I’m not sure what other people do when they first wake up. I wake up with my mind fully engaged! Generally, no alarm clock does a better job than a gentle reminder as I drift off to sleep telling my subconscious what time to get up.
That first-morning cup of coffee is an important step in my routine! My thoughts quickly pound down the pathway of the day’s needs, schedules to fine-tune, an interest in what’s happening around the world, and quickly a forward glance to the ending day’s schedule.
Even if the morning is crowded, I always make time for this short glance at the day and will arise earlier if needed to keep my routine intact.
“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” ~John Steinbeck Click To TweetAs I’m an early riser, I realize there are many who get up even before I do. Some do it for market position and gain, others do it for health reasons, still, many others simply demand less sleep. A long time ago I found that six hours was okay. I would awake rested and ready. Seven Hours were getting weird unless I was not feeling well. Past that? I wake with a franticness of wasted time. That’s not you…That’s just me.
One thing I’ve learned
There is something of value I learned a long time ago. My morning routine is special to me, and I do not like to ruin it. Sleepyheads do not get it, for they think nothing of staying up late at night, and we all know the night was made for sleeping! Our circadian rhythm can be out of sorts with the stress we feel from life, but keep your focus on routine and you can make the morning a precious time!
It’s taken me years to get this right and allow it to work:
Do not get started without first thinking about God’s plan for my life,
His word speaks into my life in real and practical ways,
and a prayer for the best day possible.
Morning Routine
There are three (3) simple things that are a powerful start to my morning routine.
I’m not into reading His Word (#1) from a scheduled path of checking off boxes to ensure I am not missing a smidgen, nor do I have a Standard Prayer (#2) that I like to pray, nor am I interested in someone else’s Devotion Planner (#3) to add to my routine.
No. I’ve learned what works for me and I don’t feel guilty comparing my routine to yours!
- I let the Word direct my path, casually turning pages until I think it’s time to stop and peruse. This Word has spoken directly to me and if you care to read my testimony, then you can click here and follow the link to another blog post where I shared.
- I allow my prayers to support His plan for the day, and I allow God to rearrange my schedule as He sees fit.
- Then, I think through a devotional thought, which is a word I’ve asked God to supply. For over 5 years He has not failed to give me focus, and that thought often ends up as my morning blog.
Making Sense of Life, One Blog at a Time
Between my old blog location, and my new site, I have over 4,000 posts. Most of them are reflective of my family, career, ministry, history, life, and personal areas of enjoyment and growth. Still, I know that many of them are God Directed and Focused.
Something I’m aware of is a theme running through on how to live life better! I’ve changed it from using the word “Algorithms“, even if I still use it as a #HashTag. It’s more about #perception, #thimking, and responding to live. In fact, that has become my theme: Making Sense of Life, One Blog at a Time
We’ve all been guilty of making poor choices, and we pay the consequences of them. Yet, staying with a mechanism that always presents poor options is a choice that you can effectively change from!
It’s like that joke, one of the few I remember.
This man was sitting in the middle of a movie theater when a stranger sat down beside him. As the movie progressed, the man would moan over the actions of those on the silver screen. Finally, as the chase was moving through the forest, the man leaned over to the stranger and said, “I bet that rider will notice the branch and lean out of the way and not get knocked off his horse.” The rider did not see the branch and was knocked off. The man said I’ve watched this 10 times. You think he’d learn.
Here’s my Thought Today
Consider it like this, you get to make sense of your life as you learn to:
- Make better choices by seeing things from a better position.
- Think things through before acting or reacting.
- Find concrete ways to continually improve.
I’m not sure why so many have struggled with this.
If we continually do what we’ve always done, we will continually get what we’ve always gotten.
This works on so many levels. Practical, as well as spiritual. Do you want a better harvest, then do something different than you did last year. Promotion? Raise? Family time?
Spiritual Thought
The disciples came to Jesus early in his ministry and asked him to teach them to pray. You know, as John taught his disciples. (Luke 11) In my mind, I must consider the differences between Jesus and John. What were the disciples of John learning? There is no record of these prayers, but there must have been something about John spending instructional time. Call it Face Time… It’s not just about John standing in front of the crowds and ministering from his calling. I read into this that they enjoyed one-on-one time with John.
The disciples wanted the same experience. Jesus. Teach us to pray. John taught (past tense) his disciples. Teach us.
Sometimes, no, most of the time, we need our own version of Face Time. We need someone to guide and instruct us forward. Whether younger or older than, there are people who have a handle of the piece of life that escapes me. I can learn from anyone that has a better, or different, approach to life than I do.
Listen! There are better ways to live your life! You can do it! And I’m going to continue writing about it. I hope you enjoy my ride through life!
We’ve all been guilty of making poor choices, and we do have to pay the consequences of them, but staying with a mechanism that always presents poor options is a choice that you can effectively change from! Click To Tweet