The Life Changing Practice Of Sanctified Planning

My absolute favorite, can’t live without, intentional practice of the day is to participate in a slow morning routine. It is an integral part of Christ-Centered Slow Living. For me, this includes a large cup of coffee or tea, a quiet time of prayer, Bible reading, thanksgiving, meditation, and listening. Followed by the life-changing practice of sanctified planning using a daily planner which allows me to accomplish the things God has called me to, prioritize those activities and build in margin, so when the unexpected things of life happen, I am able to cope.

I love this quote from author and pastor John Mark Comer, “To restate: love, joy, and peace are at the heart of all Jesus is trying to grow in the soil of your life. And all three are incompatible with hurry.”

My daily schedule usually includes these elements.  Time outside, making authentic family connections that include laughter, rest in the form of afternoon tea, service, normally things like cooking, cleaning, laundry, listening, encouraging, praying, and serving at our local church. My day also includes writing and homeschooling.  Family meals and family devotions and finally a very slow evening routine. I don’t do every one of these things every day to be sure, they are sprinkled across the week.

Now, here’s the thing.  Your schedule will look different than mine.  I am a work-at-home mom of six children. I am married to a guy with a servant’s heart!  God made me with a specific personality, unique needs, and physical abilities.  My definition of slow will be different than yours.  The key is to seek God, ask, listen, and then do.

There is a term that I use called sanctified planning.  For me, this practice is included in my morning quiet time.  It just simply means that I have prayed and asked God to show me what he wants me to do today. I ask him to show me what my top three priorities of the day should be.  I ask him how I can serve?  What’s on my “To-Do List”? I also make time to tell him what I am thankful for and what I am looking forward to. For years, I omitted this part of my slow morning because I am more of a creative sort, definitely not a type-A person and I don’t like to be bound by a schedule. If there are times on the planner that I have to be accountable to, it makes me feel overwhelmed. When I added sanctified planning into my slow morning, it deepened my relationship with God and brought much peace at the same time.

I use something called the Christian Dream Planner and I absolutely adore this lovely calendar! The Horacio Printing Christian Dream Planner was created to help you build margin, reduce distractions and build a God-focused schedule. This is not just about what you have to do, it is about who you want to become. Horacio Printing has guided tutorials to help you set up every section of the planner and I’m so excited to share with you the gift of 10% off with the code: 2022ISMYYEAR

Using my planner has revealed a few things, interestingly enough, the things that make it into my top three priorities of the day are rarely work-related.  They are, however, life-giving and have eternal implications, and usually range from the mundane of life.  My top priority is always prayer, not because I am holier than thou but rather because I am a broken woman who needs Jesus to function.  My other two priorities are usually something like time with my kids and husband, laundry, or cooking family meals, also things like self-care such as walking, time in my garden, and things like doctor’s appointments and massages.  Now, that’s not to say that I don’t get my work done, it’s just that it rarely makes it into my top three priorities.  

My role as the adopted daughter of King Jesus and my position as wife and mother come first as we can see from what is written in God’s Word.  When we don’t listen to what God’s Word says and do what is right in our own eyes our marriages and children will suffer.  Your role as a mother is to make dedicated disciples of Christ.  Please don’t let anything get in your way.  Have you ever heard this quote, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”?  Well, it really is true.  Make time to live out your calling by putting your priorities into actionable steps in your planner. 

As a Christian author, writer and speaker, I have often confused that role as being the priority, after all, I am doing God’s work, aren’t I? Thankfully, God in his infinite wisdom, divine compassion, and love has shown me the truth, that my top priority for serving Him is found in the relationships of his other children, my husband, and our children, and yes, even my needs.  Often ministry is often found in the things we perceive as distractions. 

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YOUR TURN…

How do you practice sanctified planning? 

Blessings,