MY renewed view of schedules...Maxwell taught me wrong!

In ministry if I had it to do all over again, I would....
1. Care less about the emergencies or so called crisis events in the church.
2. Be less concerned about being in the office as much as I was.
3. Have little to nothing on my calendar.
4. Stop doing counseling.
5. Pray more and more.
6. Sit at the feet of Jesus and before His word until He released me.
7. Do away with meetings every night.
8. Get rid of committees that meet to talk about stuff but never do the stuff they talk about.
9. Give my time to Jesus. If at the last minute He wants me to go to the coffee shop instead of to the office - I'm going for a cup of jo.
10.Remember that an empty or marginal calendar is one that gives God lots of ways to use you.
11.Spend less time getting ready for Sunday and more time asking God to show up on Sunday. God never need my time planning things, He knows what He wants to do.
12.Not have a bulletin, a paid staff leading worship, nor would I have a select few involved in the service. You would be the service and the service would be made up of what Jesus had to say to us through us.
13.Keep the children in the service so they could see how God works through the body and not just through the teacher or preacher. Let em hear mom and dad weep before Jesus with grateful hearts or with conviction.

In America we are taught to fill up our calendars before others do. With Jesus we leave our calendars open with more margin for God to use His way. How much of your calendar is God's time and His to use any way He wishes?

My calendar is open! I have some things I have to do and choose to do, like send in my taxes tomorrow. But you would be shocked to learn that I have given my calendar to Jesus. Now I'm learning to let Him fill in the spaces instead of me trying to beat Him to it.

Wouldn't some of you be set free if Jesus filled up your calendar instead of you and others. Wouldn't it be great to have entire Jesus blocks of time to just be out in the world where real people live -work and play? Or better yet, just to be with Jesus on a hillside or golf course or on a fishing boat?

My Daytimer and later my PDA owned my life. I worked hard and my calendar was full. Now I realize it was too full, crammed full of the wrong stuff. All good stuff just the wrong stuff. I had no margin for God. I let myself and others fill my calendar and God was often left out in the cold.

TRY THIS: Empty your calendar, cancel everything and give it to God! Like me, you will be amazed at how God will use you and how many God moments come to you.

If your church fires you for letting God lead you more fully -please don't blame me, just rejoice in what it means to live fully in the Spirit and presence of Jesus. God has better plans for you.

Even your mother in law's coffee will begin to smell and taste better. You may even begin to love your mother in law! Your wife and kids will think you are sick and they will like you sick!

Why do we do it our way when Jesus showed us His way all along. Look at His life. I see little record of what Jesus planed to do tomorrow! He lived for today and God led Him all the way and on the way lives were touched and transformed!

Try this and see if you can begin to understand what I am talking about.If you do, your calendar will never be full -you will have margin for Jesus and for others Jesus intends for you to be with.

Comments welcome! Oh boy, I'm in for it now!