Big Rocks in Our Schedule

**Farm Hunting Update: Ugghh!!  We are STILL waiting for authorization for 2 VA home loans.  Apparently most people don't know that you can have 2 and you can use your VA benefit more than once!!  They just have to approve our reason for moving.  I know that the Lord's timing is perfect though!!**

Big Rocks in Our Schedule

I heard a sermon once about scheduling.  He talked about a time when he took a glass jar and filled it with large rocks, then asked his congregation if it was full and they all said "Yes!"  He then took a jar of small pebbles and proceeded to pour them into the "full" jar of rocks.  Then he asked again if they thought the jar was full.  With a quiet chuckle, they again said "Yes!"

Pulling out another container filled with sand, he poured even more into the glass jar.  This time when he asked the congregation if it was full, they had caught on and said "No!"  Finally, he took water and filled the jar to the top.

The lesson, he said, is that if he had first taken the water and filled the jar to the top, he would not have been able to ever get the big rocks in there without spilling the jars contents, and the same applies to our life.  We need to figure out what our "big rocks" are and make sure that we get them in first, then the pebbles, followed by the sand and water.

What actually caught my attention in this sermon was a statement he made at the beginning, "Our schedules are too empty."   I thought the man was crazy!  I was wondering if he had ever bothered to look at the schedule of a mom!  So I wanted to listen to the sermon and see if I could pick out any other craziness!

His teaching really gave me a new insight into scheduling our day.  Later on, I sat down with the girls and went through the whole demonstration with the jar, rocks, etc. and we started a master list of our Big Rocks, Pebbles, Sand, and Water.  We defined our Big Rocks as things that we must do to be able to be usable in the Kingdom.  Some of these were:  Time with the Lord, Bible time, time with family, Bubble and Baby's reading and math.  We had homemaking, exercise, Baby's speech therapy, assembling with the church, and sleep. You get the idea.

Our Pebbles list included things such as service, friends, personal callings, writing, history, science, math for Rose, piano, alone time, and the like.  Finally, our Water list had things on it such as entertainment, some extra-curricular activities, etc.

After making this list we looked at the schedule that we had been functioning under and quickly saw the flaws in it.  A large portion of my older girls' schedule was full of extracurricular activities.  My two youngest had days full of fun schoolwork.  Though both of these activities are great, they are not our big rocks, yet they are taking up a HUGE portion of our day.  Changes had to be made. 

So we pulled out our wipe-board and sticky notes, cleared off the dining room table and got to work! We made pretty substantial changes in our schedule and in our commitments. What we are left with is a schedule that if full of big rocks, pebbles, sand and water where before we were overflowing without even fitting in all of the pebbles!

Moral of the story, don't waste time drowning in the water or shifting in the sand!!  Stand firm on the rock!!

A few schedule tips that have helped our family....:)

1. Pray before you schedule anything.
2. Put God first!!  We believe in tithing our time as well as our money, so 2 1/2 hours a day are spent focusing on the Lord through Bible study, prayer, quiet time to listen, and family devotional.
3. Make meal time family time!  Like we looked at yesterday, it is important to sit together and share a meal.  Try to do this with as many meals as possible.
4. If you home school, remember that you don't have to do every subject, every day, especially in the early grades. 
5. Another home school schedule tip, allow your older children to help teach the younger ones.  This is especially helpful in subjects that the older child might struggle in.  If you have a student in algebra that is still a bit slow with the multiplication facts, allow them to teach that to their younger siblings.  It breeds cooperation with the children and responsibility with the older child while allowing them to work on a subject where they struggle!
6. Combine activities.  When Baby has speech therapy, I bring the books I need to read for history and my lessons and work on that during that hour.  If you have a long car ride somewhere, try to find a book on cd that will be a blessing to everyone in your car.  When you do service projects, do them with family and friends! 
7. Be flexible!!  If you wake up late, just adjust your day.  If you have a field trip or appointment planned, move things around.  Don't become a slave to your schedule, it should actually help you feel better, not bound.
8. If you want free time in your schedule, write it in!  When your free time has a definite start and end, it helps you not fall into the trap of that free time spread into your entire day and you get nothing done.

I have a tendency to make a schedule, look at it, and become overwhelmed that I have something scheduled every minute of every day!  But what I always remind myself of is that every minute of every day will be used for something, whether I schedule it or not.  The benefit of scheduling is that it allows me to make sure I am filling those minutes with the activities that are most important and needed instead of wasting them.

There are two main thoughts that I would just LOVE to leave with you!!

First, is for those of us with children. A wise teacher once told me "If there is a bluebird on your classroom window sill, you had better be teaching about bluebirds." Teaching moments come up daily and we should take advantage of them. Don't let one pass just because it is not on the schedule. If you home school and your curriculum has you covering ancient history and it is an election year, make sure during the end of October, beginning of November, you are teaching about the election! If you are in the car with your children and you see a rainbow, take the time to point it out and talk about it! Life is full of teachable moments just waiting for us to seize!!

Second, your day is not your own if your life belongs to Christ. Look for the opportunities that He gives you to shine His light into this world that He loves so much. And do it all, even down to the scrubbing of your toilets, for His glory!

Be very careful then how you live-not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.  (NIV) Ephesians 5: 15-17