“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity
Over the last few years I found my morning routine involved waking up and then after getting the kids breakfast and getting my own breakfast I would flick on the laptop to check email and read a few blogs. This year we were offered the ‘West Australian’ newspaper home delivered for $2.00/week until July and I said ‘yes’ to that. So now I had email, blogs and newspaper to read first thing… And then there is everything to do each day…
I found that often by the time I had dealt with email and blogs I wasn’t getting around to time in the scriptures, but was heading off to work. Now with a newspaper to read it only exacerbated the issue.
This year I thought it would be a simple practice to simply rearrange the order of the variables to reflect what I would like download smart people online my life to be shaped by, so part of my personal practices for 2007 involves not turning on the laptop or opening the paper until I have spent some time reflecting on scripture. I have also made Saturday a ‘computer off’ day.
Its so easy for stuff to get out of kilter and for us to not actually live out of the priorities we say we hold. I’m not one for a 30 minute ‘quiet time’. I’m more for spending time with God and sometimes it will be 15 mins and sometimes a couple of hours. I don’t think the time value is the key, but I do think regularly putting yourself in the space to meet God does allow for personal renewal.
Its easy for things to get out of control.
Its also very easy to make choices to re-shape the way we live.
Funnily enough that newspaper doesn’t get read very often!good dvd divx glory
I’ve been battling that same problem for a while now, in fact we just stopped the weekday papers getting delivered. Just starting to see the better overall effect in both my personal and spiritual life now.
i think it was karl barth who said that the bible should only be read with the newspapers in hand.
I can read my paper online so I don’t have to buy it. That way I can read the sport and not have to throw the rest away.
I was once challenged that I should read the Bible more than I read everything else…consequently I read nothing…
Thanks for the reminder Hamsta! Its always needed for me at least!
Hey bro, I will make that commitment with you, though I will choose Sunday as my computer free day. You can keep me accountable if you like, and I will do so with you.
Btw, need dates for middle intensive.
rev
Excellent choice, Hammo. Something we could all benefit from. I’ll join you & the rev making this an intercontinental venture.
Hamo,
Great reminder. This is something many of us are in hand to hand combat with.
My wife is in Kenya this week on mission. Im going to use this time and try to reshape my prayer life.
G’day Hammo,
Must be something in the air!! The first thing I did when I got back from leave last week was to “unsubscribe” from a dozen emailing lists!! Saturday has also been my PC free day for some months. It’s tough though, I find working from home can blur the lines between “on and off” time for me – it really wore me out last year. All the best with the changes.
Live simply …
And now the Ox is gone!!
http://ellenbrooker.wordpress.com/
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I had to cringe on just how much your whole post reflected my own life right now. It’s wake-up, email, blogs, news, shower, breakfast, class (I’m a college student). And Scripture gets squeezed in there on a good day. I’ve been convicted recently over that, and it appears God needed to do a little more of that tonight. Things will be changing come tomorrow morning.
The computer off day… I’ll work on that. Sunday seems to be a good idea…
Thanks for the fantastic post! Grace and peace.