Life Balance – Page 7

A Midsummer Day’s Dream

Life Balance, News & Reflections / Tom Stuart

Yesterday, July 15, was the official end of the first half of the summer, at least in my way of thinking. It always gives me pause because I realize that summer is flying by. Typically I get the accompanying feeling that it is not going the way I had hoped – the way I dreamed it would be last January when I was standing in the middle of my driveway with snow up to my knees and shovel in hand. It is times like that when we long for the days of summer, when the weather is warm and the grass is green, and when we are free to be out in God’s glorious world drinking in all the beauty and opportunity it has to offer.

Of course we don’t think about mowing, yard upkeep and home projects. And we don’t take into account storms and rain, rain, rain and more rain. But none of that should really deter us from making our winter daydreams become midsummer realities.

My dreams usually include walking, hiking, running and/or biking somewhere in the great outdoors. Or I see myself out on the water in a sailboat, with the waves rushing by as the summer breezes fill the sails. My dreams always include those I love enjoying the glories of nature with me.

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7 time management principles from the wisest man who ever lived

4 Comments / Life Balance, Overcoming / Tom Stuart

“There is a time for everything.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

That is quite a statement. Why is it sometimes that does not appear to be true? Too often it seems like there are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything we feel we should do. Solomon, considered to be the wisest man who ever lived, penned those words. As the most productive king in Israel’s history he obviously knew something about time management.

Time management experts tell us that time management at its core is really life management. That is an important distinction and makes sense when we consider that Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is essentially a book about life management. Wasted time produces wasted lives. And as the Solomon, continually reminds us, wasting time in meaningless pursuits produces meaningless lives. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (1:2)

Since this extremely wise and accomplished man knew both the profit and pitfalls of life management we would do well to glean as many nuggets of truth as we can from his writings. A careful study of his book reveals what I would consider to be seven of the greatest time management principles ever written. Here they are.

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Redeeming time while on the go!

3 Comments / Life Balance / Tom Stuart

“Redeem the time for the days are evil” Ephesians 5:16

Time is an enigma. It goes too quickly for those who are enjoying it, but too slowly for those who are suffering. It is good when you make the most of it but evil when you waste it. And mysteriously some people consistently have a way of wringing more out of a 24 hour day than others. How can that be?

Worst of all, no matter what you do, time relentlessly marches on. It is said that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer your get to the end, the faster it goes. Anyone with graying hair can confirm that fact.

Thus throughout most of my life I have been a student of time management. I am always looking for ways to redeem my time. One of my inspirations has been John Wesley, the great preacher and founder of Methodism in the 1700s. Like so many accomplished men and women in history, he was also a time management expert. As an inveterate preacher of the gospel it is documented that he traveled 250,000 miles on horseback during his lifetime. We also know that he made the most of that travel time by reading voluminously and writing sermons and books all while in the saddle. But if that were not enough, he also made it a habit of reading while he walked.

I just learned this week that my friend and fellow pastor at Bridgewood Community Church, Mark Spencer also reads while he walks. In fact he reported that he can read more efficiently and retain more while walking than sitting. And I thought I was a time management freak. I am going to have to try that.

It is illustrative that everybody has their own unique time management tricks that enable them to be more effective and accomplish more. That is why it is always interesting to hear how accomplished people make the most of a typical day. Invariably you will always pick up some great tips for redeeming time in your day as well. What are some secrets you have discovered?

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Taking a different track to success

2 Comments / Life Balance / Tom Stuart

“Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!” Jeremiah 45:5 (NLT)

Any advice against the pursuit of success is wise counsel. But it is seldom understood by those who aspire to it. These prophetic words from the mouth of Jeremiah to his secretary Baruch are not the kind of words an aspiring assistant wants to hear – nor anyone, for that matter. You will not find this verse highlighted in anyone’s Bible with a date written next to it claimed as a promise from God.

Advice like this is counter intuitive to those of us raised in an “anything is possible,” culture. When I hear a 15 year old contestant on American Idol say “This is my dream, I’ve been working toward this all my life!” I realize that “working” and “all my life” are relative terms. And such “dreams” in our culture-of-success mentality beg for an instant gratification not unlike that of winning a lottery.

Baruch was a godly man who shared Jeremiah’s grief over the backslidden state of the nation. He knew of God’s impending judgments on Jerusalem. Jeremiah assured him that simply escaping with his life from the coming disaster was promise enough and a sign of God’s love for him.

But what about Baruch’s dreams, his aspirations? After all, his brother Seraiah had attained an important position in the court of the ruling king. Why couldn’t Baruch have his day in the sun as well? But God’s watchful care for Baruch wanted to spare

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The prayer antidote for anxiety

2 Comments / Life Balance, Overcoming / Tom Stuart

The high-stress, fast-paced lifestyle in which we live is the source of many forms of anxiety. In today’s world, finding rest for the soul is a premium pursuit. My very informal survey has revealed that there are at least twelve categories of things that cause anxiety and keep people awake at night. I formulated the list by looking at a variety of websites conveying research and discussions related to causes of insomnia. For simplicity’s sake I chose not to include physical, medical or dietary reasons for sleeplessness on the list.

In the process of analyzing the causes of anxiety and looking for antidotes I made an amazing discovery. There is actually one prayer in the Bible that addresses every single aspect of these anxiety producing thoughts and fears.

It is God’s prescriptive cure summed up in just five simple verses. Fittingly, it comes from the teaching of Jesus who is the only one who can ultimately give us rest for our souls. The prescription for anxiety induced insomnia is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray which we call the Lord’s Prayer. It is found in Matthew 11:9-13.

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