A Great Little Book ...

I recently read a great little book called Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed. This book was written by the girltalkers, which include Carolyn Mahaney along with her three married daughters. Although much of the material covered in this helpful little book has been discussed over on their blog, I've still benefited much from reading this book and being reminded of the principles they lay out in it. It's an easy, fun and quick read, filled with biblical and practical advice to help us use our time wisely. Here's a brief summary of the little book ...
In the book they state:
"We can accomplish everything God has ordained for us to do in this life. (Hint: it's probably not half of what's to do on your to-do list.) And we can do it in a peaceful, joyful manner and get sufficient rest besides."
The Mahaney girls have written this book to answer how!
As women, we know that a good day of shopping begins with proper planning. However, the way we spend our lives often reflects poor planning in how we use our time.
The theme of the book comes from the verse Ephesians 5:15-16, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
The rest of the book covers five tips they give to serve women in every season of life to make the best use of their time...
1. Rise early
~Discusses the importance and benefits of rising early before the rest of our family to make meeting with God a priority and as well to serve our family.
2. Sit still
~Discusses and encourages the importance of having a regular quiet time, and gives practical advice on what this looks like.
3. Sit and plan
~Discusses the importance of having a personal retreat at least once a year, and as well lays out a foundation for what this looks like in different seasons of life.
4. Consider people
~Discusses the importance of considering our relationships, and gives practical advice for the kinds of relationships we should have outside of family.
5. Plan to depend
~Discusses the importance of our need to depend on God's grace each and every day.
And lastly in conclusion:
"In the end, our highest goal each day is not flawless execution of our plans or increased productivity. It's our relationship with God, walking in dependence upon Him throughout the day. We should not be more consumed with the completion of our to-do list than pleasing and glorifying the Savior. Whether we're sitting down to map out our day, simplifying our to-do list, or receiving an interruption as a "sovereign delivery," we must, above all, plan to depend."