It's time to pursue holiness

Finally, I've dedicated an hour, two days each week, to the study of holiness. I'll be using the book, The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, along with the workbook. Mr. Bridges is one of my favorite authors and I have several of his works in the library. I read this book about twenty-five odd years ago and always intended to go through it again. I can't recall the specifics, but I remember being quite struck by the depth and breath of true holiness.

My Christianity hovered at a mediocre level for most of the thirty-three years I worked at jobs that did not allow me time to really live as I wanted, such as: spending quality time with my family, constantly and regularly lingering in the Word and pursuing leisurely and educational interests. But my productive hours were swallowed up by a full time job and several hours of commuting, back and forth. Plus, I lived with the guilt of knowing that I wasn't functioning near the level of faith and godliness He demanded of me. My heart seemed always in a state a grief.

Still, when no one else could see it, God saw my heart and heard my cries. And in His time, His always perfect time, he declared me well-prepared for the fulfillment of my heart's deepest desire - to be unencumbered by the cares, stress and demands of the world of work and to soak up all the benefits and joys of being at home.

It's taken me a while to get a handle on managing my time and getting clear on what He wants me to do, apart from writing and the other activities that fill my days. I've been enjoying the simple joys of life, basking in the beauty of silence and solitude and floating in the sweetness and comfort of His word and prayer.

My heart bubbles with anticipation to begin this study and I'm happy to have this medium to share snippets of it with you.

This chorus rings in my ear. The words in parenthesis are mine.

In His time, in His time,
He makes all things beautiful (possible) in his time.
Lord please show me every day,
As you're teaching me your way,
That you do just what you say, in your time.

In your time, in your time,
You make all things beautiful (possible) in your time.
Lord my life to you I bring.
May each song I have to sing,
Be to you a lovely thing, in your time.

He has blessed me with time, time to breathe and time to live fully. I want to use this time to strengthen my faith, deepen my commitment to live more holy and honor Him in everything I do, whether it is taking care of my family's needs, doing household chores, studying, writing, gardening, painting, spending time with my friends and other leisurely activities.

May your days be blest until we meet here again.