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SIMPLE40 - DAY 22 - The Gift of Time

Katie Donahue

Time is a gift from God that He gives freely. But, He only gives so much of it and the amount He gives you is different from the amount He gives me. The mystery of time is that none of us know how much or how little God will give. With that in mind, you can make choices on how you would like to spend the time you have been given. Every day, you decide what matters most to you by the amount of time you give it. If you say that something is of utmost importance to you, but you don't give it any time, (or the other way around..saying you don't give much importance to something, but you spend all your time doing it) you are out of alignment with your priorities. Changing your thoughts, or re-writing the script in your mind, about your current priorities can help you focus more on what truly matters, which in turn helps to simplify your life and bring peace. (This is where coaching can help you!) Thus far, SIMPLE40 has addressed several areas that are helpful in using your time well: discipline, prayer, obedience, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Here are a few other ways to make the most of your time so you can focus on the things that matter most: 1) Keep Christ at the center of all you do. This is not easy, but it's worth the effort. When you have Christ at the center of all you do, you are more focused on working on the things that give God glory and bring you fulfillment and peace at the same time. This attitude actually saves you time and helps you to accept the things that are out of your control. 2) Don't multi-task! Did you know that multi-tasking has been proven to be of no benefit in saving time? There is a saying that goes: "Do what your are doing until you are done." Basically, focus on the task at hand until you are finished and then move on to the next thing. And do it for the glory of God! 3) Identify misuse of time. How much time do you spend on mindless things that have no value or purpose? For example: binge watching a TV show, endlessly scrolling through social media, getting caught up in an online debate that solves nothing, etc. If you struggle in this area, you can give yourself a time limit to watch just one episode rather than a whole season, or 5 minutes on Facebook. You can also make a plan to have a replacement activity handy...like a book to read, new recipe to try, walk around the block, pray the rosary, etc. This weekend, take a look at how you are spending your time and determine where changes need to be made to focus on what truly matters. Invite the Holy Spirit to help guide you.

 

spiritual Do you feel regret for the past and all the time you have wasted? No matter how you have used your time in the past, you can start today by using your time for God's glory! He always brings goodness and healing out of our failings. A Prayer to Redeem Lost Time O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Thy sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that Thou, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that Thou can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Thy grace, both now and the future, that I may appear before Thee in "wedding garments." Amen. ~St. Teresa of Avila

 

self Do you use a planner to help schedule and manage your time? I use both a paper calendar and the one on my phone (I prefer the paper one to the digital one). Find what works for you and use it. Click the link so see what I am currently using to manage my time: RULE OF LIFE DAILY PLANNER

 







service How are you doing with your acts of service and almsgiving? Take at look at "100 ways to serve" and choose something to do as a family. How many service boxes can you say you have already completed? What would you add? Let me know and I will add it for next year!

 

today's recipe BAKED LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN MEATBALLS I am making these meatballs ahead of time for our Sunday dinner as I need a quick, easy recipe. I have a bunch of ground turkey that I will use in place of the chicken and I will be doubling or maybe even tripling the recipe to be prepared for the next meal we are taking to a family in need.

 










Thank you for following along. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or comments. katie@integratedlife.co If you are enjoying SIMPLE40, please share with a friend. Click the link to sign up. It's never too late! SIMPLE40 Share on social Check out our site  

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