Marvelous Days

February 3, 2019

Marvelous Days

After yesterday we are on the road to marvelous mornings, but what about the rest of the day. In Luke 5:16 we see that one of Jesus's habits was to stop throughout the day to pray. Daniel prayed three times a day. And the author of Psalm 119 wrote, “Seven times a day I praise You.” If these great men had that kind of habit, then maybe it's one we should develop.

If we start our morning with prayer and end our day with prayer, we are still one time short of Daniel and five times short of Psalms. It takes determination to fit those other times in. I work from home and don't have any children at home, yet it I still get caught up in my day and forget. At times I can work for hours without moving from my computer or sit at the sewing machine consumed with a project. I needed help to remind myself to stop throughout the day and pray. I found out about a free online, productivity timer called Marinara Timer (https://www.marinaratimer.com). It is based on the Pomodoro method (25-minute work segments with five or 15-minutes breaks), but you can customize your work and break times. Now I am notified by an Angelic Song when it is time for a break! There are several different sounds to choose from, just remember to turn up your sound. I started with Yippeeee but it startled me so much I almost fell out of my chair. I was :in the zone" writing, the house was quiet, then all the sudden a loud Yippeeee! I had forgotten I had started that timer. It has taken some trial and error for me, but I now have a schedule that works for me and a sound that doesn't startle me either.

Here is what my schedule looks like:

Notice the Praise breaks? Those are the 5-minute meditations noted in the Habit Tracker. Bible meditation is not some weird mystical thing, where you sit on the floor with your legs crossed, your eyes closed and hum. It is not to empty your mind of thoughts but to put God's words into your thoughts.
The word meditation means to mutter, speak something over and over. To start, take a scripture, write it down, and post it where you will see it throughout the day. Read it in different translations, look up words in the dictionary, then invite Holy Spirit to teach you about it. As you read it put the emphasis on a different part of the verse, ask Holy Spirit questions and listen for the answers. Here is an example:

• [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]
Growing in grace, I am growing in grace, Am I growing in grace, How am I growing in grace
• [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]
Still in old age, means something is happening before then that continues
• [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]
I will thrive; what does that mean, where am I thriving now
• [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment];
I will bear fruit, what is the fruit I'm bearing

You get the picture. Meditating is looking at that scripture from all angles with the help of Holy Spirit. Make a habit to incorporate meditation throughout your day. Write it on a post-it note and stick it where you can read it often. When you get up to walk around or get a cup of coffee, meditate on that verse. Watch what happens as the word of God brings you into a greater fulfillment of your marvelousness!

Wondering what I do with the other 5 minutes of my break times? Check out my Pinterest page Break Time at https://www.pinterest.com/jodeeschrlau/break-time/