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The Sojo Show
The Sojo Show makes Bible Study fun with spontaneous conversations between Arabah Joy and Jen Evangelista. Together we discover how the study of God's Word can impact our everyday lives.
New Episode Every Week!
The Sojo Show
The Art of Living Intentionally in a World of Distraction and Delays
Today’s 'Simplify Your Life' episode starts with laughs over daily delays before diving into the serious business of aligning our schedules with God's grand plan. We're peeling back the layers of our to-do lists and challenging you to consider if what you're doing truly serves your life's mission.
In this episode, we don't just talk about managing time; we explore turning everyday tasks into opportunities for service and reflection.
Whether you're a parent trying to keep up with your kids' impeccable timing or seeking spiritual growth amidst life's hustle, tune in for a blend of personal stories, biblical wisdom, and practical tips that'll leave you inspired to simplify your life and focus on what truly matters.
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Welcome to the Sojo Show with Jen and AJ, where you'll dig deep into God's Word alongside two imperfect, frequently ineloquent women, as we discover fresh ways to walk out God's truth together. Hello, welcome back to the Sojo Show. My name is Jen and I'm alongside the lovely Araba Joy, like literally shoulder to shoulder again.
Speaker 2:And we're both in white, we are both in white.
Speaker 1:We are looking very angelic today, but not acting angelic. Well, we just got stalked by Siri.
Speaker 2:It was really weird, for real, it was scary.
Speaker 1:She was like. Aya is taking over the world in the form of Siri.
Speaker 2:Yes, and she just flat out gave jen the smackdown she did.
Speaker 1:She said I cannot do that. I asked to turn her off. I asked her to turn herself off and then she followed up with.
Speaker 2:It's okay, jennifer it's okay it's okay, jennifer.
Speaker 1:It's okay that I'm taking over your life, don't worry creepy trust me so creepy we figured out how to turn her off, though, so maybe she'll not interrupt us during this episode, possibly Because we are back for another Sojo show. Yes, I'm the sound effects, because we have none.
Speaker 2:You sound like you're getting ready to bust out into staying alive.
Speaker 1:Our pride is in Lamaze.
Speaker 2:Those days are behind you. I know I'm going to have a grandbaby, though next week.
Speaker 1:Next week I'm going to have a grandbaby Very, very soon, any minute. We thought maybe it would be like this weekend.
Speaker 2:Anyway, regardless, she can handle breathing herself, all right I don't even know where that came from, but we're rolling with it so we are back and we are in the middle of, or in the beginning of, or somewhere in somewhere.
Speaker 1:The series, a series of um, a simplify, a simplified series, simplify, simplify. So here's the deal. If you did not catch last week's episode, go back and listen to that, because we have outlined seven areas in our lives that we feel like it's important to simplify and in order to gain a true idea of biblical perception of these things, these areas of our lives, and we feel like that in 2024 it's even more important. Yeah, and we are revisiting. We are retro. We are, we are doing the, the retro thing. Look, we look very retro in our white t-shirt. Look, white v-necks no doubt, v-necks are the best.
Speaker 1:No doubt we look like we need to put on leather jackets and go rumble. And leather pants or heels or boots and lift up our thumb and go hey, everybody recognize that, right, I've just aged myself, okay. So today we're going to talk about another one of the topics. Last week we talked about money and this podcast episode we're going to discuss time and before we get started I have a question for you. All right.
Speaker 2:You ready, I've been waiting for Last week.
Speaker 1:We talked about my mattress. All right, you ready? I've been waiting for last week.
Speaker 2:We talked about my mattress. Yes, yep, we did.
Speaker 1:And this week I have a question for you related to time. Are you ready? I'm ready. Oh, what was the question? Let me think I had it, but then I got distracted. You know the white t-shirts. Okay, the question is what is something in your life right now, currently, because we've already established that we're both getting old what is something that you spend a lot of time waiting to do Like you spend a good?
Speaker 2:portion of your life waiting on this. Okay, so two things come to mind. Waiting in traffic is the first.
Speaker 1:You need to move, does that count?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, that counts, because it's pretty bad. That counts In the little city where I live. My city actually isn't very big, but it's got bad traffic. Yeah, that's not good. I don't. I can't stay in traffic and it's so bad when you're just going three miles like this. Kid's school is like three miles from our house and it takes me 20 to 30 minutes to get there.
Speaker 1:Super no, I would not, that would not, I would not abide, it's so yeah so bad, do you guys? Guys live in high traffic areas? Let us know you know what? You can't really interact with us right now. We're not live.
Speaker 2:But we want it to be live because we want to hear.
Speaker 1:But we want to hear yeah, so comment below.
Speaker 2:Let us know.
Speaker 1:Where do you live? Where are you from? How's your traffic? Yeah, do you spend time in?
Speaker 2:traffic. So what's the other thing? The other would be waiting on my kids in some capacity. Whether it's a car line, whether it's sitting in the parking lot waiting for them to get done.
Speaker 1:Waiting for practice yes.
Speaker 2:Waiting for them to finish their chores, whatever? Yeah, a lot of waiting. But speaking of waiting, there's a lot of people that wait on you.
Speaker 1:Not that much.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of people that wait on you?
Speaker 1:Not that much. They got to. They might, they probably did they wait on you? Hey, I know they wait on me because I'm so desirable.
Speaker 2:Because you're so good. Yeah, you're in demand, but I do know they wait on you because you will be boxing me saying I got a patient in the other room so I got to go in a few minutes.
Speaker 1:I do not make patients wait because of you, chickadee. Oh my word. Now you're making it sound like I'm just like I totally spun that.
Speaker 2:I know in demand. I know that's what I meant, but yeah well, okay.
Speaker 1:so if we, if we, you may or may not have heard the last couple of minutes about something that I'm not supposed to talk about, because apparently it is offensive to some people. So if you did not hear, just listen to the end of the episode.
Speaker 2:Yes, so there you go.
Speaker 1:But let's go back to the talking about the waiting. Before we go down like a path and you start blasting me for making my patients wait. The deal is is that we all have 24 hours in a day and we spend it in various and sundry ways.
Speaker 2:Yes, we do yes.
Speaker 1:And some of us spend it in ways that are not some of our time in ways that are not as productive as other of our time. I didn't say that well, the point is is that we have to figure out how we're going to spend those 24 hours quote unquote make the most of them, and what that means. What does that mean? To make the most of your time? We hear that a lot. Make the most of your time. We all have the same amount of time. Make the most of it. What does that mean? To make the most of our time?
Speaker 2:Well, I think that's a really good question.
Speaker 1:I mean, I don't know that I have a.
Speaker 2:I don't know that I have. I don't know that I have like a super not an answer for it, but it's a good question to ask the tables and I'm really thinking through like culture oftentimes tells us gives us the answer to that question. You know, our culture will tell us well, do what makes you happy.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's how you should spend your time oh, that's a whole nother podcast episode girl makes yourself happy and you only live once and you only live once and live it up. You know you're gonna die, so be happy, be merry, spend your money, spend your time however you want to, and I mean that's not what we're advocating, by the way. No, no, we're actually advocating something quite differently.
Speaker 2:But, I think it's important for us to realize that we get a lot of cues from the culture around us we do, we do, and you're right, and society today does tell us that we should.
Speaker 1:time is short, so we should spend it in self-gratification. Basically, yeah, a lot of, a lot of what A lot of our input is that I agree with that? Yeah. That, however, is very contrary to the word of God.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is, and one of the things going back to our Simplify your Life series. It ties into a course that we have that we are actually promoting right now, and in the course we talk about understanding priorities and learning time mastery skills from the right person and Jesus obviously is the best example ever on how to best spend our time and what we see, particularly in John five. There's a couple of verses in John five verse 19 and 20, that says the son can do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees his father doing, because whatever the father does, the son also does, for the father loves the son and shows him all he does. So that's like lots of words.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was a lot. That was a lot. Break that down for me just a little bit, Cause that was. That was too much for me to handle it's a lot of words and a lot of like roundabout speech.
Speaker 2:It took too much time for you to say that, yes, it did so, but the gist of it, and looking at time management or effective time spend, how you spend your time how you spend your time what this verse tells us that Jesus did is he looked at his father and he mimicked his actions. So whatever he saw the father doing, he did. He carried that out on earth.
Speaker 2:So, if he saw the father loving on loving people. He carried that out on earth and his the the whole way he lived his life. He did nothing on his own. It said he would not make a decision to go out and heal somebody on his own Like none is his observing and watching his father and being tuned into that, and that's a life principle that we can use as well, like how we spend our time. Are we? Do we pray over our daily schedule, you know? I mean I'm kind of convicting myself right now.
Speaker 1:You know how often does.
Speaker 2:Is that the case? How often do I just go through the motions and put things on my to-do list Because I think they need to be on there, something that needs to get done without prayerfully considering is this really how I need to be spending my time? Is this where my life needs to be invested? You know, I mean those are some pretty significant questions.
Speaker 1:Right and we have to recognize that as so, as we're talking about this and you know, and we might be convicted to some extent there, are a lot of external expectations placed on time that we are not doing what we are called to do, what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do, then that's something we need to know so we can reevaluate, because it makes me think about, like, there are certain things, like you know, can't go to the grocery store. That takes time, can't stand it, but here we are. Like you know, you gotta go to the grocery store. That takes time, can't stand it, but here we are, is there, you know, finding ways to maximize your time in the other things, like things that are a little more frivolous, right and if. And I think it comes down to and one of the things we do in this challenge and you can do it, you know, at any time is figuring out how you spend your time. Right, figure out how are you spending your time and where is it that you can make those adjustments.
Speaker 1:Last episode, I mentioned a meme on instagram that related to the topic we had and I had been spending a decent amount of time just sitting there scrolling because it was and that is fine to have entertainment. What I don't want to say that none of our time should be spent entertained in entertainment, because that is. That is a legitimate use of some of our time, but is that time becoming distracting from what's important? Is it keeping us from fulfilling the mission that we have been put on this earth to fulfill, which is to worship God and glorify him and, you know, build his kingdom?
Speaker 2:And also is it reflective of an idol in our hearts. Yeah, is it replacing something that we should be giving to God, you know.
Speaker 1:And is it keeping us from thinking on the things, on the things of God, right Drawing us from him? Is it leading us to Christ or is it drawing us from him?
Speaker 2:Right, right, I mean that's the essential question us from him, right, right, I mean, that's the essential question. And here here's a quote from the simplify your life course for from this module that I think is really helpful. It says Jesus's ambition was to do his father's will, and for that he needed intimacy with his father. He used his well-developed spiritual senses, such as listening, watching, tasting the father's goodness, to determine how to spend his time and invest his life. And I think that really is important for us to understand as well, like we know how to best spend our time when we have are cultivating that intimacy with God properly, because then we're going to hear him, we're going to know his heart, we're going to know how he wants us to, what to say yes to and what to say no to. Because we're more in line with his priorities, they become ours.
Speaker 1:Right. Yeah, it's very convicting when we start thinking about how we spend our time and how, you know, god expects us to spend our time, but it's also we've got to realize that with that conviction, there is such grace and such ability to grow. Yeah, right, so, so let's, let's don't just spend all of our time beating ourselves up about the time that we waste and the idols, and the idols that we're, that we have and you know. But, but use it and recognize that, um, that god has such grace for us that we can look at that and we can. We can make, we can make changes, yeah, but with the strength of christ in us.
Speaker 2:Right and for me I think it's going back to the reminder that God isn't, like. You know, just having this conversation, I feel a little bit convicted of how I'm spending time in certain ways, but it's not about just that. The meddling part, you know, and the conviction part and the feeling like, oh man, I'm messing this up and you know all, all the negativity. It's about believing that God has a plan for our lives and he has a significant purpose for us and there's good works he's given us to do and there's the promise of that. The promise of that should be so alluring to us that it makes it worth meddling a little bit in our business, you know it makes it worth it there's, there's a promise to be had, if we can, just if we would just take it.
Speaker 1:Right, and I think that also it helps us. When we think about the positives, we're thinking about that also. It helps us. When we're thinking about the positives, we're thinking about the mission, the goal, the things that we've been promised, and when we've been going back to the Proverbs in the series, because there's so many practical things in the Proverbs and a lot of the Proverbs related to time really are things that we can make pretty simple adjustments on if we recognize our purpose. Things like being lazy, not working your land, sleeping too much, I mean, and these things. Some of them are metaphorical, but some of them are also reality, because he's basically, you know, if you don't work your land, if you don't work your land, then you don't get the harvest Right. Right, and that is to some extent, yes, very metaphorical, but also reality for us. We have to spend our time doing things that will produce a harvest, both spiritually and physically, and I think that the overarching idea of recognizing our purpose and recognizing that we yeah.
Speaker 2:And for further just practical working out of that. Check out our Simplify your Life course and specifically the module on time, because it really does. It gets pretty gritty and super helpful Very, very insightful. The questions we have added in here are just I mean, I'm looking at them now thinking, wow, these are really great questions. And you will learn not just about how you spend your time with these exercises, but you will discover what God's purpose may be for you and how you can improve just your day-to-day schedule, like how to choose things, what makes it on your to-do list and what things you can let go of. And this isn't just like time management principles and strategies and tips and hacks. We're talking like from looking at scripture, what can we take away and how can we make those daily choices and honestly simplify our lives so that if we want to sit out on the back porch with a cup of sweet tea with a friend or a family member, we got the time to do it because we're not living so chaotic which those things are important.
Speaker 1:They are important. They're important. Okay, so there's a lot to think about and we're not going to use any more of your time.
Speaker 2:Yes, and discussing it nicely, done Nicely done.
Speaker 1:But go check out the simplify your life summer edition summer 24 edition at sojoe hubcom slash simplifying and come back next week because we're going to talk about a very touchy topic next week that is super important for us to think about and that one is going to already. It's already convicting me, so that's going to be super convicting. So, but in a good way. In a good way. I don't want you not to come back because you're like I don't want to be I know, I know, I know maybe I shouldn't say that sorry.
Speaker 1:Um no, it's a very positive, positive thing and I'm looking forward to having the discussion. So we, we will see you then, see you then. Bye Came to my mind unbidden, I have no idea why.
Speaker 2:Waiting for them to poop so you can leave the house, so you can get in the bathroom, so you can leave the house.
Speaker 1:Why do kids always have to poop when you're walking out the door and running late? Sorry, sorry, I don't know where that came from that may have to go on the blooper reel.
Speaker 2:I don't know regardless because some of our listeners may really be grossed out now you think? Maybe well I mean every dinosaur poops, like every frog must croak every dinosaur poops on the dinosaur train I don't know, never heard that one, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's what I say to my patients when I have to discuss their poop and they're very uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why you are so okay with the topic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it doesn't bother me at all. I'm a pediatrician and we talk about poop every day.
