Sorry for delay in getting this posted. I'm looking forward to your thoughts and experiences! Talk to you soon.

Wow! Wednesday night and no takers... I'm very interested to see what happens here. It's hard to actually make a decision to cut something out.

Right now I am working on investing in my kids more. I have been away for a couple of weeks and it feels like we have had a ton of transition....wait...we HAVE had a ton of transition. My circles of life are highly important and if my kids don't fall into one of those daily, then I have failed the call that God has for me as a mom and parent.
So what do I cut out? I cut out my time on the internet or conversations with others here and there and focus my time intentionally on interacting and supporting my littles.
Being gone for two weeks without web access was wonderful and I don't see the necessity of spending much time online. Before it was an escape in my life because I felt discouraged and alone. Now that we have a home and are moving forward with getting settled..I feel revived and much more solid. I miss my kids and want to have a rich relationship with them while they are still in our home! :) yay!
So I will let you know how that impacts me this week...so far it's a blessing. It isn't hard or difficult because my children are more important that filling my time with stuff. It did raise the question of "what am I getting out of wasting my time online?" and I believe I have answered that one well. It was a distraction in my day so I wouldn't have to think about the depressing thoughts that raced through my mind. It kept me in a place of disconnect from everyone. YUCK. God is telling me to take advantage of the little treasures that I have living under my roof and to remember that they were given to me because He so loves me and wants me to know His love in a deeper way, through connecting with them. (my kids)
Signing off for now....Thanks Marc.....

Wow, Jacqui. That's a big share and a big realization. The internet has really become a facet of all our lives and many of us do exactly what you say at some level. It's an infinite time sink with a million opportunities to do something other than what we're doing right now. I want to commend you for facing this reality in your life and I want to encourage you to let it find it's appropriate and honoring space as a tool. This really has the potential to be a game changer for you. Way to go!

It is very hared to think of what to cut out. I think my circle one is my area and I think listening to news radio in the car rather than spiritually up lifting choices. Along with the car ride-I want to cut out stopping off to buy junk food to snack on as a comfort. I will feel better and more God focused with less junk food in my back pack. So even though that is two it is all about the little car ride as a time for circle one.

I have been struggling with this. I knew right away what I needed to do, but actually putting it down in print means I have to be accountable and that’s what has made me hesitate. Jacqui's comments about the use of the internet sort of gave me the push I needed. (Welcome back Jacqui) For me it's not the internet, but an equally time consuming activity - TV. I use it as a means of escape from the many day to day work related and otherwise stressful decisions I need to deal with. I use the excuse that I just want to be entertained and I also use it as one of my main news sources (of course the news just adds more stress). In truth, much of the “entertainment” is, for the most part, nothing short of garbage being dumped into my mind. We all know that garbage in creates garbage out. So, I am committing to drastically reduce the amount of television I watch every week. I am going to try to eliminate all TV that I couldn’t sit and watch guilt free with Jesus sitting right there with me. After all, He is there whether I choose to acknowledge Him or not! I don’t believe that means I have to get rid of TV completely. There are plenty of fun, entertaining and informative things to watch. I just need to monitor what I watch as well as how long I watch. My plan is to reduce the amount of time I spend in front of the TV by ½. If I do that, I suspect I won’t be nearly so short on circle one and circle three times. A fair estimate may be as much as six to seven extra hours a week to invest in listening to and serving God. I may be able to do much better than that, but I’m going to start there. Please feel free to pray for me – a lot – no really, a lot!! :-)

An honest inventory of my time shows the greatest portion being given to my relationship with my computer. I do use it for a lot of different things, but most are more of a habit or escape from things I could be giving to God. I thought it was my circle one that is the most lacking and I feel a need for that which I have never really focused on trying to fulfill.

I feel stretched to the limit in areas I feel like God is calling me to, my one thing reflection was strongly pointing toward Circle One, I am going to get up a 1/2 hour earlier 6am and have some quiet me time with God and my bible...I can't wait :)

A friend once compared my Christian walk to a person who excelled in junior high only to find himself covered in insignificance in high school. Meaning that I’ve graduated and although that is great it also means what was once easy for me is now a challenge. It’s not that I am insignificant but I no longer feel like the shining example I use to be. My life recently has felt mundane and parched compared to what I once knew. I cannot forget the times I have led without fear or the investments I’ve made in others and the times I empowered them to lead as well. Nor will I forget the times I placed my foot forward on what looked like thin air only to step on solid ground. Older Christian men invested much time and resources into my life; I did not lack wise counsel when I needed it most. However, the graduation came as I stepped out in faith, believing God was calling me to the next adventure but what God had in mind I could not of guessed. It was back to circle one and this online Bible study has played a large roll in helping me in the right direction but somewhere in the midst of this new beginning I turned my back on my circle two relationships. It’s funny I thought for a long time that it fell apart because I was no longer playing a leading roll and I lost my value to them. Through this reflection I think I hear God telling me to try to salvage what I can of these relationships and build new ones in places I did not look before. What’s been standing in my way? Pride and hurt and lies of the enemy. My heart has grown cold on the edges and metal bars have been placed over it to keep it from getting hurt again. I am going to once again give my heart away, without fear. All of this has worked together for my good just as God has promised! I contribute this wonderful change to nothing I have done but to God for bringing me here. This gate before me would not have opened if He did not bring me back to Him first.

Hey Cheryl, I really want to affirm that choice. I am a news radio junkie in the car as well, and I know that listening to the constant repetition shapes my attitude and world view. When I am able to turn it off and reflect in silence, or listen to something uplifting it really impacts me. Come back and tell us how it works for you, OK?

That's enormous, Jim! Imagine what good things could happen in your life if you reclaimed six to seven hours a week. Why, that's a full work-day! Think of the investment you could make in your relationship with Peggy, or other family members, or time you could spend living out God's purpose in your life in other ways. That could be a real game changer for you. I am very excited to hear how this works in your life.

Gregg, Tracy, and Carl - it just encourages my heart so much to hear you talk about making these changes in your life. I'm praying for you. I know that you are going to take steps of growth because of this.

Being a mom often makes me feel that I am not my own person. My space doesn't belong to me, my relationships are fraught with distractions, and my time most definitely is not my own. Anything that doesn't revolve around taking care of my kids usually feels like an intrusion into an already hectic space. But, I want those intrusions (like conversations with friends, trips out of the house for activities, opportunities to help someone out) so I make the space. What gets pushed out is my intentional time with God. I spend time with God every day in little ways, we have lots of little conversations here and there and I have found myself singing to Him in the shower again recently. =) But, without my deliberate space with Him my mood is up for grabs that day which totally affects how I respond to other "intrusions" in my time. So, my struggle is with "my time" and solving it will be getting intentional with God and dedicating "my time" back to Him and His purposes each day.

Cheryl, I hear you on your food choices influencing your space with God. It may sound strange to some, but it rings true with me. I will be spending time asking God to help me reach for Him for comfort and I will hold you up in that prayer as well. Thank you for being brave and sharing in this public space. It is an encouragement to me. =)

Thanks for sharing, Candi.

I cut out three of the programs I had been recording on the DVR - might seem insignificant, but the draw of those three things kept me on the couch, not with my husband, not with my bible, not going to church every week - just checked out of other things that should have held a higher priority . . .

Awesome Tamee....you rock! It's so easy to get hooked on stuff that sucks us in...those evening shows are alot like soap operas, but at night. I am hooked on Lost. I get it.