Dear all

Many here on the PB read a lot and have families and on top of that exercise, watch movies or other things.

I don't understand how you manage to do everything. Therefore I would like to know how you manage your time.

Personally, I work during the day, and then spend time with the family & do stuff that needs to be done at home in the evening. My wife is quite tired in the evenings so I want to help out. Time for exercise or other activities has to be taken out of this time.

After the kids have been put to bed I am also quite tired and I/we have about 0,5 - 1 hour of time for Bible study or other reading before crashing. Most often, I am too tired to concentrate by this time. Often I fall asleep with the book in my hands.

So therefore I would really appreciate if you could briefly let me in on how you manage your time apart from work.

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Christoffer S.
Layman
Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran church
Vaasa, Finland

Why do you want to know? Do you want to spend more time here and want to know how others can do that? Sounds like you manage your time wisely. Your life might be filled with family and Bible study....you have a gift. This place is wonderful, but sounds like you have the good life without being here much!.....enjoy!

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sarah
WI
OPC
My Pastor's Sermons: Mark Jenkins...he's awesome!!!

Thanks

Actually, the people on this board seem to get a lot of reading done. Which I don't. And when it comes to christian living, I have so much to learn (I realized that from browsing the PB)

So I was wondering if it is common for people to lock themselves in the study or if they just use whatever free time they might have.

I would also be interested to get some tips on that! God gives so many opportunities and so many great things to do that I find it's important personally to rejoice over that and not fall into the trap of getting depressed thinking, "Oh I wish I could do some more of these great things". The fact is that God provides far too many interesting projects to do than I will ever have time for and I want to focus on doing the ones I do well and appreciating them. NB the children are a big 'project'.

Strategies that work for us:

1. Intentionally cut out (with no looking back) some good things for which you do not have time. That project just has to wait until the children are grown up, etc.
2. Don't let your children use up all your time. When both my wife and I are at home there are three modes: a) We are all together having a good time as a family, b) I am 'managing' the children while she does her own things (such as exercise, reading the bible) and c) She is 'managing' the kids while I do my things. This needs you to be intentional and disciplined about this or else you both get sucked into fruitless managing of children rather than getting quality time both with them and for yourself.
3. Do things quickly; e.g. if you exercise, do fast circuit training rather than a long cardio.
4. Ruthlessly cut out time-wasters; get a time-wasting block on your internet
5. Cook for the week at the weekend to save time cooking during the week

I don't know if this next might be "too much information" for some, but it's also very important to get your marriage bed as a priority. If you let that slide due to lack of time and energy it will be a negative feedback loop of feeling less and less energised. If you spend the time on it, you'll find you have more time (energy and enthusiasm) for other things.

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Paul
No denomination, affiliated with FIEC
"Deliver me from worldly dispositions, for I am born from above and destined for glory" - Valley of Vision
"They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation" - Peter

I don't have a wife nor kids. My day looks like this:

Reveille
Breakfast
Study
Lunch
Study
Exercise
Dinner
Relax

Time management? What's that.

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Ewen
1689 LBCF
Assemblies of God Bible College
Singapore

This is sound advice. 1 and 2 on the list are especially important, yet the hardest to balance. Remember, God answers prayers for wisdom and discernment!

Our sons are in their 20s now, and I will always give honor to how my husband provided for us and spent time with us, even though it meant letting go of a sport in which he had competed nationally and a hobby at which he excelled but was too expensive at the time. He can't get back to the sport at any competitive level, but he has started up his hobby again 20 years later.

The sacrifices you are making now to have a solid family are so worthwhile and for such a short time - trust me!

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~Carolyn Martinson~
Covenant Presbyterian - OPC (Baldwin, WI)
River Falls, WI

Be intentional about the "time" you do have to study. And DO know how BLESSED you are to have the gifts God has given you. Your family is precious, and no amount of reading books will grant you what God can teach you through them.

I understand your desire to increase your knowledge, but trust that God WILL grant it, as you persevere.

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Seeking Godly Wisdom,

Melissa
Baptist>Seeking Reformed Church Home
Louisville, Ky

I think my top tip would be keep the book you're reading always to hand.
Inbetween whiles, waiting in the carpark, waiting at the dentist's....it's amazing what you can get through (and it certainly beats trawling through the old Good Housekeepings in the waiting room)

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JennyG
Church of Scotland (Presbyterian)
Fife, Scotland

Would it be possible to get up a 1/2 and hour or an hour earlier in the mornings for your own bible study, prayer, reading, or exercise?

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

Ditto to Jenny's suggestion. I read on lunch breaks - its amazing how much you can get though!

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Kathleen M
nondenominational
Montana