shopping

For time that is.  Shopping for Time is a book by Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters.  A friend recommended it to me and let me borrow her copy--I should add that she did this out of my asking for prayer in the area of 'getting it together' not out of her perceiption that I needed help, at least that is what she told me.  I also had heard that several other friends, all Godly women, had or were reading this.  I had it for several weeks and never had time to pick it up and read it.  Despite the fact that it's a really thin book.  Pretty ironic.  Finally one afternoon I had a few free minutes and got started.  Seriously, it took me about 1 1/2 to 2 hours total to read it, over a couple of days that is.  So once I finished I thought, 'I need to read that again'.  So I did.  And took notes.  Not in the book cause my friend E wouldn't like that so much.

For whatever life stage you are in, it was a really practical step-by-step on how to get it together.  I consider myself to be a pretty organized person.  My house may not always reflect that but I live with four other people, all of them male, so it's not completely in my control.  But I felt that since having Kirby, and then Bennett, and then Judah with a move to a new country mixed in there, my personal organization and productivity slowly made a downward spiral.  I would have a week here and there where I was super productive and super organized but it wasn't a growing trend.  Enter, my new favorite book.

The first thing it had to say I really didn't like.  Rise early.  Now that isn't fun.  After reading and praying I knew I had to do it.  Anyone who has ever lived with me will tell you quite quickly that I am not a morning person.  The ladies I lived with in college even went so far as to name my early morning expression 'The Morning Face'.  They made sure to warn Stan.  And I think he in turn has warned each of our boys on the day of their birth.  But all the same it is a neccessary evil.  The book introduced the 5 AM Club.  That is just pure insanity.  I thought 6 AM was WAY early enough for me.  But after two weeks I decided that another 30 minutes would really give me a better start.  So ladies, I am now a full member of the 5:30 Club.  It physically hurts me to get up that early.  But three hours later I have spent time in the Word, gone on a brisk walk, showered and had breakfast.  All that with only two cups of coffee.  And, so far, it feels great.

There were many other suggestions given by these ladies, which were also great, but this one was a big step for me.  I am so thankful for some great reminders and a few new ideas.  If you are struggling to fit in the things you want to do each day, the things you need to do each day and the things you should do each day, this book is a must read.