Book Review: Shopping for Time

I finished reading Shopping for Time: How to Do it all an NOT be overwhelmed, by The Mahaney girls. This is a short book with a lot of punch. It only took me a few hours to read the book, but I have been pondering over and using it to plan out my schedule and days. This book is so practical and easy to implement in your everyday life. As women, we love to find the best deals for groceries, clothes, and anything else we purchase. This book uses the shopping metaphor to help us see the "best deal" for using our time and energy.
Because this book has helped me so much already, I wanted to highlight a few thing about each chapter (there are only six).
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the five tips of a highly effective shopper:
1. Rise early
2. Be still
3. Sit and Plan
4. Consider People
5. Plan to Depend
Chapter 2: Rise Early
We need to have a set time that we wake up every morning. This time needs to give us plenty of time to spend with Jesus before we do anything else, feed our husband and children, our children wake up, etc. I am still praying over what time that is for me. I know that I cannot expect to be able to go through my day depending on Jesus if I haven't first spent a significant amount of time with Him with no interruptions.
Chapter 3: Be still
This chapter deals with sitting with Jesus. It describes what a quiet with Jesus looks like and gives ideas for those who are just starting or have been doing for a long time.
Chapter 4: Sit and Plan
This chapter really hit home to me. It talks about how we need to have a time each year where we can sit and evaluate every aspect of our life. Carolyn Mahaney has her own sit-and-plan strategy which I think is really good. She lists seven priorities and how to evaluate each one.
1. Grow in godliness
2. Love my family
3. Serve in the church
4. Fellowship with Christians
5. Evangelize non-Christians
6. Attend to my work
7. Care for my physical health
She says that we should take a personal retreat away from all distractions so that we can pray and ponder these areas of our life and see ask God what area we need to change. Then, we should make an action plan on how to change that priority.
Chapter 5:Consider People
This chapter just asks some questions on how to better our relationships with others. It has a lot of good practical advice in this area.
Chapter 6: Plan to Depend
This chapter points back to our need of dependence on our Savior for every minute of everyday. It reminds us that even best intentions on a schedule of plans can go wrong, but to remember that God is in control and is sovereign over all our interruptions. We should look at each opportunity as a chance to experience His grace even more.

I would greatly recommend this book to every woman. I am praying that the Lord will continue to grow me into the person He desires me to be.