Steps Toward the Vision |
What is the chief end of man? Man�s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. That is our vision in an overarching sense. Underneath it, we search the Word and discover the principles in which we are to live. And then we apply them to our lives. I have found that in whatever I�m trying to change about my life, writing it out is very fruitful. I�ve written prayers, goal sheets, and New� Year�s resolutions. They all are useful. It seems that writing something down gives further commitment to a thought. I�m going to help you get that thought or desire a step beyond writing it down and closer to actually doing it. You probably made some sort of New Year�s resolution. For ease I�ll use the classic �I�m going to exercise more this year�. Maybe you�ve given up on even uttering that one. Well, pull it out and dust it off. We�re just using it as an example. That phrase �I�m going to exercise more this year� is pretty big and broad. First examine why you have this as a goal and write down all the whys. � The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I need to care for the temple � I need to be a good steward of God�s gifts and that includes this body He gave me � I need to be physically fit to take care of my children and grandchildren � I want to enjoy my senior years with good health and that means taking care of my body now
With our goals we need to be more specific about the end part and choose a goal that will prove your results both now and in the future. Let�s look at athletics, think about your kids and the methods they use in playing their sports. First they have practices, learn techniques, build strength and endurance, then they have games. At the end of the season there are some sort of play offs. With the �exercise more� goal, pick the end point, the play offs, such as �run the local 5k� in September. Now plan backwards. You have 8 months to be able to run 5k. Monthly goals planning backwards � 8�������������� 5k � 7�������������� run most of 5k, walk the rest � 6�������������� run half of 5k, walk half- run, walk, run � 5�������������� run 1/4 of 5k, walk 3/4-run, walk, run � 4�������������� run, walk, run 5k as able � 3�������������� run, walk, run 4k as able � 2�������������� run, walk, run 3k as able � 1��������������� run, walk, run 2k as able I find it helpful to have some sort of tangible reward for meeting each monthly goal. Some ideas for this goal would be a new T-shirt you wear for running, a subscription to a running magazine, weights to wear while running. And then there�s the reward of increased energy, feeling stronger, and the ability to do more than sit on the old duff. Let�s do some more backwards planning. We know that the summer months are hot, when will you run? Morning or evening? Who will watch the children? How will this affect your schedule? Will this affect your wake time? Will you need to go to sleep earlier? Write out a new schedule that includes your running time and shower. Now, write on the calendar at the end of each month, the reward you will give yourself for meeting the goal. We�re at the starting point, Get some good running shoes and look through your closet for running clothes. Look at the new schedule and set out your running things and then go do it!
Let�s do the exercise again with this goal: I want to be more hospitable. Why do I have this goal? (books have been written on the subject) � There are biblical commands for it. � I have a need to be social but I can�t run around all the time, I need to be home for my family. � I enjoy getting together with friends and family. � It�s a really good excuse for making fancy food. � Having people over is motivating to get some work done around the house and yard. What�s holding me up from being hospitable? � I�m lazy. We�re back to self-discipline. These goals and exercises will help us to learn the skill of self-discipline. The end goal is to be able and willing to have people over anytime, to welcome drop-in guests, to spontaneously invite others over after church. How do we get there? Let�s plan backwards again. Let�s say that next holiday season you want your home to be an Open House. Not just for one evening but the whole time. That�s 11 months away. What do we need to work on? A hospitable attitude, a presentable house, presentable food and drink. Food and drink are easy because fruit and cheese are beautiful when placed on a clean plate and served with a glass of cool water when done with the right attitude. The large family�s home being presentable can be a problem if regular chore time is not a part of your day.� Things get run down quickly in the large family�s home and it can be embarrassing. And there�s attitude. A hospitable attitude is one of love. It�s an attitude that makes the guest feel special. When a guest is over, the normal household routine stops and centers around making guests feel welcome. Let�s set up monthly goals. If you enjoy a reward system, then reward yourself with a d�cor item, a table service item, a book about hostessing, or a special tea blend for the next event. It doesn�t have to be anything expensive just something that helps you feel like a more competent hostess. Remember practice makes perfect, the more you hostess events, the easier it gets. � 12������������ The house is open for guests. There are meals and appetizers in the freezer (even if you bought them at Sam�s Club). House clean up is done regularly throughout the day. Any Christmas craft activities are welcome for guests to participate in also.� Invite all the people you had over during the year for a variety of hospitality events. Have families over for a craft day and potluck supper. Hold a Christmas Tea Party. Plan an event for after an event (such as a music program). This is the month to show off your new skills. � 11������������� Invite guests over on the spur-of-the-moment twice this month. Be prepared for anything. Maybe have your husband do it so you don�t chicken out. � 10������������ Pick a Sunday and prepare for guests. Plan a good crockpot dish that�s tried and true. Make all the Sunday food the day before. After church, look around for strangers or visitors and invite them to join you for Sunday dinner. This is something we should always be doing isn�t it? � 9�������������� Look around your church, who are the lonely? Make a couple of phone calls and invite a grandma for an afternoon tea or a college student for an evening meal and a family game. These people will bless our lives just as you are blessing them with hospitality. � 8�������������� Do you have neighbors that you don't know? Invite them over for an evening. What do you do when new neighbors move in? Make a plan for when that happens. A fresh pie or cookies would be a great treat on moving day. Don�t get so caught up in your own life that you miss these opportunities to spread good cheer. � 7�������������� Plan an outdoor hospitality event. Prepare ahead (as you now typically do). Make a frozen dessert. How will you serve the food? Where will you sit? How will the small children manage eating outside? How will you keep things safe for guest�s children? What are some group games you and the children can plan? Think ahead and write down your ideas, plan for them, and have fun making it a great day for your guests! Do a yard clean up, you don�t want someone to trip on a hoe while playing kickball and end up at the ER. Put some fresh planters out or make some flower arrangements with your children for the tables. Don�t forget a back-up plan if the weather turns bad. Is your garage a Plan B option? � 6�������������� Does your church ever have foreign missionaries visit for a few days that need a home to stay in? Work on preparing your home for this type of opportunity. Create a plan for having overnight guests. What will you serve for food and drink? Where will they sleep? Will this displace your children and where will they sleep? Prepare your children for overnight guests by talking over these plans and teaching them manners (Treat others like you would like to be treated). � 5�������������� Invite an older couple from church that you would like to get to know better. Instruct your children ahead of time that there is much to be learned from these people and that they should stay near to them, serve them, ask questions, and converse with your guests. Your children should not ignore them or run off to do their own thing until permission is granted. Instruct and practice for this ahead of time making it part of your school time. � 4�������������� Invite a family for dinner that you would like to get to know better. Have your children plan activities or games to do with the guest children. Work on having a play area that guest children will enjoy also. If your children have a very special doll or something that they do not like to share and it will cause problems, then this needs to be discussed with your children ahead of time. The favorite object should be put up if it�s liable to be broke and not pulled out for show-and-tell. Encourage your children to play group activities such as games. � 3�������������� Plan a Tea Party with your best girl friends and their daughters. In the room where you are having your tea party do extra cleaning and decorating (we�re working on the embarrassment factor here). Set the date early in the month and then plan backwards for it. Spend time on your Office Days, Cooking Days, and Cleaning Days to plan and prepare for the event. Do this every month with the thought, �I�m working on being more hospitable this year therefore, I need to improve chore time, cleaning, and food prep around here.� � 2�������������� Invite your best friends over, the ones you have over when the house is a mess. Only this time, pull out all stops, set the table beautiful and then serve them your best food and drink. They are your best friends after all. As you start doing hospitality events you will grow more and more used to doing it and soon it�s old hat. You and your family will learn systems that work best for serving people outdoors and in, planned and spur-of-the-moment. Keep your hospitality ideas, systems, recipe and drink lists in your Home Management Book. When you get a little befuddled, you can pull it out and remember �Oh, yes, this recipe looks great and is simple, it will be easy to serve for ____.� Remember the most important thing is not you, your home, or the food. The most important thing is the guest and making the guest feel comfortable and welcome. Takes your eyes off of yourself and put them on the guest. Usually guests don�t feel comfortable doing nothing or having their hands empty, so either put something like a drink in their hands or let them help you with any preparations. Ask them questions about themselves to get the conversation rolling. Relax and your guests will be relaxed. Smile and laugh. Now, I hope you can see that planning out your goals and resolutions puts some feet under them. Soon, you will be so improved that your new resolutions will not be the same old ones. You will not give up on setting them you will be reaching higher, �Further up and further in�.
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Planning Backwards |
Date: o1/06 |