Essay about LMS

Ericka B. Brown

Cohort #824

Professor Sherrie Lawson

May 11, 2009

In March of 2007 I learned of Christian Life Ministries and the class offered entitled Life Management Study (LMS). Upon reading their brochure I learned that LMS was a course designed to help individuals learn how to make every minute accountable to God’s purposed plan for one’s life. I retrieved the brochure at Nyack College (D.C. campus) when coming to attend the information session for the Adult Degree Completion Program (ADCP).

After a year in ADCP I was lead by the Holy Spirit to participate in the Life Management Study beginning September 2008. As I grow in my faith walk I see more and more the truth of our Lord through Isaiah 55:8 (New International Version), "His ways are not our ways nor are his thoughts our thoughts" (p. 758). I did not think I would be able to fit another commitment into my schedule and execute it successfully but God made a way. The classes were in Northern Virginia, approximately one hour away from my home, but through God’s grace I was asked to be co-leader of my group and successfully completed the study through His provision.

As is my tendency, when I realize that it is time to embark on a new experience to begin preparing to attend immediately. I contacted Christian Stewardship Ministries (CSM) in July of 2008 to inquire about their upcoming classes and learned that the materials for the class were available so I went to CSM headquarters, registered for the 13-week course and brought home the required materials.

LMS is offered online and in small study groups. I participated in a small study group session with ten participants (including the group leader). We met each Monday for a two-hour session which I enjoyed very much. During our class discussions we relayed what we learned through the readings and homework assignments and whether or not we were successful in spending quiet time with the Lord. Each week we were given homework which was as follows:

• reading assignment in the Student Manual (average of 10 pages);
• answering an average of four questions daily in the Student Manual;
• memorizing a passage of scripture that related to the chapter being read;
• completing three to five forms from the Practical Application Workbook;
• preparing an Action Step (which will be explained in more detail); and
• offering a weekly prayer request to the group.

LMS focused on 12 key areas: God’s time (not our own), God’s plan for our lives, commitments, schedules and routines, priorities, quiet time, personal time, family time, work and ministry time, accountability, objectives and goals and planning. Each of these areas were topics for a weeks discussion and allowed us to come to an understanding of how we should turn to God for His direction for the way He wants us to spend our time.

In this paper, I will discuss six areas that I found particularly helpful: God’s plan for our lives, priorities, quiet time, accountability, objectives and goals and planning.

I oftentimes think big picture without focusing on the details that come into place to achieve the final outcome. This was a big part of why my schedules would fail. For instance, in looking to complete my bachelor’s degree I focused on the classes and coursework but did not take the time to figure out a daily study schedule, practical ways to efficiently and effectively use my time so I could have additional study time or even plan a bed time or waking time to assist with my productivity. I saw these "small" details as insignificant. In Ken Smith’s Book, It’s About Time he writes, "If the objectives and goals we set for ourselves are reflective of the things God wants us to do, they are by definition ‘worthwhile.’ That being the case, each day that we take another step, however small, toward the realization of one of those objectives or goals, we are a success for that day" (page 57). I found this very helpful. One way this helped me was scheduling a specific bed time and waking time for the required seven hours sleep my body needs for optimum performance during the day. I set my bed time at 10:30 p.m. and my waking time at 5:30 a.m. which was a significant change from my 1:30-6:00 a.m. sleeping pattern. I was fully rested and focused during the day which helped me in all my activities.

The next area to tackle was procrastination. In It’s About Time, Smith writes "The first step in the battle to overcome procrastination is to identify those areas in your life where you have been procrastinating" (p. 59). Smith continues with "I suggest that you devote a notebook or yellow pad to the process" (p. 59). Begin by making a list of the various areas of your life. I made my list and found my areas of procrastination were grocery shopping, bill paying, filing, cleaning my home and doing laundry. As I reflected on these areas I realized that I was not making the commitment to keep my personal life in order which created bad habits (i.e., eating out more, poor spending habits, etc.).

So, I tackled each area of procrastination one area at a time. The first thing I did was scheduled a time to go to the grocery store each week and stuck with it. In so doing I had to start a weekly budget and through that task I was able to lay out a spending plan which helped me pay my bills on time. I then went through my files and discarded those items I did not need and created and/or updated files that I did need. Discarding all of the unwanted papers and keeping on hand files for the monthly (reoccurring) bills gave me great relief. The order I was feeling trickled into house cleaning so I did a substantial cleaning to my home. By the next week I managed to fit house cleaning and laundry in my schedule and these areas of procrastination were no longer a hindrance to me. There have been times that I have relapsed and not performed a task at a particular time but those are unusual occurrences. My obedience in caring for myself, my home and my commitments has resulted in reduced stress and orderliness which has transcended into my commitments.

When I started ADCP at Nyack College I was focused on completing my bachelor’s degree but had not really set priorities as to how I would do this successfully. At the start of my ADCP experience I was working full time, active in church ministry, looking to purchase a new home and a class leader in Bible Study Fellowship International ("BSF") (www.bsfinternational.org). With all of these commitments I found it increasingly overwhelming to manage my time successfully. I created several schedules early on in ADCP attempting to come up with the right formula to successfully fulfill my commitments though none of them reduced my sense of being overwhelmed.

I also needed to spend relaxing time with friends. Unfortunately, because my schedules were not quite right when I would visit with friends I was oftentimes preoccupied with tasks I was "neglecting." Though I was doing well in my classes I needed to set some priorities and put things in order.

As you read above, I was able to conquer a great deal by listing out the areas of procrastination in my life and this was a great help. Now it was time to focus on godly priorities in my life. Using Exodus 20:3-6 (p. 83) the Bible tells us:

This Exodus passage relays that God is our first priority. Second to God is family using 1 Timothy 5:8 (p. 1335) which states that anyone who does not provide for his relatives, particularly immediate family is worse than an unbeliever and Ephesians 5:22-33 (p. 1303), a passage that relays godly guidance between a husband and wife. Our third priority is job or career and our fourth priority is ministry activities. I found understanding this divine order of how to prioritize my life extremely helpful.

Now I focus on keeping this order in my life. I am committed to growing in the Lord by daily bible study and quiet time with Him. My personal activities include school and making time for fellowship with friends and family. Being able to successfully execute my tasks at work as a Customer Service Manager for NASA Headquarters is important to God so is important to me. And, lastly, ministry work to grow the Kingdom of the Lord is a significant part of every Christian’s life. Understanding that this is God’s requirement for every Christian and not that of my church or other bible study pushes me to stay committed to doing His will.

Prioritizing my time on a daily basis has helped me stay focused and contributes to the peace and orderliness in my life.

QUIET TIME

Three members of our group were retired, one member had children living at home, a eight class members were empty nesters and one classmate and I had never been married nor have children. Several of the non-retired classmates had excuses for not spending quiet time with the Lord. Our main excuse was that we were too busy so Ken put before us that we should get up at least one-half hour earlier to ensure quiet time with the Lord.

My initial bedtime was 10:30-6:00 a.m. but with Ken’s instruction I changed my waking time to 5:30 a.m. Each morning, including weekends, I awake to have prayer and quiet time with the Lord. I must admit in this area I have not been 100% successful but I am still working on it. Nevertheless, each day that I awake to pray and be in His presence creates orderliness to my day. Immediately after my prayer, I try to plan my day according to God’s will and without fail I can see the difference between the days that I have prepared my schedule versus my schedule after being in prayer.

For instance, on the days that I initiate my tasks my day is filled with chores and responsibilities that focus on me (i.e., going to the dry cleaners, paying a bill, going to the grocery store, studying, etc.) but when I pray end execute a list that is driven by the Holy Spirit I will have similar tasks but in addition I am to call certain individuals, add others to my prayer list or send them a card, invite someone to my home for a meal, more thoughtful, selfless tasks.

A great deal of my quiet time with the Lord is spent praying for others and is reflected in the schedule I create afterwards. This is in direct correlation to His priorities for our lives. In quiet time with the Lord I am worshipping the Lord in His presence and then fulfilling His other priorities by my prayer requests. Awaking at 5:30 a.m. to grow in relationship with the Lord has been a blessing in my life.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Christian accountability as a single adult means that I have more time to devote to growing in relationship with God through one-on-one time with Him. It also means that my second priority should be to my parents (in my case, my mother). I should also take time to foster Christian fellowship with other women with areas of growth and accountability to one another. It’s About Time recites "It is often most effective to form this relationship with someone with whom you can share your victories and defeats, who enjoys your confidence, who cares for you and will give priority to helping you" (p. 121).

Each week of our course part of our homework assignment was to offer an Action Item. Action Items were tasks that were areas of procrastination or tasks that did not have a particular time frame for completion. What was an essential factor for the Action Item was that the group held us accountable for whether or not we completed the task. For instance, during one Monday session my Action Item was that I would "go to the grocery store to purchase a week’s worth of groceries." The following Monday I reported whether or not I completed the task. The completion of the task was not an issue the group would confront. The purpose was to get us in the habit of setting measurable and attainable goals. If we did not complete the task we were not given the opportunity to offer it again the following week unless there was an emergency that prevented our executing the task as we had planned. If we did not complete the task and there was no emergency the group member would then be required to come up with a new task.

Part of the reason I was not successful in fulfilling commitments was because as a single person I had not had women in my life that I was accountable to. I found that many of my commitments (public or private) could be done with average effort or not at all because there was no one I had to face when I neglected my responsibility. In this way I was very much isolated from other Christians which hindered my character development. In the Practical Application Workbook on page 10-1, Ken Smith offers four types of accountability partnerships: one-on-one relationship with one person, one-on-one relationship with several people, group within which all members are mutually accountable and group to which you are held accountable. I decided to embark on the partnership one-on-one relationship with several people because the women I wanted to involve in this process live in various parts of the D.C. metropolitan area and one woman lives in Solon, Ohio.

In 2009, each lady will chat with me one time per month regarding spiritual growth, education, finances personal goals and professional goals. The women I have selected are seasoned in their spiritual walk and we have a mutual love and respect for one another. On page 10-2 of the Workbook the author writes "You can choose people that bring particular strengths and disciplines to the accountability process." That is what I have done in selecting the five women to whom I will be accountable. I look forward to growing in relationship with the Lord and with these sisters in Christ. I work to hold myself accountable at church, work and school and am ready to hold myself accountable in my personal life.

OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

On page 11-1 of the Practical Application Workbook, Smith writes "‘objectives’ express long range, ‘big-picture’ purposes and desires for your life." On this same page Smith continues by writing, "[G]oals … are specific steps you must take to achieve your objective." The author illustrates that goals must "be in writing, be associated with one objective, be specific and measurable, include a deadline and be realistic. (pages 11-1 and 11-2) In our Life Management Study Student Manual, author Ken Smith writes "Goal setting for a Christian involves trusting in, relying on, and turning to God for wisdom and guidance." He continues on page 11-2 by stating "Never start any task, no matter how large or small, without seeking God’s direction and blessing."

This section took place in the second to last session of our class. I was greatly appreciative of learning the clear and distinctive differences between objectives and goals. Currently I am a Customer Service Manager at NASA and though it can be an interesting field, it is not my passion. Since my salvation on September 26, 2004, I have been given several objectives to fulfill for the Lord. My objective is to become an entrepreneur and the Lord has given me eight areas in which to make this happen. They range from home schooling African American History and Literature to creating a card game for children. I have been prayerful and mindful of whether or not the eight ventures I have been praying over are from the Lord or are my desires. They are indeed from the Lord.

My next step is to create an outline for each objective Habakkuk 2:2-3 (p. 996) reads "Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." I am in the process of writing goals of my eight entrepreneurial objectives from the Lord. As I write out the goals I see how each objective is connected which is very exciting! When these ideas were first given to me they seemed random and disjointed, but as I write out my objectives and goals there is definitely a connection between each venture. That is how I know it is the work of the Lord and not my own. I could never have connected these ventures on my own. It is His divine plan that is generating these objectives.

CONCLUSION

The Life Management Study course was a serious commitment, not only because I was committed to working through completing my bachelor’s degree at the time I was in this study, but because it taught me how important it is to live a purposeful life for the Lord because we owe Him our service as long as He gives us life. LMS taught me to order my days, not over commit, have a proper bed time and the detriment of procrastinating. In learning these factors of how to better order my days, I see how others, particularly non-Christians can perceive Christians as unorganized and ineffective.

Life management is crucial to the life of a Christian because we are to work to build the Kingdom of God and our actions should reflect God’s peace and grace in our lives. Christians are to attend church to glorify God but we are to lives our lives day-to-day to reflect God. Living a life in decency and in order is a reflection of a godly life but it takes prayer, planning and discipline to order our days. I am grateful for this study and though I still have a lifetime of improvement to make, I thank God for ordering my steps to attend this class.

BIBLIOGRAPHY