~ Valuing our Time ( parts 1 & 2 )
Part one
( I first wrote this as blog posts a few years ago)
I have been thinking a lot lately of time. And the importance of valuing our time.
It has always been a big deal to me to make the most of my time, or using it wisely.
It might have something to do with my upbringing or just my characteristic.
But I have never liked to just sit around, I have always felt there has to be something that needs doing, and most of the time as a mom there certainly is. But I also feel there is a time for a rest or a break too. That is vital to keep us moms going. I try to nap daily.
But I have never liked to feel that I was wasting my time, like watching a movie, playing computer games or the like.
It may be because I grew up with out a T.V, and computer. SO there was no sitting around watching something and no computer or video games at all.
When I was really little ( under 8 ) my parents ran a market garden in the summer, plus we had our own house garden, did ranching, and had lots of animals. So there was lots to keep us busy at. Both work and fun.
For evening activities when it was dark and work was done, or in the winter time, we played board games, card games, reading books, and such.
When I was 8 and we moved from there, we still had a big garden to tend, lots of animals, and lots of fun and work to do. Never was a dull moment!
So what I am getting at is that since I was not use to sitting around watching something, I still to this day do not feel right just sitting and wasting time like that. It has to be to be in the evening when there is absolutely nothing else better to do, and then only once a month, if even that. It wasn't always this way though.
There was a time after I got married and we got a T.V. for watching movies ( it even got 3 channels, though a little blurry), that I did enjoy watching. And quite often too, though not in the day time,( I just could not stand that at all).
At the time we had that T.V. we only had 2 little ones and we did not have to worry so much about what we watched. We had that one about a year and a half. Then got rid of it.
A couple years later we got a D.V.D player, and started getting D.V.D.s from the Library or rental store to watch and did that quite often.
By this time though our kids were older and we really had to make sure they were family friendly, but often during the movie we would find, "Oops, it was not."
That's when I first really started to get sick of movies. Sick at the lack of good and wholesome ones out there. At least at what our local library and rental store had to offer.
We did buy the whole complete season set of Little House On The Prairie. And loved watching that together as a family.
But from then on I gradually got sick of movie watching all together. We went from watching a few a week to only Friday nights. Then I was like, "Why don't replace our movie night with a game night instead." So that's what we did. ( but soon our game night wore off, but we did not go back to to movie night to my great delight.)
Now we almost never watch any movies at all.
Also the kids would play computer games, a lot. I could not stand them sitting there during the day doing that, so I really limited them, or said only in the evening. ( Though that has been our reading time as well. )
Now I am happy to say they don't play computer games hardly ever any more!! YAY!!
I just feel they have much better things to do with their time.
They have school of course and chores, but after that is done, they can play outside in the woods, ride bikes, build things with wood, ride their scooter, skate board, read books, write letters to their many cousins, color and draw pictures, and so much more.
I want them to be creative. I don't want them to feel that the only thing there is to do for fun or entertainment is to sit and watch something. And I don't even want them to feel that all spare time should necessarily be fun or entertaining. It's OK to be bored. In fact often it takes complete boredom to come up with some really great and creative things to do.
That is how it is with me too, I feel I have way better things to do than sit and waste it watching something, unless it is something very spiritual or wholesome. Like I said I do need need breaks in my busy day as mom. And of course more than just a nap.
My breaks can still be very useful though. I can sit and write letters, read my Bible, read other good books ( like I have done this winter), phone my many family members, write on my blog, send e-mails, go for walks, chat with hubby. All that to me is taking a break, yet accomplishing so much.
I have been wondering does God care at all what we do with our spare time? And as a whole, shouldn't God's people be valuing their time more?
Some how I feel that just as we should value our money (which God has blessed us with), and use it wisely for God and not just on our selves; that we should also value our time that God has gave us here on earth and also use it wisely for Him.
We do not know how much time we have left here on earth. I really feel we need to make the most of it. I have been so convicted of this lately.
So how do we spend our evenings as a family then?
Well we don't have much of an evening during the week in school season since supper is at 6:00 and bed time is at 8:00. Between those hours the table is cleaned from supper and dishes are done, a little play time either in doors or out, then wash up time, then comes reading time. I read to the children from a children's Bible, and other good Godly character building books. Some where in there will be time for a quick snack. Then after reading time is brush teeth time, then off to bed at 8:00.
On no school nights, and summer evenings are different only in that bed time is later. Other wise we do the same things. They just have more free time between when supper dishes are done and reading time. Summer evenings though find us a lot of times out in the garden after supper. We all work together to keep it weeded and watered and so on.
I find I have much more to share on this topic than I first thought, so I am planing a part two.
To close up part one, I would just say it is something each family has to be convicted on. Something you can think on, pray about, and discuss with your husband.
I personally took awhile coming to this conviction, was not something that happened over night for me, so I would not expect that of any one else either.
Update: Bed time is more between 8:30 and 9:00 now during winter time, and summers are later than that. We have long day light hours in the summer where we live, so we tend to be out and about late into the evenings doing things.
( I first wrote this as blog posts a few years ago)
I have been thinking a lot lately of time. And the importance of valuing our time.
It has always been a big deal to me to make the most of my time, or using it wisely.
It might have something to do with my upbringing or just my characteristic.
But I have never liked to just sit around, I have always felt there has to be something that needs doing, and most of the time as a mom there certainly is. But I also feel there is a time for a rest or a break too. That is vital to keep us moms going. I try to nap daily.
But I have never liked to feel that I was wasting my time, like watching a movie, playing computer games or the like.
It may be because I grew up with out a T.V, and computer. SO there was no sitting around watching something and no computer or video games at all.
When I was really little ( under 8 ) my parents ran a market garden in the summer, plus we had our own house garden, did ranching, and had lots of animals. So there was lots to keep us busy at. Both work and fun.
For evening activities when it was dark and work was done, or in the winter time, we played board games, card games, reading books, and such.
When I was 8 and we moved from there, we still had a big garden to tend, lots of animals, and lots of fun and work to do. Never was a dull moment!
So what I am getting at is that since I was not use to sitting around watching something, I still to this day do not feel right just sitting and wasting time like that. It has to be to be in the evening when there is absolutely nothing else better to do, and then only once a month, if even that. It wasn't always this way though.
There was a time after I got married and we got a T.V. for watching movies ( it even got 3 channels, though a little blurry), that I did enjoy watching. And quite often too, though not in the day time,( I just could not stand that at all).
At the time we had that T.V. we only had 2 little ones and we did not have to worry so much about what we watched. We had that one about a year and a half. Then got rid of it.
A couple years later we got a D.V.D player, and started getting D.V.D.s from the Library or rental store to watch and did that quite often.
By this time though our kids were older and we really had to make sure they were family friendly, but often during the movie we would find, "Oops, it was not."
That's when I first really started to get sick of movies. Sick at the lack of good and wholesome ones out there. At least at what our local library and rental store had to offer.
We did buy the whole complete season set of Little House On The Prairie. And loved watching that together as a family.
But from then on I gradually got sick of movie watching all together. We went from watching a few a week to only Friday nights. Then I was like, "Why don't replace our movie night with a game night instead." So that's what we did. ( but soon our game night wore off, but we did not go back to to movie night to my great delight.)
Now we almost never watch any movies at all.
Also the kids would play computer games, a lot. I could not stand them sitting there during the day doing that, so I really limited them, or said only in the evening. ( Though that has been our reading time as well. )
Now I am happy to say they don't play computer games hardly ever any more!! YAY!!
I just feel they have much better things to do with their time.
They have school of course and chores, but after that is done, they can play outside in the woods, ride bikes, build things with wood, ride their scooter, skate board, read books, write letters to their many cousins, color and draw pictures, and so much more.
I want them to be creative. I don't want them to feel that the only thing there is to do for fun or entertainment is to sit and watch something. And I don't even want them to feel that all spare time should necessarily be fun or entertaining. It's OK to be bored. In fact often it takes complete boredom to come up with some really great and creative things to do.
That is how it is with me too, I feel I have way better things to do than sit and waste it watching something, unless it is something very spiritual or wholesome. Like I said I do need need breaks in my busy day as mom. And of course more than just a nap.
My breaks can still be very useful though. I can sit and write letters, read my Bible, read other good books ( like I have done this winter), phone my many family members, write on my blog, send e-mails, go for walks, chat with hubby. All that to me is taking a break, yet accomplishing so much.
I have been wondering does God care at all what we do with our spare time? And as a whole, shouldn't God's people be valuing their time more?
Some how I feel that just as we should value our money (which God has blessed us with), and use it wisely for God and not just on our selves; that we should also value our time that God has gave us here on earth and also use it wisely for Him.
We do not know how much time we have left here on earth. I really feel we need to make the most of it. I have been so convicted of this lately.
So how do we spend our evenings as a family then?
Well we don't have much of an evening during the week in school season since supper is at 6:00 and bed time is at 8:00. Between those hours the table is cleaned from supper and dishes are done, a little play time either in doors or out, then wash up time, then comes reading time. I read to the children from a children's Bible, and other good Godly character building books. Some where in there will be time for a quick snack. Then after reading time is brush teeth time, then off to bed at 8:00.
On no school nights, and summer evenings are different only in that bed time is later. Other wise we do the same things. They just have more free time between when supper dishes are done and reading time. Summer evenings though find us a lot of times out in the garden after supper. We all work together to keep it weeded and watered and so on.
I find I have much more to share on this topic than I first thought, so I am planing a part two.
To close up part one, I would just say it is something each family has to be convicted on. Something you can think on, pray about, and discuss with your husband.
I personally took awhile coming to this conviction, was not something that happened over night for me, so I would not expect that of any one else either.
Update: Bed time is more between 8:30 and 9:00 now during winter time, and summers are later than that. We have long day light hours in the summer where we live, so we tend to be out and about late into the evenings doing things.
~ Valuing our Time ( part 2 )
Over all I have come to the conclusion or conviction that we should really think on how we use our time. I mean it is just like our money, we know that it is a blessing from God. And that we should be good stewards of what God has given us. We should use all our money as God would want us too, and to also give to the use of God's work.
I feel our time is also a blessing from God. We do not know how much time we have left here on earth before Jesus comes to take us home. Shouldn't He return to see us using our last bit of time here wisely? Also we do not know when He may require our life. Even though His coming may not be for awhile, our time could be up tomorrow, or the next hour. The Bible said our life is like a vapour.
James 4: 14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away .
If we all acted that we only had a very short time to live, I bet we would be doing things in our last few days very differently than what we are doing now.
I can imagine if I knew I had only say 5 days left I would be busy writing letters to my kids instructing them in God's word, and so much more. I would be phoning and talking to my family more, talking to my husband and sharing with him all my hopes and dreams and desires for our kids, telling my family how much I love them, praying for my family, and the list would go on.
It is just something I feel that God has been really laying on my heart lately.
And something I feel is very important to teach our children while they are young.
I want them to be creative, have fun and work hard, use their time to bless others, and just learn to think of others over their own personal pleasures or desires.
I want them to know that our time here on earth truly is a gift and blessing from God.
I want them to always be mindful of how God would want them to use their time, and what he wants for them to do with their lives.
I want them to always put God first, others next, and then their personal wants, and desires and so on comes after that providing they are pleasing to God.
And of course I have to be that example for them.
To close, I must say I certainly do not have all the answers on this ( Though I wish I did.), and that I am learning and growing all the time. ( I hope and pray that I am anyway!!)
~ May you live today and every day for Him!
I feel our time is also a blessing from God. We do not know how much time we have left here on earth before Jesus comes to take us home. Shouldn't He return to see us using our last bit of time here wisely? Also we do not know when He may require our life. Even though His coming may not be for awhile, our time could be up tomorrow, or the next hour. The Bible said our life is like a vapour.
James 4: 14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away .
If we all acted that we only had a very short time to live, I bet we would be doing things in our last few days very differently than what we are doing now.
I can imagine if I knew I had only say 5 days left I would be busy writing letters to my kids instructing them in God's word, and so much more. I would be phoning and talking to my family more, talking to my husband and sharing with him all my hopes and dreams and desires for our kids, telling my family how much I love them, praying for my family, and the list would go on.
It is just something I feel that God has been really laying on my heart lately.
And something I feel is very important to teach our children while they are young.
I want them to be creative, have fun and work hard, use their time to bless others, and just learn to think of others over their own personal pleasures or desires.
I want them to know that our time here on earth truly is a gift and blessing from God.
I want them to always be mindful of how God would want them to use their time, and what he wants for them to do with their lives.
I want them to always put God first, others next, and then their personal wants, and desires and so on comes after that providing they are pleasing to God.
And of course I have to be that example for them.
To close, I must say I certainly do not have all the answers on this ( Though I wish I did.), and that I am learning and growing all the time. ( I hope and pray that I am anyway!!)
~ May you live today and every day for Him!
