A church leader introduced me to the Franklin Covey Day-Timer in the 1990s. The paper-based planning system appealed to my sense of discipline and order. The daily planner incorporates prioritized tasks, daily notes, monthly calendars, personalized sections, and address books. The leather binder contains a significant portion of my world!

My work with large staffs eventually caused me to adopt an Outlook calendar. It syncs with my phone to constantly update my schedule. The share feature enables people to coordinate meetings and to send reminders.

Time management experts encourage the use of a single calendar. Despite technological advances, I remain an analog native in a digital world. I enjoy opening the leather binder and viewing an entire month. The two-page daily calendar provides space for daily tasks and notes. Checking “Done” on the “To Do” list grants an endorphin high!  

Last month I received the 2023 refill pack, which includes a two-page, monthly calendar for the coming year. The white pages gleamed without mar or mark. I envisioned a world with no obligations, responsibilities, or appointments. Then reality reasserted itself.

Next year’s calendar already bears the marks of pencil, pen, and marker. Sometimes it feels overwhelming; but I realize what ties us down also frees us up for God’s work.

A critic gave this review to a mediocre play, “A great way to kill time for those wishing it dead!”

We receive each day as a gift from God’s gracious hand. Therefore, seize the day and redeem the time. We don’t have a second to waste.