Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Procrastination....Someday

Today is my birthday (I'm 49, in case you were wondering). It has been a wonderful day. I got up on time and exercised before putting in some time over at the church office. I didn't mind working on my birthday, especially when a really pretty plant was delivered midway through the morning. Friends dropped off cards and goodies and I've received so many greetings on Facebook. Gary gave me flowers and marshmallow peeps yesterday and Erin brought a dozen Scratch cupcakes and picked up chicken from Pizza Ranch on her way home from Cedar Falls. It was so nice to eat supper together and watch "Big Hero 6" with all 6 of us at home tonight.

I've had a great feeling all day today, and I'm so grateful for family and friends. I tried to forget about some of the things that could get me down if I thought about them too much.

I got a few chores done around the house, but I also didn't get many things done which have been niggling at the back of my mind. Our taxes need to be done and sent to our tax preparer. It won't take long, but I've been putting it off. I have insurance stuff to deal with and I've also been avoiding that. Maybe the most important thing I've been procrastinating about is writing. I think about it all the time, but I don't sit down and do it too often, except for this blog each week. 

Gary saw this on Facebook and turned his computer around to show it to me last night:

I haven't been playing solitaire and I haven't gotten back into Candy Crush Saga...but I have been playing Bookworm on my iPad way too much in recent days. I tell myself it's good for my brain to learn new words but in reality it has mostly been a way of escape. I don't feel like doing something or can't decide what I should do first, so I pull out the iPad and play until my letter tiles burst into flames. I know it's a poor use of time because I always jump and rush to close my iPad when I hear Gary coming in the house.

Procrastination has been a major character flaw in my life. It frustrates me and the rest of my family when I put things off. Sometimes I do a little better, but then I fall back into old habits again.

While looking for a Bible verse about procrastination, I found this great article by Rick Warren about why we often procrastinate. I know many of the reasons are true of me, and I'm going to keep trying to do things on time instead of waiting because of indecision, perfectionism, fear, anger, or laziness. 

But I think I'll wait until tomorrow. Today's my birthday!

"If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done!" (Ecclesiastes 11:4 Living Bible)

Do you ever struggle with procrastination? How can focusing on God's love and His plans for you help you to do things on time instead of waiting?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Age

Friday is almost over as I begin typing this week's blog post. I subbed for an English teacher all day and then headed to Cedar Falls to see Erin and then go out for supper with Allison. After that we went to a concert by members of the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. (www.cvaga.org) It was a great day, but I'm tired. You see, I'm another year older as of Thursday, March 6.

I received so many birthday greetings: cards at church, cards in the mail, some goodies and flowers delivered to my door, and lots and lots of Facebook messages. I was a little overwhelmed, but grateful. Gary took me out for a delicious steak and lobster dinner on Tuesday night at Outback Steakhouse, so we've kind of been celebrating all week.

I guess my focus has been on "age" lately as I pass another birthday. I feel a little older, I look a little older, and I act a lot older. Last Sunday at church I was standing outside of Gary's office and I looked across the room and was pleasantly, genuinely surprised to see our daughter Allison. Immediately I felt silly because she had been home since Friday evening and I hadn't even thought about her as I was getting ready for church that morning. I completely forgot that she was home!

I suspect that I'll have more and more "senior moments" like that one in the years to come, but I need to make sure that I keep a good attitude about my age. I can't focus on the new aches and pains I have. I need to focus instead on the good health that I've enjoyed in the past and will hopefully experience in the future. I need to see each year as a blessing instead of groaning about how tired I am or how often I forget...what was that again? Oh, never mind, I can't remember.

There were rumors on Facebook that I turned 50, but that is not the case. I'm only 48, so I'll enjoy a couple of years before I turn the big 5-0.

No matter what our physical age is, we need to make sure that we're maturing in our spiritual lives. Each day we should be taking steps to grow up in our relationship with the LORD. Reading and studying the Bible, praying, and obeying the Holy Spirit will all help us in the growth process.

Even though our physical bodies will get more and more run down over the years, we can be sure that our character will grow more beautiful and get stronger over the years as we let God change us. Now that's something to celebrate!

"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life [and then covered with hair dye]." (Proverbs 16:31 NIV and my thoughts)

Time to end this week's post - this old lady has to get to bed!