Consider: “The Organized Heart”

Published on by Kim

It is tempting to see the biggest word in the title above and glide past the last word, but that would give entirely the wrong idea. Staci Eastin has written a book on organization, The Organized Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Conquering Chaos, without any tips, guides, or charts. This book is a heart check, through and through.

Here is an excerpt to give you a taste:

What I hope to do is to help you examine your heart and discover things that may be hindering your walk with God. My goal is not necessarily for you to have a cleaner home or a more manageable schedule—although I certainly hope that is the case. Rather, my hope for this book is that it will help you serve God and your family more effectively, more fruitfully, and with greater peace and joy.

Here is one more:

We rightly ask God to guide our finances as we aim to be good stewards of our money, but we rarely ask that he guide our calendars and help us want to be good stewards of our time. Lay your tasks before the Lord. Prayerfully ask him to guide you in your days. Then get up to work, trusting that he will sustain you and give you the rest that you need.

These books are set here as possibilities for you to explore. Posts and links are not blanket endorsements or paid publicity.

Worth the Time

Published on by Kim1 Comment

It’s strawberry season, and one of my favorite things to do with fresh strawberries is make pie. I make my grandma’s “very favorite pie,” to be exact. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

Well, to make that pie requires a multitude of steps and a great deal of time. On the day I decided I would like to do it, the effort started with making the pie crust. That in itself is a project — mixing and chilling and rolling and chilling and baking and cooling. Then comes a drive out of town to a local strawberry farm (because berries from the store are just not the same taste). It is 1.5 hours, round trip, and the drive through the countryside was lovely (even if I did get a later start than I wanted). Once home, the berries need to be washed and hulled and cut. Now for the really fun part, the filling. It’s homemade from scratch, which isn’t always the best choice but often is the only way to just the right taste. Bringing the syrup to a boil over low heat, constantly stirring, generally involves me pulling up a chair and settling in for the long haul. No rushing this process! After the filling is done and the pie crust is full, the pie has to be cooled before serving.

There could be a lesson in there about planning ahead (no way to make this pie an hour before dinner…), but my thoughts were mostly about the investment of time. Some things are worth the time. A store-bought pie would not be the same, in this case. To get the pie with sentimental value and exceptional taste, I had to spend the time on all the steps. If I resented the drive time, I would not end up with a pie served with love. If I don’t enjoy farm-fresh berries, I miss out on the gracious gift of good, good food from my Father. It’s not just sustenance; it is a delicious experience. If I rushed the cooking, the filling would burn. If I didn’t have the time to spend on all this in the first place, our household would not savor this treat together!

Why do we manage our time? We guard time for the precious things in life. We work to make sure that we have time for the things that matter most — loving and being loved. Some days, some years, that means making pie.