The Way We Are
This is a season of gifting. Gifts can take different forms. As we reach the end of one year and consider the new, what gifts would you like to give that keep on giving?
I've taken the next few paragraphs from an e-zine I receive once a month. See the fine print at the bottom here. It's from Randy Ingermanson's work.
His article is on 'margins'. The three margins he talks about are in the area of refrigerators (representing necessities IMHO), finances, and time. Most of us can relate to not having enough as he calls it, margins. Not having enough wiggle room in our fridge, bank account, or time for things other than work.
The “easy” way is to try to push out the boundaries. Buy a bigger refrigerator. Earn more money. Sleep less, so you have more hours in the day.
The “hard” way is to try to pull in your life. Go through the refrigerator and remove things until you’ve got some margin.
Trim a few things out of your budget so not all your money is spoken for before you even earn it.
Cut back on your time commitments to give your day a little slack time.
Homework
Would your life be better if you had more margin?
Think about the different areas of your life. What would be the right amount of margin for you in each of these areas?
Is there a way to push out your boundaries to give yourself more margin?
Is there a way to pull in your life to give yourself more margin?
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.
Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, “the Snowflake Guy,” publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
Surely bigger is better, right? A bigger fridge? Or is it? Is the answer always more? More money? More time? Or is it just the way we think it ought to be?
Like me trying to spend the same dollar more than once. Sometimes more is a necessity, but it doesn't hurt to 'pull in your life' or at the least to review our necessities.
When you've gone through your wallet, your checkbook, and your bank account and they all tell you the same thing, like a pocket full of lint.
Being a good steward requires us, actually demands that we learn first how to manage the smaller amount.
As my Grandmother was often saying, 'learn to manage your pennies, and your dollars will take care of themselves'.
This is a truth. Constantly being dinged by small emergencies is like a small leak in the dam.
When this happens in my life, my first response is prayer that God will protect us from the attacks by Satan—and be assured that's where it comes from.
I also pray that these attacks will be small enough they can be easily handled, and will disappear entirely.
Some Christians see these things as a test and rejoice that God has confidence they will overcome. I just see them as gnats sent to remind us to 'pray in all things'. Maybe I should be thankful, but I'm not that's just me I guess.
What is one gift that keeps on giving? The one thing we are truly limited in—our time. There really are only twenty-four hours in a day. Our thoughts are limited as well when it comes to thinking of others.
Being too busy isn't the ultimate goal in life. Having quality time to spend with family and friends and living a life that makes a difference for ourselves and others. So, check your margins...
