It's About Time: Finding Freedom from Anxiety by Ken Smith

It's About Time: Finding Freedom from Anxiety by Ken Smith

My version is a 1992, Paperback, by Crossway Books, ISBN 981-3087-09-09

Firnando Chau Review

The contents of book are as follows:-
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Larry Burkett
Preface
Introduction: From Chaos to Order
Part I: There's Nothing You and God Together Can't Do
1 Obedience: The Key to Fulfillment
2 The Importance of Daily Time with God
3 God Has a Plan for Your Life
Part II: Plan Ahead: Become Organized
4 Planning: an Essential Ingredient of Success
5 A Schedule: The Key to Making the Day Flow Smoothly
6 A Look at Some Typical Schedules
7 How to break Free fro Overcommitment
8 Organizing the Home
Part III: Getting Your Priorities in Order
9 What's Important in Your Life?
10 Finding Time for Yourself and Your Family
11 Looking at Your Job and Your Ministry
Part IV: Putting It Together on a Daily Basis
12 Dealing with Interruptions
13 Improving Your Life Through Self-discipline and Accountability
14 Looking Far into the Future
15 The Journey Begins!
Forms for Personal Use
Index

--Start--
Acknowledgments

Foreword by Larry Burkett

Preface

Introduction: From Chaos to Order

- Ken's parents divorce
- His early job was a Page boy (he was 15 years old) with the Capitol Page School where he would deliver messages for the United States Congressmen.

* Not-so-innocent Beginnings

- Ken was introduced into drinking and used it as an escapade from his pains.
- He treated drinking as a friend as it allows him to feel like an adult, gave him a sense of power. - His carefree life affected his grades but he recognizes the need to rectify them, so he enrolled himself to a military prep school, Bolles School in Jacksonville.
- The discipline did gave him good grades which eventually led him to scholarship offers.
- He went to Tulane University, New Orleans (her mother's and uncle's alma mater).  
- Spoke briefly about Ken's mother religious fervor (tithing of 10%) .  
- Got married and mentioned about him joining & dismissal from the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (because he was married!).
- His dismissal from the Navy ROTC was a blow to him.
- He moved on to read law and settled life as a married man with 2 kids.
- Again mentioned drinking was his only escapade. 
- Money was tight and he needs to pass the Bar when an opportunity to be invited to the Bar (where 1st time pass attempt was uncommon then)
- He bargained with God so the he could pass his admission to Virginia Bar on the first attempt. - He did pass and was admitted, so begin his life in the legal profession.

* A Successful Failure

- His life was "successful" but the time away from home took its tool on the family relationships.
- He was divorced with his wife and re-visited to drinking again.  
- He stopped going to church.
* Life at the Bottom

- Constant drinking and a deep depression settled over him! 
- He was suicidal and life became meaningless! 
- Again when things were at the lowest, he found comfort in seeking God.
- He started attending church and fellow believers advised him to "Read the Bible and Pray".
* The Turning Point

- He attended a church and the young priest was asking the congregation to give up something for "Lent".
- The example the priest cited was drinking!  
- Again, he bargained with God and he knew God was always there for him.  
- So he found new strength to combat his alcohol addiction.  
- His prayer was answered and he slowly but surely overcome the thirst for alcohol to the hunger & replaced it with a thirst for God's righteousness.  
- It began to grown in him that he would rise early in the morning to spend time reading the Bible.
* Light in other Corners

- His drinking problem fixed, he began to let God deal with the other areas of his life. 
- Bit by bit, his chaotic and disorganized life became orderly!  
- He learn about God's principles to the management of his finances. 
- He attended a Christian Money Management Seminar and started budgeting his money by arranging his finances to eliminate all of his personal debt.  
- He began tithing and reduces his expenditures in order to increase his offering to God. 
- He also began to share and teach other fellow believers about the principles of Christian money management.  
- Thus evolves the birth of CSM (Christian Stewardship Ministries) which conducts both time & money management seminars.
- Questions asked to the readers: Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour?
- Encourage the readers to accept the fact that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins when He died upon the cross and that His resurrection from the grave symbolized the new life the reader is able to begin with god.
- Say a simple prayer:-
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and I understand that the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God. I know, Lord, that You paid the penalty for my sin - that You were crucified in my place, and that only through the shedding of Your blood is it possible for my sins to be forgiven. I ask, Lord, for forgiveness and cleansing through Your blood, and i acknowledge You as Lord and Savior of my life.  Help me, Lord, to live close to you every day of my life. Amen.

Part I: There's Nothing You and God Together Can't Do

1 Obedience: The Key to Fulfillment

- "My Way" (brief mentioned of Frank Sinatra's song & how many people identified with its message) versus "God's Way" (obedience to God)
- Without an attitude of obedience and a desire to follow God's leading, we will never achieve true success.
- Obedience isn't always easy, but always beneficial.
- The Biblical concept of the authority of the believer shows that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world.
- The Scriptures had specific application to a very tangible point in the author's life.
- Urge vs Habit.
- Urge had always defeated the author many times.
- When the Urge was gone, even with the habit still existing, the author conquered and kick away  his smoking.
- The author learned the importance of obedience and the availability of the power of God to ai those who are determined to obey.
1.1. Obedience is the Foundation of Success
- Obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22)
- God will give His Holy Spirit ONLY to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32)
- To make Christ the Lord of our lives is to engage in a process - a never-ending process - of becoming the person He wants each of us to become.
- God has a plan for each day of our lives (Psalm 139)
- Our job is to discover that plan on a daily basis.
- Obedience consists of :- 1) Discovering the Plan; and 2) Doing our part to implement that plan.
- Obedience is an attitude, either obey or not!
- We have an attitude of obedience - a spirit-deep commitment to being the person God wants us to be - we can conquer disobedience.
- In order to do that, must spend time with God.  
- Get to know Him well enough so that we understand what He wants us to do and when He wants us to do it.
- First, think of some things you presently do that you should not be doing and vice versa.
- Secondly, determine what it is about this area that is actually disobedient.
1.2. Why is Obedience so Important?
- Important to identify those areas of disobedience and try to determine what it is about those areas that displeases God.
- Question: "Why should I worry so much about whether I'm living in obedience?"
- Answer 1: Positive side, Obedience pleases God and brings His Blessings (Deuteronomy), Disobedience forces us to miss out on some things entirely and brings a delay in our enjoyment of other things.
- Answer 2: Negative side, We reap the consequences and pain of disobedience.
- There may be pain and suffering in obedience, but it would be temporary and the obedience brought tremendous benefits your way.
- On the other hand, the pain that comes from disobedience is the kind that will not let go of you  and lasts longer.
1.3. How can I Become Obedient?
1) Recognize Disobedience
- Acknowledge that you are disobedient.
- List out areas of disobedience, of relationships need to work on, health-related issues, and other things should improve on in the journey with God.
2) Reflect on the Significance of Disobedience
- Take time to seriously think through the significance of each areas.
- Reflect on the consequences of disobedience in your life and in the lives of others.
3) Confess and Request Forgiveness
- 
4) Repent
5) Change
6) Relinquish Areas of Disobedience
1.4. Developing God-Directed Discipline
1.5. Obedience in Fasting
1.6. Obedience in Tithing
1.7. Practice Obedience
1) List five areas of your life where you know you could do a better job of living in obedience to God's will.
2) How has your disobedience in these areas impacted upon your life?
3) How has your disobedience in these areas impacted upon the lives of others?
4) Why are these 5 areas particularly difficult for you?
5) Are there specific steps you can take to begin living obediently in each of these areas? If so, list the steps you intend to take.


2 The Importance of Daily Time with God

* note: click on this link to my other blog on this chapter! Religionhelps.blogspot.com
1) Because He Expects It
2) Because You Will Get to Know Him Better
3) You Will Get to Know What He Wants You to Do
4) You Will Have Confidence in Making Decisions
2.1. Where Should I Spend My Quiet Time?
2.2. When Should I Have My Quiet Time?
2.3. How Much Time Should I Spend With God?
2.4. What Should I Do During My Quiet Time?
2.5. Practice The Presence of God
1) How much time daily do you believe God would like you to spend with Him?
2) Make a list of things you need to bring before God.
3) Develop a tentative plan for reading the Bible (two pages a day? one chapter a day? a book a week?)
4) Of your total quiet time, how much should be devoted to quietly listening for His input (ideas, thoughts, flashes of insight)?
5) Ask God whether He wants you to sign the following pledge:
--Start of Pledge--
I will, with God's help, spend at least ____ minutes per day, five days per week, with God in prayer, Bible reading, and meditation. I will begin this discipline on ______________.
Your Signature: _____________________ Date: _______________


3 God Has a Plan for Your Life

3.1. Overcoming Procrastination and Inertia
3.2. First, Make A List
3.3. Now Move Into Action
3.4. Setting Goals: Signposts to the Future
3.5. How to Set Goals For Your Life
3.6. Practice Moving Forward
1) Make a list of all the areas of procrastination in your life that you can think of.
2) Pick one or two areas from this list to begin working on. Usually the same goals that will enable you to conquer these areas of procrastination.
3) Choose an area of your life in which you would most like to make progress.
4) Write down several goals (as described in this chapter) that will lead you toward achieving that progress.


Part II: Plan Ahead: Become Organized

4 Planning: an Essential Ingredient of Success

5 A Schedule: The Key to Making the Day Flow Smoothly

6 A Look at Some Typical Schedules

7 How to break Free fro Overcommitment

8 Organizing the Home

Part III: Getting Your Priorities in Order

9 What's Important in Your Life?

10 Finding Time for Yourself and Your Family

11 Looking at Your Job and Your Ministry

Part IV: Putting It Together on a Daily Basis

12 Dealing with Interruptions

13 Improving Your Life Through Self-discipline and Accountability

14 Looking Far into the Future

15 The Journey Begins!

Forms for Personal Use

Index