THE “IN BASKET”

Week Seventeen, 2022

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

When taking a public administration course in college, the professor gave us the “In basket” test and then gave us the formula to find the answer. He was referring to the in basket on a person’s desk, but he explained that everyone has there own daily in basket.

I call mine my: TO DO List. I check every morning on my computer, as I plan my day and at the end of the day, I will revise it for tomorrow, often containing items I did not getting around to doing on today’s list.

Organizing our daily schedule and tasks allows us to concentrate on what needs to get done that day instead of being distracted by things around us. At nighttime, we are able to prioritize our sleep and rest easy knowing what needed to be done was done. Prioritizing our sleep helps to alleviate our stress.

The Bible tells us things that should be on our everyday TO DO List. Our faith tells us that God must be the first priority of life. Nothing else works without God as our priority. The remaining priorities fold under God in a specific order. The family is our second priority. It is in the family where we first learn about God and about the other priorities.

God expects us to accept His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Savior. He expects us to give our lives to Him, and in so doing, develop the character of Christ. God wants us to become more like Christ. We are called on to daily read His Word and pray.

Pray to God and admit that you need help putting Him first. Ask God to help you in this area and for the passion and desire for Him to grow. Make God a priority and schedule in time with Him every day first before anything else. Arrange all your other obligations around Him.

I must confess, especially because my wife will edit this before it is published, that I am slack in those areas of my priorities. Too often my TO DO list is about me and my earthly goals. “It has to be done today” or does it?

What’s in your In Basket? Is God there and is He first on the list?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The Power of God’s Purpose:

(1) God’s purpose gives meaning to life.

Purpose moves you from survival mode, past success, to significance.

(2) God’s purpose reduces frustration.

Purpose makes life more pleasant and pleasurable.

(3) God’s purpose increases our motivation.

Purpose produces hope. Inspires action. And encourages steadfast endurance.

(4) God’s purpose allows for greater concentration.

Purpose empowers us to stay mentally, emotionally, and spiritually alert.

(5) God’s purpose simplifies your life.

Purpose reduces confusion. And makes life less complex.

(6) God’s purpose keeps your eyes on the goal.

Purpose provides focus on what’s really important in life.

(7) God’s purpose reaps eternal rewards.

Purpose prepares you for eternity. And keeps the reward real.

The person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

— o —

Would you like to know your actual “biological age”? Would you like to learn whether you have physical conditions that are associated with increased risks of mortality? Your eyes apparently hold the key.

A new study says your retina may be able to provide doctors with a way to “evaluate underlying pathological processes of systemic vascular and neurological diseases” that you would not otherwise recognize. Doctors could then treat these conditions proactively, improving your health and even extending your life.

— o —

The number of abortions per one thousand women has declined by over half from its peak in the early 1980s and a growing number of Americans—now 71 percent—want limits on abortion.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

A Christian who is not thankful, is not a Christian at all. Bob Sprinkle

We often put ourselves in some pretty miserable positions because we move ahead without seeking God. Dan Shock

Build your relationships with the Holy Spirit. Jomo Cousins

Prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God. Daniel Henderson

The greatest curse of Christianity is mediocre Christianity.

Salvation is the basic of Christianity. You can’t be a Christian without being saved. It is more than knowing about it, as it is a personal relationship with Jesus. When you get saved, it is not an end, but a new beginning as you know the resurrection power of Him.

Our self-righteousness is a filthy rag in the presence of Jesus.

Eternity is too long to be wrong.

Prayer without faith amounts to just empty words.

What if God chose you to introduce His Son to the world?