Making the most of my time

           Time. I have wasted a lot of it over the years. I have never been an organized person. I decide to do things at the last minute or spur of the moment. I have at times exasperated my friends by asking if they want to do something at the last moment. Often I do not get things done that I need to because I am scared that I do not have enough time. Often times this is because I spend most of that time I could have gotten things done, fearing the work and procrastinating. Then at the last moment I panic and do the work shabbily.
           I have recently recognized this I have gone through school with this unhealthy pattern. Receive assignment, fear it and procrastinate. Do a shabby job and complete it at the last moment before it is due. I worked on negative emotions instead of positive. Often life seemed overwhelming and I passed up opportunities to hang out with my friends or do other positive things because I did not "have enough time." But I would spend most of that time on my phone.
           I graduated this December and have enjoyed a much needed breather. I have had a lot of time to think and reflect on my past. Yet I still wasted much of my time. At the end of the day, I would often realize that I had not accomplished anything constructive. I would stay up late, sometimes all night, and sleep till close to noon. I would feel sluggish when I woke up, and with a bad feeling when I went to sleep.
          Today is a new start, a productive start. I have made for my schedule and stuck to it. Thanks to a largely open schedule I am able to plan out most of my day on my own. This is probably the only time anywhere in the near future that I will have this opportunity and I am determined to make the best of it. I do not want to waste any more time being unproductive. My schedule looks like this:

8-9: meditation (10 min), shower, eat, read The Knowledge of the Holy
10-10:30: run on the treadmill while reading a fiction book. 10:30-11: take my dog on a walk.
11-11:30 - Ab workout 11:30-12: chores, get ready to leave
12-1: Chiropractor appointment, fix radio in car.
1-1:30: eat, read biography book. 1:30-2: apply to grad schools
2-2:30: Chores 2:30-3 Ankle therapy
3-3:30 open (used for nap) 3:30-4: chores
4-4:30: Write blog post 4:30-5: open
5-6: weightlifting workout
6-6:30: eat supper 6:30-7: apply to Grad Schools
7-8:30: church 8:30-9: open
9-10: Fiction writing
10-10:30: open 10:30-11 Pray
11-12: quiet time/reflection writing
12-8: sleep

I put this here to show you how much I have been able to accomplish. I haven't been this productive in a long time and it feels great! I put most things in a 30 minute time slot because I am ADD and I don't want to get bored or discouraged of following my schedule. I also include open time for flexibility and freedom to choose to do something outside of my schedule. I know it is very detailed and maybe looks tedious, but if I am not organized than I swing to very disorganized and unproductive. I encourage everyone to make schedules and be productive. With God, you have the power to take control of your life and maximize the use of your time! I hope to continue this schedule and write another post tomorrow.

I'm not a hipster (my sin is the same as everyone else's)

No matter how much I grow in maturity, eloquence, affluence, knowledge, wisdom, etc. my son never grows any less ugly and base. My sin is not any different than anyone else's. It is not better or worse than another person's sin. Our sin makes us all the same. We all need a savior, we are all looking for a cure.

I was born with a stubborn, rebellious streak. I have always wanted to be different, fought against the current, against the norm. I have always been deeply suspicious of what is popular and accepted. I find satisfaction in doing the opposite of the majority. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that I think about things and do not fall easily under peer pressure. The bad thing about this is a struggle to accept people's sin nature and a sense of pride. The truth is that I am no different than anyone else and any belief to the contrary is a deception from the devil. I have the same weaknesses, temptations, failings as anyone else. Maybe it looks a little different and manifests itself in a unique way. But my sin is not better than anyone else's. Why should I have pride in the way I sin? I am humbled to realize my shortcomings. As Paul says, "I am the least of these." I humbly ask forgiveness of anyone who I have acted or appeared prideful to. I do not want to be above anyone else. I want to be loving to all and for others to feel welcome around me. I want to help others and not judge them just as I do not want to be judged.