Devotion #9- "Seek Ye First" Experiment Part 1

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV) 

Last fall I embarked on an experiment of sorts. I was frustrated from getting that "spinning wheels" feeling multiple times a day. I had grown weary from hearing that I should just "put God first" and that would solve everything.  What did that look like in a busy family with young children? Was it even possible or something reserved only for monastics? I decided to find out. I began by signing up for an in-depth Bible study. It had been years since I had been part of one and I was nervous that the nightly homework would prove to be too much with the many responsibilities of having young children and trying to run a home.  Regardless,  I knew that I needed to make time with God a priority in my life, but my previous attempts had sadly been just that- attempts. 

I had tried earlier in the year to read through the Bible yet again, a New Year's resolution I had made so many times before that always seemed to last until April or Deuteronomy, whichever came first. Somehow, I would get behind on my daily reading plan and instead of continuing on, I would give up. Crazy, I know. Why give up? Just keep going for goodness sakes! Who cares if you read through the Bible in thirteen months instead of twelve! Those unchecked boxes on my reading plan mocked me. The legalist in me just couldn't cope with the failure.   

I had tried getting up earlier in the morning for a devotion time to start my day. These never worked for me either. Somehow my kids would know that I was up. My preschooler would get in my bed and the baby would start to cry. How they knew that I was up when all I would do is turn on my bedroom light and read my devotion book in an over- stuffed leather chair in the corner will forever remain a mystery.

I also tried putting devotion books in various places around the house in an attempt to use spare moments to focus on God. This did help but only to a point. I would be in the middle of a reading when the interruptions would inevitably start. 

So my conclusion was that reading through the Bible without a clear purpose like questions to answer or some thought to focus on wasn't working for me. Any good reading teacher will tell you that comprehension starts with a purpose for reading. For me, not setting a purpose was setting me up for confusion when I read. Getting up early in the morning wasn't working either. I have to admit that I felt extreme guilt over this one not working as I had always heard that having time with God first thing was the best time. David even talks about it in the Bible. Randomly  reading devotions felt just that- too random. I needed something more intentional and purposeful. Bits of moments with God wasn't enough. I recognized the depth of my empty soul. Plain and simple- I was desperate in my need for more of Him and I wasn't getting relief from these scraps.

I will continue to share more of my journey in "seeking Him first" and what did end up working for me in the next devotion.

Devotion #8- Holiday Organizing

"For God is not a God of disorder but peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33

 

Over the weekend I was finally able to tackle a project that has been lingering for months on my list of things to do and frankly I was sick of seeing it written on the top of my calendar each week. I have been using a notebook for several years to keep lists of my Christmas tasks. Things like gifts given, thank you notes sent, things to do, card lists, and meal plans are all included in it. It has helped me over the years to not feel as stressed and it keeps me mindful of what I have done in the past and what has worked and what has not worked thus alleviating the need for me to recreate the wheel every year so to speak.

 

I had been feeling, however, that my notebook system was getting a little messy and needed an overhaul. I had shoved various magazine articles and emails in it so it had become harder to find things. Over Thanksgiving my sweet husband accidentally spilled turkey drippings all over it as he assisted me in my need to make gravy from scratch. The gravy turned out surprisingly well, but the notebook did not forcing me to take action. Instead of using a notebook this time I decided to use a binder with page protectors. I created four sections and labeled them Traditions, Christmas Information,  Card List, and Recipes.

 

The Traditions section includes a list of our family traditions. Doing this helped me to decide on what activities I value and want to make time for during this busy season. I was able to see what is important to me so now when other opportunities and activities come up I can easily decide what things should stay on our schedule and what things just aren't important for our family. For instance, we found a great place to view Christmas lights this year so I included the address in this section because it would be hard to find without it. I also included a magazine article which included "Elf on the Shelf" ideas.

 

The Christmas Information section is the main part of the binder. I have a page protector designated for each year. In each page protector I have a list of Christmas gifts given that year and to whom, meal plans for all holiday meals cooked, and a list of thank you notes sent and for what gifts. I never have to worry that I have given the same gift twice. I also don't have to keep coming up with new meal plans. I see what worked and can go with that again.

 

The Card List section allows me to quickly see how many Christmas cards I need to buy. It also served as a great help when it came time to send out birth announcements. I never have to go through my address book again hoping that I haven't forgotten someone.

 

The Recipes section is a page protector with all the tried and true recipes that I use. I had gotten tired of gathering all my recipes before the holidays to create my shopping list. Now all the recipes are right together and easy to find. Most of these recipes I never cook during the year anyway so it made sense for me to keep them together. 

 

I also decorated the cover of my binder using Christmas scrapbook supplies. Someday perhaps my girls will enjoy looking over the binder reminiscing about holidays long gone. I know I would have loved something like this from my mom. So it ends up not only being a practical help, but a memory keeper as well. Completing this project makes me feel less stress and more peace about the next holiday season. I want to enjoy the holidays with my family and not feel burdened by all that needs to be done. Being organized in this way helps to make that a reality. I want to focus on the real reason for the season and make sure that Jesus is our focus- not my list of things still left to do!