Today, I find myself realizing how appreciative I am of discipline. Granted, it's a word that few people like or want to hear, but it's amazing just how much you can accomplish with a little discipline and follow through. It's a concept that I struggle with sometimes, and that has been known to stress me out from time to time as well.

Being a very driven person, I have so many things I want to accomplish in my life and from day to day. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming if I don't stop to regain focus, and particularly if I'm not spending time in prayer about what I should and should not be focusing my attention on at the present time. I think we often get so wrapped up in doing for the sake of doing, that we completely throw priorities, and oftentimes, our dreams right out the window. Obviously, people seldom consciously decide to sabotage their own lives and future, but we let so many minute and unimportant things fill up our time to the point that we have no time for the things that matter. Who wants to spend their entire life doing meaningless things and die exhausted from accomplishing none of their dreams? This is why discipline and prioritizing are so important in our lives.

I guess, in a way, appreciating discipline, also requires learning to rest at times as well. In our generation, everyone is constantly going, and we seldom stop to relax. One of the commandments is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. God knows we need a day off to do nothing but rest in Him and to just rest in general. As counterintuitive as it may seem, you can often accomplish so much more in life, when you actually schedule in some time to sleep a little later, do the fun things you never get around to anymore, and to even just be a bum from time to time.

So my challenge to myself and to you today is to think about what things you are letting slide that you need to be doing, what things you can let slide and stop doing, where can you make time this weekend and following week to do something fun you have not done in a while, and finally to take the time to schedule at least an hour to just rest. Maybe resting to you looks like watching a movie or TV, spending an hour alone with God, or soaking in the bathtub for a while. Just figure out what it is you need to do to unwind and for once follow through. If we are ever going to get where we want to go in life, we are going to need our good friends discipline, prioritization, and rest to help us get there, so let's get all three in our corner and forge ahead to bigger and better things.

In skimming the news today, I read that the theater in Opry Mills Mall is reopening today for the first time since the flood in May of 2011. I cannot help but think, what if the people of the city had just decided it was ruined and that they did not have time to follow through with restoring it? Yet, how many of us allow our past trials and obstacles to prevent us from continuing on with the dreams God has given us? This world would be a miserable place if everyone gave up all the time, and not to mention quite a devastated place to live if no one ever took the time to rebuild after tragedy struck. So toss all of your excuses aside, let go of past hurts, and let's start building towards our dreams and futures.


Have a wonderful weekend!!

Alisha
Good Times Daily

Now, if you haven't already heard this story, it's one of the best I've read in a while, so hope you enjoy: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111106/NEWS/311060055/Spring-Hill-man-helps-woman-escape-attempted-murder-suicide

Also, if you want to test your Bible knowledge, here's a quiz from the front page of our local paper today: http://data10.tennessean.com/quiz/quiz.aspx?qid=49