Dear friends,
You know how they say “time is a thief”? It’s almost as if time steals from us something that we are entitled to. But what if what time does is to gift us something we would otherwise not have?
If not for time, we wouldn’t have the opportunity for second chances or to heal from injury. It’s only because we know with certainty that time will continue to pass at 60 minutes an hour, and no man can stop it, that we can have hope that there is a future.
This week, we celebrated the kids’ 5th and 3rd birthdays.
Their baby years are behind us; those moments were both sweet and bitter, and now they are no more than a memory. But they were necessary to bring us to where we are now, and today is necessary for tomorrow, and the next day for the next.
Seeing time as a gift can also change our approach to how we choose to spend it. It is the only currency that does not fluctuate worldwide. If we see time as a thief, we think of our missing out on the good things in life as a “necessary evil”, because “I only have so much time”. But seeing time as a gift, I can only be grateful for every moment I am given, and choose to spend that gift on what is most important. For none of us know when our time will end.
What gives me greatest certainty and hope is knowing Him who holds time in His hands. It is mind boggling to think that God is beyond time, that he is, yesterday, today and forever.
Sharing some quotes from CS Lewis in Mere Christianity that have challenged my finite mind:
Our life comes to us moment by moment. One moment disappears before the next comes along: and there is room for very little in each. That is what Time is like. And of course you and I tend to take it for granted that this Time series--this arrangement of past, present, and future--is not simply the way life comes to us but the way all things really exist. We tend to assume that the whole universe and God himself are always moving on from past to future just as we do. But many learned men do not agree with that. Almost certainly God is not in Time. HIs life does not consist of moments following one another.
Ten-thirty-- and every other moment from the beginning of the world--is always Present for Him. If you like to put it this way, He has all eternity in which to listen to the split second of prayer put up by a pilot as his plane crashes in flames…
If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all around, contains the whole line, and sees it all.
A promo code
In my last newsletter, I shared about the Family Advent Activity Set that I worked on together with Joanne (@reyslittleloft) and Kim (@kimsimplejoys). It's now ready for pre-order, and will arrive in early November!
You can pre-order here, and use the code
The Family Advent Activity Set comprises a 25-day Advent reading plan, accompanying ornaments that correspond to each day's reading, a linen calendar to hold the ornaments, and a candle and candle holder. The set is meant to be evergreen and can be used for many Christmases to come. The reading guide provides a structure for carrying out Advent practices in your home, and can be adapted for any age from toddlers to teens and beyond.
Upcoming on The Ordinary Matters
If you're looking for more ideas on how you can incorporate meaningful practices into the daily rhythms of your personal and family life, the Rhythms 101 mini-course available in The Ordinary Matters membership will be helpful to you. When you join as a member, you automatically gain access to the full library of content, which includes our past book club, monthly interviews with ordinary people, Q&As and more.
I'm also going to be starting a book club reading the book Gospel Mom by Emily A Jensen and Laura Wifler. We'll meet online via Zoom on alternate weeks, to discuss our reflections on the book. Do join us for a time of mutual learning and encouragement! The book club is open to all members of The Ordinary Matters, instructions to join are within the membership.
Finally, I'll be releasing some exclusive Advent content for members, including a soft copy of the Advent reading plan. It's one of the best times of the year to come together as a family and centre ourselves by reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas, amidst the hustle and bustle of the season. I look forward to seeing some of you there!
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Blessings,
P.S. You’ll hear from me via this newsletter, or you can follow along on the blog or Instagram. If this email landed in your junk mail, please remember to mark this my email address as “safe” or add to contacts so that it won’t happen again!
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