Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Carving out and organizing quiet time when you have small children

*disclaimer: This is still new to me so I would love to hear any suggestions and also hear about how you organize your quiet times as well :) 




I have recently started to journal/ write things down during my quiet time. For me, things seem to *stick* more when I write and how nice it will be when my children are grown they can look back at this and see all the things Momma was praying for them :)

So before I tell you how I manage my quiet time I will talk about what I use and what I do first.

I LOVE binders!! I use them for everything, so I thought it would be a good choice for my quiet time. I didn't want anything big and bulky, so I found a smaller size binder (just a little bigger than my bible) at staples. It's from the Martha Stewart line. I have one section where I journal on a scripture. I will often come across scripture that speaks to something in my life at the moment so I write about it. I use the S.O.A.P method. Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. The next 3 sections are devoted to prayers for my Husband, prayers for my Daughter and prayers for my Son. The last section is dedicated to prayers for others and a place where I can jot down things I want to remember from church seminars etc.



So now on to finding time! We actually don't need to find time because it's already there! We need to MAKE time. How often do we as mothers complain of exhaustion so we sit, just for a moment, to catch up on social media, browse pinterest, watch tv etc..?? I know I'm guilty too! We are not actually resting when we do these things, just zoning out. So if you have time for these things you have time for 'quiet time' if you want it.

Wake up just 30mins. before your children. I know this may not be practical for some of you Mom's that have children that are up before the sun! but if not, it's only 30 mins. I will GUARANTEE you that you will not miss that extra 30mins. of sleep and you will have started your day more refreshed and more focused which in turn will bring down your stress levels.

Squeeze it in during the afternoon! This is when I like to do my quiet time. When the afternoon rolls around my kids start to wind down a bit. They are content to sit and watch a movie or a quiet activity like coloring, play-dough  crafts etc. So it will sit and do my quiet time at the kitchen table. I would be lying if I said my kids sit quietly and never interrupt me during this LOL I tend to my kids, keep focused and then get back to it. Some of you may have children that take a nap in the afternoon, that's a great opportunity to get your quiet time in!

Evenings/before bed. This is when I like to review notes from a ladies morning bible study I recently joined. Have you ever curled up in the evening with a good book? Got caught up in it for a few hours! Why not do the same with Gods word? Now I'm not saying that you can't read a book in the evenings anymore except your bible..just manage your time better. Have your quiet time with God first and if you still want to have more time after to read a book ..etc. go ahead, if not, go to bed. Simple as that. It's all in making the most out of our time and managing it well. Minimizing the time wasters and things that zone us out and setting our priorities straight.

I would love to hear your tips on how you fit quiet time into your day when you have little ones at home and would love to see your prayer/scripture journals as well! Remember to leave a link to your blog in the comments below :)

5 comments:

  1. Casey,

    This is a good word, although probably not one that many want to hear. It goes along with when we say we can't afford something. We all spend money on things we want, so saying we can't afford something is often just a reason not to work to save for it.

    The same goes for quiet time. Our flesh is lazy! We don't want to get up early! And when we do, we get bombarded by thoughts of all that needs done that day. The enemy of our souls does NOT want us to fellowship with our Savior and Lord. But just like refusing to go to the gas station to fill up our cars, we will run out of gas, if we don't get spiritually filled. And that can only happen with quality alone time -- even if it is only 10 minutes! God doesn't penalize us for our efforts. He knows our hearts.

    I love your journal system. I'm a nut for office supply things and journals--I have a box of various ones that I keep on hand.

    Blessings to you! May God bless you and strengthen you as you carve out time for Him!

    (visiting from Time Warp Wife)
    Selena

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  2. I love what you said about not having to find time because it's already there! It's so true!!! I find that I do best if I read my Bible while I'm nursing. I have to sit down several times a day anyway, I might as well use that time to my advantage. I also take advantage of nap time for journaling and serious Bible study. My husband and I recently completed the Bible in 90 days and that really taught me how to make time for Bible reading! I was reading constantly (and still behind).

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who struggles to be consistent.

    Blessings,
    Katherine

    www.proverbsandpacifers.com

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  3. I recently started journaling my quiet time also. I had an aversion to writing things down (for a crazy reason) but the more I read in my quiet time, the pull to write things down became stronger and stronger. So I purchased a 300+ page journal from a closeout store, I love it!! My quiet time started out at nite for a couple of months, then moved to mornings and now I'm back to nights. So it changes as my family's schedules change but it is consistent and I LOVE it.

    Most recent scripture to give me peace: 1Chronicles 22:10 God told David that He would be Solomon's Father. And when I read it, it hit me as a very personal and paternal statement from God and I felt in that moment all of my worries and stresses about how the girls will turn out, if I'm doing enough, am I doing it right...just begin to fade away b/c He will be their Father!!! I've started a post on it already, hopefully it will encourage others.

    www.mommytheteacher.com

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  4. sounds awesome! our church gave us a prayer journal a couple years ago and it is awesome. i put in some paper to be able to have a journal. i need to get back to it.

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  5. I love your ideas. This year my goal is to read the Bible in chronological order. I have an agenda that I write the scriptures I need to read for the day and then I write down my thoughts on the reading, or a quote or summary- anything so that I have to concentrate on what I am reading.

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