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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Day 6 & 7- The Six List and The Curse

If it seems I am cheating in this 31 day challenge, I promise I’m not!


My husband was supposed to come in last night, then he was supposed to come in this morning. Now he is not coming until tomorrow sometime…. I am starting to believe I might never get my husband back! Ha!


Thus, in hopes that he will be back tomorrow (as he has said), I am going to do Day 6 & 7 together so I can spend time with him at his arrival (whenever that may be!).


Moving right along: Day 6—The Six List.


Sarah Mae spoke of a fabulous piece of advice she learned about in the Mary Key business. It cost a business man almost $25,000! What is this secret you ask? It’s a list (yes, Andrew and Dad, a list. Look who’s laughing now!). From one business man to another, the business man stepped out on a 90 challenge and tried out the list strategy. The strategy consists of making a list each night of the top six things (in order of importance) you need to accomplish the next day (and no more than six). Then, systematically, complete the list in order, transferring anything that was not finished to the top of the next day’s list of six things (never exceeding six things).


Yet even being a seasoned list maker, I still feel like I lack priority in my list formation. Thus, I will be applying this little piece of advice almost immediately!



I can see how people, as avid list makers, can get discouraged as they keep seeing that one or two things on their list never go away (hopefully this six list method will help a little bit with that). Maybe there is something that keeps popping its evil little head up when you thought you finally exterminated it at the final blow (like the laundry stacked high the day after you finished laundry or the floor you just mopped is again covered in puppy paws and mulch…). Well, that is where the next chapter is a helpful insight to why this keeps reoccurring. Two words, Sarah says: The curse. In summary, after man broke the law of the Lord, we were given curses that pertain to our work here on earth—‘cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life’—and in bearing our children (Read Genesis 3:17-18 for the full passage). It is because of the curse the command the Lord gave us at the beginning of time (to rule, subdue, be productive and multiply) has becoming increasingly difficult to fulfill. It all heads towards decay, and we are to strive against it. Notice though that work is not the curse, unproductive work is (it destroys your labor).


Yet, despite the dark and hopeless picture this leaves in our head, we do have hope (no, your load of laundry will not magically go away after reading this, but hopefully it will encourage your heart and soul!). It’s in Romans 8:20-21:


“20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

Yes! We have hope that there will be restoration right around the corner! That’s something to encourage us all in our walk through our tasks today (though hopefully you also plan to do something fun today. It’s Saturday! Go spend some good time enjoying your family :) )


I hope you have a wonderful weekend and remember that your lists are not there to condemn you, but hopefully, help you to be more productive in your fight despite the curse… because we have victory in Christ (1 Cor. 15: 57)!


“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”