be a strain on my heart.

Some people don’t know that cholesterol can produce extra adrenaline that way. I do wonder if at some point my heart and thighs will together rise up and tell me enough is enough.

When it comes to faith, though, is there ever a point we feel we have enough? And how much would that be? Even the disciples asked Jesus to grow their faith (Luke 17:5) and they were eye-witnesses to the miracles of Christ. They heard His words firsthand.

This life is full of challenges. We need a faith that’s not merely “enough.” We need faith that’s meaty. Double-meaty, even.

We beef up our faith every time we remember exactly where that faith is placed. It’s not faith in faith. That’s just a lot of extra fat.

Hebrews 12:2 refers to Jesus as “the author and perfecter of faith,” (NASB). Our “Author” creates our faith in the first place. The Greek word used there can also mean “captain.” The word for “perfecter” means “completer” or “finisher.” Jesus originates, creates, generates our faith. He captains, steers, controls our faith. We can fully trust Him to perfect, complete, sustain our faith.

Take a look at the paraphrase:  “No extra spiritual fat … Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in . . . When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1-3, The Message)

Each time we think of the One who originated and sustains our faith, and each time we remember the cross of Christ and all that’s been done to complete our faith, it revs up our faith up all the more. We’re talking good adrenaline here. Not a strain on the heart. As a matter of fact, nothing is heart-healthier.

All the Lord has done for our faith is oh, so enough. Our faith can rest in His “enough-ness.” The hymn says it so well:

My faith has found a resting place, Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One, His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.*

Let’s fix our eyes on Him and His “enough-ness” and let our faith pleasantly rest there. And let it flourish there.

Faith in Him. Faith in what He accomplished on the cross.

It’s faith folded into faith. And that’s beefy—in only the very best ways.

Is your faith “beefy,” resting in Jesus? What does it mean to you today that He will always be “enough” for all your needs?

Rhonda Rhea is a humor columnist, radio personality, speaker and author of 10 books, including How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Person? and her newest, Espresso Your Faith - 30 Shots of God's Word to Wake You Up. Rhonda lives near St. Louis and is a pastor’s wife and mother of five grown children. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.com.

* Hymn, “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” by Eliza E. Hewitt in Songs of Joy and Gladness, 1891.