Category Archives: MUSINGS

Maximize Your Time

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When you think about the flow of time it remains steady, speeding up or slowing down for no one. This can always be our dilemma. We either want to rush to get to the next project, person or season or we want more time to complete what we are having a hard time finishing. This is the case for most I know, even strong black women recovering from being strong black women. So how can we reconcile time with our tasks? We first have to know that time doesn’t change so we must.

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

In essence these Scriptures tell us to be wise with our time by redeeming it, which means we must know “how to regulate (our) course in view of movements in the heavens or of God” by exchanging our time.* So we are to use time according to activities in the spiritual realm and what God tells us. In order to have enough time to fulfill our spiritual activity and direction, we must reallocate time from anything that has nothing to do with these. Cease the nonsense and put time toward what makes sense.

1) In order to know what God is doing in the spiritual realm and what He wants us to do, we have to spend time with God. Pray, fast, read the Bible, study the Bible and any other spiritual discipline that connects us to Him. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

2) When we know what God is saying then we must ask Him how much time to spend on each task. Pray “give me this day my daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). There is only so much we can do at a time and He will tell us what that is.

3) Don’t feel guilty about the items that used to be on your To Do list. Our list is different because we are regulating our course according to activities in the spiritual realm and God. Some people may be upset and you may even be disappointed that what you used to spend your time doing and who you used to spend your time with has changed. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant* of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). You are a servant of God. You are to please Him.

I am not advocating an ascetic life where you abandon all the activities of this world. In order to fulfill your part in what’s happening in the heavenlies you may have to have a spa day with that unsaved friend. God may have you minister to her this way to prepare her to hear from you when you are supposed to lead her to Christ. You have to build a rapport with people, not ram the Word down their throats. And you can only build a rapport with people if you are around people. God will give you the wisdom about who, what, when, where, how, and maybe even why. We are just required to obey.

God gives us enough time for what He has called us to do, so that what’s done in heaven can be done on earth (Luke 11:2). If we find we don’t have enough time, WE are either not following God’s plan or not trusting God’s plan. We may not feel like we have enough time or that there is still more to do. But if we follow what God says and how He tells us to do it—even if the task seems incomplete—He can use what we have done in whatever state our work is in.

Is your life chaotic because of mismanagement of time? What do you do to manage your time? Please, let me know what you think about my plan to help you maximize your time.

*Lexical Aids to the New Testament in Key Word Study Bible, Spiros Zodhiates, executive editor.

The Word vs. The World

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Last summer at a children’s birthday party my three-year-old son pretended to be a pirate along with the five-year-old honoree and a gang of other children. The birthday boy and my son really like each other and play well together when they get the chance, but this was not our usual crowd. Earlier this year I had helped the mother with one of her community projects and had babysat her son a few times. I was drawn to helping this single woman any way that I could, including praying daily for her salvation. I didn’t want to miss the party, so I dressed Nathaniel in a pirate’s outfit and suited myself with the armor of God, not knowing what conversations I would encounter.

Two very warm women—a Muslim and a follower of what she calls “oneness”—found their way to me and we talked about marriage. The Muslim was divorced and the other woman a predetermined…Read the rest at EEW Magazine along with other great columns from my sister writers and a host of other articles that I thank God for.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#281-290
Nate and Justus laying on, hugging and kissing me when I was sad about not being able to attend the retreat
God bringing me swiftly out of my funk by reminding me that I will get what I’m supposed to get
Packing for five and only forgetting a few items
The Christian Education staff for our gift of an overnight stay at the Doubletree Suites Hotel
Alone time with Flynn
Jazz at Cliff Bell’s
Being shuttled to Cliff Bell’s and not having to drive
A comfy hotel
Pleasant front desk staff
Laughter with Flynn

Friday Feature: Soy No More

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As you may know from my posts here, my transition to a more plant-based diet had been a long time coming, 18 years in fact. So four months ago when I cut out meat and poultry, opting for plants and occasional seafood, I was more than ready. In fact I knew I would have a smooth transition because of the variety of textured vegetables available that I love and I could always use soy products. I had gotten soy Italian sausage and lunch meat and a few frozen traditional Indian dishes I like with tofu, a form of soy. With soy, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting enough protein, something that vegetarians have to be conscious of. Though some people are allergic to soy I don’t have that problem, though I never opted for it as a supplement to my breast milk because of reports of how soy negatively affects hormonal development in baby boys.* Now after reading a more extensive report about a month ago, not only will I avoid giving soy to my children, but soy is something that I will be careful to avoid for three main reasons:

Effect on all children—One property in soy is similar to our bodies’ estrogen and when it enters the body, the body thinks there is a heightened level in our bodies. The increase in estrogen has been shown to disrupt sex hormonal development in boys and girls, giving them doses as strong as multiple birth control pills and negatively impacting their reproductive systems. For boys, this could mean a lower sperm count. Both boys and girls could also be at a higher risk for gender-organ cancers.

Effect on endocrine system—All hormones come from glands that make up our endocrine system, including our thyroid. When the estrogen-mimicking property in soy gets into our bodies it can affect the thyroid by causing hypothyroidism. I know a number of friends with this issue or the threat of it; one has been a vegetarian for years and had consumed a large amount of soy for those years until she heard it may be the cause of her problem.

Effect on soy supply—Ninety percent of America’s soy bean crops have been genetically modified, which means bacteria or viruses have been injected into the food’s seed to change its DNA structure. Food companies do this so the foods become resistant to pesticides that are sprayed on crops. The danger to us is that we are ingesting the unknown substances used to modify the foods and the powerful chemicals used to spray them. Thus, the food and the chemicals both potentially cause us harm, even death.

Even with the push in our nation to consume soy, I believe these points make reconsidering eating soy worthwhile.

*Nourishing Traditions, Revised Second Edition by Sally Fallon; New Trends Publishing, 2001.
Besides Nourishing Traditions and the website I linked above, I have amassed information in this post from my readings over the years. As always, I challenge you to check for yourself what I have found to help me.

Failed Fight?

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The day didn’t go as I had hoped. As the mediator of a conflict, the two parties didn’t see eye to eye. At the end of the meeting one even said, “It’s not going to change.”

In another relationship I have, a woman has experienced more than her share of emotional highs and lows, always knowing when she’s doing wrong but not desiring to do right. “I don’t want to stop,” she said.

Another who sought my help to help her get disciplined rarely completed the assignments I gave her, often saying “I didn’t have time to do it.”

In each of these instances I was disappointed but I recognized that I wanted more for these three ladies than they wanted for themselves. With that I knew I couldn’t do any more directly unless they decided to want a change or the Holy Spirit unveiled their blinded eyes (2 Peter 1:9, John 12:40). Knowing that God can use me but the Holy Spirit is the arbiter of their souls brings me comfort, keeps me focused and prevents me from shunning the next person with a seemingly larger than life issue. When I have suffered long and given my best I leave the rest up to God.

How do you respond to people you’re trying to help whose actions say they don’t want your help? Do you suffer long or tend to toss them at their first sign of resignation? Please, tell me what you think.

Handle Your Business

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I had no idea the strong black woman had crept into my prayer life. For four days I had been blocked in my spirit, not feeling a free flow of the Holy Ghost during my prayer time. I asked the Lord what it was. He was silent. I fasted to find out what it was. God was silent. Then one morning before dawn, in the quiet of morning that I love, when my family is still asleep, the birds and crickets don’t chirp and no cars even drive down the street, God wakes me, beckons me to come. I don’t know what He wants, but I, like Samuel, simply say “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” The house is still silent and silent is what God remains. The silence becomes loud so I start speaking, praying for whoever comes to mind, believing it’s speaking time. God says nothing. Finally I cry, “What is it Lord? What are you trying to tell me? Did I end my fast too soon? Is there some sin I have that I’m missing? What is it Lord? Help me?” God then replaces my thoughts of people with the specific promises that He has given me. I know I am supposed to pray for those promises. This is where I have been negligent, laying aside my needs and seeking to fulfill those of others, still trying to be a strong black woman.

Daily I pray for others, my behavior toward others and my calling of ministering to women, particularly through writing. I go in detail praying for others, but I only get specific about the ministry activities I’m already doing and I ask in general for those things to come to pass that I believe God would have me to do. I have failed to pray for those specific promises He has told me would come to pass in my ministry. I’m asking for more but I have not stewarded through prayer what He has already promised me. While this has been true in my prayer life, for some of us that is the case in all of life.

We want a new house when the one we have is not clean. We want well-behaved children but we aren’t diligent in training and teaching them. We want our husband to serve us but we are constantly nagging him. We want good health but we don’t exercise. We want more when we haven’t done what we need to do with what we already have.

“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29—NLT). We can miss present and greater blessings when we pay attention to others’ affairs and neglect our own. We must seek to be those servants God wants to tell “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much (Matthew 25:21).” Through God’s leading, we can lay down our strong black woman tendency to focus on others and much less on ourselves, pick up our God-given talents and use them for our greater good.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#271-280
Getting a flood of book promotion ideas
The church again being such a big blessing
Being able to attend and hear bible study
Hearing Justus’ laugh
Hearing Joshua’s loud voice
Lunch with Allecia
Completing my blog post
Flynn grocery shopping
Being accepted to an affiliate program
Joshua’s maturity in telling me “that it was fair” when I couldn’t sign up for Ann Voskamp’s retreat because it was sold out: “It wasn’t white rules,” he said, his wording for racism.