Carolyn Mahaney is one of my favorite authors. What I enjoy so much about her books is how consistently loyal she is to the Biblical text and how personal and practical she responds to those passages in her writing. Her two other books–Feminine Appeal, a book about Titus 2 and Girl Talk, a book for moms and daughters about Biblical womanhood–have been instrumental in my personal growth and ministry.

So, when I saw this book pop up on my Amazon suggested products page I was excited, especially because Caroyln wrote it with her three grown daughters who all contribute to the GirlTalk blog. That same week I visited the local Christian bookstore and bought it and after reading this review, I hope that is what you will do too!

Shopping for Time helped me think through my days and how I spend my time and I easily saw how I need to readjust a few priorities, step-it-up in some areas and completely overhaul others. I know that I don’t always manage the time God has given me with the intensity and purpose that I ought to, so as I read this book I began to see that even though I thought, “I’m doing my best” managing my time, I really wasn’t.

What I enjoyed most about this book were the five practical tips to help me evaluate and accomplish the things that God has called me to do as a Christian woman. Too often we are harried, frazzled and overwhelmed as we run around trying to get done all that we think we need to do each day. This book is not a “system” or 5-step plan to life success. It is simply the disciplines the Mahaney women have exercised over the years that have greatly maximized their usefulness for the Lord. Here is a glimpse at the 5 Time-Saving-Tips:

Tip #1–Rise early, they propose that you join the “5 AM Club” to reap benefits both for your spiritual life and the good of your family.

Tip #2–Sitting at Jesus’ Feet, making reading and studying God’s Word, prayer and meditation top priority.

Tip #3–Taking a Personal Retreat, a time to study God’s Word, read pertinent books to where you are in life, devise solutions to some of our problem areas and make goals and plans that are thought out and Biblical for the upcoming months.

Tip #4–Consider People by evaluating relationships carefully. Do your friends sharpen you? Do you have a mentor and are you a mentor to someone? Are you reaching out to others by being a friend? Are you evangelizing those who need salvation?

Tip #5–Plan to Depend: being productive in daily life. One thing in this chapter that has really helped me is what they call the “15:4 rule.” Fifteen minutes of planning in the morning, saves four hours of your day. When I read this chapter I started doing this the next morning and have found each day to be so productive because I wasn’t wasting time trying to nail down what I needed to do next.

I hope reading these five ideas that you have some ideas about how you may need to change your schedule tomorrow! This book is simple, easy-to read and short, only 94 pages! What made this book so helpful is that it’s not about teaching us how to perfectly execute our daily plans, but to make sure our heart is wholly God’s, focused on Him and His priorities, relying on Him to accomplish each task and being intentional about living every day for His glory!