We all experience God’s bountiful provision on a daily basis. It is so real and tangible when I wake up in a warm bed each morning, sit down to dinner with my family, help Mom stock the pantry and fridge full of groceries, and come home from work with a paycheck. I’m sitting down to write out this story because it’s a unique example of God’s amazing provision: how He provided my first car.

It all happened quite suddenly and out the blue. I have been saving for a car for some time because we knew I would reach a point when it would be awfully helpful. Mom had graciously let me use our suburban for work, school, volunteering, coffee dates, and other activities I had going on, but it was not a very sustainable or long-term plan, especially with classes starting again this fall. So I was planning to get a car toward the end of the summer.

There were several things that were very important to my ever-practical self when it came to buying cars: (1) it had to be used, but in good condition, (2) it had to be gas-efficient, and (3) though I tend to be a cheapskate, I really didn’t want that ancient, decrepit, garbage-can-on-wheels look. Nope. It had to at least look presentable. So with those things in mind, I checked Craigslist a few times in the past months to see what kind of vehicles were within my price range. I’ll just say that it was not very encouraging. So I just decided to wait. And work. And save. And see what turned up.

Well, fast-forward to Thursday morning last week. After several hours of schoolwork, I just happened to pop over to Craigslist and see what was up. Why I even went there I don’t know, except that it was clearly providential. Up came this ad for a car that had been posted only 1 hour ago. I looked at it, read, and re-read the ad. I’m always a bit cautious of why exactly people are getting rid of their cars, but in the seller’s own words: grandpa goofed! Basically, an older man was selling a car he had bought for his granddaughter because she already had a car from her dad. He no longer needed the car and was practically giving it away for less than he’d spent on it. Reading through the list of the car’s qualities, I got excited: this was exactly what I was looking for. And best of all, it was within my price range!

I ran downstairs with my computer and showed the ad to Mom. She and I talked it over and she encouraged me to call the guy who was selling the car. I set up a tentative time to come see the car on Saturday morning with my daddy. I tried to not think about it anymore because I didn’t want to get my hopes up. That evening, Dad was very favorable and supportive about going to see it. He also realized (as I did not) that a car at that quality and price would be gone within days, if not hours, so we figured out a way to see it on Friday instead. When Daddy called the guy for directions, he had some disappointing news: lots of people had called about the car during the afternoon and someone was test-driving it at that very moment. The man would call us back if they did NOT buy the car and it was still for sale.

I waited anxiously. 30 minutes passed, then an hour. After an hour and a half, I concluded that someone had bought the car. I was disappointed, despite my hardest attempts to not set my hopes up. I tried to console myself by saying that at that point, I didn’t even have to have a car. It wasn’t an absolute need. Mom reassured me that God has something even better in store for me. I knew she was right. God is in complete control. He moves people’s hearts. He has a plan. I was still a bit disappointed, but I had peace about it, and moved on with the day. But hardly 15 minutes had passed when I got a call from the seller and learned the girl who was test driving the car was undecided. She liked it, but was going to wait to make a decision until the next morning. I was to call him at 10 a.m. to see if it was still available.

More waiting.

I finally called the guy the next morning at 9:52, ‘cause I couldn’t wait any longer. I was pleasantly surprised by what he said: “the young lady liked the car, but decided that it was too small for her.” I called Dad, and Wesley and I made plans to meet him in town and drive together to look at the car. When WC and I arrived at the bank, the teller raised an eyebrow when she saw two teenagers withdrawing several thousand dollars. We had a good laugh over it. :)

When we drove up to the man’s house, I saw this cute little Chevy Prizm parked in the driveway. Dad’s first comment was that it was a “wittle” (little) car. I liked the looks of it right away, but aesthetics, of course, aren’t everything. Dad and Wesley checked out the engine and all that stuff. At that moment I was especially grateful to have two men in my life who know cars, because I certainly don’t. Everything looked and sounded good, so we hopped in and took it for a test drive. It ran well and we were all very pleased. Yes, indeed, it was a little car. Wesley’s head brushed the top. But it was just my size, and with Dad’s approval, I decided to buy it.

It was a bit surreal to think that I was actually driving my own car home. I had what Mom calls a “perma-grin” on my face. I enjoyed cleaning out my new car and stocking it with necessities. It was lovely to use that 13.1 sticker Mom had given me several years ago after I completed my first half-marathon. Of course it wasn’t all fun….the licensing, gas, and insurance fees add up and there were a few stressful moments as I did all that messy paperwork, but that’s just part of it. I am so grateful for God’s provision. If the man I’d bought the car from didn’t “goof,” if I hadn’t checked Craigslist when I did, if that other girl had decided to buy it…so much could have happened differently. But in God’s perfect timing and abundant provision, I have a car today that will (hopefully) last for as long as I need it. I am very grateful.

Well, if you’ve made it to the end of this l-o-n-g story, then thank you for taking an interest! I wanted to write this out for future encouragement to look back on and because I consider getting one’s first car as a sort of milestone in his life. But now it’s time to sign off and wish you a wonderful day. Until next time, my friends!

photo credit

Well, it’s been a while now, hasn’t it? But I hope you’ll draw up a chair and stay a bit! Today I want to write about getting things done. And as the title of this post suggests, these are simply my thoughts. I am a young student. I have a lot to learn. But these techniques are ones that have helped me when I feel overwhelmed or pressed to get things done. I am no expert on this and struggle on a daily basis with keeping my priorities straight. But I wanted to write them out anyway, and if you are encouraged, I am so glad! :)

Let me start by saying that even when pressured by a mountain of things to do, don’t skimp on your time with the Lord. First reading His word and praying will help you to keep a quiet and calm heart in the midst of a busy schedule. If you can, do it first thing in the morning, because I have found that the things I do right after I wake up set the tone for the entire day. 

(1) Make a list. Make a list. Make a list. List-making hugely reduces stress because it frees up our brains to not have to remember every detail. We don’t need to worry. We simply to refer to our lists when we get forget what comes next. I am officially hooked on Wunderlist. Wesley introduced it to me, and though very hesitant to switch from paper-and-pencil lists, I finally gave it a try. Now I can’t go a day without it. Basically it’s an online “list-making” program you can download to your mobile phone or computer. It allows you to enter items and cross them off when you’re complete. You can even share these lists with family members and friends! But regardless of the type of list you use, be sure that you don’t try to fit too much into one day.

(2) Communicate! If you live at home with your family, check with your mom/dad/siblings before holing up in your room to study. I can have a tendency to go study before double-checking with the family schedule, which leads to miscommunication. Let your family know what you are doing and try to structure your personal schedule around the family schedule so that you can be available when needed.

(3) Remove distractions. Before sitting down to tackle a pile of projects, first remove every distraction. Turn off the music. Log out of Facebook. Close the door. I personally have a hard time getting anything accomplished in a messy room, so I do a quick tidy first. Do what it takes to create an environment that will help you focus.

(4) Take the plunge. Typically, the hardest part about doing something you don’t want to do is getting started. This applies to not only studying, but also to workouts, chores, projects, and even just getting out of my warm bed on a cold morning! :) I have only one thing to say: Just. Do. It. You can’t get anything done without first starting it. Get past the initial push and it’ll often be downhill from there.

(5) Tackle the small stuff first. Do the little things on your list before attacking the big ones. Things like returning a phone call, shooting a quick message, or turning in that mandatory 5-minute survey should be done first. These are easy to pick off one-by-one. By doing them first, you’ll really feel like you are making tracks, which carries over to the big stuff as well.

(6) Recharge. Say you’ve been working non-stop for a while now. It’s time to take a break! I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. One of the most common and detrimental mistakes students make is that they write up a big hairy huge list of things to get done, lock the door, grit their teeth, and resolve to not come out under any circumstance until it’s DONE. Completed. Bam. Big mistake. Taking breaks is essential for optimal study time. Give your eyes a break by not staying on the computer. Be creative and think outside the box: I like to play the piano, play fetch with my dog, throw the football with my brothers, do some jumping jacks, chin ups, or pushups, run a mile, eat a cookie. Or two. Or ten. Just kidding. You could fold a load of laundry, bake cookies, clean a bathroom, or do some other household chore that doesn’t require much brain energy. A good break will help you avoid getting burnt out and gives you the boost you need to come back at it with energy and enthusiasm.

(7) Re-group. Finally, one of the biggest mistakes I make at the end of the day is getting discouraged over what I didn’t accomplish instead of looking at everything I DID get done. Don’t make that mistake. If something takes longer than expected or if you ended up deviating from your plans to do something more important, don’t worry! Get back on track tomorrow. Life happens and doesn’t always go as planned. Don’t be such a stickler that you can’t enjoy a spontaneous event. That’s how memories are made. :)

So there’s my two cents on the subject. What are some things you do to help you get things done?

Before this semester started, I was pretty nervous. Not exactly nervous about my classes, but about how I would be able to juggle the full-time load along with my family life, job, projects, and responsibilities. And really, compared to the lives of some people, I wouldn’t even come close to “busy.” It’s a relative term. But it all seemed busy enough to me and I was kinda scared. I really didn’t want to be in that constant stress mode, feeling scattered and disorganized all the time.

Fast forward several weeks and after getting a feel for my class load, I can say very thankfully that it’s not nearly as bad as I’d anticipated, especially since all of my classes are online. But you know what else has helped me? Making a list and sticking to it. Devising a schedule which lays out my day and which will help me to be consistently disciplined. There are some excellent tools available to help me do this, which I’ll be covering in a future post.

I read this morning that sometimes the very hardest things to do are those which are small and seemingly unimportant. Having discipline to do the not-so-fun things that we want to avoid for as long as possible is tough. But the little things we do in life – the way we use each 15 minute block of time – add up. I’ll freely admit that I don’t always make the best choices about managing my time. I can get distracted and the time seems to fly away from me. Yet….

 “Being faithful in the smallest things is the way to gain, maintain, and demonstrate the strength needed to accomplish something great.”
-from Do Hard Things

Faithfulness means being steadfast, consistent, always there, depended upon. In application of this concept: wherever you are, be all there. We can’t be in two places at once and rushing something never accomplished much anyway. Here is a list of practical ways I’ve thought up to implement this challenge of “being all there.” I  wrote it out for myself, really. These are things I am trying to work on and I thought I would share them with you as well.

When trying to tackle a hard math concept or turn in a writing assignment on time, give it your full concentration and don’t mosey over to Facebook or your blog feed for a “brain break.” It’s easy to get lost in the internet and spend waaay too much time online, even if you’re reading some great articles. 

When having coffee with a friend or family member, fully engage in the conversation and enjoy it! One-on-one time with those closest to us is a huge gift. Don’t be distracted by all you have to do afterwards.

When you’re in church worshipping the Lord, do it with all your heart and don’t let your mind wander over the past week or the week ahead.

When cleaning the house, at work, volunteering, or ministering in some way – whatever it is – go the extra mile and give it your best effort. The people around you will appreciate you for it and you’ll accomplish more than you thought was possible. 

When having dinner with your family, playing a family game, or watching a family movie, put the phone away and don’t be distracted by text messages or your twitter feed. Most can wait. Family time cannot, is limited, and is a priceless time investment.

When you exercise, go all out and enjoy it. Exercise should not be something you dread. If you don’t like to run or bike, try walking, lifting, or doing a workout video instead!

When you spend time with the Lord in secret, quiet your heart before Him and ask Him to help you remove all distractions in your mind so that you can focus and leave with a cup filled to overflowing.

All of these things – devotions, relationships, school, work, play – are huge blessings! I never want to lose sight of the fact that all is grace in my life in the first place. I want to be a better steward of what I’ve been given and be purposeful about doing all to the glory of God. We are all given the priceless gift of time, our most valuable resource. It can’t be bought or hoarded away. Every moment is fleeting, never to return.

24 hours. Every day. How will we choose to use our time this very day?