My Life in Our Father's World

Time for Some Changes

Good Morning Blogiverse,

I have had some recent changes in my life that have forced me to evaluate how I spend my time.

I had to ask myself the following questions:

  • How much time does this activity take daily? Weekly? Monthly?
  • Does this activity honor God?
  • Does this activity honor my husband?
  • Is this the best use of my time?
  • Is there someone else that is better suited to do this?
  • Do I still enjoy it?
  • Are there other things I would rather be doing?
  • Are there hobbies that I have neglected to pursue this one?
  • Why did I start this in the first place?
  • Have I really learned to say “No” when I should?
  • What has taken me so long to do this?
  • Why is this even on my to-do list?

And then I did the following:

  • Spent an hour (or more) cleaning out my email and unsubscribing from most of the lists that I was on.
  • Gave myself permission to only participate in weekly/monthly linkups as time allows instead of stressing myself out about missing one of the 15 linkups/features that I somehow committed myself to.
  • Left groups on Facebook and deleted most other social media accounts
  • Decided not to set a reading goal for 2023.
  • Realized that my unrealistic expectations for myself have increased.
  • Am in a wait-and-see mode about choosing a WOTY for 2023.
  • Felt the weight of the self-imposed “musts” lift off my shoulders.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:37-29 NIV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. – Matthew 6:34 NIV

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28 NIV

Through this process, I realized that God did not intend for this blog to become so all-consuming of my time. His desire was never to add more stress to my life but to give me a place to share the lessons that He was teaching me.

Lesson learned!

This does not mean that I am leaving this space altogether. However, I will not be as active as I have been. In being obedient to my Creator, I have released myself from the need to post something on a daily basis.

So, my dear blogging friends, this is not “goodbye”. It is merely, “see you soon”.

25 comments

  1. Wonderful! A few loaves go a long way in the hands of Jesus. Looking forward to your lessons learned. I need to de-media my life a bit as well so there is less stress and more time for my family. Blessings.

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  2. Amen!
    I personally do not have any other media than this word press blog that I do.
    I was posting long lessons, pouring out from a deep well I have access to, but began realizing that it’s a lot of work, but I feel the importance of saying what is on my heart, so I scaled down a bit; my lessons are once on Sunday, and tidbits (very small portions) throughout the week. I think I will scale down a little more, and have my “then & again” a few times a month while trying to make them a bit shorter.
    I have a full time job, these lessons are my early morning devotions that I work on, edit, and then post (many times in advance, making room for more study, as well as for my wife and family).
    Downsizing is not a bad thing, prioritizing is necessary, especially when you are the one needing to be fed.
    God bless you.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Wishing you blessings in all that you do! Praying for you as you complete these certifications and classes. Our lives are full of many things, and we cannot be everywhere at once. And that is okay! 🙂 I think when we pray and we ask God to help and guide us, we find our way. In this way, we are called to many things and God blesses the work of our hearts and hands. We must always be open to where the Holy Spirit leads. If we try to be too many places at once, we are overwhelmed. In the midst of our callings, we need rest as well. Make time for you, for the little things that make you happy. 🙂

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  9. Thank you for sharing this. As a new blogger, I am learning about the boundaries to set for myself so I don’t get out of balance. You are such an inspiration and encouragement to me. I too am looking to get rid of a lot of my social media and the TV. The stress of it all just doesn’t seem worth it in the end. I am striving for peace.

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. I so totally agree! Good for you! When I joined WordPress, I hoped to post more frequently but then narrowed it to once a week on Sundays. Blogiverse is funny. BTW, when I unsubscribed with things, I got a lot more spam for awhile but it dissipated after awhile.

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. Barb, it is always good news to reflect on the things that God has plan for you. You are a great inspiration and love the questions you have asked and your reflection.
    Take time out and gain your strength and energy.
    God bless and love you xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

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  17. Good for you, Barbara. We all need to sit down periodically and evaluate how we’re using our time and energy and ask God for wisdom. What’s hard is that so many opportunities are good–but we can’t do them all. It’s often not a choice between good and bad, but better and best.

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