Grace

Grace.

Unmerited.

Favor.

Unmerited favor.

Thank You, Jesus.

Singularity

I have said on previous Valentine's Days that I could write a book about being single. That becomes more and more true with every passing year, but this is a blog, not a publishing house, so I will give just a few thoughts on my singularity as Valentine's Day approaches.

I guard my heart. I am limitting my chocolate consummation right now, and the best way to do that is to simply not buy chocolate when I'm at the grocery store. Then, when I am home, the temptation is easier avoided. In the same way, I don't watch chick-flicks and I don't read romance novels because those things stir my desire for romance and love, and even sex.

I guard his heart. Modesty. That one word is probably all I need to say. Modesty honors beauty. And I don't flirt. Playing games is not what I'm after. I'd rather a guy notice me for me than because I flipped my hair and teased him.

Am I called to be single? Today I am. Since today, I am single. I choose to see my singularity as a blessing.

Set Free

Jesus enters the temple area. Church. There are doves in cages being sold as sacrifices. People are switching out money for customers, and those customers are hustling about. Busy. Loud. Chaos. Jesus drives out the cashiers and customers. I picture Him screaming over the commotion, toppling tables, dumping over cages, grabbing dove cages out of customers' hands, and throwing them to the ground.

Maybe the temple quieted, or maybe Jesus yelled over the noise as people hurried to the exit. Either way, Jesus taught them, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers.' " (The story in the Bible is found in Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, and Luke 19:45-46.)

Two things stood out to me as I read this through recently. The doves. And Jesus.

The doves were headed to death as a sacrifice. They were caged. Trapped. Like me. Headed to death without Jesus' intervention to pay the consequence and penalty of my sin. Like me, snared in bondage to sin.

As Jesus threw the cages to the ground and dumped over the tables, maybe the cages broke open, releasing the doves. Freedom instead of bondage. Mercy instead of sacrifice. Life instead of death. Jesus' death was the sacrifice so the doves could be set free. Freedom for the captives; release from darkness for the prisoners.

I've been set free, but sometimes clutter fills up my table. I wonder if I need to topple the coffee table in my own living room like Jesus did in the temple.
Recently, I've overturned a few things in my life. Facebook is one of them. It robbed me of time with Jesus, and it turned my focus on myself. Chocolate is another. I love chocolate a whole lot, and it had an unhealthy hold in my life so I now limit how often I can enjoy it. Make-up. I learned a lot about beauty over the summer at camp, where I put sunlotion on my face everyday instead of mascara and blush. Now that I'm working at the salon again, make-up is a part of my dresscode, but I let it get bigger than my dresscode and I began to wear it all the time again, forgetting what true beauty is in the process. For now, I am only wearing make-up to work. Busyness. My life is a little on the crazy side, and I carved out my Tuesday to have sabbath rest.

Turn over the coffee table. Clean it off. Be set free.

Hitting A Brick Wall

Instead of writing a blog post . . .

Time Management

I was jobless for thirteen weeks. No schedule was needed, and the things that were important always got done because I had so much time on my hands. I just got my schedule for this semester, and it's going to be crazy! Between my two jobs, I'll be working forty-eight hours a week. I've worked more than that before so I know I can handle it, but I also have an hour drive one-way to the salon so that adds another eight hours a week just going to and from the salon. That's fifty-six, and that's pushing keeping my sanity.

That being said, it was time to sit down and write out a routine and a schedule so that things that are important won't get missed. Part of time management is realizing what my priorities are. Before I started on my weekly schedule, I made sure I knew what my top priorities were. For instance, exercise (falls under personal growth) is one of my priorities, but in a busy schedule it's easy for that to get skipped because I'm tired and run out of time so I knew that was something I needed to make sure was put into my schedule.

Here are my top seven priorities (not in order, necessarily):
1. Time with God
2. Church
3. Work
4. Ministry
5. Relationships
6. Personal Growth
7. Fun

After I had my priorities and my work schedule in front of me, I organized everything into six days a week, leaving the only day I don't work completely free. In the past, my day off was the day I ran errands, went to the grocery store, did my cooking and baking for the week, cleaned, and did preparations for small group or ministry things. It ended up being just as crazy as the rest of my schedule. I've realized I really need rest. Sabbath. Nothing is scheduled for my day off. It's important to me that I have a day to truly rest and do things that are fun and relaxing for me . . . like go to the park or a cafe, or read a book, or bake scotcharoos, or hang out with a friend.

I don't have a home church here yet so once I'm commited to a church, I'll add small group and ministry into my schedule in the evenings I don't work.

Making a routine on paper and actually pulling it off in real life are two different things, but at least there is a plan. All I did was pull together my life priorities and my work schedule, and fit them together, leaving one day free. I feel ready for this new crazy schedule, and a little excited to get back to the busyness that I'm used to having. Plus, I'll sleep really well!