Simplify and Prioritize, One Day at a Time, Forever

I've been thinking a lot lately about my continued need and desire to prioritize and simplify. The need and desire have been with me a long, long time. I haven't given up, even though progress comes ever so slowly.

I approach the task prayerfully and carefully.

Here are some of the latest contemplations and insights, in no particular order of importance.

What is important to me? How can I know and do God's will and let go the rest.

-- Church: attendance, giving, prayer, service, worship, fellowship, evangelization.

-- Marriage: goals, what are priorities; willingness to be more spontaneous and take a few risks (car, cat, work, house, vacation, travel, giving, serving) but also patience.

-- Family and friends: cards, visits, Facebook and email, phone calls, a place for people to stay when they are willing to come visit.

-- Cat lady without a cat. I can see how this is the way it is supposed to be, at least for now. But it also doesn't make sense not to get one. It doesn't have to be perfect. But how can I not get so attached?????

-- Work: I want to do it all. Lord, please help me know how to set boundaries and do what You would have me do and let go of the rest. Including whether or how to mess with contests and recognition, and what to do about vacations and comp time. Please lead me Lord.

-- Hobbies, interests, passions: writing, singing, cats, time with friends and family, enjoying favorite sports teams.

-- House cleaning and maintenance.

-- Car maintenance and cleaning.

-- Clothes, shoes, accessories and jewelry.

-- Health and well-being, including 12-step program.

Maybe perseverance, which was a theme that I made note of from my spiritual readings May 8, is a good word for me to think of here. These are excepts from 1 Peter 1:3-11, one of the readings that day:

1:3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

1:4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.

1:5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge,

1:6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness,

1:7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

1:8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:9 For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.

1:10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.

1:11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

This also is good, from My Utmost for His Highest, on June 11, drawing from Matthew 11:28 -- "Come to Me ..."

Where sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saint starts. Do I really want to get there? I can right now. The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words — “Come to Me.” Our Lord’s words are not, “Do this, or don’t do that,” but — “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.