Category: Doing Life

Don’t Squat in the Rise!

We watched as the mountain of chocolate slowly began to rise. This was going to be the Best. Cake. Ever! Then what to our wondering eyes did happen? Our cake started sinking and was suddenly mishapen!

There are several reasons why cakes squat in the rise. But, why, here on the pages of this health & fitness, overcoming in life blog are we talking about cake?!

Because, I have discovered, there’s an interesting analogy between life and cake. They both are made up of many ingredients and can be quite sweet, but they can also fall flat and be a quite a disappointment.

A quick Google search provides 7 reasons why cakes squat in the rise:

  1. Baking too slowly
  2. Over-mixing or under-mixing the batter
  3. Under-baking
  4. Batter is too moist or too dry
  5. Cake is moved during the baking process
  6. The oven door is opened during the baking process
  7. Too much baking powder or baking soda

We’ll start our analogy with the baking too slowly  proposition.  According to the website Cilantro: The Cook’s Shop if the oven temperature is too low or there has not been the proper pre-heating time, a cake will fall.

Likewise, in life, if we jump into everything that is going without any forethought (pre-heating), our life will begin to fall apart. God never intended for us to try and run in 50 directions at a time.

We stick that thing in the oven and take off! Someone gets something new; we want one too. Someone starts a new diet; we’ll try that one too! (never mind that we didn’t finish the first program we started). Their kid just got a new….; gotta get mine one too!  SQUIRREL!!!

There’s no preheating, thus our life does not cook evenly; it’ll be hard around the edges, sunken in the middle, and full of cracks. When the oven is not pre-heated correctly, the process starts at the wrong temperature and things don’t gel as they should. Our decisions need a pre-heating time, or in the words of the scriptures, we should consider the cost; think about it.

Before you buy that new thing, start that new fad diet, or join this or that, W.A.I.T.  Here’s three helpful things to do to pre-heat your next great idea:

  1. Sleep on it! If it’s a purchase, leave the store or change the channel. Seriously tell yourself that, tomorrow, if the need/desire is still there as strongly as it was, then you’ll reconsider. Most likely, it won’t be.
  2. Ask questions.  If it’s a new “diet” ask yourself some real questions. Why have the other diets failed? More than likely it’s because they are not realistic or sustainable, or worse, totally not good for you. Ask yourself: Is this something I can do forever? A real lifestyle change?  If not, it’s a fad. If, however, it is healthy, not unrealistically restrictive, promise drastic results in a few days, you see others maintaining long term, and you’re ready to commit, go for it.
  3. Talk it through with a trusted friend.  Have them go with you to the store; tell them about your idea. Proverbs 15:22 says plans fail for lack of counsel. If they are for you, they’ll tell you the truth. Naturally, weigh their opinion with prayer.

Ordinarily Speaking…

“When’s it going to happen for me?!”

It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t happen the way we wanted them to or as fast as we wanted. Social media shows us everyone’s success, their vacations, their friendships, the new…whatever, and often it seems that our ordinary, little life just doesn’t stack up.

I posit that, if you are doing what you do, no matter how ordinary it seemingly is or unnoticed though it may be, if you are doing it with your whole heart as unto the Lord and not unto man, being faithful in the small things, then it IS “happening for you.” See Matthew 25

Check this out from a devotional on YouVersion:  “God isn’t asking you to be famous; God’s asking you to be faithful…BEFORE any great acts, AFTER any great acts, or WITHOUT any great acts… Faithfulness is a marathon not a sprint” (The Blessing of the Ordinary Devotional).

What may seem ordinary to us can become extra-ordinary when we recognize Who it is we are “working” for.  There’s a destination better than Cabo San Lucas, better than Puerto Vallarta, better than _____ fill in the blank.  Be faithful in the little (ordinary) things, and you WILL be ruler over much.

How can you be more faithful today, right where you are in that thing you do called life?

Feel free to comment. Sometimes just putting it out there helps. I will respond.

Living Life to the Fullest: Part Three

Review: A full life is a grateful life. Start each day by being grateful on purpose, and also make sure you take care of you. If we go full steam without refueling, we will fizzle out, and we won’t be able to do the next step…

Step 3: Do something for someone else

(Your Kingdom come; your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven)

Again, you may wonder where that is in the Lord’s Prayer. After I pray God’s will to be done in my life, I then begin praying for his will to be done in others’ lives – for him to fix my people, help with needs, turn things around for them. This is the place where I pray for everyone in my life; I pray for the country and leaders etc…

Hence, the step – doing something for others.

  • People often think it’s “how can I make my life better.” While we do, indeed, strive to better ourselves, one of the greatest ways to live life to the fullest is to give of yourself to others. People need to know they are appreciated, that they matter, and you can be the one that does that for someone. By doing this, you also begin to feel better. It can be as simple as calling someone that you haven’t talked to in a while. People do still call, I believe, right? If they have a smart phone, text or video message them. Don’t forget, our elderly friends and family may still need a phone call. Simply ask how they are doing, then let them talk, and truly listen.

 

  • Stop and help a person get their stuff into their trunk at the grocery if they are struggling. Smile and look the person in the eye that you meet in the aisle or on the sidewalk. It amazes me how people can walk, looking straight ahead as you pass right by them. I always try to catch the eye of the person I’m passing and simply, smile. If you look for something to give or do for another, opportunity will avail itself; you’ll bless someone, and you will feel fuller, yet lighter.

ACTION:  Look around you right now. What do you see that you can do for someone in your immediate family?  Take a moment and think about the people in your circle; who has been having a hard time financially, physically, mentally? Write down at least 3 people that you know you could brighten their day or lighten their load, and write down what you will do.

Person I can do something for.                                  What I will do.

 

Living Life to the Fullest: Step Two

Step Two: Take Care of You

(Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven)

Where is “taking care of you” in the Lord’s Prayer, you may ask. When praying for God’s will to be done – the next part of the prayer – we should first pray for his will to be done in our own lives. Isn’t that kind of selfish, you may ask again?

Consider this: if our own lives are out of whack, how then can we help others?  For 30 years I have followed the Lord’s Prayer in my prayer time, first taking time to thank him and recognize his goodness in my life. Then, I pray for his will to be done in my life – to fix me – to forgive me – because, if I have something wrong in my life, whether it be with another person or between me and God, we are directed in scripture to first make that right, then He will hear us and we can proceed with confidence.

Therefore, give yourself permission to take care of you daily on your journey to living life to the fullest. For instance, every day take time for you in two areas in particular: your mind/spirit and body.

  • Every day we need to be doing some sort of personal development: reading books (or listening to them) on a topic in which you need improvement. Start with Darren Hardy’s Compound Effect. Don’t be thrown by the title; it’s not a financial book. It examines the compound effect of the little things we do in life daily and their “compound effect” over time. This is my all-time favorite. My next favorite is Punch Fear in the Face by Jon Acuff. If these books don’t stir you, you spoon has fallen out of your bowl.
  • Every day do something for your physical body. Stretch, walk, swim, workout. A friend of mine was battling an arthritis flare that lasted 3 months and she could barely walk. She joined one of my online challenge groups in which I sent one exercise per day via our Facebook private group. She could not get out of bed or off the couch at times, but she moved her arms in the manner of the video, or she would move her legs in repetition, and she would bend forward at her waist. When I lived in Texas, it would be so hot there was no way I was going to go run outside. Instead, I set the timer for 10 minutes and trotted all around my house doing a figure 8 as I jogged to the front of the house, into the office, back out and around the bar in the kitchen. Sometimes I’d jog up the stairs and in and out of the rooms! (this was before I discovered 10 Minute Trainer) Do what you can, where you are, but do something for your body. My mentor, Darren Hardy says:
  • Your body is a business. Take care of it or it will go out of business.
  • Today, remove one unhealthy thing from your kitchen. Throw it away and decide what one healthy thing you can replace it with. For instance, Oreo cookies. Yes, give yourself permission to toss them! It’s the best 3 bucks you have ever wasted, and don’t give them to the grandkids; remember, you’re taking care of you so you can take care of others – set the example. Replace them with a bag of dark chocolate morsels, and when the urge for chocolate occurs, grab a few of these instead. Do this once a week for a month, tossing a different unhealthy thing each week. For more healthy alternatives, go to my website: vickielperez.com and click on Fitness Coach.

ACTION:  1. Decide on a personal development book you will start today. Google it or browse on your favorite E-reader to find one. Start with the ones listed above if you are unsure. Write the title here (if you are already reading one, list it here as well) ____________________________________________________  (Comment to me what it is!)

  1. Decide right now what you will do for your body. Will you “trot around your house?” Will you sit on your couch and move your arms and legs if that is all you are able to do? Will you start a workout program? Write what you will do here:

___________________________________________________________________ (Need help deciding what to do? Let me know!)

  1. Get up, yes now, and go look in your cabinet and find one thing that is bad for you and toss it! Write what you tossed here ______________________________________ and what you will replace it with here ________________________________.

Living Life to the Fullest: Step One

You only go around once! Right?

Well, sort of: once on planet Earth, but…(that’s a different discussion).  Let’s focus on this go-around. This life. Your allotted 120-something years plus or minus ever how many.  I found the key to truly living life to the fullest in the Lord’s Prayer example.  Here is the first of seven steps that – I hesitate to say…use – live is a better word. If you’d ike the whole EBook, use the form on this page and I’ll email it to you for free.

Step One: Be Grateful

(Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name)

First, we need to be stop and take a moment to be thankful. From this day forward, start each day this way, before your feet hit the ground (or as soon thereafter as possible). “But, Vickie, there’s not a lot to be thankful for at the moment; I’m broke, I’m sick, and life really sucks at the moment.” I know it can get pretty rough at times, but here are a few things we can always pause and give thanks for:

  • We live in the United States of America. While it seems like the country may be coming apart at the seams, it hasn’t. This is still the land of opportunity, and as long as you are here, you can find and make a way out of the worst of situations. Be thankful that you live in America.
  • You have access to clean air and water, and there is someone or some agency who will help you with food. These same places will also provide temporary shelter. Be thankful that you have water, and it’s probably in a really cool Yeti or Rtic container that you are proud to carry around!
  • You have your mind (I can’t help myself here), and it is a terrible thing to waste! It may be cliché, but it is, perhaps, your greatest asset. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. It is a muscle you can build into whatever you can imagine. Be thankful for your ability to think and choose. Choose to be thankful!

I didn’t mean to go down the road of worst case scenarios of being left with nothing but air and water of which to be thankful, but it proves the point. I mean to help us realize, there is always something we can find to be thankful for. There is something about pushing aside the negatives, the not-so-goods, the hurts from a friend or a loved one, the physical pain – and simply pausing and being thankful for what we do have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. It gives your mind and your spirit a place to go that is good.

ACTION: Stop right now and list at least 5 things you can be thankful for, and smile as you think of them. You may find that way more than 5 come to mind.

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Faith Friday

A paraphrased quote from Darrin Hardy, motivational mentor and speaker, relates the idea that simply consuming more content is not the goal; instead, growth is the goal.

For instance, do you really need to read another fitness article? Another clean eating article? How many healthy eating ideas and exercise clips can you share or repost on Facebook?  Yes, reading all these things is good, but if “growth is the goal” then there comes a time to stop “consuming more content” and get to work. Right?

It’s the same with faith. Yes, reading and hearing the Word is how faith is “consumed,” but the spiritual growth is in the doing. James 2:17 says, “So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.” Yes, reading the Bible is good, nay, absolutely necessary! But, if we are hearers only and not doers of the word, then according to James 1:22, we are deceiving ourselves. Our religion is dead.

Question:

What will you do? Continue reading and reposting, or will you rise up and grow?

Action:

Right now, do something with eternal rewards: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the orphans.

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Is it God or Indigestion…

When making big decisions (or even little ones), I want to be sure I’m on the right track….I believe there are a few things that any of us can use to “know” that our goals are truly God’s goals (his will) for our lives…

Is it God talking to me, or is it indigestion?  We really need to know the difference. Some would say that God doesn’t talk to people, or that we cannot know what God’s will is. To that I say, then why bother with God at all if we can’t know him and what he wants? I can already stumble and guess my way through things. So….

However, I’m not into living on the fly, so to speak. When making big decisions (or even little ones), I want to be sure I’m on the right track. While my life has not been perfect, and surely it was indigestion I was feeling a few times during my planning, I believe that God does help me. I believe there are a few things that any of us can use to “know” that our goals are truly God’s goals (his will) for our lives.

  • It simply won’t leave you alone. By this I mean, when something stays on my mind and won’t go away, I know something’s up. Little things (and sometime big things) keep appearing/happening that lead back to it – my mind won’t let go of it. Like with Samuel (the prophet, not Perez) when he kept feeling like someone was calling his name while he was trying to sleep. Up and down. Up and down, trying to figure out what that voice was. Finally, Eli the priest said, and I paraphrase “this time simply say, ‘what is it, Lord. I’m listening.'” When we get that “something” that just won’t let go in our minds, we need to recognize that God may, indeed, be trying to get our attention.

 

  • Crazy things fall into place. This ‘thing’ that keeps staying on your mind may seem crazy or impossible, exciting or maybe scary, then something happens that opens a door of possibility. For instance, I’m about to leave Texas and move back to my hometown of Kentucky to be close to my parents in their Golden Years.(I know!) It’s been on my mind for over a year. It seemed impossible. Crazy. No way. Then my husband’s work said, “Sure. You can work remotely from there!” Hmm. A couple of months later, my boss said, “You’ll teach remotely, one day a week!”  Whaaaaa! Then, my realtor says, we have about 3 buyers interested in your house THAT’S NOT EVEN ON THE MARKET YET!  So, yeah. You know, the animals start walking up to you 2 by 2.

 

  • There’s peace that’s unexplainable. One thing I’ve learned is that, if there is confusion, strife, wringing of the hands, then something is off. But, when there is peace, then something is right. Seeing that God’s word says, “…they will go out with joy and be lead forth by peace…” Well, that’s always been a deal maker for me.

 

  • It lines up with scripture. Finally, (and of course, if you do not believe the Bible, then this will not apply). There is no scripture that says, “thou shalt move to this state” or “thou shalt not buy that purse,” but there are many scriptures that deal with family and many that deal with finance, so I have something to gauge my plans on. We have to train our minds – fill them with the knowledge of God, THEN we will be able to…”prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.

Our finite minds can, by no means, know everything there is to know about a situation, but when these 4 things are at work in a process, I have found it to be a good indicator that I’m on the right track. Have I been wrong before? Yep. Remember the indigestion possibility?  Still, I know I have a partner in planning whose mind is infinite – who knows the end from the beginning – who has numbered the hairs on my head; therefore, I keep moving forward.

Take a moment and be still. Is there something that keeps coming back to your thoughts? Something that you think about, especially when you have time to ponder? You should consider saying, “What is it, Lord? I’m listening.”

Have you ever had experiences like this? I’d love to hear about it in the comments belowconfused

Indecision Is Paralyzing

Often, Lola will start to go up the stairs, but then she stops midway. Fear? (she’s fallen before) Confusion? (can’t make up her mind if she wants to go upstairs where Daddy is or downstairs where Mommy is) Weakness? (poms are known for weak legs and knees) Doubt? (not knowing if it is worth the effort – she’s been disappointed before)

Sometimes she will whimper, turn precariously around on the step, then simply sit down on the step as seen in this photo. She won’t go up or down. If it happens during the night, she will cry until I come and get her.

Watching her this morning, the thought of indecision and how it can paralyze came to mind. Even the scripture says, “why halt ye between two opinions (decisions)? If God is God, serve him.”

When there’s not a plan, time is frittered away.
When there’s no vision, life is stagnated.

Lola finally came back down the stairs this time. Likewise, indecision will never take us higher. It will only bring us down.

Over the next few days we’ll look at four things that make us indecisive and paralyze our progress.

Decide. Begin. Believe.

Success in the Psalms: Part 2 – Succeeding in the Midst of Chaos

Psalm 2 – Success in the Midst of Chaos

Earthquakes in Italy, floods in Louisiana, wildfires in California: it seems every way we turn there is something going on that is unfathomable. From terrorists driving their cars into crowds of innocent people to mosquito bites killing people. In our families there is turmoil: from the church to the kitchen table, things seem to be upside down. How do we handle it? How can we keep our hearts from exploding and our minds from breaking down? How can we have success in the midst of so much chaos?

In Psalm 2, King David was wondering the same thing as he experienced nations all around him in an uproar and people everywhere going nuts (vs 1-3). If you’ve read about the life of David at all, you know he experienced lots of battles, heartbreak, failures, and successes, and through it all he was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. Here, in this Psalm, in this chaotic time in his life, he reveals his secret to success and staying on track when everything around him seems to be off the track.

Again, it’s a simple thing. Verse 12 says he “took refuge in Him!” When I first moved away from my home in Kentucky all the way to the Big D, Dallas, Texas – and mind you, I’d never been off Tucker Ridge – I always knew in my heart that if something went wrong or the end of the world happened (I really thought this!), I could run back home and “take refuge” at my mom’s house. Really. I felt this way. It made me fearless because I knew there was somewhere I could go where there was someone who loved me and would never turn me away.

I realize how blessed I am having grown up with such unconditional love, and I also realize that many never get to experience this; however, if you’ve never experienced this kind of love and security – even if you are near the end of your life – you still can! Just like David, you can know the love of a Father in whom you can take refuge at any time. So, before we go any further, if you’ve never had this security – or perhaps you have, but it’s been so long ago you’ve forgotten what it’s like – stop right now and run into this strong tower of the love of God. He’ll never turn you away. Ever. You can take refuge in Him right now and forever by saying, “Save me, God! Do it.

Now, how did David make it in chaotic times? He knew God was in control to the point that he said, these evil people causing all this chaos think they are in control – ISIS thinks they will infiltrate America and bring terror to all of us; the government thinks they can infiltrate every area of our lives, taxing us into submission, destroying our constitution, co-workers think they can intimidate us into denying our faith and being silent – David said, because he knew his God, “The one who created you and this universe is sitting on his throne laughing at you (not alarmed at the chaos) because He knows the end of the matter (vs 4-6).

David knew that, no matter what went on or how bad it looked, God had a plan. Often, though, we get outside of God’s plan for us – and yes, he does have a plan specifically for you – and we fall prey to the chaos and start to think, “I’ll never make it” whether it is financially, physically, mentally, or relationally. We get caught up in the day to day grind and fear grips us. I know. I’ve been there, recently!

First secret to succeeding in the midst of chaos is found in verses 10-12. Simply worship the Lord with reverence! When was the last time you let yourself truly worship the Lord? I’m not talking about turning to page 15 in the Hymnal (although that is definitely a way to worship corporately). I’m talking about, when was the last time you let yourself be still? Worship is not just singing. Google defines it as the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

You can worship God by getting quiet in your favorite spot (mine is my patio – I’m writing this blog right now in my quiet place) and just express yourself to God. Simply tell him how you feel. Open up to God. He knows anyway, but he receives it as worship when you express yourself to him. Go ahead. Right now. Open your mouth and say something to God. David sometimes said to God, “Answer me when I call, O God…!” Being real with God is true worship.

Here, on my patio in my quiet time, I worship God. Sometimes I open my mouth and talk out loud; other times, I write my worship in my journal. If you’re not comfortable yet with talking out loud to God, I challenge you to write to God. He will read it.

The second thing to do to succeed in the midst of chaos is to “take refuge in Him!” (verse 12) For a while this chaos is going to run rampant in the world. God does not want us to dig a hole or run to the hills. He wants us to keep moving toward our goals, keep living life abundantly, and keep letting our light shine.

Well, now you are contradicting yourself, Vickie, you may say. Which is it? Keep moving or take refuge which sounds like running to the hills to me! Here is the key. Running to the strong tower of the Lord is the ONLY way we are able to keep moving, keep living, and keep shining. Back to my moving to the Big D analogy. This hillbilly was able to approach the big city, scared, away from everything familiar because I had taken refuge in knowing I was loved and couldn’t fail in the eyes of my Mom and Dad. How much more-so can we be fearless when we know the God of the universe gives me a refuge even greater than this!

Right now, where you are, you can be hidden the shadow of his wings EVEN THOUGH you are walking through the chaos. You can get up and go to your job. You can get up and look for a job if you don’t have one. You can make that presentation. You can go to the grocery and clean your house. You can meet someone on the street and acknowledge them. You can do all these things right in the midst of this chaotic world – and do it with peace and joy in your heart because you take refuge in Him which means you’ll not “perish in the way” (verse 12).

ACTION STEP

  1. Right now, determine where your quiet place will be where you can worship Him. You’ve already determined a time each day in which you will give at least 15 minutes (part 1) to the word, right? Now, designate a place and either before or after you read the Scriptures, worship Him. You don’t have to sing (although you can). You don’t have to talk out loud (although you can). But, you DO have to express yourself to God. As a minimum, write out your worship/adoration/thoughts about/to Him.
  2. Take refuge right now. Perhaps you’ve been walking around unprotected. Do not do that any longer. Say, “Protect me in this Chaos and help me succeed/function each day!” When fear jumps up in your heart, remember and say, “I have a refuge!”
  3. Now go out and succeed with your life.

As always, I love hearing from you. Share with me your victories, your failures, your plan. I will respond.

Success in the Psalms: A Look at God’s Way to Come out on Top.

I got so excited when I realized what was actually in the Psalms. They are not just a Jewish song book or a collection of feel good poems, easy to check off our Bible reading list; instead, they are a treasure of tips to overcome and succeed in every day living. So, here we go.

First, let’s clear up the fact that success is not always the size of your bank account; As Jim Rohn, someone whose advice I follow, says “Success is doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well” and “walking from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” I see this in King David. Over and over he messed up. Over and over he got back up. Over and over he praised God in every situation!

I got so excited when I realized what was actually in the Psalms. They are not just a Jewish song book or a collection of feel good poems, easy to check off our Bible reading list; instead, they are a treasure of tips to overcome and succeed in every day living. So, here we go.

Psalm 1 – Who can be Successful?

In this Psalm it is clear who can be successful. Verse two says it is the person who loves the Word of God. Not just that, but it is the person who thinks about it day and night. “Well, that’s just unrealistic,” some might say. It is if you think it means your head is in the clouds and your nose is in the Bible every moment of every day. That is not what it means. God is not stupid. He said, if a man wants to eat, he needs to work. Thus, he knows we have to get up and be about our day.

To meditate on the Word day and night means that it is your guiding principle day and night because you have given it a prominent place in your daily life. If you sat and studied the Bible all day, every day, you would get nothing done; you wouldn’t see anyone; you couldn’t help anyone; however, if you love the Word and you do meditate/study/think on it every day, it will always be in the forefront of your mind; therefore, it will guide you, preventing verse one from happening which will zap your joy, kill your purpose, and rob you of your success.

Greater still, if you love the Word, you will be confident (firmly planted v3) where you are – even if where you are is not where you want to be because you are still trying to get where you want/need to be. This love and delight in God’s word will water your spirit and mind so that you can be healthy in your thinking and planning in every day things.  A tree with a constant source of water will have roots that grow deep and branches that produce luscious fruit. So will you. If there is a constant flow of the Word into your life, your understanding will be deep and your life will result in prosperity wherever you are (verse 3). This is not man’s idea. It is God’s plan for anyone who wants to be successful. It is so simple, we miss it.

In contrast, the one who despises the Word – or not even to that extent – the one who simply pays no attention to it or has no time for it in the daily scheme of things will not have it pop into their mind when decision making comes around; there is no thought given to it; they just simply chose what seems best at the time or what others have done that works. Therefore, as opposed to being confident and able to stand, this one will be blown about like dust in the wind – or the proverbial ship tossed about by the waves.

“Well, I know some very successful people who don’t give a flip about the word of God, and they are running circles around me,” you may say.  It is true; good happens to the just and the unjust; however, that success is short lived. Do not look to those whose end is destruction (though it looks great at the moment). Look to the one who created the universe and shows the way to true success, both now and forever.

ACTION STEP:

  1. Look at a calendar right now. Consider your schedule. For the next 21 days, write down a time that you will focus/meditate on God’s Word. Some love the early morning quiet. Others use their mid-day break. Night owls love the late night quiet time. Pick one. Give the Word a minimum of 15 minutes in your life every day. If you say “I’m going to spend more time in the Word,” and you don’t plan when that will be, most likely it won’t happen.
  2. During this 15 minutes, highlight in your Bible or write in a journal at least ONE thing that stands out to you for this day’s reading.

Share with me here which time you will carve out for the Word.