"Great men aren't made in a day- they are made daily."
"The Plan of Your Life" by Dr. Chris Stephens (page 36)
We make plans, write to- do list, fill up calendars, and create 5 and 10 year plans. Just take a walk down an aisle at Target and you can find countless calendars and planners for everything from kids chores to exercise. Planning is not our downfall. Neglecting to plan the most important things is what holds us back.
Each day I wake up with the choice as to how to use the day. Will I simply be keeping up with a to-do list, longing for the quiet of the evening so I can escape in a book or fall into the couch to watch a tv show? Will I be overwhelmed with all I have to do, but at the end of the day wonder what I really accomplished? Sure there will be days like this, but as a whole I must choose to live a different way.
If our spiritual life and personal relationship with God truly is the most important thing in life than our days and calendars should directly reflect that. If we plan everything else, why don't we spend more time planning how to build our foundation in God? Dr. Stephens so eloquently expresses our need to plan, schedule and quantify our spiritual disciplines. On page 46 he lays out building blocks of a spiritual foundation. This is a great list of disciplines we should engage in to build our relationship, faith and much more. He then goes on to lay out his "Personal Growth Plan" or spiritual goals for the year. I would strongly encourage all of you to pray about this and create your own plan for this year. I have my own list and will share that in a post soon.
Another encouragement I have is to press into the disciplines that may not come as natural to you. If memorization has always been difficult for you, then take time to commit this area in prayer and ask God to give you discipline and the ability to develop in this area. For others, reading one book a month is a stretch- forget one a week! But the time we live in allows us to have access to the insights of thousands of amazing Christian authors, current and centuries past. Personally for me, I must push myself to seek solitude and simply be silent before God. It does not come naturally or easy for me, but it is equally or possibly even more important than other spiritual disciplines. There are some things that God desires to do in me that can only come from enjoying his presence in silence with no distraction.
The decisions you make each day will make a dramatic impact on the woman you are becoming. Dr. Stephens says, "A couple of chapters of Bible reading might not seem like it's doing much for you. But a daily regimen of it actually begins to change a person's thinking patterns and enlivens the spirit." (page 47) Start small or continue a great plan you have, but most importantly don't give up. If you plan anything, plan how you are going to grow in God!
Each day I wake up with the choice as to how to use the day. Will I simply be keeping up with a to-do list, longing for the quiet of the evening so I can escape in a book or fall into the couch to watch a tv show? Will I be overwhelmed with all I have to do, but at the end of the day wonder what I really accomplished? Sure there will be days like this, but as a whole I must choose to live a different way.
If our spiritual life and personal relationship with God truly is the most important thing in life than our days and calendars should directly reflect that. If we plan everything else, why don't we spend more time planning how to build our foundation in God? Dr. Stephens so eloquently expresses our need to plan, schedule and quantify our spiritual disciplines. On page 46 he lays out building blocks of a spiritual foundation. This is a great list of disciplines we should engage in to build our relationship, faith and much more. He then goes on to lay out his "Personal Growth Plan" or spiritual goals for the year. I would strongly encourage all of you to pray about this and create your own plan for this year. I have my own list and will share that in a post soon.
Another encouragement I have is to press into the disciplines that may not come as natural to you. If memorization has always been difficult for you, then take time to commit this area in prayer and ask God to give you discipline and the ability to develop in this area. For others, reading one book a month is a stretch- forget one a week! But the time we live in allows us to have access to the insights of thousands of amazing Christian authors, current and centuries past. Personally for me, I must push myself to seek solitude and simply be silent before God. It does not come naturally or easy for me, but it is equally or possibly even more important than other spiritual disciplines. There are some things that God desires to do in me that can only come from enjoying his presence in silence with no distraction.
The decisions you make each day will make a dramatic impact on the woman you are becoming. Dr. Stephens says, "A couple of chapters of Bible reading might not seem like it's doing much for you. But a daily regimen of it actually begins to change a person's thinking patterns and enlivens the spirit." (page 47) Start small or continue a great plan you have, but most importantly don't give up. If you plan anything, plan how you are going to grow in God!
I'm really emjoying this book. Just yesterday I was thinking to myself in the midst of all the "crazy" how I need an overnight stay with God and just get quiet. Of course, I was thinking this while trying to cook dinner, help my children to settle down, get Joshua changed and David started on his homework. But it's something that I don't plan well- TIME for Myself. The growth plan he was describing in the book is inspiring. I like that Milestone has a growth plan, but when you have gone through that, what next? I like that as I grow with God and pursue a closer relationship with Him that all other things seem to fall where they need.
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