Time Management!

Time: something you’re not in control of. something you won’t have forever. So what do you need to start working on now?

As the year is drawing to an end, it’s so easy to feel bad about the things you haven’t accomplished, the goals you had set for yourself since January but yet still haven’t made any effort to execute. It’s so easy to get caught up on social media and envious about other people’s performance. There’s no reason to envy other people’s blessings when your blessing has been sitting face to face with you everyday. My question for you today is what are you doing with your time? Are you someone that procrastinates and put assignments to the side, saying I will do it tomorrow? Has that tomorrow turned into a year? If so what are you willing to sacrifice to execute your goals?

Time management! Something that many of us don’t take seriously. We make excuses of how we don’t have time and how we are so busy. Maybe the things you are busy doing isn’t producing any fruit. You can busy just sitting down watching reality TV shows. You can be busy working on a book. There’s a huge difference here. You’ve got to evaluate your definition of business. If you don’t learn how to manage your time now, it will affect you later on in life when you’ve got major things to do and certain roles to play. Discipline is a key factor in why people can’t manage their time. By the grace of God, we are given 24 hours in a day. What you do with your time is up to you. If you refuse to plant, you can’t be upset when harvest time comes and there’s nothing at hand because you were being lazy. You’ve got to do your part. There are dreams that God has given you that need to become reality. Don’t sleep on your dreams. Pray but do your part. God has given you all that you need (See Matthew 25:14-30). If you need more resources, ask God. That’s something that I’m learning. Don’t keep silent in the presence of the Lord. Tell God what you want and He will give you what you need. Every blessing won’t be packaged the way you want it to be but God ‘s love will be sealed on what He gives. He is the Shepherd and we are His sheep.

2018 is almost over. There’s still time left for you to start on what you said you were going to do. Don’t hesitate. Don’t procrastinate. Start now! Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you wisdom on what needs to be done. What are the assignments that God has given you? What are you waiting for? Your excuses won’t get you too far. Don’t bury your dreams quite yet. You are dead. God hasn’t called you home yet. Plant your seed and allow God to water you through the process. Set time aside to work. There’s a time for everything. Sow and reap the harvest later. Harvest time can be anytime. A farmer doesn’t wait to see other people produce before he plants his seed. Oh no. He does his part. It’s time for you to do your part. It’s a new week. Write down your goals. Pray about it and get to work. It’s time to rise up!

Quote:

The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream. –Les Brown

Verse To Ponder:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. -Ephesians 2:10

Picture Credit: Jon Tyson

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope that you were able to take something away from this time. Until next time, stay blessed and rooted in Christ 🙏🏿😊.

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Time With God Challenge//Week 3 📌

Hey loves. I hope you’re all doing well on this Friday. How has your week been? What are you looking forward to?

Welcome into another week of our “Time with God” Challenge. I trust that this challenge has been coming along well for you. I must say that this challenge has been going pretty well for me. I’m more focused and disciplined. It’s been refreshing this past few weeks. Not being on social media hasn’t been a big deal at all for me. This challenge is only for a month but hopefully next year, I want to increase the challenge to three months of no YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and etc. Not being on any of these handles since the start of this challenge has been a blessing. I love being on Facebook to encourage others in their walk with God but something that I learned this year was that inasmuch as it is a blessing to pour into people, it is also vital for you to sit at the feet of the One who pours. His name is Jesus. We can’t pour from an empty cup.

Everyone uses their social media for many different reasons. I use mine to share the word of God and poetry. I love to write even though writers block is real. For months, it can be challenging to find something to compose but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m able to write. Whatever the reason may be for why you use your social media, it’s always good to take a break. Rest awhile. Spend time reading a book, cultivating healthy habits, taking a walk, drinking more water, using the gifts that God has given you, spend time with your friends, go on a date without using your cellphone and etc. Time With God Challenge serves as a time carved for the Lord as well as taking time to work on the assignments that God has laid upon your heart whether it be writing a book, starting a blog, composing a song and etc. It’s a time to open up your Bible more. There’s no excuses because social media is not taking up your time. You have plenty of time now unless you are using that time to sleep or focus on unnecessary tasks. As we are drawing into our final weeks of “Time With God Challenge”, I pray for God’s strength and the grace to finish this challenge. God has been good to us in one way or the other. Spending time with God should be a daily lifestyle but I must admit with lives demands, some seasons can be challenging than others but we thank God that He draws us closer to himself. Continue studying the book in the Bible you selected before the challenge, pray for others/yourself, reflect on the faithfulness of God, listen to praise and worship songs and take time to meditate on a verse.

Week 3:

November 17th: Reflect on the goodness of the Lord this year. What has God done for you? Take the time to praise the living One.

November 18th: Spend time studying one chapter in the Book of Proverbs.

November 19th: Meditate on one verse and apply it to your life.

November 20th: Take time to write down seven things you are grateful for?

November 21st: If there’s one thing you wish you could have done differently this year, what would it be?

November 22nd: Take time to pray for those who don’t have anything this time around for Thanksgiving. Pray for God’s love, peace and joy to be present in their lives.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. God bless you 🙏🏿😊

Verse To Ponder:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:13-14

 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. -Psalm 9:1

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.” -Psalm 42:8-9

PC: Jozedelacruz

Priority Check #2

November 12th, 2018

What you refuse to prioritize now, can later affect you in so many ways you least expect. It is a new week. Your week can look the same as last week if you don’t take the proper measure to combat laziness, procrastination and habits that have been cultivated throughout the years.

1. What is one thing you need to do today that can benefit your tomorrow?

2. What are some habits in your life that need to be broken? Is it laziness? Do you spend more time sleeping than working? Is procrastination your first name? Who do you know that can hold you accountable this week?

3. Are you still dreaming or are you turning those dreams into a reality? There’s nothing wrong with dreaming but for many of us, we are dreaming and saying what if I had this and that but the truth of the matter is that God has blessed us with what we need now. If we want more, ask God and He will surely provide. Don’t sleep on your dreams. Ask God to guide you so that those dreams will be brought to life.

4. Do you spend too much time watching TV shows instead of focusing on tasks that need to be completed? This week, do your best to cut down on the amount of time you spend watching TV/being on YouTube.

5. Are you consuming junk or eating healthy? Your definition of healthy may not be considered healthy. Do some research this week. It will help you in the long run.

6. Do you take the time to reach out to your friends and loved ones or are they the ones continually reaching out to you? If that is your case, what can you do this week to check up on the well being of your loved ones?

7. Is social media taking up so much of your time? You find yourself scrolling and before you know it an hour, two even three hours have passed and your still writing the essay you started at 3pm. It’s now 7pm. If this is your case, please do your best to stay the course. Have days you can go on social media. Discipline yourself. Social media will always be there but your goals will stare at you face to face.

8. Throughout the week, do you take the time to open up your Bible? Do you spend time praying and drawing nearer to God? If this is an area of struggle for you, pray about it but take necessary action. If it means that you have to select a time every morning to study a chapter in the Bible, take those baby steps and eventually, you’ll get somewhere.

9. Are you drinking more water or consuming soda and every beverage your eyes set upon? For some people, drinking water is not their cup of tea. I don’t understand how someone cannot like water. It is good for you. Try taking sips or finding a brand that is suitable for you.

10. Do you find yourself always sleeping late? 2am, 3am. Times like this when the birds have fallen asleep, you are rather too busy doing nothing that is important. Binging on your favorite show when your bed is calling your name. What are you willing to do this week to combat this issue?

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A lazy man will remember he has not planted when his neighbour is harvesting. -African Proverb

Laziness goes so slowly that poverty overtakes it. -British Proverb

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. -Proverbs 12:11

The Ants & the Grasshopper Fable

One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.

“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.

Lesson: There’s a time for work and a time for play.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope that this week will be focused yet fun-filled. Have a lovely week 😊🌻

PC: LizzyCharney

Time With God Challenge// Week 2 🍂

Welcome to Week 2 of Time With God Challenge. I pray that the past week has been a blessing unto you. If you haven’t started the challenge yet, it’s not too late to partake in it. As we are entering into a new week of our challenge, I just want to encourage you to not give up. If you are struggling with not going on social media, pray about it. This challenge is to help us draw closer unto God. It’s not to overwhelm you or restrict you in anyway. As believers, we must learn to be disciplined. If we allow everything to vie for our attention, we will never get important task complete. As we approach Week 2 of our challenge, I want to encourage you to open up your Bible more. Spend time in worship. Meditate on a verse for the week. Start a devotional plan if you can on the Holy Bible App with a friend or by yourself. Take time to pray. As we go forth into the day, we can become so overwhelmed with lives demands that we don’t even take the time to pray. We don’t want that to be our portion. God has been good and His faithfulness continues in our lives. Eleven months, he has kept us by His grace. The greatest gift we can give to our Father is praise, thanksgiving, honor and adoration. He alone is worthy of all our praise.

Week Two Agenda:

November 9th: Select a chapter in the Book Of Psalms and meditate on it. Take a look at the character of David and see how you can exemplify that same characteristic in your daily life.

November 10th: Write a letter to God.

November 11th: Praise the Lord. Spend more time in worship. Magnify the Lord for He alone is worthy. There is no one else like Our God.

November 12th: Commit your week unto God. What is one thing you can do to accomplish a goal you had set for the year that you haven’t still accomplished?

November 13th: Tell God who He is to you. If it means you have to write it down, feel free to do so.

November 14: Pray for someone in your life that hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Personal Lord and Savior. Pray for those who have gone astray in their walk with God due to one thing or the other in their life.

November 15th: Take time to reflect about your week. Did you take the time to commune with God? What struggles did you have this week? Were you focused or distracted this week? What can you do to stay focused and remain faithful to God?

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I pray that it was a blessing unto you. May this week be delightful in the presence of the Lord. May we spend more time in God’s presence. Stay blessed & Rooted in Christ 🙏🏿😊

PC: Ellamcho

Priority Check #1

November 7th. 2018

1. How are you doing?
2. What is one thing you learned today?
3. Were you able to accomplish the goals you had set for yourself? Did you take time to rest?
4. Did you eat and if so what did you devour? Healthy or Junk?
5. Did you shower 🚿?
6. Did you brush your teeth?
7. Did you take the time to pray/spend time with God?
8. Did you take the time to reach out to your loved ones?
9. Did your drink enough water?
10. How would you describe your day overall? Joyful, Peaceful, Mellow, Amazing, Productive… 😊🌻

It’s very important that we take the time to reflect about our day. It helps in allowing us to come to terms on what can be done and the lifestyle changes that need to be made. It sets a tone for our day and gives us a realization of what our priorities really are/should be.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. Until next time, let your light shine. Take care of yourself. Always remember that Jesus loves you ❤️

Verse To Ponder:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-8

Time With God Challenge// Week 1 🌻

Hi loves. I hope your all doing well. Welcome into a new month of November. We thank God for gracing us with yet another month to see. Today is November 4th, 2018. In my previous blog, I shared with you all about a challenge that was laid upon my heart in July. For more information regarding the challenge, check out this link https://beautyinmylanguage.wordpress.com/2018/10/31/time-with-god-challenge-2/ .

In today’s blog post, I will just be sharing a few things you can do each day through the challenge.

Week One Agenda:

November 1st: Reflect on the goodness of the Lord.

November 2nd: Address your fears and worries.

November 3rd: Worship/Praise the Lord.

November 4th: Speak to the Lord. Don’t be silent. Thank the Lord for His faithfulness, loving kindness and all that He has done for you. Sing a new song unto the Lord. He alone is worthy of all the praise.

November 5th: Take the time to pray for one or more people that the Lord places upon your heart.

November 6th: Who do you need to forgive? Bring the matter to the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. If no one comes to mind, take time to pray for those who struggle with understanding the concept of forgiving others. Ask God for the grace to teach them to be that living example that He was to His disciples.

November 7th: Take time to rest in the presence of the Lord. Rest in His Sovereignty. Whatever you are trusting God for, know that God is in Control. Rest in His Faithfulness. Take time to meditate on Scriptures and Bible Stories about the Faithfulness Of God.

November 8th: Take time to reflect on Week 1 of this challenge. Was it a struggle for you to open up your Bible? Did you start studying a book in the Bible yet? Did you go on social media? If so, what could you do to stay focused throughout this challenge?

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you are partaking in the challenge, I hope it’s coming along well for you. If you haven’t started, you can still start. Feel free to share what book of the Bible your studying in this challenge. I am studying the Book of Daniel and so far, I’m learning and enjoying it. Until next time, Stay Blessed and Rooted In Christ. May the Lord continue to give us strength for the journey.

Verse To Ponder:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. -Romans 5:3-5

PC: Petenavey

Time With God Challenge #2

Abide: to bear patiently. To endure without yielding.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:1-5

As October is drawing to an end and November is fast approaching, I want you to take the time to reflect on the goodness of God in your life. Its that time of the month again. It’s another sacred time you carve your time amidst your busy schedules to spend in the presence of God. In the month of August, I wrote a blog in regards to this challenge. I explained how this challenge was laid upon my heart in the month of July but I was too busy writing and sharing things on social media but in the month of August was when this challenge begun.

So what is this challenge all about? Time With God Challenge is a time when you devote your time to the Lord. This means no engagement on any social media platforms. Some of these platforms include Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, IROKOtv, Netflix, Twitter and etc. It’s a time between you and God. In a world, where so many things vies for our attention, it can become difficult to discern the voice of the Lord with the amount of noise that goes on in our daily lives. I believe that God wants to do so much in each of us. We are His children. We are here for a purpose. There is an assignment for each of us but we have to be willing to dwell in the presence of the Lord. If the presence of the Lord is not our dwelling place, where are we running to? Where is our safe refuge? God wants to speak to us. He is daily trying to get our attention but we are so busy.

Time With God Challenge is also a time where you get real with God. It’s not a time to be putting on a mask. It’s a time of unveiling. It’s a time to seek the Lord and allow Him to pour into you. As believers, it’s so easy to get caught into attending church and listening to sermons. There are people who listen to sermons but never take the time to even open their Bibles. God wants to use you. God wants to speak to you through His word. You are not here by coincidence. There is purpose to your existence. Inasmuch as it is a blessing to listen to sermons, understand that those who bring forth the word also had to spend time with the Lord. You can’t expect people to pour into you but refuse to sit at the feet of the One who pours. His name is Jesus. Time with the Lord challenge is a time of abiding in the Lord. Spending time with the Lord should be a lifestyle for us daily but I must admit that certain days are challenging but the more we spend in the presence of the Lord, we are transformed. We become more like Christ.

Things you can do throughout the challenge.

1. Pick one or two books in the Bible you will be reading/studying.

2. Set a time and place you will like to meet the Lord.

3. You can pick a book to read (Christ-Based).

4. Only listen to praise/worship music. You can listen to podcasts (Christ Based).

5. You can have a prayer journal or any notebook to jot down things from your study or what the Lord is speaking to you about throughout the challenge.

6. Select one verse to meditate on every week. Pray about it. You can also do the Soap Method. Scripture, Observations, Application, Prayer.

7. Take time to pray everyday. You can also do a devotional time/study the Bible with a friend.

8. Stay in continuous communication with the Lord.

*On the last three days of the challenge, fasting is mandatory.

Challenge begins on November 1st and ends November 30th, 2018. This challenge is not to restrict you in any way of form. It is a beautiful yet challenging experience that is meant to teach you some things while being pruned in the presence of the Lord. Feel free to invite your friends to partake in this challenge. Two is better than one. If you have someone partaking in the challenge, your able to build and encourage each other when times get tough. The Lord is our strength. He will surely see us through this challenge. 

If you will be partaking in this challenge, please feel free to leave a comment. If you won’t be partaking, know that there will be more challenges to come. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I pray that it was a blessing unto you. God bless you 🙏🏿😊