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Ode To Busyness

I feel like my life has been shot out of a cannon since school has started.  Over the last two weeks it’s been a combination of new practices, new routines, school meetings, and over various events that eat up the calendar from sun up until sun down.  The lazy days of summer ended in such incredible fashion that the memory of those days in only re-callable with pictures!  And it seems to be set to continue like this for some time.

This weekend I have been thinking about these weeks ahead and the ‘business’ that they are filled with and have decided to not be stressed by it.  There are so many positive things about to happen as our children discover their own strengths and weaknesses.  I can’t imagine the amount of memories that I will gather as a parent observing and challenging those guys. Maybe I am a little crazy, but I have decided that this busyness is life. Oh, sure some of it can be reduced, and lots of it can be managed.  But instead of ‘just getting through it’ or trying to find another way, I am going to try to embrace it head on.  (This may be the biggest mistake of my life!).

I am starting to think that the things we do each day are not barriers to us living life, but actually are us living life.  So today, on this Monday morning the beginning of a week with a schedule that is quite full, I am rejoicing.  Not because I am ‘busy’, for there is not doubt I would rather be laying on beach somewhere, but because I am starting a a day that is a gift from the Lord and the number of opportunities that lay ahead of me in this busyness are enormous.

So off I go, rejoicing ( I hope I can make it past 10am!!!)

 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 New International Version (NIV)

 

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Daily Post

Busy Busy Busy

When the alarm sounded at 6am this morning, I was immediately filled with dread.  I had already peeked at my schedule for the day, and I knew what lie in front of me, and the how long the day would be.   It’s not just that a day of work was on the horizon, but a day of rushing.  From the moment I opened my eyes, until I lay in the bed tonight, even as I write this post, its rush.  Its hurry, its multitask, its push as much into each moment as possible. And that stinks.  I am not talking living and getting as much out of each moment in life, I am talking about getting through it as fast as you can so you can get to something else.  Thats just not right.   Then there’s two sad things to be said about this, first tomorrow will be the same and second my life is probably not much different from yours.  My days call to my attention the sower and the seed

…but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Matt 13:22

So the challenge today is this – and its more of question to you then an answer – how do we deal with this crazy life.  It seems we have to either radically change our  lives or figure out how to maintain this riducilous lifestyle and not be choked.   So yesterday I heard someone mentioned 2 Peter 1. So in the midst of this busy pushed composition, a took a look over there. Somehow we have to continue to add to our life these elements:

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

And look just above this in 2 Peter.  He tells us that to get out of the trappings of the world, those are the things that you need.

3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

and then after that list of traits he tells us this

8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

So today, I am going to try to not focus on the busyness of the day, and somehow try to “make every effort to add” the things that Peter listed to my life.    I hope that bring some calmness and control to a schedule that feels insane.  What do you think?