Torch, Fall 1990

projects you are working on and even dreaming about, addresses and phone numbers , etc. Commercially produced items are available from companies such as Dayrunner and Daytimer, or you can create your own . Take it along with you wherever you go. You 'll be amazed at how having it along will improve your think-time when waiting for appointments. 11. Provide a message center for your family. Where everyone will see it, place a master family calendar and message board. Teach children how to use it and require its review twice daily. Teach older children how to respect family priorities by establishing a "48-hour rule" (or whatever time limit is appro– priate for your household). The rule specifies that no individual may cancel out of a family activity with less than 48 hours' notice. Unless an emergency is involved, operating with the basic understanding that "if you have to know right now, the answer is no" can save much frustration and the time loss which comes from the con– fusion of changed plans and missed communication. 12. Conquer the paperwork jungle. Designate an area of your home as a household office. If you have no room for a desk, consider building a self– contained work area into a closet or corner. If desperate, you can even have a work box which can be stored under a bed and taken out for paperwork time. Keep appropriate correspondence supplies on hand, and strive to handle each paper only once by sorting it into the proper responsibility file or discard– ing it. Schedule your time for bill paying and letter writing and, as much as possible, do your work at one sitting. It is much easier to write a few notes each week than a dozen each month. As the mountain grows, its overwhelming nature discourages climbing; thus , procrastination becomes even easier. Establish a logical filing system for family records and invest in the appro– priate supplies to make it work. A "bring-up" file is invaluable for things you can't decide upon at the moment but must be considered at some future time. Keep a folder for each month of the year, place the item to be considered in the appropriate folder, and deal with it when the time comes. Purchase cards, giftwrap, and ribbon in bulk, and keep it on hand. In fact, it even helps to have standard wedding and shower gifts your family gives for each occasion and keep one each of those on hand. 13. Plan for hospitality. Since the ministry of hospitality is an express command of Scripture, each family should have a plan for housing guests and meeting their needs. If you don ' t have space to establish a guest room, decide whose room will be used when visitors come, what provisions must be made for the person(s) vacating the room , and what supplies are neces– sary to fulfill the "golden rule" in your accommodations . Prepare a checklist for the preparations so that nothing is forgotten. 14. Outwit the time-robbers! Within the boundaries of balance and reason , make a game of completing unexpected calls before a three-minute timer runs out. Wash dishes immedi– ately after the meal; they take more time when the food has dried. Make the bed as soon as you get up in the morn– ing. Soak stains or spot-treat fabrics right away. Combine errands, and learn to think backwards. Many people live under constant stress because they never allow enough time for a task. If you know that the place of your appointment is 40 minutes travel distance, gassing the car takes eight minutes, and you need to drop off a child at the sitter's on the way , work your clock backwards to dete1mine a realistic departure time. Then allow a cushion for the unex– pected, and you ' II find your stomach and disposition will be in much better shape for the wear. The list is endless, and the reality is undebatable. Most things that are put off require greater effort and time when you do get to them! Many excellent books have been written about aspects of time manage– ment and household organization. However, reading about organization will never make us organized. Only as we make it a priority and commit ourselves to one area of improvement at a time, create a plan, and work that plan until it becomes a way of life will we experience progress in buying back our time. One of the most important lessons I am learnjng is that the need does not constitute the call. Learning to say a loving, but firm "no" to those tasks which do not move us toward God's priorities for the present season in our lives may be a crucial starting place for many of us. The other lesson I am learning is the importance of praying that God will enable me by His grace to accomplish all that is required of this day and that He will give me peace about the things I must leave undone. Not completing everything on our "to do" lists for each day does not constitute failure . When we walk in obedience to our Heavenly Father, we can treat even interruptions as His appointments and redeem our days for His glory. That's what really counts here and for eternity. ..---~....--, Inge Pohl Cannon is associate director for the National Center for Home Education, a subsidiary of the Home School Legal Defense Association in the Washing– ton, D.C. area. She previ– ously helped develop curricu– lum for the Advanced Training Institute of America (ATIA) home education pro– gram initiated by Bill Gothard of the Institute in Basic Life Principles.