THE PETERSENS

I’m a huge fan of Carolyn Mahaney and this is an article by her: http://www.cbmw.org/images/jbmw_pdf/11_2/homemaking_internship.pdf

So, you all know about how the entire world is going nutso over this series, right?  I finally broke down a few months ago and just read the whole series to see what the hype is all about.  It was alright.  It’s addicting, but it certainly didn’t win me over like Harry Potter did.  ANYWAY, I experienced a side effect to reading about vampires…I DREAMT about vampires.  Yes, that’s right.  Beyond that, I dreamt that my HUSBAND was a vampire.  It was a good thing though.  I fell off a really tall staircase and Vampire Husband Ben caught me just inches before my body slammed into the concrete ground.  It was exhilirating enough that when I woke up from my dream, I was kinda disappointed that my husband was not a vampire…

This past Christmas, Ben bought me the book "Shopping for Time" by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters.  I pretty much read it in one sitting because 1) it’s a tiny book and 2) it’s an EXCELLENT book.  If you haven’t read it yet and you find yourself constantly overwhelmed with the fact that there are never enough hours in a day, read this book!  I’ve been reviewing many of the principles in this book this past week once again because I find myself in the need to re-prioritize my responsiblities, so that I can be a good steward of my time.  I believe God calls us women to be wise with the activities we participate in and the relationships we invest into.  Tonight I plan on focusing in on the relationships I have in my life.  The book divides the relationships we have into four different categories:

1)  Friends who sharpen.
These are friends who "stir us up…to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24).  They are people who spur us on to love Jesus more and who point out sin in our lives.  I am thankful that I have such people in my life already.

2)  Friends who mentor.
These friends should be older women who are training us younger women to love our families well, to be good workers in the home, and to be submissive to our dear husbands (Titus 2:3-5).  I have found that these are hard to come by, but the book really encourages intentionality in pursuing a relationship like this in the local church.

3)  Friends who need salvation.
Obviously, these are people who don’t know Jesus.  We, as women, should be striving to speak gracious, Gospel-filled words to those around us who don’t love Jesus.  This takes time and effort, but we must not forget and neglect these relationships.

This is a short summary of her chapter on prioritizing relationships.  I have not done it justice, so please read the book!  It is filled with so much wisdom that comes straight from the Word.