Time Management: Ecclesiastes 3:1

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1.
What does this verse mean to you and your homeschool? To your family?

As I write this I think about how the Internet can suck up so much time in a day, jump online to find a recipe, then that mushrooms into checking email, then looking up a link that someone sent you, then a great deal on homeschool materials and on and on. It is my personal opinion that Satan is behind the Internet. We would call it sin if we sat and watch soap operas for 4 hours straight.

What a better way to harm our children than to take away their mothers: nursing mothers chat on-line while babies feed, checking emails while kids are wanting to talk after school, mothers staying up late to chat online or mindlessly surfing the net into the wee hours of the night, only to wake grouchy and tired from lack of sleep.

If you are feeling convicted by anything above, please pray about your Internet usage and find a buddy to be accountable to. Last year a dear friend of mine and I got on this subject, it was something that was on both of our hearts and a hard habit to break. But we came up with spending 30 minutes online in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. And guess what? We had a lot more time in our day for much more important things than surfing the web and as an added bonus, we noticed that we did not have "FUZZY BRAIN".  Ever get a fuzzy head after being online? Sort of a spaced out feeling? Think about how the kids look after playing video games for an hour, that glazed look, they can't hear mom calling for them, they are zoned out.

How on earth do we figure out how to spend out time? Pray, pray without ceasing (my husbands favorite line). Sunday is my planning day, I glance through the up coming weeks work, check over the calendar, get a quick list of things that I MUST DO and then add in the extras, Internet time is one of those extras and I actually use a timer imagine that!

LOL.....even better it's a chicken timer! We also use this same timer for video game time and all computer time. You really can get all your surfing done in a set amount of time. Now for you 30 min might not be enough, especially if you do work online. I fill out surveys, sell items and moderate groups, so I have to be really mindful of the time that I spend on each item. This year what has really helped me is that I have unsubscribed from several emails, now that I have a junior high homeschooler, I have gotten rid of several younger kid material emails, groups etc. That has helped me go through the emails faster. I also have unsubscribed to several business emails, if I have not bought anything in the last year from a company that sends me emails I click on the unsubscribe button. WOW does that cut down on the emails! I will tell you that sometimes you have to unsubscribe a few times before it takes effect, I do it one week and then if I am still getting emails the next week I do it again. I have also set my emails up to filter in to folders for homeschooing, frugal ideas, recipes and personal emails. This really saves time, since if I am looking for a recipe, I can just go to that folder.

I will make a brief comment on Facebook, I'm not a big fan of FB. Think about how you can use FB for Jesus Christ. How can you further the Gospel using FB? Well for one remove all the "Christian" friends that you have on there that complain about their lives, how poor they are, how bad their kids are, what terrible husbands that they have (you know the people I am talking about!) or the ones who talk about what color undies they have on and if they like it on the chair or on the table (a purse that is), just delete them all! Then invite those that don't know Christ as Saviour and be an encouragement to those people. Be up lifting and inviting, share what the Lord has done in your life. Be salt and light to the world through Facebook. Also "LIKE" positive things and before you post a status line think of Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Or as I like to say "Post about these things!"

Now if you are a tired mom that feels the need to "zone out", please get on your knees and ask the Lord to help you overcome that need to be zoned out, that need is not healthy nor is it conducive to your family life, marriage or homeschool. Sometimes life online is a lot more fun that life in your own home. Get into the Word of God and let it permeate your soul!! Jesus Christ can be closer to you than anyone else. He is waiting for you to come to him. And He will understand and forgive you your sins of wasting time online and He is willing to forgive you all your other sins too, just for the asking, go to this website to find out more. http://needhim.com/

Spend your time wisely with your children as it is fleeting.
Moe