Saturday night and I’m sitting in my room by myself-my roommate is gone-my friends are at a party-my boyfriend is on duty stuck in the box-and I am here blogging. It’s something I love to do, but have not had time to do recently! I don’t know why, but things that you love sometimes fade when you are involved in a lot of things! Even though I don’t usually have time for this, I am glad and thankful for tonight and being alone to be able to just write! I am learning a lot this year! I feel like every year at the beginning of the year is a time of reflection on:
- How I did last year
- What I did poorly
- What I did right
- What I can improve on
- What I need to keep doing
- Who I made an impact on
- What relationships I need to work on
- What I need to work on within those relationships
The Lord definitely convicted me during Christmas break. While reflecting on what I did this last year, I learned that I have a lot to work on. Time spent on frivolous things far outweighed time spent in the Word or in prayer. Time with my own friends far outweighed time spent with my residents and those who are in need. Time doing stupid things far outweighed time doing homework, planning events, time at youth group, time with the Lord, time journaling, time cleaning and staying organized, etc.
The list of things I did not do right could go on for days, but for the sake of my good name, I won’t go there! 😉
As I was reflecting on this last year, I remembered that this year can be used as a time of redemption and reconciliation to the Lord. I spent the rest of the time brainstorming on what to do to reconcile my time wasted and to reconcile relationships wasted. I came up with some great options:
- Delete my facebook: As sad as this was to do, I have hours of free time available to fill with productive, edifying things.Â
- Schedule in school hours: spend time doing homework in time I would spend on facebook or napping.Â
- Plan out RA events before the month they are taking place. This helps to actually put details together the month of instead of worrying about what I am going to do and how I am going to do it.
- Keep a list of TO-DO’s running through my brain and written on a list CONSTANTLY!! There is always something to do, but remembering them is the key (thus-WRITE IT DOWN!!)
- Multi-tasking. While in the box hanging out with residents and RA’s, make fliers, plan events, do homework, etc. While in my apt relaxing, write emails and finish homework/read the assigned books I have to read.
- While getting ready in the morning, putting things away after I am finished using them. This eliminates time I have to spend later cleaning it up! On the same page, cleaning dishes after using them.
- Wake up 30 minutes earlier to do my QT’s instead of filling the time somewhere else throughout the day. I now create 30 minutes some other time to spend doing homework.
- Knock on my residents doors once a week-at least! I can catch some of them and spend some time talking and building relationships.
- Spend meals with residents, friends, and family instead of getting To Go meals and eating by myself in my room.Â
- The list goes on… but those are just some highlights!
I plan to change a lot of my life around this year to be more disciplined! I am claiming to be a believer, and an adult as well, I need to start acting like one. The world-changers didn’t spend hours wasting their lives watching TV or browsing Facebook. They got off the couch and did something! They made a difference in someone’s life! With these simple things, I pray I can do that as well!
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For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
(Titus 2:11-14 ESV)
(Titus 2:11-14 ESV)
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