²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ~Matthew 6:25-27

Recently I began a challenge to read the Bible in a year. I am using the One Year Bible in the NIV format. Today’s reading included the passage above.  It got me to thinking about all the time we spend worrying over the things that we cannot change.  In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we forget that God has a plan for us, and that precious time shouldn’t be spent worrying.

Too often we become focused on the material things, instead of appreciating the absolute wonder of life.  I am guilty of forgetting that God put me here for a purpose.  I may not understand it, or even agree with it at times, but He has His reasons.  The time I spend worrying about insignificant things could be better spent glorifying Him.

So, are you ready to cut the cost?  We all want to manage our daily lives, and budget are time wisely.  What better way to do both of those than to cut out needless time spent worrying.  Instead, take the time to:

Read the Bible. What better way to manage your costs than spending time immersed in God’s word.  It’s the best way to stop worry in its tracks.

Talk to a friend. Just getting your worries out in the open can keep you from wasting time dwelling on them.

Volunteer your time. Seeing that there are others out there with problems different than your own can help you to see yours in a different light.  What may seem so big, may not be the problem you think it is.

Remember, life is all about taking the time to live it for God.  Don’t waste it worrying about the things that He will handle for you.  Matthew 6:34 sums things up pretty well:

³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God’s blessings to you all!

The Lord is my Master

I shall not lack wisdom and love.

He makes me more obedient

He leads me by His Spirit

He restores my mind.

He leads me by His Spirit to be a wife and mother

Yes, though I walk in a time when

many forsake these callings

I am not afraid, He strengthens me.

Your presence comforts me.

You prepare answers and provisions

in the presence of my enemies

You annoint my life with your wisdom,

My life overflows:

Surely wisdom and love will follow me

all the days of my life

And I will call on the name

of the Lord forever.

Brothers and Sisters, let us praise and worship God together.
Making our burdens light as a feather.

Let us rejoice and extol His name,
His goodness never changes. It is always the same.

We come together, His Word to study,
Ascribing to Him, all riches and glory.

O, Come let us adore Him,
the one who for us, became sin.

Let us seek Him in Prayer
Our souls we can bare.

Worthy is the Lamb who faithful and true
To whom all fear and reverence are due.

I love my life and the comfortable routine we have built here on our little 3 acres on a dirt road leading to virtually nowhere.  But I also like the idea of getting a fresh start each day when I wake up.  Yes, the coffee pot is still in the same spot on the counter and I like to drink my 2.5 cups with half and half out of my favorite LL Bean mug.  Okay, I am a creature of habit but I like knowing that the Lord gives me a clean sheet of paper each morning to make my mark on.  I don’t think He minds if it is the same mark  I made yesterday or the day before or last week.  I’m just grateful that I can still use the Crayons!