A couple weeks ago my buddy, Tony Myles, asked me to write up a description of my daily routine — my “daily grind,” if you will — as an illustration for a sermon at his church. You can listen to his sermon on his church’s website. The message is titled, “Living, Praying, and Talking With Guts,” from July 5, 2009.
Below is what I shared with him.
- Wake up tired because I stayed up too late the night before.
- If time permits, my wife and I pray and read the Bible together (just finished Ezekiel). This ends up happening anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week.
- Head off to the church office where I try to prioritize my time. I’m usually multitasking several things at once, so I almost never eat lunch because I don’t want to interrupt “the groove.”
- Around 2 PM I start getting frustrated that I’m still in the office because I want to use the summer months to hang out with teens, but there’s always so much else to do. Sometimes I drop it all and go hang out anyway. Other times I keep plowing through to-do lists.
- If I stay in the office for the afternoon, I head home around 4:00 because I’m so hungry and want to see my wife. I go straight to the frig and try not to eat too much so it spoils dinner, but enough to calm my stomach.
- Depending on what night of the week it is, my wife and I go out to a high school small group, have jr. highers at our house, go to birthing classes at the hospital, have youth group parents over for dinner, hang out with kids, or other random youth leader meetings or church meetings. Although it’s a bit unusual, the past two weeks we had only one evening at home alone.
- Around 9:00 or 10:00 PM, my wife and I are finally alone at home and can relax for the rest of the evening. She’s pregnant and usually goes to bed earlier than I want to, so I stay up and enjoy the peace and quiet. I love that time to myself with no interruptions and the freedom to do whatever I want to do, nothing else going on, nowhere I have to be, no one I have to talk to. Because I love it so much, I end up staying up way too late, sometimes to 3:00 AM or later, which makes me tired for the next day again until Fridays and some Saturdays when I can sleep in and catch up on rest.
Can anyone else identify?
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About me: I am married to my beautiful wife, 
From Ministry Questions.com...
July 14th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Preach it brother! I am not full time in the ministry but am hugely active as a volunteer, attending college and raising my family with my husband. One day I hope to be a Director of Spiritual Formation! My schedule is similar to yours as I have seen the times on your FB postings! I also try to do devotion time each morning (happens about the same rate as yours)! Work on ministry/volunteer stuff during the day (plusemail, text and FB). If my family is having dinner at home, we do have a dinner time devotion from the Upper Room (a devotion publication from the UM church). I love that time with my family. I am a night person…I too wonder how to fit everything in and God defintely deserves my best…Youth demand a LOT of time! My prayers go with you! God bless!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Sounds very familiar…especially the staying up way too late. Except for the birthing classes (I already have 2 children) it could be my life you are leading.
July 14th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
until my daughter was born, that sounded alot like it.
I think my daugther coming taught me to slow down and prioritize. I do my best to spend 40 hours a week max doing "work of the Lord". that would include small groups in the evenings, meeting with parents, etc. There is alot I have to say no to… unfortunately (at times) including students.
praying for you as you get ready for fatherhood man!
July 14th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Slow down, man. I think a few boundaries are in order.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I know what it is like..I am a volunteer youth director, work a fultime job, have three kids under the age of 8. my life is getting to get busier I am planning on starting seminary next fall. But even in the busyness(sp?) we must be still and Know He is God and I know in my life that must take FIRST priority. Welcome to Fatherhood!!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Yeah, I blogged last week about how I'm going to be slowing down with the blog here for a little while so I can focus on some other projects before the baby comes. I wrote this for Tony before then. Your advice is well heeded. Thanks!
July 15th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Unfortunately that sounds very much like my life but grateful for God and his mercy…..
July 18th, 2009 at 4:09 am
In some ways it will slow down in when the little one is born, but in other ways it will speed up even more…
July 18th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Sometimes I feel like the ability to stay up late is a spiritual gift :). Or at least a recommendation for youth workers!
July 19th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Nothing murders my ability to have my quite time like staying up late! I'm tired right now!
July 20th, 2009 at 3:20 am
3:00am? I'm the only youth pastor I know that likes to be in bed by about 9:00pm. Thankfully, my wife's pregnant, so we are on the same schedule for right now. :) I love the early morning hours, because that's the time when I get my peace and quiet, at least if my daughter's not up early!