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by monthly contributer, Natalie Didlake

I sat down and made a list of all the rigors of wife- and motherhood I could possibly think of. There are…A LOT!

• Exhaustion
• Feeling alone or isolated from the outside world
• The struggle for regular, healthy rest and refreshment
• Having too many things to do
• Grief over your children’s rebellious hearts toward you and God, sometimes even frustration or anger
• Changes in your physical body due to childbirth/care and age
• The minute-by-minute flow of daily, constant demands
• Loss of a sense of control over your life in general
• Worries about the poor character you are passing on to your kids by example
• Loss of a sense of usefulness in ways you used to enjoy
• Loss of sleep
• Loss of mental/emotional rest
• Loss of time with husband
• Loss of a sense that your husband relates to your experience as a wife/mother, perhaps feeling lonely/isolated even in your own home
• Rejected and undervalued by our culture
• General despair and frustration
• Feeling distant from God because of all these imposed losses!

Whew! I’m ready for that list to be done. Won’t be re-reading that again! Too many of these hover over my head daily like a black Eeyore-cloud, following me everywhere I go.

There are so many days I can’t wait for my kids to nap so the house is quiet, for everybody to go to bed so I can take a break from meeting needs, sometimes…for everybody to grow up and leave!

I used to think the only one who really understood was a fellow mom. And, really, what help is that? A friend with 3 or 4 kids can’t do much but sympathize with my lack of sleep!

About a year ago, as I read through the gospels, I began noticing incidents in Jesus’ everyday life that startled me. Because they were very similar to the incidents that sometimes make my life sticky, as a stay-at-home-mom. So I started a list of all the troubles Jesus endured, all of them eventually culminating on the cross. Here it is:

Jesus was:

• Underappreciated
• Misunderstood
• Exhausted
• Physically worn down and destroyed
• Rejected
• His gifts and abilities were often ignored or discredited, and later totally rejected/wasted by the people who killed him
• Cut off from friends, family, and the outside world
• Bore the weight of the sins of the world, an impossibly huge demanding burden, on his shoulders, to hell for us.
• Lost all rest, well-being, comfort, closeness to God (physically, spiritually, and emotionally)
• Was rejected by his culture
• Totally lost control of his life and circumstances
• Felt total despair
• Was totally alone

So, there is a man who understands! Even when I’m in the trenches, poopy diapers a-plenty, lack of time, running on zero sleep, with guests coming over to eat the dinner I haven’t cooked yet. The remarkable thing about Jesus was, he suffered stress, despair, and isolation, but not because he doubted God (like I do) and believed he had no choice but to deal with it alone (like me).  He CHOSE to take it all on, so we wouldn’t have to.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Galatians 3:12)

More than before (since I made that list), my mind turns to Jesus when strain, stress, or tiredness creeps up on me. More than before, I don’t mind so much that it’s there. It crept up on Jesus, and he let it. He took it on for me. He understands! He’s is certainly my example for sacrificial motherhood, but oh so much more. His perfect love and life go on record for me. He’s my stand-in….better than a mom-friend!

Written by monthly contributing writer, Trina Holden.

My addiction was out of hand. Though I knew it was unhealthy, I indulged multiple times a day, couldn’t go 24 hours without withdrawal symptoms, and constantly made excuses for my habit.

A Confession…

My vice? Social Media. This tool – wonderful for networking, business, and ministry – was taking more from me that it was giving. It was stealing vast amounts of time and leaving me stressed and burnt out. I knew I wasn’t the only one with this problem (I could name plenty of people who were worse than me – one of my many excuses!) but I didn’t know what to do about it. I needed to use this tool – how was I to keep it in balance?

An Experiment…

Then I heard about a friend who took a month off Facebook. Just the thought of such a sacrifice caused my typing fingers to start twitching nervously. That was a sure sign to me that my addiction was out of hand and needed to be addressed. So, I took the plunge and – without even saying goodbye – I gave up facebook for a month.

It was an incredible season, opening my eyes to all I was missing in real life when I let myself get sucked into the virtual, synthetic “Home” of my facebook page. Facebook seems designed to distract, to never let you finish a thought or task, with so many links on every page pulling you further and further into its time-sucking, mind numbing, stupor inducing  grasp – Ahhhh! Taking a break helped me regain vision and balance in my online time.

A Commitment…

Even as I realized the need to stop letting facebook use me, I was learning how to use social media to market my business, glean valuable information, and find mentors for everything from blog-building to mothering.  In fact, since my fast, I’ve re-entered facebook, joined twitter, and am more committed to my online presence than ever. This  presents the challenge of staying in control even as the opportunities to get sucked in and waste time have multiplied. It is a constant battle, requiring regular re-evaluation and lots of prayer, but I’m committed to the challenge of finding balance in this media-saturated world.

Here are some practical ways I manage the tool of social media…

1. I only visit my personal Facebook page three days a week. Do I miss stuff? Yes. Has it killed me? No. As fun and fascinating as facebook can be, I’ve never read anything I couldn’t live without or couldn’t have learned by calling a friend.
2. I do the same thing with Twitter – every other day. Another incredible tool, another dangerous time-waster.  I figure, if something is really good, it will make it to my feed eventually.
3. I read my favorite blogs through an RSS feed (essential for saving time) and constantly sift through the blogs I subscribe to, keeping to a lean list of the very best blogs for me to expose myself to in this season. (Lindsay taught me this)
4. At least once a week (usually on Sundays and lately, at least one weekday) I stay off the computer for the entire day. I schedule posts for my blog in advance, and let email go for a day. This gives my mind a chance to breath, refreshing and sharpening my vision for all areas of my life.

The Fruit…

These simple boundaries have been very effective in keeping my online time balanced and productive. I’ve experienced much personal growth in the past year, due in large part to my online mentors and research. Also, my schedule has been freed up to invest in real life relationships. After, all, that’s what we’re really called, to, right? Besides the pivotal relationships of being a wife and mother, we need the honesty, accountability and fellowship of real-life friends. Face-to-face trumps facebook every time.

A Challenge…

1. Just for a day – Track how much time you spend on facebook or your favorite forum or networking site.  List 3 things you would rather have done with that time. Tape the list somewhere you can see it whenever you log on.
   
2. Do this test – scroll through your RSS, Twitter, or Facebook news feed and take a survey of all the the news that is actually relevant or of personal interest to you. Take it a step further and judge how much content actually enhanced your relationship with God or inspired your unique calling or passion.
   
3. This week - Choose one of your online friends that you have an email or phone number for (or live within driving distance to!) and make the effort to contact them on a more personal level.  See what kind of fun and fellowship ensues!
   
4. Take a trip – go to a really popular blog in a niche you enjoy. Take the time to check out the links the author recommends. Compare the enjoyment and input you receive from purposeful reading to an hour of casual blog-hopping or browsing your facebook feed.

It is my desire that my computer time glorify God.  It’s so easy to lose sight of that goal and slip into casual interaction and low quality input. I pray these tips can inspire you to use the internet wisely, to build up your home and deepen relationships.

What do you do to keep perspective, manage your time, and make the most of social media?

Photo Credit

Photo Credit
Written by monthly contributing writer, Kat.

Confession: I don’t often floss or recycle.

Ok. Calm down. Don’t throw any tomatoes. Step away from the unsubscribe button.

I realize that for many of you flossing and recycling are sacred.

I also realize that they are both super, really, extra special, very important things to do. Times ten.

However, the fact remains, that I don’t always do them. Brushing works just fine for me.

The List of Important Things Is Endless

As moms, there are a whole lot of of super, really, extra special, very important things we can do. And there are lots of people, magazines, tv shows, dentists and doctors telling us we need to do them. All of them.

Here’s a sample:

• Exercise at least 30 minutes 3 times a week.
• Drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water every day.
• Always sit ergonomically correct when using the computer.
• Lift weights regularly to fend off osteoporosis.
• Don’t let your kids watch more than 30 minutes of TV.
• Never, ever raise your voice to your children.
• Don’t let your child see that you’re frustrated with them.
• Make sure your children eat lots of spinach and broccoli.
• Share the Gospel regularly.
• Read your Bible daily.
• Pray without ceasing.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.

All of these things are very important, but it is impossible for us to execute ALL them 100% of the time.

Impossible.

We have to learn to let things go sometimes. We need to know what is important TO US and let go of the things that, while important, are not priorities right now.

One Thing At A Time

Imagine a child walking in to the first day of school and the teacher saying, “Ok. We need to read Chaucer, then do some Calculus, a little Mozart and we’ll wrap up with AstroPhysics.”
Those are all important things. But they are NOT important, in anyone’s estimation, to a first grader.

God does not address all of our faults and shortcomings at the same time. Neither should we. And sometimes progressing in one area means postponing progress in another.

Imagine if a football player shows up to practice and the coach says, “First we’re going to work on our jump shot, then zone defense, free throw shooting and dribbling.” Those are all important skills….for a basketball player, not a football player.

When we don’t know who we are, where we are at, and where we are headed we get distracted by all the “important” things….because they are all around us.

Most mothers deal with comparison. We feel bad because “Mrs. So and So” does such and such…and that’s REALLY important.

But is it really important to YOU? Is it what God wants YOU to be doing right now?

Spend time with God. Listen to His still small voice. Know your purpose. Pick your priorities. Do the next thing.

I have struggled with comparing myself to others since my childhood when I would compare the giftings my sister had in relation to my own. She was more gifted creatively, musically (having to put half as much into her practice as I), and physically. I knew nothing about how to take care of my hair, makeup, and dress attractively. Practically everything I know was gleaned from her. She could speak well and won numerous awards where I miserably failed in speech/drama class.

And you know where all these comparing and envious thoughts got me? The truth is, they got me no where. It damaged relationship, stirred up discontentment, and robbed me of fruitfulness in my own life and relationship with the Lord.

In all reality, I doubted God’s goodness. This was at the core of my sin. I thought that if I was in the spotlight, then I would be happy. I imagined that if I had her giftings, I would be happy. I doubted His love for me. In my heart of hearts, I thought that God didn’t care about me unless I looked and acted in that manner. I wanted to be acknowledged. How far from the gospel I had slipped! I needed to stop those envious thoughts with the gospel truth – I am a recipient of undeserved mercy. The cross is the undeniable evidence that God loves me. He was willing to separate himself from heaven’s glory, come to earth, and suffer and die in my place. He chose to graciously love the unlovely. Through His resurrection, His love for me is secured. I am a guaranteed recipient of His grace and mercy and eternal life. His righteousness has become mine. I needed to stop and mediate upon these simple truths:

“For the Lord is good.” Ps. 100:5

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28

“No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Ps. 84:11

The foolishness of envy is brought to light through these passages:

2 Cor. 10:12, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

Do you see that? To compare myself with another is a sign that I am ignorant. I am without understanding. I have forgotten God’s selfless love for me.

Upon learning that he would be martyred, Peter responds to Jesus: “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved [John] following them…When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:20-22)

Jesus brings it home. When Peter wants to know what will happen to John, Jesus simply says, “what is that to you?” It was an eye-opening jolt to reality. Jesus was challenging Peter to not even go there. Don’t even let the thought go through you mind. If the Lord wills that another receives the blessings and giftings I desire and don’t receive, or is not the recipient of the struggles and sufferings that I am called to endure, what is that to me? God has a unique plan and purpose for me, and it is not for me to know the outcome of another’s story. He is creating a beautiful tapestry of my life. Instead, my eyes should be fixed on my Savior. Jesus offers the simple command, “You follow me!”

As Carolyn Mahaney shares in response to this passage, “He [Peter] did not need to hear or do anything else. These three little words were sufficient to enable him to face the agonizing death assigned to him by God: You follow me! Our Lord gives us the same command. For every unwanted experience or withheld blessing, the Lord would say to us: You follow me! And just as these words were enough for Peter, so they are enough for us.They are all we need to hear and obey in order to glorify God in every difficult experience God assigns us. You follow me!”

God’s love for you is real. It is eternal. Your purpose is to follow Him. Not to look around horizontally to the people around you, but to fix your eyes vertically on the cross and our beautiful Savior.

God’s grace can free us from the destructive comparison thoughts if we stop, pray, remember the gospel, confess our sinful doubting of God’s goodness, and embrace His love for us.

Another powerful response to envious thoughts is to stop and pray the Lord’s blessing upon that person. I remember when recently struggling with envious thoughts of another’s successful ministry, a true friend stopped me and said: “Just pray for them. Pray that God would bless their work.” That is certainly not an easy task, nor did it prove to change my feelings overnight. But in the end, God mercifully changed my heart. God can change us into loving people as we confess our sins and seek freedom in the cross of Christ.

And finally, start journaling your thankfulness. Have you thought about how He has immensely blessed you lately? The simple fact that He loved and died for you is an immeasurable gift. Start making your own thankfulness journal, recording his gifts to you every day. And see your life transformed!

God created an apple and an orange both within the fruit category but that is the only thing that is the same between them. In all other ways, the taste, texture, color, and smell are completely unique. Different but equally delicious. In similar manner, you are a unique and beautiful person, fashioned with your own set of gifts. Every part of the body of Christ is valuable and needed for the health of each other (1 Cor. 12:12-26). Don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to the head, hand, or neck of the body. Focus rather on serving the Lord together – we all have something unique to contribute that another cannot offer. Let’s follow Him together!

Recommended Reading:

For further rich thoughts on the topic of envy, I heartily encourage you to read Girl Talk’s thorough series on this topic, which can be found here or in a PDF version here.
Pleasing People: How Not to be an “approval junkie” by Louie Giglio
When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Ed Welch

Photo Credit

Written by monthly contributor, Natalie Didlake.

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (I Peter 4:10 NASB)

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies–in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. (I Peter 4:10 ESV)

Funky, Chunky Shoes

I am almost 30 years old. I finally know what kind of shoes I like.

Flat shoes.

Wide shoes.

Casual, comfy shoes.

No-Heel shoes.

Funky, chunky, spunky shoes.

I don’t do boots. I don’t do heels. I don’t do tennis shoes (every day). I don’t do trendy shoes. I don’t do dressy shoes. For years I’ve been trying them all, and none of them were “me.” Nothing wrong with heels or boots. They’re just for not me.

I’m ready to be me. In my kind of shoes.

Within the last year, I’ve started recognizing a pattern in the shoes that I love to wear. Now, I know exactly what to look for…and exactly what to eliminate. I got rid of all the reject shoes in the back of my closet, given to me by other people, or purchased on a whim. I quit thinking someday I might start loving and wearing them, and said “bye-bye” to them forever. I’m ready to say breezily, “Thanks! But they’re just not my style.”

“Each One Has Received A Special Gift”

I think spiritual gifts are a lot like knowing your shoe style.

I have a friend who is gifted in organization, administration, and the ability to teach skills of practical knowledge, and strives to maximize her life to serve well.

She knows what kind of “shoes” she likes to wear!

I, on the other hand. Not so good at those things. I work sooo hard to be a good homemaker. And rightfully so! It’s part of my calling as a wife and mother. But I will never be the organizational and practical gal as my friend is. So, I do the best I can.

And I’m ok with that. Because those spiritual gifts are not my “style.”

Because there are other things that make my heart sing.

When I explain the Trinity to my toddlers, my soul feels on fire.

When I craft a blog post, cutting and pasting scriptures from the internet tabs I have open to 6 different passages in my online Bible, I feel especially useful and close to God.

When I talk theology with my husband and we talk hours on a tough topic, I revel in the meeting of our minds, in what a marvelous match we are!

When my girlfriends call me for help understanding some deep issue, I know I’m specially crafted by God to meet unique needs in the people I love.

I love to teach. I love to encourage. I love to exhort. I love to write. I love to dig with my mind and my words and my heart.

I love wearing my own “shoes,” if you know what I mean.

Some Principles for Practice

Don’t ask other people to wear your shoes.
I need to safeguard against expecting others to love the things I love to do. Not everyone will have such a thrill at searching out a matter as I do.

However…

Wear your own shoes, loud and proud!
I can usually flesh things out pretty well on my own. So why not make the effort to do it myself, share it, and view it as a gift God is giving them, through me?

Appreciate and enjoy boots and heels, too.

First and hardest: Admit your weaker areas.

Second, and more fun: Gratefully receive what others have to offer, and allow it to supplement your own strengths and gifts.

I am always checking various organizational and homemaking blogs, and with friends for great recipes, homemaking ideas, homeschooling units and lessons, and such. I basically steal other people’s homemaking skills! Just because I may not be particularly gifted in organization and homemaking, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t strive to glean from others and grow in this area as well.

Result: You will develop into a pretty well-rounded beautiful person! God designed us all differently so that we ought to mooch off each other, be humbled by our limitations, enjoy giving of our strengths, and all grow closer in the process! Let us all prayerfully evaluate where God has uniquely gifted us and strive to utilize those gifts for His glory!

A Final Thought: This post wasn’t designed to be theologically exhaustive. In fact, no matter what you believe about gifts, we can all agree that each person is built somewhat differently. I’m simply reflecting on how we can maximize our own strengths and help others do the same, so that we all give and take in thriving, loving relationships. Please refrain from creating theological debates and discussions. Above all, keep comments kind and encouraging.

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On another note, in light of the topic last month that Natalie wrote on Intimacy in Marriage, Natalie has written a follow-up post on her blog addressing the question raised concerning those women who have a higher sex drive than your husband and how to graciously deal with that. She addresses the topic here.

Before time began, God carefully designed and fashioned women. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Did you know that our sweet Savior cherishes you as a woman? Right from the beginning of time, God declares that men and women together mirror the image of God. One without the other is incomplete. Men alone are not up to the task, but in partnership with women, we can display God’s glory and character before a watching world.

As Gary Thomas so beautifully shares, “While the apostle Paul does ascribe a certain significance to the man’s being created first, if you look at the line of creation, females are the culmination! Everything keeps getting more sophisticated, more intricate, until finally a woman appears – and only then does God rest.”

Men and women together were recipients of God’s blessing and commissioned to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. (Genesis 1:28)” We are not sideline cheerleaders but rather co-regents. We share the command. Of course we fulfill it in different manners, but we are fully responsible to be active in participating in God’s stewarding commission.

While Eve led the way in the temptation in the fall, she also has an active role in our redemption. It was through the seed of the women that the serpent would receive his certain and annihilating destruction. “As it was through the woman that the craft of the devil brought sin and death into the world, so it is also through the woman that the grace of God will give to the fallen human race the conqueror of sin, of death, and of the devil.”

Have you considered the numerous occasions where he chose to give women a special place during his life on this earth and lineage? Women have a special place in his heart. In the very genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1), we see the inclusion of Rahab, Ruth, Mary, and Bathsheba. He chose women of all different walks and backgrounds, the most unlikely of candidates, and yet, he graciously chose the meek and humble that His glory might be displayed to a greater extent. And He chose to be born of a woman. The beautiful miracle of the incarnation through a woman. He specifically honors one woman who pours expensive perfume on his feet (Mark 14:3-9), and declares that she knew and understood his purpose and who be remembered wherever the gospel was preached. Throughout his life on this earth, women walked by his side among his disciples.

And in the hour of his death, we see the presence of women mentioned at the foot of the cross (Mark 15:40-41). It could have been easily overlooked, but Mark stops and highlights their presence, emphasizing the care and devotion Jesus had for them. Jesus made sure his mother was cared for.

And most amazing, at His resurrection, we see Jesus presenting himself in His new body, risen from the dead, to the witness of women. “According to ancient Pharisaic law, a woman’s testimony was inadmissible in a tribunal as too untrustworthy. Only men could give witness. So when Jesus rose from the dead – the most important event that has ever occurred or ever will occur – who was present to give witness and testimony? Women!”(Gary Thomas)

You are a unique creature fashioned beautifully in His image. You uniquely display His glory in a way that our men cannot. You might not have the strength of a man that images God’s power and strength, no matter how you exercise those muscles. You are just not designed to have that physical physique and stamina to defend, protect, and provide. But you have the gentle, nurturing, sweetness of woman that displays His gracious loving-kindness, tenderness, and beauty. Woman is beautifully gifted to nurture, love, comfort, organize and support in ways that men just cannot fathom. Her words have power and influence. She can build her home or tear it down with her own hands.

1 Corinthians 7, “Don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life.” (The Message)

You matter and are valued, dear sister, not because men like you, or you have the perfect body, or are gifted in the ways you desire, but because you are made in the image of God, are loved by God, and are regularly empowered by God to make a difference in this world.

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“I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished . . . I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.”  –George Mueller, Delighted in God

As a wife and mother, I am acutely aware of my desperate need for fellowship with my Lord in preparation for my day. How else will I find strength to face the next battle, fight, or attitude from my children that needs to be guided towards repentance? How else will I be able to train their precious hearts to love Jesus? Can I expect them to desire to follow Him if I don’t demonstrate my utter need and commitment to Him by seeking His fellowship? How else will I be able to withstand the cultural temptations to consume my time on the internet, television, beautifying myself, or other carefree hobby? And most importantly, is there anything else that is of true lasting value that can make my soul happy and satisfied? I am a sinner in desperate need of a Savior. And He is a loving Savior that loves me, cherishes me, adopted me, and paid for my sins, so that I can enjoy eternal, free, and open access to His presence. I simply have to come and sit at His feet.

Is it possible to spend time with the Lord when I am rising multiple times a night to nurse or care for a little one? Dear sisters, it is not only possible, but it is essential. We serve a mighty and gracious God who called the world into motion, and He can certainly guide you to discovering the right time, place, and plan for your personal communion with Him. It will be something we have to fight for, but the reward is well worth it. We will find strength to persevere through multiple battles of childhood illnesses that seem never to cease, to graciously address the heart issues and temptations of our children even when no end seems in sight, to be the godly help meet our husband needs even though he may not deserve it, and to demonstrate to a watching world that we are in love with a beautiful Savior that is worthy of ours and their adoration.

In order to cultivate this habit, we must plan. We must choose a time, place, and reading method. As John Piper shares: “Most Christians neglect their Bibles not out of conscious disloyalty to Jesus, but because of failure to plan a time and place and method to read it.”

Time

“I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over his Word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. It’s like taking a trip without filling the tires with air or the tank with gas. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. The spiritual air leaks from our tires, and the gas is consumed in the day. We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer.” – John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God

Mornings may be difficult for you, and there is grace to adjust to your family’s needs, but that quote is definitely compelling, and I have personally experienced these benefits. Even if you start waking up 15 minutes earlier each day, you will have 15 minutes to dine at the Master’s feet. Other means of getting the Word into your heart throughout the day might be: Download an audio version of the Bible to listen to throughout your day. Place a Bible in key areas throughout your home where you spend the majority of your time – the kitchen sink, the bathroom, the changing table. While at these locations, glance down and mediate on a verse. Get creative! During one season, I had my Bible on my ipod and would read during my early morning nursing period.

Your children may be at an age where you can start helping them develop their own quiet time. Guide them in learning how to pray, look at Bible story books (Jesus Storybook Bible, Big Picture Story Bible), listen to a CD of Christian music, watch a Bible story DVD, or color Bible story pictures. I remember using Keys for Kids when I first launched into my own quiet times. They are free and can be ordered in paperback copies or downloaded on the web. While they do that, you can have your own quiet time.

Place

“Pick a place of seclusion…. It needs to be secluded so that you are not distracted, and so that you can speak out loud and sing and cry. If your family situation or home does not have such a place, then create it, not by space, but by rule…. One saintly mother (Susanna Wesley) with a large brood of children (mother of 19) would use her apron to make a tent for her head and her Bible at the kitchen table and the children were taught, when mother is in her tent, make no noise.” – John Piper

I love that quote! If it is there is no quiet moments, then we can glean from Mrs. Wesley’s example of defining the space through training our children. Do you have a favorite comfy chair? Add a little nightstand to hold your Bible, journal, and pens. I will never forget observing the frequent occasions as a child when we would discover our mother spending time with the Lord in the front seat of the family car in the driveway. She was close enough to manage in the case of emergencies, but far enough away to enjoy some peace and solitude. With a family of eight children, she learned to adapt to make it still her priority. Even now, my devotions may be very well surrounded by my little ones (with my son often waking at 6:45am), but we are teaching them to play quietly near by. They are observing that I am making it a priority, that it is important to me. My children are not first in my life. Jesus needs to come first.

Method

Without a plan it is easy to loose focus, routine, and develop more a hit-and-miss approach. One tool I have used for years is the The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. The design is to read daily from two Old Testament and two New Testament books. During busy seasons of young motherhood, I have chose to read one of the Old Testament portions and one of the New Testament portions each day, and followed the next year with the other two columns, thus completing the Bible in two years.

Justin Taylor links to ten different Bible reading plans offered by Crossway Books and other sites. Chose a method that works for you, print it out, and put it with your Bible. You don’t have to wait till the beginning of the year either. Simply start on the current date and make your way through.

If you are new to developing your own daily devotion time or would like further inspiration, I highly recommend you check out Nancy Leigh Demoss’ book, A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God through a Daily Devotional Life.

“The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. The first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Other Recommended Resources:
When I Don’t Desire God, How to Fight for Joy by John Piper
Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney

What works for you?

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