Knowing our Limits
From Dr. Shannon Whiteside, Alveary Program Director
Somehow, we think if we could find the best time management system, then we could finally get all the things done on our to-do list. If you find that perfect time management system, let me know! Although I strive to manage my time wisely, I also believe that God has designed us for a purpose beyond mere productivity. I like the way Jen Pollack Michel states it in her book In Good Time, “I’ve started to resist the notion that I must earn my keep in this world. Instead, I am receiving the days as a gift. This is of course, the message of Genesis—and the heartbeat of the gospel. God makes. God gives. This world, ordered as it is by sun and moon, day and night, is our inheritance. God gave us his only Son, in time, that we might have life…To think of all good things coming from the good hands of God, even time itself, is to see that the hours aren’t simply kept. They’re bestowed. They’re bequeathed” (p.90). This perspective has helped me realize that we live in a world with constraints, and God knows the limitations we each have.
What are the givens in your life that you can’t change? It may be your own physical health, children with special needs, relatives to take care of, spouses that travel, or the regular duties of taking care of a family or home. God does not expect us to be superhuman and squeeze out every second of the day in productivity. It is more important that the rhythms and routines of our day show those around us love, respect and kindness. This is not a call to throw out your clocks and just go with the flow. But this is an encouragement to recognize your limitations and to be ok with that. Each season brings its own set of limits and freedoms. When we look at Charlotte Mason’s schedule as mentioned in The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley, we see that Mason made time each day for rest, reading books for pleasure and for being in nature. Cholmondeley states, “Her life was a constant evidence of the joy of ‘the science of relations,’ her relations with earth, with man, with bird, with beast and flower, and with God. She never came back without some ‘find,’ some fresh flower out, some new sound she had heard, some aspect of the beauty in the sky or on the fell. And she was ready with expectancy to hear of what others had to tell” (p. 75). May we follow her example and find time each day to nurture relationships and find joy in the pleasures of nature.
Notes
- Citizenship Grades 8 & 10: For American Government, the Reading PDF and Supplementary PDF that is used for most of the lessons, can be found under Quick Links. For Alveary+ members-We added the link to these PDFs in each lesson. If that is not showing up, you will need to unenroll from the course, delete the course and then enroll again so you can get the update version.
- Exams: Term 1 Exams are now available. You can find them in Step 5 of your Dashboard!
- Teacher’s Notes & Exams in Alveary+: In Alveary+, teacher tips and sensitive content are found in the Teacher Notes section of a lesson. Check the "Teacher’s Notes" by clicking the arrow next to the headings Grade, Attachments, Comments, and Submissions. Exam questions will also appear here during exam week.
- Rembrandt is in the Wind: Here is the link to the recording of our Book Discussion on Rembrandt is in the Wind.
- Office Hours: Here is the link to the recording of this week’s Office Hours on combining students, choosing which subjects to do, and getting behind on lessons.
- Alveary Planning Guide: We are beta testing a new Alveary Planning Guide. We invite you to view the full guide here and give us your thoughts.
