…Ok so i am just now finishing up this post.  This post began the beginning of October last year.  A lot has changed since then.  But remember the things that are most important in life…

This past weekend and few weeks have given me some time to reflect and think about some things. We spend life rushing through, all that we do. Life is about speed, fast food, fast computers, fast cell coverage, fast cars, fast w……. I’ll stop there. The past few weeks at work have been busy, I’ve logged a lot of miles, about 1800 in the last couple weeks. During this time I’ve been able to really think on how blessed I am. In all this time driving I have been able to see sunrises and sunsets that are absolutely beautiful. These are the things we miss in our day to day lives because things are so planned out and “busy”.
When was the last time you took the time to just thank God for a beautiful sunrise or sunset? When was the last time you and you spouse just went on a date, sat together and didn’t talk about work? Spent quality time with your loved ones, no cell phones interrupting you?
We live our lives planned out minute by minute only concerned with us. There is a line in the Kirk Franklin song “Little Boy” that us directed to parents and how they have been so driven for success that they “bought a house but your kids live at 106 and Park. ” We get so caught up in the day to day that we quickly lose sight of what is most important. When everything else is gone family and God will still be there.
No matter how hard we try many of us become workaholics. It’s happened to me. I find myself checking email first thing in the morning and just before going to bed. Along with the hundreds if times during the day that I am checking it. I try to tell myself hey I’m in IT I need to know if something goes down, but it’s nothing that we can do about it right at that time so it doesn’t matter that much. Instead of spending time just relaxing and enjoying life, we don’t take actual time off. During this time we are checking our phones and messages just so we don’t miss something. There is nothing important enough to pull you away from your family when you should be with them. We are all bound anymore by out schedules, every minute of every day us planned out. We try to do this in all aspects of our lives and sometimes you just have to accept that real life cannot be planned.  One of my favorite quotes from 30 Rock is, “If you want to make God laugh, Make plans…”

3/3/11 How many times in life, do we think we have it all under control just to have things go a complete different direction.  Last month I was the VP of a small IT firm, now I am an IT Analyst, at a Fortune 500 company.  In life we look at all of the things around us and “try to make time” for them.  I wish I had time for this or that, however we will make time for other things that don’t matter.  We have all heard it said that you can’t take it with you when you go, and its true, spend time with your family and loved ones while you can.  At my last job it was nothing for myself and the other managers to put in 60 -80 hours per week.  When you work like that it takes a toll not only on you and your body, but on your family and friends.  At the end of the day, family is all that you have, the jobs and the work goes away.  The more time you spend at work, the harder it is to get away from it.

Do you find yourself not able to go without checking email at midnight? Do you look at your phone as soon as you hear a sound?  Take one day, just one day, leave work at the end of 8 hours turn your phone off and relax with your family.  Eliminate the disruptions that we all have, not by acting that problems and stresses don’t exist, but by taking 2 hours to get in the floor and play with your kids, by talking like normal people — not about work, but about life, listen really listen to what your kids, or wife, or husband has to say.  Keeping things inside will make you go crazy, talk it out and relax.

Take time also to spend time thanking God for your blessings and spend time reading His word.  God wants to hear from you and hear you voice your problems even though he already knows what is in your heart.  Getting into His word will show you what others have gone through, and sometimes the same verse you have read many times before, will have a different meaning.

Take your time, remember what is important, and listen for God.  He is still working today much in the same way He did in the days of David and Moses.  It is when we just stop and listen that we will hear what He has for us.