Carolyn Mahaney - Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and Not Be Overwhelmed

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Like most women today, I struggle with feelings of too much to do and too little time to do it! My friend Carolyn Mahaney, along with her daughters, offers practical, biblical advice to help us plan, evaluate, strategize, and make wise choices concerning our time and priorities. As a godly mentor, Carolyn takes us by the hand, points us to Gods Word, shares out of her own life experience, and shows us how to apply Gods timeless truths to the contemporary challenges we face as women.

NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS, author; Revive Our Hearts
radio host

We can actually do all that God has called us to do... and we can do it in a peaceful, joyful manner and get sufficient rest beside. When I read that, a light flashed on in my soul. Of course! I knew that! Once again Carolyn, Nicole, Kristin, and Janelle have created a book thats fun to read and filled with truth that resonates because its biblical and practical and manageable.

And lest I start to feel overwhelmed, their husband and dad, C.J., inserts another comforting truth: Only God gets his to-do list done each day.

NOL PIPER, wife, mother, grandmother, and author of
Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God

Shopping for Time offers a glimpse into the delightful Mahaney household. Through the effective use of a shopping metaphor, the conversational style engages the reader from start to finish. Quotes from carefully selected resources would make for excellent further study. This book offers no simplistic solutions to the perils of superwoman syndrome. Instead, it deliberately leads women to the bedrock of biblical priorities and then suggests real life methods by which to apply them. The wise woman will redeem her time by prayerfully heeding the seasoned advice of Carolyn Mahaney, one of Gods choicest servants, and her amazing, godly daughters.

MARY K. MOHLER, wife of Dr. Albert Mohler,
president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

OTHER CROSSWAY TITLES

Girl Talk
Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre

Feminine Appeal
Carolyn Mahaney

Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed

Copyright 2007 by Carolyn Mahaney, et al.

Published by Crossway Books

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Connie Gabbert

Cover illustration: Shutterstock

First printing 2007

Reprinted with new cover 2016

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NLJV are from TheNew King James Version. Copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-8012-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2061-7

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-0172-2

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-0865-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed
Carolyn Mahaney... [et al.].

p. cm.

ISBN 13: 978-1-58134-913-9 (tpb)

ISBN 10: 1-58134-913-0

1. Christian womenReligious life. I. Mahaney, Carolyn, 1955 II. Title.

BV4527.S435 2007

248.8'43dc22 2007008075

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To
CALY and TORI,
future shoppers of time.

Its one oclock on a Friday afternoon and the four of us, Mom and daughters, are sitting around Moms kitchen table. The grandsons and granddaughters have been deposited in various rooms throughout Mom-Moms house for rest times or naps. And were enjoying carryout from our favorite Greek restaurant down the street.

Its girl time, for just a little while. And because were the best of friends, weve been looking forward to this hour at Moms kitchen table all week long.

Janelle has one eye on her French fries, which are crisping in the oven. Perfectly cooked fries are her idea of gourmet cuisine. Kristins already gulped down about two gallons of Moms southern sweet tea. To watch her drink, youd think she hadnt had a drop of liquid in two days, that girl. Nicoles too busy talking to eat much of her meal. Mom, the steady, dependable one, is placidly enjoying her usual ordera Greek salad with grilled chicken. In the middle of the table, where the centerpiece used to be, is a giant container of feta cheese, which we all take turns dumping on our food. It would sound more polite to say we sprinkle it on our food, but that wouldnt be quite accurate. To be completely honest, youd have to say we like a little Greek food with our feta cheese.

Each daughter usually comes with her own agenda. Janelle has funny stories to tell and we laugh until we choke on our food (or drink, in Kristins case). Kristin seems to have an endless supply of heartbreaking tales, and we have to cut her off before we get too depressed. Nicole brings a list of serious issues to discuss, which sound very much like the ones she brought up last week (although she claims they are entirely different).

Mom is the listener and chief advice dispenser. And as fellow pastors wives and mothers, we daughters have oodles of questions weve been storing up all week. What do I do when the boys wont share their toys? How should I counsel a woman who struggles with condemnation? What is one way I can encourage my husband as he juggles his work and school load?