Too Much To Do

“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.””

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I read an article by Rick Warren this morning. He states: 

“Think of the rubble as the trivial things that waste your time and energy, those things that prevent you from accomplishing what God has called you to do. If you are discouraged, you may need to clear away some of the rubble in your life.”

I have spent my life trying to do three things at once...literally. It was almost a challenge to try to see how many plates I could spin at the same time. A year and a half ago, I retired from my full time job. Because I did not know any other way to live, I tried to put more things in my life so that life would be “normal feeling.” 

I want to digress at this point. I absolutely do not think that a person needs to cancel every event in their life. Many times when people think they are too busy and stressed, they cancel the things they need to keep. 

I think the most common event for people to cancel is going to church and being a part of a community group. The rationale is this a day of rest and relaxation, their only day off. 

Another common thing to cancel is exercise. No time to take care of yourself physically and frees you up for more TV watching. 

Another thing to cancel is serving others. No way for time to observe that God has placed some people in your path that need you. 

Definitely most people cancel having a quiet time with the Lord. We rationalize that God wants us to rest. We cannot wake up earlier and read His incredible word and talk to him about life. 

I have noticed that when people start canceling rubble from the life, the most important things are sometimes the things are dropped first and should be kept. 

To clean out rubble, real trash, means to be able to hear what is rubble and what is not. Nehemiah and his crew got tired...real tired. They did not make time for social media and watching their favorite TV show. 

God gave them wisdom to know who to ignore and what to ignore.

“so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.”

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭6:3-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I want 2020 to be the year that I plead for wisdom to know the difference. If I lay out my life for God to examine, he would love to reveal to me what is my purpose and what is not. 

Third Alternative Thinking

I  am not sure who coined the phrase "third alternative thinking." I want to explain what it means, if case you have never heard of it before. It is a very powerful concept.

I am going to explain it using dieting terms because that is the way I am most familiar. If you don't like the size that you are, you have one choice. You can eat less calories and exercise more. You will either choose this alternative and be successful or you will not change a thing and not lose weight. Only two alternatives exist...change your habits and lose weight or don't change a thing and do not lose weight. Some people decide that there is a "third alternative." They can eat the same way and lose weight. This possibility DOES NOT EXIST. However, people pretend that it does.

I used to tell my students the same thing. If you want to improve your grades, you must make changes in your study habits. If you do not want to change, your grade will not change. Many of my students want to improve their grades, but they do not want to study more. That is third alternative thinking, which does not exist. The only two alternatives are to change your study habits(and your grade will improve) or do not change a thing(and your grade will not improve).

Do you find yourself using "third alternative thinking" sometimes? I do it all the time. I want to lose 10 pounds but I eat a slice of Friendship Bread. I say,"Oh,it won't matter." I want to save money but I buy some new clothes. I rationalize that I will just save next month. This is third alternative thinking. Unless I actively change a behavior, nothing will change.

The dangerous thing is that we apply this principal to our spiritual life. We want to be closer to the LORD, but we do not want to make any changes. We want to become prayer warriors, but we don't really want to spend any more time in prayer. We want to know what God is like, but we don't want to get up early and spend time reading the Bible. We want to live abundant, changed, joy filled lives...but we do not want to trust God with all of our trials. We want to conquer areas of sin in our lives, but we do not want to wake up everyday and put on the "full armor" of God. What are we thinking? We have got to quit living in la-la land. We need to confront what we are doing. There is no third alternative. 

So choose ...is it the easy way that cost us nothing and we gain nothing or the more difficult way that cost us something?

Jesus puts it plainly, "Deny yourself or don't claim to be following after me!" Choose life or choose death. Choose trust or choose fear. Choose to lose your life and gain the whole world or gain the whole world and lose your life. Quit making up third options that do not exist.

Keep this in mind...the painful, difficult, risky options are not chosen very much because the reward comes much later. I can't see it right away. It is not instant. When I choose eat a brownie, I get an instant reward. The painful consequence does not hit me until later when I check the scales to see if I lost a pound. If I decide not to eat the brownie, I get the painful consequence immediately. The reward will be much later.

Same with the Christian walk. If I choose to wake up early and spend time in God's word, I will suffer at that time by being very sleepy. But over time, I will get the beautiful reward of really knowing who God is. Payday is slower when you make the right choice. But the rewards are out of this world!

Never Ever Get Tired of Doing Good

“Brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Guess what I had my last week before retiring ...a “chicken biscuit” day! If you don’t what that is, my son sometimes buys an extra chicken biscuit and gives one away to a homeless person on the way to work. He just rolls down his window and hands it out at a red light.

Every day on my way to work, I pass by a girl that is waiting at a bus stop on Hulen Street. She is there at exactly 6:55 AM. She is dressed in an outfit that one might wear to a fast food restaurant. She always, always looks down and tries to be invisible. I have passed her for several years. I have imagined how I could bless her. Since Friday was my last day, I was running out of time.

I have tried to time the stop so I could talk to her when the light was red. I have tried turning down the street next to her but cars turned in as well behind me. She would get on the bus.

I saw her at the bus stop and turned into the street and did a u-turn. I yelled out the window, “Hey!” She turned and looked. I said, “Please come over here.” She had courage to run over to a total stranger and take a chance of missing her bus. But she did. I told her that I pass her everyday and pray for her. She smiled so big. She said, “My name is Joanna.” I told her my name was Pat. I gave her some money and told her to spend on whatever she needed.

How can we encourage each other to not be weary in doing good? I looked up ideas of things to have in my car to give away when I see a needy person. The only thing that would stop me is courage to do this

What Are Your Devoted Things?

“Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭7:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is a familiar story(If it’s not a familiar story, spend time in the Old Testament. Incredible stories are found hidden in those pages.)

Joshua had led the children of Israel in a resounding defeat of Jericho by walking around the city walls 7 times and the walls collapsed. Their fame grew within the enemies in the Promise Land. Next on the list was Ai.

“”Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭7:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The men came back and reported that they only needed about 3,000 men and not the whole army. This should have been an easy defeat. But much to their surprise, the men of Ai soundly defeated them! What happened?

One of the members of the Israelite army, Achan, saw treasures of the of Jericho and stole them and hid them in his tent. God had specifically said,

“Remember, we must destroy everything else. Don’t take anything. If you take anything and bring it into our camp, you yourselves will be destroyed, and you will cause trouble for the rest of our people.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭6:18‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Keep this in mind. The next time they attacked Ai,

“You will do to Ai and its king the same thing you did to Jericho and its king. Only this time you can take all the wealth and animals and keep it for yourselves. You will share the wealth with your people.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭8:2‬ ‭ERV‬‬

God does not say to turn away from all the good things here in earth. This story is not leading us to deny ourselves of all things that he provides. But when the world flashes money, entertainment, even food and tells us to make these our “devoted things” and our source of happiness, be careful. Only the Lord, and him alone, will be our source of joy and strength and wisdom. 

I love that the Lord knows that we are weak and we need his help to fight our battles.

That's how we fight our battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You!

Lord, I’m surrounded by enemies to the right and to the left. But these battles are won when I lay aside the sin that so easily entangles me.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Make a list of the “devoted things” that have been kept hidden in our tents. Get rid of these things that are nothing but cheap substitutes for the real treasures. There are battles ready to be won! Even better, we will gather up the crowns of our enemies and lay them at the feet of our Savior one day.

Are You Living With Truth or Lies?

“Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Our class is studying a series of lessons on building our core...physical core, emotional core, mental core and spiritual core. 

Last Sunday, we studied how to build our mental core. I found that to be the hardest thing of all four things to strengthen. We can work on our spiritual core by reading our Bible and praying to God with regularity. We can strengthen our physical core by lifting weights, doing aerobic exercises and work on our flexibility. We can “grit our teeth” and be mindful of our emotions...sadness, anger, fear, and happiness. 

But somehow to make progress in the area of the mind takes an enormous discipline. Everything goes into our mind! 

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was noticing this week that all of us struggle with what is truth. For example, our jealously sometimes towards others are based on a lack of knowledge. Have you ever look at someone’s life and think that they have a “perfect life?” But later on you find out that this person has some problems that you would not want to trade with. A good rule of thumb is to not be jealous of someone’s life. No point in this, whatsoever.

Another example of not knowing truth is not realizing the unbelievable poverty that some are facing in most of the world. We have pity parties about finances when there is something we desire and can’t buy it right now. But the item is not even on the mind of most of the world. If the truth smacked you in the face, you would give more of your time or money or prayer to the more than 10% of the world that is living on less than $2 a day. That is more like closing our eyes to the truth. 

Not knowing truth means that most Christians do not understand what it means to follow Jesus. Stop and think. Do we often get mad at God because we are suffering? We are bitter because we have problems. We want life to be about us.  

“Jesus continued to say to all of them, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:23‬ ‭ERV‬‬

This week, I have been intentional about what truth/lies enter in my mind. It’s hard work! So I have asked the Lord to reveal what is a lie that I am believing about my life. Oh my goodness! It’s shocking, the bald-faced lies that I allow to sit around in my mind. These lies need to be cleaned out and replaced with truth. 

“So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:14‬a ERV‬‬

To build a strong core of truth in our mind will impact the core of everything else. 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:30‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Check your belt tied around your waist. Is it truth or a bunch of lies that you are wearing around? 

Slithering of the Snake

Slithering of the Snake

After over 40 years of marriage, Mark and I went to a marriage conference last weekend! Several people have asked me what was the most important thing we learned. My brain was so full of truths that I was not sure how to pick out a favorite. But these two words kept returning to my memory, “slithering snake.”

We were both so excited. But two days before, we had two huge fights over nothing...absolutely nothing. Mark and I know that when this happens, something big is coming up. Satan did not want us to experience this weekend. We prayed that God would do something so amazing, that we would not believe it. However, I actually doubted that he could answer that prayer.

Not that God was not all powerful, because he is. I figured that the conference leader may find out that we have been married for that long and he might even want to know how we stayed happily married, like a TV show. He would ask the common questions like “what was our secret?” I’ve read so many books and blogs on good marriages. What would be new? I had such a negative, pathetic attitude.

We drove up to a conference filled with 4,000 other people and we did not know a soul! I had a phone call right before it started and Mark and I were annoyed about the content of the call. The first half conference had wonderful speakers but i was thinking how I’ve heard all this stuff before. The reason I am giving all this background is to demonstrate the power of the “slithering snake.”

“Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.” So the Lord God said to the snake, “You did this very bad thing, so bad things will happen to you. It will be worse for you than for any other animal. You must crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭ERV‬‬

(One of the speakers mentioned the idea and I wish I could give him credit but I can not remember who. I will be careful to not take credit for those words.)

Satan attacked Eve through trickery, deceit. He attacks us the same way. Looking back to the events leading up to the conference, the slithering snake was literally crawling around quietly, in and out of our lives, whispering, casting doubt about God’s goodness and power. He whispers lies about God’s Word. 

If I saw a slithering snake, I would scream and run away with fear. However, if he was slithering I probably would not even see him. I almost never see snakes. But obviously, they are everywhere. Why don’t we see them? They seem to lie still and wait.

What’s the best way to avoid snake bite? Simple answer – leave snakes alone. If we encounter a poisonous snake, run away. If we knew a snake had the power to kill us with their bite, why would we be foolish enough to hang around them?

The same thing is true in our marriages. When we knowingly sit near to a snake, we will probably be bitten. But everyday, we knowingly sit by snakes. Oh, we don’t see them. Satan is too crafty to be noticed. But he slithers into our conversations and causes us to speak disrespectfully to our husbands instead of encouraging them. He tempts us to spend too much money and then not be content with our husband’s salary. He makes us nitpick the small stuff about our husbands, instead of looking for the million of wonderful things about him. 

That is one of his very main slithering tricks. Another speaker gave this illustration. He asked us to look around the auditorium and look for people wearing red. Then he said to close our eyes and estimate how many people were wearing blue. We could not think of anyone. Why? Of course, we had only been thinking of the red. Same is true in our relationships. When we constantly focus on the negatives of the other person, we don’t notice the wonderful qualities of them. It is almost impossible to see the good.

Stop right now and name your spouse’s bad qualities. Pick of a pencil and make a list of the reasons you feel in love with them. If it is difficult, you just fell for the “slithering snake” trick. All day today, be alert to the slithering snake trick.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He wants to bite you and destroy you. One hundred percent of the time, he wants to destroy your marriage. If he can’t do that, he wants you to not pray together. He would love for you to just tolerate each other. He wants you to be too busy for each other. He can try to get you to blame the other person and not accept your part. His schemes are endless and crafty.

I woke up at 3:00 AM this morning and could not get back to sleep. I decided that somebody on this planet needed to hear about this. I cannot express how many things went wrong when I tried to publish this. Satan is a crafty one.

Two Forks in the Road

“If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30:21‬ ‭ERV‬‬

There are small forks on the road everyday, small choices. I think that these small choices determine what your future will look like. But it is a paradox. The wrong way is filled with flowers and green grass and laughter and it actually looks easier.

It involves sleeping later and having a day off on Sunday. It involves not giving away any of your money to church because you need that money for something else. It promises eating anything you want and however much you want. You can satisfy your sexual needs anytime you want. Instant gratification is there for the taking...no waiting.

God’s way appears to be the least attractive way. It seems to be harder. It requires sacrifice. It requires discipline.

However, let’s see what happens when you choose the easier way. After you have been satisfied momentarily, you realize that you have some consequences waiting for you. For example, if you are trying to eat healthy and you eat a dozen cookies one day and then a bunch of chips the next day and then three brownies the day after your clothes won’t fit anymore. Happens every time. That option looked good but it ended up bad. The opposite is true. If you eat healthy all week, you feel there is a better chance that you won’t die of heart disease.

Let’s say that you decide that you need a day off on Sundays and you never attend a small group and worship service. It seems like the best choice. You say, “I need my rest.” After a period of time, you wonder where your friends are...I mean good friends who will love you when you are not lovable and walk you through dark days.

Here is the good news. When you get into the Word and follow what God is saying, you start to notice that this was a good choice.

The Lord says, “I will teach you and guide you in the way you should live. I will watch over you and be your guide.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭ERV‬‬

You start walking up the mountain and the view is phenomenal! You will thank yourself for choosing His way. You will begin to experience a more abundant life. You will begin to praise the Lord for how good he is!

It reminds me of my favorite verse.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You will see that God wanted the best for you all along. He wanted you to experience the abundant life.

I have to throw this in. Many people think that there is a third alternative. The way that you have to make no changes whatsoever, but you will still see the Promised Land. There is no third alternative. Never believe that lie.

Begin everyday realizing that are always two choices to every decision. Think about want you want your future to look like. Depends on which fork in the road you chose.

Wait for the best

Remember, most temptations are a shortcut that Satan wants you to take. ~Johnny Hunt

I read this quote this morning. Every time we make a lessor choice, it is because we take the easy way out. I often do that with food. I come home from work and I am starving, absolutely starving. But instead of waiting for a healthy dinner, I eat one snack and then another snack and then one more snack. By the time dinner rolls around, the healthy choice does not even look so good because I am filled with the lessor choices.

Think about areas of your life when you took the "shortcut." You did not want to wait for the best. And to top it all off, Satan condemns you and tells you how pitiful you are after you make that choice! Jesus said that "he did not come to condemn but to give us an abundant life." When you are condemned, that is not the voice of the Heavenly Father. Even though you made the wrong choice, he will not condemn but the Holy Spirit will gently convict you that you made the wrong choice. That is the voice of the Father.

Be intentional today to take the path, even though painful, to abundant life. If it's a shortcut, steer clear.

Do you fear the person getting more likes?

“The Lord was with David, so he was successful in everything. Saul saw how successful David was and became even more afraid of him. But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led them into battle.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:14-16‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Saul was the appointed king of Israel. And yet David was becoming more and more the people's choice. It is the equivalent of David getting a 100 times more "likes" than Saul ever dreamed of. I can see this happening in every walk of life.

In my job, there are always going to be people that are more "highly favored." There are teachers at my school that are more talented and more incredible. I really teach at a school where almost every teacher is pretty amazing. However, I have set my mind against needing the accolades and attention at my school. I know that it is a slippery slope to try to be teacher of the year for my sake and my glory. I only desire the Lord's attention and affirmation. But trust me, you have to set your heart to do this.

In the Facebook and Instagram world, there are countless online businesses that are competing for the limited amount of dollars. A precious friend of mine, Michelle Myers is the owner of a three wildly successful online businesses. I can't count the number of times, I have read her posts and they point every single reader to the Lord. But she has purposed in her mind that she is not trying to gain the love of the people. She is trying to gain the attention of one person and Him alone. A long time ago, she decided that she would not "fear" the person that is getting more likes.

In families and friend groups, we "fear" that person that is doing better and getting more attention. What a dangerous thing that the enemy pulls you into to. If you don't get a grip, look where it leads...

“But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father wanted very much to kill David.”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭20:33‬ ‭ERV‬‬

In whatever area of your life, if you see a tendency to be jealous of another person because they are more well liked and are getting the fame that you so desperately crave, draw a line in the sand today.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Life's Biggest Choice

“And Jesus said, “The things that make people wrong are the things that come from the inside. All these bad things begin inside a person, in the mind: bad thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, doing bad things to people, lying, doing things that are morally wrong, jealousy, insulting people, proud talking, and foolish living. These evil things come from inside a person. And these are the things that make people unacceptable to God.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:20-23‬ ‭ERV 

If you read through the list of things that make a person wrong, you will find at least one thing on that list that would condemn you. This verse says that these things make you unacceptable to God. I think we all want to think that we are pretty good. We only have a few sins and most of our life is okay and that God is pleased with us because we are "pretty much" alright. 

But that is not true. We actually stink in God's presence. The entire book of Leviticus is filled with things that needed a sacrifice so that God could allow them to continue to live. Two of Aaron's sons died on the spot because they offered a wrong incense. God was and is warning us that He is HOLY and that we cannot stand in His presence. 

 At this point, many want to give up and say that no one can meet that standard of holiness. When you reach that point and you understand that you cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God, you have a choice. 

““If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship GOD, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship GOD.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

God is always allowing us to make a choice. If we want to worship Him and inherit all that He has for us, then it requires one thing...accept His only Son as payment once and for all as covering for our sins. No other way will do. If you don't accept His way, then you are choosing any other god...not the one true God. Believe me, there are a lot of other gods to serve. Problem is they can never satisfy. False gods that you created will always disappoint you. Today chose to have a relationship through Jesus Christ with the only true God.

Is There Only One Way to Heaven? Really?

“The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”

When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:4-6

Eve, chose to take fruit from a tree that gave her the ability to decide what was right or wrong. Instead of allowing God that ultimate, wise place of authority, she chose to redefine truth on her own terms. Since that time, we have all been faced with the same choice. Will we fall victim to the enemy’s lies that we can do life better on our own? Or will we choose to believe that God has a better way? ~Robin Meadows

I have a sweet friend that I work with that God has put directly in my path to talk to about the Lord. He is absolutely certain that "my way" is just one way to have a relationship with the Lord. Ever since our first conversation about having a relationship with Jesus, he has been asking me hard questions about why I believe the way I believe. He is positive that he can do life better on his own. I am positive that I can't do life on my own.

“And I command you today: Love GOD, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by GOD, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:16‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:36‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭ERV‬‬

“Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:25-26‬ ‭ERV‬‬

If you read this blog, I pray that you know the Lord and will allow Him to help you maneuver through life and not try to live it on your own.

How to Maintain a Consistent Quiet Time

In John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "

We read promises like this and we ask ourselves, "why do some people seem to enjoy a full life and I am plagued with doubts and setbacks?"  

This is similar to asking ourselves the question, "why am I overweight and out of shape?"  How are you fueling your body? What foods are going into your mouth on a consistent basis?  What exercises are you performing on a daily basis?  You know before asking those questions that the way you feed your body is the secret to your health issues. 

How do you feed your spiritual life?  Do you hunger and thirst for God's word?  Just like in the area of food, you can be so full of junk that you are not hungry for the healthier choices that your body needs. If you never eat fruits and vegetables, you do not have a taste for fruits and vegetables.  

Let's establish that many Christians really want to have a consistent quiet time spent with the Lord.  However, they just can't seem to be able to develop this habit in their own life. I want to humbly offer some ideas for beginning and maintaining a quiet time. 


Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.

You are probably wondering why I am using a Vince Lombardi quote about football right here.  Why is it that no one questions that success in the sports arena require perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority? But in the spiritual realm, we expect the abundant life without the same commitments. 

Okay, let's say that you are convinced that a change is needed. Let's agree that it is the most important thing that you can do. How do you begin? You need three W's.  When, Where and What.

When:  If someone walked up to you and asked you when is your quiet time, can you immediately answer? What Mark and I decided many years ago is a simple way to accomplish this. It is the first thing we do before___.  Fill in the blank.  We do this before we go to work.  I do not have a choice about going to work.  But before I go to work, I will spend at least 30 minutes studying the Bible and praying. On Saturdays, I will spend time feeding my soul before I exercise, eat breakfast, go shopping, etc.  Typically, on a work day, we will set our alarm based on how long would it take to get ready AND have a quiet time before we leave for work. Just add thirty minutes to the time it takes you to get ready.  You may already be thinking "I would have to go to bed earlier if I am going to wake up earlier." Yep, that has to be part of the plan. 

Where:  When I look at my love seat that faces my backyard, I equate that place as my place where I meet with God every morning.  When you know the location of your Bible study/prayer time, you will have everything you need nearby.  You will not have to search for your Bible, pen, paper, etc. In addition, you immediately settle in to the routine because your mind associates this as a special place. Notice that the place does not have to be fancy.  It is your spot!

What:  You can have a consistent time and place and still falter.  The "what" is a key component.  You need to decide what you will be doing during your time of study. Just like in the physical world, you could waste a lot of time trying to decide what exercises you will do in the gym. Or you could just "pre-decide." I am absolutely not suggesting that you take out the leading of the Holy Spirit in what scripture to study.  But to ensure your success in the beginning stages, I would decide ahead of time that you will be studying the book of John or The New Testament or the study of marriage. I spent the first 40 years, reading through the entire Bible each year.  Talk about stick-in-the-mud issues:).  When something works for Mark and I, we stick with it!

Take what you like from this blog.  Don't be legalistic.  You are not doing this to check a box or to earn God's favor. You are doing this to be connected to the living vine. Your health depends on it. Your life depends on it.