Method Always Matters

My Way Home Life
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. – Psalm 19:7-8

Long ago, when my husband and I decided to home-school our kids, we realized that we would have to become true do-it-yourselfers to save money and thrive as a basically one-income household.

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Throughout that process, the biggest lesson we’ve learned is that the proper process is always key to success. We can’t just jump into a new project without first educating ourselves about it and planning accordingly – or we pay the price later in wasted time and materials, unnecessary stress, or injury.

That reminds of the time my husband trimmed my hair (if you’d like to read about that, click here)… it may have saved money, but it was not exactly a salon experience!

One free activity we’ve always enjoyed doing at home together is working out. With some basic equipment and the guidance of some excellent YouTubers , we have increased our fitness as a family, and the support and accountability we provide each other has strengthened our relationships in a unique way.

But as in many things, proper method matters while working out, especially to my middle-aged joints. I wish I had considered that when pushing myself to do as many pull-ups as possible in recent months.

I was so pleased to accomplish such a difficult exercise that I didn’t consider how I was achieving it. As I found out later, I was doing pull-ups with terrible form, at the expense of my shoulder joints.

Now, because of constant inflammation in my left shoulder, I’ll need to re-train my body to do that exercise the proper way. It may take months to heal, and I’ll certainly lose strength – but I could have avoided the problem altogether by listening to fitness experts, taking my time, and following the proper procedure.

One of my pastor’s most recent sermons, broadcast via YouTube, brought all this to mind when he explained the importance of studying our Bibles properly. Having a concordance and commentaries on hand are key to revealing facets of Scripture we may not have ever considered; but the most important step in Bible study is a prayer for transformation.beach-1868772_1280

We can gain all sorts of knowledge about Scripture, but if we don’t allow it to penetrate our hearts and change us, then we have wasted our time!

I’ve certainly been guilty of that. I’ve approached my devotions following a sort of checklist, reading and studying according to a plan and taking in fresh knowledge, but forgetting the most important part of the process: to let that wonderful new knowledge wash over me and through me, and settle deep into my soul.

I hope you’ll consider that the next time you read your Bible. The purpose of Bible study is to make us more like Christ.

Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:2b

What do you do yourself to save money? How do you approach Bible study so that it will effect a change in you? I welcome your comments.

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Published by My Way Home Life

I'm a freelance writer, mom, and wife who's all about being at home. I'm a do-it-yourself-er who focuses on home-related projects (I always have a few going!). Above all, I try to focus on using my life to prepare for my heavenly home.

16 thoughts on “Method Always Matters”

  2. This such a glorious truth. I meant to comment the other day when you asked about what we do when we read our Bibles. I always stop and pray before reading my Bible for the LORD to clear my mind of anything that will inhibit my focus, teach me what He wants me to learn, to guide me, and to show me the verses He wants me to posts for His children. It helps so much. It calms my mind, helps me to see things that with a cluttered hurried mind would other wise be missed.

    Sorry to hear about your shoulder. My family has a long history of rheumatoid arthritis. So much so that my great aunt was crippled and bed ridden for the latter decades of her life, and my dad was wheelchair bound, his hands, knees, and shoulders were twisted in ways you wouldn’t even think possible. When picking exercises I found pilates to be the best. It has kept me strong, with long lean, well defined muscles. But hasn’t hurt my joints at all. There are these extreme pilates out there but Windsor pilates are the traditional ones that are for strength and not hurting. Keeps my abs well defined also which is a nice plus 🙂

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    1. Margaret, thanks so much for sharing all of this. I think my rotator cuff is just inflamed from overuse and from jerking my shoulders as I did pull-ups…lesson learned. I have been icing it and will use an assistance band to take the pressure off it – I hope that with adjusting my form and doing those things, it will heal in time.
      I enjoy Pilates as well! I did Windsor pilates for a while after having my kids and we still incorporate Pilates exercises into our core workouts. I don’t think there’s anything we don’t do…we like aspects from lots of different styles of exercise.
      I appreciate your sharing what you pray as you spend time with the Lord. And I agree, such a prayer is the key to clearing and calming the mind and heart, and being open to receiving what the Lord has for us!

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      1. LOL… yes if we could but learned those lessons BEFORE we do stuff 🙂 We really wouldn’t learn though would we until we experience it 🙂 I also enjoyed the 100 push up in 6 weeks website I found online. I could barely do a couple when I started but was able to do the whole 100 when done. I was shocked. It was a very easy plan, and quite effective.

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          1. I didn’t think I could either but following the simple way they did it, and it worked 🙂 I would put the link to the site here but wordpress would probably flag lol But if you were interested you could google hundred pushups and add a dot com on the end of it and the website named that, without the spaces of course, should be in the search results 🙂

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  3. With Bible study, I think it’s important not to go into it with a pre-set agenda, as if I’m going to take a passage where I want to go. I need to be open so that the passage takes me where it wants to go.

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  4. Anytime you approach God’s word, even with a checklist in hand, God will work. He’ll also teach you what matters to Him and exchange our checklist for His priorities. Praise God that Bible study is happening in your life!

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