Yes, I’m on vacation. No, I’m not going anywhere…well lots of trips around the beautiful state of Colorado are in the plans. We are hoping to see some gorgeous fall colors in the mountains. My brother and his lovely bride are coming for a visit. That is vacation enough for me folks!

This coming week, I’ll be sharing some older posts. I pray that God will bless you abundantly this week.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

My Time

I seem to be having issues with time management. I just can’t seem to get everything done that needs to get done. You know, the important things. Bible study preparation. Blog posts written. Quiet time with God. One-on-one time with my husband.

And then there are the “not as important” items on my “to do” list. Like mopping the kitchen floor. Doing a load of laundry. Taking down the Christmas tree and Christmas decorations.

But in my analysis, I found that my time management wasn’t so much about not having enough time to do these things, but much more to do with what I was actually doing with my time. This really hurt. Wounded me through and through.

You see, I found this little game on my phone. I installed it thinking it was something my granddaughter Joy would love. What I found was that it was addicting for me!

And because I needed more “pearls” to get ahead in the game, I started playing another game get free pearls. And then I put both of those games on my Nook. And there you have it. Addiction. Time consuming, time eating, time-wasting addiction.

And the worst part is that I gave up my special time with God to play these silly games!

Now granted, I have recently had a new grandchild added and I am spending time with this new addition. I had my two-year-old grandson spend the night and I spent quality time with him. But the relationship that I chose to push to the side was with God. And oh, how that hurts my soul.

Perhaps you’ve been in a similar situation. Perhaps you know exactly what I’m talking about. Or it may not be a game that has taken over your time. Maybe it’s a person. Or a television show. Or the internet. Anything we place between ourselves and God is an idol and that is sin.

God is a jealous God. He wants us. He wants all of us. He wants the quality part of us. And if we do not give ourselves to Him completely, we are just mouthing the words.

I read through Psalm 38 this morning. David had made some errors in his life. He knew he had sinned. This Psalm speaks of David’s feelings toward that sin.

David mentions guilt, burden, wounds, sinful folly, mourning, searing pain, feeble, utterly crushed, groaning, anguish of heart, strength failing, failing eyesight, alienation, traps, harm, ruin, deception, iniquity, troubled, evil, and slander.

As I read through this Psalm, I realized that many of David’s emotions and feelings were exactly what I was feeling. I had disappointed myself, but more than that I disappointed God.

In the middle of this Psalm, David lays his heart open for God to do the healing. David knew exactly what to pray for and he did so. It became my prayer as well. “All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.” (Psalm 38:9 – NIV)

David ends this Psalm with yet another request from God and one that I also prayed. “Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.” (Psalm 38:22 – NIV)

You see I cannot do this on my own. I’d just fall back into my old habits. But when God joins me in the battle, in the struggle, in the temptation, I can be victorious. Together we can overcome this sin.

Remember, anything that I place between myself and God is sin. It’s that simple. For me, playing a simple game intended for enjoyment became a sin. It may not be for you, but I would dare say there is something else that you could call “sin.”

So today, let’s examine our lives and become aware of the areas we are lacking self-control. Let’s call out to God to help us through the removal of said issue. And then bathe in the luxury of His grace and forgiveness.

This is what I plan to do today.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna