Crazy Time

They tell you in college you should be doing 2-3 hours of studying, reading, and homework for every hour that you are in class.  This semester, I am in 17 credit hours and in class for about 20 hours per week.  (I have lab classes that are 1 or 2 credit hours but meet for a total of 3-4 hours each week)  I recently did the math to learn how much free time I had.  First, let's say that there are 6 days in a work week, in order to give myself a Sabbath.  This means that there are 144 hours in a work week.  If I sleep 8 hours a night, am in class for 20 hours a week, study 40 hours a week, and work my part time job for 10 hours, this leaves me with 4 and 1/3 hours a day to make food, eat, shower, chill with friends, volunteer, travel between locations on campus, go to club meetings, blog, and just recharge doing any other recreational activities.

This is super interesting to me.  Quite simply, I do not sleep for 8 hours every night.  Nor did I feel that I had time to volunteer at the after school program this week that I like to volunteer at.  Nor did I talk to my parents.  I also did a pretty bad job of having a meaningful prayer and Bible-reading time with God this week.  Why?  Because it requires a daily commitment.  An hourly commitment.

Saying that I'm walking with God is easy.  Actually walking with him is another.  I like to spend a daily time in prayer and Bible reading.  I call this my 'devotions.'  But am I really devoted to these things?  Am I devoted to living a life for God?  I just broke down that I am (or know that I should be) spending 60 hours a week doing academic work.  This is a life choice.  It's a choice that I am glad that I've made.  How many hours a week am I working toward growing in God?

Something that I've remembered lately is that everything I do needs to be for Him.  Right now, He is calling me to be a student.  Because of that, I should be the very best student that I can be.  I also need to remember that while I'm working and studying.  My motivation shouldn't be a good grade or a raise at work.  My motivation to do my best should be bring glory to God.

He has made me aware that this is something I need to work on.  It is something that I will be working on for my entire life.  It is easy to forget about the true focal point, but the picture is much more beautiful when you're focused on the right thing.

The foreground of this picture is clear, the fence is well-defined.  The gorgeous mountains behind it, however are not in focus, so you miss much of the potential beauty in the photo.  

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:1-2

Living in Reckless Abandonment for Jesucristo,

Jo