The Magic 21 and Spain Day 1
Don't get nervous. I'm not going off the deep end preaching some heretical doctrine about voodoo and magic spells. It's just that I think I remember hearing that if you do something for twenty-one days in a row, it becomes a habit. Twenty-one is the magic number for breaking old patterns and establishing new ones. And that is what we need to do around here.
So for the next three weeks we are limiting computer time and cutting back on outings. Chore charts will be focused on, but even more importantly, the quality of work will be improved. Less TV will be viewed and more books read (I hope.) Proverbs 6 -- "Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise..." -- is being reviewed. We are reminded that a diligent person doesn't need someone telling them what to do when, but looks ahead, using time and resources to prepare for the future. Sounds like wisdom to me.
It's always easy to get this kind of strategy started, but I am hopeful that we will actually maintain it this time around. Dad is away for two weeks (no early morning tennis or star gazing at late hours), Mom is not going anywhere yet (distraction is not accessible), and the schedule is fairly clear at the moment, so we just need to be stubbornly insistent that it stay that way (I should clarify -- Mom needs to be stubbornly insistent that it stay that way.)
So there you have it: the 21 day plan -- I hope it yields established, "new and improved" patterns of diligence and use of time. And maybe a few magic tricks from that Proverbs 6 heroine. We all could use some around here!
~~~~~~~~~~
I got mail!
Rick and crew arrived last night (early morning for them.) All safe and sound, although Danica was sick off and on throughout the trip. From my experince, air travel when pregnant never seems to go too well. At least both feet are on the ground once again and in no time they will adjust to time changes. I told them to be sure and meet Peter in the BETEL cafe - he was my early morning companion each day while I was in Madrid this past summer. I so wanted to introduce him to my husband and daughter myself. Hopefully they will locate him!
I also contacted Jacob Bock, head of Kilometrocero, an evangelistic ministry in downtown Madrid. He thought that tonight would be the best time for them to meet him. Our team worked with him last summer and it was quite exciting. The ministry is located in the heart of Madrid in Puerta del Sol, an area filled with history and all the romance of ancient Europe. The winding narrow sidestreets are lined with buildings of terracotta, soft yellow, warm beige, and pristine white all accented with wrought iron balconies boasting window boxes filled with red and pink flowers. On the main street the bustle of the 21st century moves tirelessly, disregarding any sense of history; signs for McDonalds and the Metro are juxtaposed alongside those quaint terracotta storefronts. Daily, tens of thousands of Spaniards and tourists move along this avenue and every night this ministry preaches the gospel to whoever has ears to hear. All of our kids had the chance to boldly proclaim His name right there. We saw men and women from all over the globe respond and receive prayer -- people from the Ivory Coast, Belgium, Romania -- broken lives who share the same human needs in spite of language and cultural barriers.
Because of my avid interest in this trip I will continue to keep you posted on the Spain adventure. Hope you don't mind!
So for the next three weeks we are limiting computer time and cutting back on outings. Chore charts will be focused on, but even more importantly, the quality of work will be improved. Less TV will be viewed and more books read (I hope.) Proverbs 6 -- "Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise..." -- is being reviewed. We are reminded that a diligent person doesn't need someone telling them what to do when, but looks ahead, using time and resources to prepare for the future. Sounds like wisdom to me.
It's always easy to get this kind of strategy started, but I am hopeful that we will actually maintain it this time around. Dad is away for two weeks (no early morning tennis or star gazing at late hours), Mom is not going anywhere yet (distraction is not accessible), and the schedule is fairly clear at the moment, so we just need to be stubbornly insistent that it stay that way (I should clarify -- Mom needs to be stubbornly insistent that it stay that way.)
So there you have it: the 21 day plan -- I hope it yields established, "new and improved" patterns of diligence and use of time. And maybe a few magic tricks from that Proverbs 6 heroine. We all could use some around here!
~~~~~~~~~~
I got mail!
Rick and crew arrived last night (early morning for them.) All safe and sound, although Danica was sick off and on throughout the trip. From my experince, air travel when pregnant never seems to go too well. At least both feet are on the ground once again and in no time they will adjust to time changes. I told them to be sure and meet Peter in the BETEL cafe - he was my early morning companion each day while I was in Madrid this past summer. I so wanted to introduce him to my husband and daughter myself. Hopefully they will locate him!
I also contacted Jacob Bock, head of Kilometrocero, an evangelistic ministry in downtown Madrid. He thought that tonight would be the best time for them to meet him. Our team worked with him last summer and it was quite exciting. The ministry is located in the heart of Madrid in Puerta del Sol, an area filled with history and all the romance of ancient Europe. The winding narrow sidestreets are lined with buildings of terracotta, soft yellow, warm beige, and pristine white all accented with wrought iron balconies boasting window boxes filled with red and pink flowers. On the main street the bustle of the 21st century moves tirelessly, disregarding any sense of history; signs for McDonalds and the Metro are juxtaposed alongside those quaint terracotta storefronts. Daily, tens of thousands of Spaniards and tourists move along this avenue and every night this ministry preaches the gospel to whoever has ears to hear. All of our kids had the chance to boldly proclaim His name right there. We saw men and women from all over the globe respond and receive prayer -- people from the Ivory Coast, Belgium, Romania -- broken lives who share the same human needs in spite of language and cultural barriers.
Because of my avid interest in this trip I will continue to keep you posted on the Spain adventure. Hope you don't mind!
posted by Darlene Sinclair at
9:03 PM
2 Comments:
I pray all will be smooth as you guys establish your new routines. I have found the more I simplify, the better things run around here. My personality would have us going in a million 'wonderful' directions, but God has given a wealth of contentment in sticking with simple. We too have cut our TV time and are focusing on the 'biggies.' I look forward to hearing how God has provided for you in this. Love you bunches.
Love hearing about the updates on the trip. Thanks for keeping us posted. Interesting post on apathy and love. I thnk the Lord has been challenging me in this area...atleast the love of the saints anyway. It is easy to lose zeal. And interesting today I heard a teaching on Achin and not co-existing w/enemy. hmmm...
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