Lifestyle Challenge

During this month of August I am conducting a “lifestyle experiment”. I want to see how leading a more scheduled and disciplined life affects my life. How does it affect my attitude? My health? My students? My friends? My ability to serve and love others? And, my relationship with the Lord?

Often, it makes me feel constrained, frustrated, and annoyed. But, the Lord has been teaching me and I think my heart is changing.

I have made an outlined schedule for myself. But the schedule (to me) is not as important as completing the tasks, and yet, the schedule is necessary so that I can complete the tasks.

You see, I have noticed that when I choose to be scattered, last minute, and/or lazy rather than planned, organized, and diligent I am often (indirectly) choosing to be self-focused and inhospitable to others. I want this to change.

I always make goals, I always have ideals and hopes, but how often do I consistently pursue and complete them? Why don’t I? I am scattered and lack endurance.

So, what are my goals?:

(You may laugh…another weakness and reason for my failings…too many goals…):

DAILY:

--Memorize a selection of Scripture. (August’s focus is Psalm 29. I have broken it up by weeks.)

--Fellowship with the Lord – in prayer and Bible reading (consistent prayer for others and 3-4 pages of the Bible daily. I will read the Bible, as I like to do, but have failed to attain, in one year.)

--At least 15 minutes of Chinese study. (Will do on the bus ride home from school.)

--Drink 2.5 liters of water.

[These goals are the more flexible "daily" ones...]

--Exercise (This goal has been made PARTICULARLY so I can use some energy and be less energetic in the classroom and…more self-controlled and serious. Truly, I look forward to our wiggle time as much as the kids.)

--Shower.

--Sleep no later than 10:30pm-5am (I would prefer 7 hours consistently.)

--No more than 3 dirty dishes left over night.

--Sweep the public floors.

--Mop up the public floors. (Like wiping off the table, not DEEP cleaning.)

--Read various books on the way to school. (Recipes, rhetoric, human rights, science, philosophy, physics, education, and theology. –I just feel as if my brain is shrinking. It must be strengthened. I am forgetting facts I learned in high school. They must be revived. First, I will attack my stack of unread books sitting at my bedside. Good!!)

WEEKLY:

--Laundry (Saturday)

--Pintai (cooking room -- Sunday)

--Sweep and mop bedroom (Friday night)

--Re-organize (Friday night)

--Bathroom (Saturday)

BI-MONTHLY:

--Clean out cabinets (scrub, throw away food, etc. – This week and the 25^th.)

--Clean the fridge. (shelves, etc. This week and August 18^th.)

I see the trap these lists could be: self-glory and legalism. I am seeking to guard against those, but I don’t think I should stop BECAUSE of those things.

The Lord has convicted my soul in recent days that I have not only neglected fellowship with Him, but consequentially, I have forgotten and neglected the actual PURSUIT and FIGHT for holiness.

Discipline is a piece of holiness.

Structure gives us opportunity to be ready to love people more.

I hypothesize that if I practice these things I can be (better) prepared with a clean home, food to cook, lessons plans that have already been written SO THAT I can focus on the person and not neglect my other responsibilities and/or life tasks (exercise, shower, sleep, etc.)

It will require WORK.

I don’t look forward to that, but that’s the problem. I need to build up my endurance for being disciplined.

I also hypothesize that this will make a difference in the order and structure of my classroom and I need those things to be affected.

We will see how it goes. (True, it has already started.) My goal is August. (Good thing August ends on a Friday. If I plan well Saturday, September 1^st could be a good time to reflect and see how I would like to change and plan for September.)

I look forward to how the Lord will change my heart as I consistently (key word) spend time with Him.

Problems that I see: where have I scheduled time to Skype people and/or to go on Facebook and/or to write friendly emails? I don’t know how to work States people into my schedule.