Seven Habits

Practices alone, though a means of grace, do not transform us. My life is not ultimately changed by becoming more disciplined or getting more organized. Rather, I am changed as I grasp the truth of justification, depend on the Lord throughout the day, and do whatever I do for His glory. Hence, anytime we seek to implement a new practice, we must always revisit these biblical truths; otherwise, our practices will become new forms of legalism.

7 Habits of the Highly Effective Woman:
1. She rises early
2. She maintains the spiritual disciplines
3. She focuses on relational priorities for every season
4. She sets up regular times for planning
5. She develops an effective to-do list system and calendar/planner system
6. She establishes an efficient routine for managing her home
7. She organizes her house systematically

GirlTalk's suggestions: Now please do not try to apply all of these at once! That wouldn’t be wise. And remember that only God manages His time flawlessly. Only God is perfectly organized. Only God completes His to-do list. And we are not God. We are finite creatures and we might as well get comfortable with our finiteness.
Let me suggest you isolate one to three habits for application. David Powlison encourages us similarly: “Just as we don’t change all at once, so we don’t swallow all of truth in one gulp. We are simple people. You can’t remember ten things at once. Invariably, if you could remember just ONE true thing…you’d be different.” So, in humility, let’s take a single sip of truth. And that one sip, if truly digested, will affect many other areas as well.

My first sip: the idea of rising early - coming right up... I want to chew on each "habit" until I have a better picture and imitation of the whole. I believe that these habits are all habits that the Lord delights in seeing in His daughters! So, we'll see where this takes us...

Only through the Source...

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading on marriage and womanhood, anticipating next summer when I will enter my greatest ministry: my role as a wife. The Lord has been so faithful to reveal such neat bits of wisdom and advice at the perfect times in the tiniest doses (just how I need it!). One way He's been revealing to me is through a book that Scott and I are reading individually and its corresponding workbooks that we are working through and discussing together - Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. Wow... more on that at a later date. Shortly after finding the book, I stumbled across some of Carolyn Mahaney's articles via GirlTalk. I am particularly interested in what she has to say about "the highly effective woman" and have been reading the descriptions and lists nearly every day and praying through them. To start, she reminds us of the source without whom effectiveness or existence would be impossible. We must remember: the source of our justification, the source of our ability, and the source of our motivation. In other words, nothing I do on my own will ever be effective or earn the grace of Jesus Christ. Second, Jesus says that without Him I can do nothing--and I've certainly seen that first-hand ("That is best which is least our own doing." -Dr. Jerry Bridges). Finally, while the habits correlating with a woman's effectiveness certainly benefit her and her family in many tangible ways, my motivation must be first concerned with the glory of God and the furthering of His Kingdom. That's what I'm chewing on.... I want to meditate on my motivations and the Source of all these possibilities before even attempting to digest the habits of an effective woman. Soon enough...

Refreshment

Proverbs 11:25 says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." So, here goes another blog in this cyberworld that's already congested...hopefully one that will indeed bring at least a little more refreshment than many of the others. While the blogging concept is not new to me, this format is, so we'll see how things go. The Lord is renewing my spirit more and more with a greater desire to bring Him glory. I'm learning that that means glorifying the Father in ALL aspects of life, not just in prayer or in thought, but in car rides to work, in seemingly insignificant blogs, in marriage preparation, in work ethic...in ALL things He deserves to see glory brought to Himself. I'm tired of blogs that aren't profitable or purposeful. I just want this to be a reflection of my life, which I pray is one of visible purpose, and more importantly a reflection of the One who gives life. He is so faithful, and He is working in my heart. The journey proves interesting and rewarding; here begins my chronicles.