Busy, Busy, Busy

Aren't we all? Today is the beginning of my 4th week as a Junior at the University of Illinois. I'm a full-time student working toward my BA in English. I want to write when I'm finished—well, I write now, but I want to write a book.

All of my classes are online but believe me, I have discovered that online classes can be harder and require more work and discipline than campus-based classes. I'm taking Intro to the Discipline which is basically an orientation to upper-level English criticism. This class has really stretched me already. We have been reading and commenting on poetry on the critical level. I'm not so good at this. Then I'm taking a class in The British Victorian Novel. We will be finishing up Jane Eyre this week. This one hasn't been so bad except that the book has over 500 pages! And finally, I'm taking a class in HTML and Web Page Development. That class has been easy so far.

Of course, I still have my husband and family to care for and my church duties to fulfill and . . .

I say all that to say this: we need to rest. I was reading through Genesis 1 and it struck me that God rested. He wasn't tired. He rested to set an example for us. Sadly, most of us do not follow His example and we justify it by pointing out how much we are doing for God. Kinda ironic isn't it?

Our whole culture is spinning wildly 24/7! Electric lights, automobiles, and electronics have freed us from the dark of night. We are shocked when we decide to run to the store at 2 a.m. and find it closed. When I was a kid (back in the day), at 11 p.m. the television went to a test pattern for the night and people went to bed.

I can't fix the whole culture, but I can work on me and mine. For years, we have had "Quiet Time" on Sunday afternoon. My kids have never liked it, but I can tell a difference in their spirit and attitude when they have spent 3 hours in their rooms doing quiet things.

Here's some other things I'm going to work on:

1. Stay off the internet after dinner. This is going to be hard for me, but I need to do it. I find myself checking my class sites, bulletin boards I frequent, and other favorites repeatedly and for no real purpose. I need to quiet myself in the evenings to prepare for sleep. I know I'll sleep better.

2. Take more frequent breaks in my schedule. When I do this, I feel so much more refreshed and ready to tackle the next task.

3. Set aside more time to "be still" and "know that He is God."

I think if I make myself less busy, I'll be more productive.