WAVES OF EXPRESSION

Have you ever really paused to ask yourself: What am I giving my time to?

For a long time, I didn’t. I’d heard the saying, “What’s important to you will be reflected in where you spend your time.” But when I looked at my own life, I knew that wasn’t quite true. If I spent three hours a day doom scrolling on social media, did that mean it was important to me? Definitely not.

The real problem wasn’t just wasting time — it was failing to give enough time to the things that mattered most.

A Wake-Up Call

My perspective started shifting after reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, a Christian author who explores how slowing down can change the way we live. (If you’re interested in a summary, check out my book notes on Goodreads or the video series on RightNow Media, which many churches offer free access to.)

Whether or not you share the same faith background, one of Comer’s central ideas is universal: we can learn so much from the unhurried, intentional life of Jesus.

This hit home for me. I realized that slowing down is deeply important to me — I love being outside, hearing the birds sing, and feeling the rain or wind on my skin. But was I truly building in time for what I said I valued? Not really.

Working Backwards

That’s when I realized I needed to work backwards. Instead of letting time get filled by accident, I had to start with what was most important to me and ask: Does my schedule reflect those values?

Comer also makes a powerful point: we often envy other people’s lives, but we wouldn’t actually choose the lifestyle it takes to get there. That was a drop-the-mic moment for me.

For example, I wanted my business to flourish and to become a bigger part of my life. But when I looked at my habits, the effort I was putting in didn’t match the results I hoped for. The same was true of my spiritual life — I said it was important, but I wasn’t giving it intentional space.

That realization led me to create new rhythms:

• Twice a week: I set aside time for “spiritual business alignment”
• Once a month: I schedule a personal spiritual retreat.

This rhythm has been life-giving and keeps me aligned with what matters.

Creativity as Spiritual Practice

For me, creativity is part of my spiritual life. It’s where I feel closest to God, where I receive comfort and peace. The art and reflection exercises I share here on the blog are often the same ones I use in my own quiet times, with prayer woven in alongside meditation.

Choosing Joy Over Comparison

Another powerful takeaway: comparison really is the thief of joy. It pulls us out of our own lane and keeps us from appreciating the life we’ve chosen.

The next time you feel that twinge of jealousy, pause and imagine the lifestyle it would actually take.

• Admire someone’s amazing homemade meals? That likely means hours of meal planning, grocery shopping, chopping, and cooking each week.
• Wish you had their fitness level? Think about the time and discipline their training routine requires.

If it’s a lifestyle you’d gladly adopt, go for it! But if not, you can release the jealousy, knowing you’ve made a different choice about how to spend your time.

Living With Intention

For me, one of those intentional choices is mindful eating. It takes planning, time, and effort, but it reflects the way I want to live. Because I’ve decided it matters, I build it into my schedule.

At the end of the day, the question isn’t just What am I giving my time to? but also Does my time reflect what I say I value?

That’s the alignment we’re all searching for — not a perfectly curated life, but an intentional one.

Journaling Prompts

1. What are the top three things I say are most important to me?
2. Looking honestly at my schedule from the past week, where did my time actually go?
3. Where is there a gap between what I value and how I spend my time?
4. What is one small shift I could make this week to give more time to what matters most?
5. How do I want my lifestyle to reflect the kind of life I deeply long to live?

Watercolor Art Project: Mapping My Values Through Color

Materials Needed:

• Watercolor paper or a thick sketchbook page
• Watercolor paints and brushes
• Pencil and eraser
• Fine-liner or pen (optional)
• Water cup, paper towels

Instructions:

1. Reflect on Your Values: Begin by reviewing your answers to the journaling prompts. Choose 3–5 key values that are most important to you.
2. Assign Colors or Shapes: Pick a color or shape to represent each value. For example:
   • Family = yellow
   • Creativity = purple
   • Health = green
3. Create Your Background: Using soft washes of watercolor, fill your page with blended colors that represent how your week actually went. Let the colors overlap naturally to reflect the flow of your life. Don’t worry about perfection—the movement and blending of color mirror the rhythm of your days.
4. Highlight Gaps: Once your background is dry, layer more concentrated color or sharper shapes where your life aligned with your values, and leave lighter or empty spaces where gaps existed. These gaps show areas where your actions didn’t fully match your priorities.
5. Visualize Intentional Shifts: On top of your background, add shapes, brushstrokes, or patterns to show the small changes you want to make this week to honor your values. Use bold, confident strokes to symbolize commitment and focus.
6. Add Words (Optional): Once dry, you can write small phrases or reminders in the margins or within the painting itself to capture your reflections or intentions.

Reflection: Step back and look at the painting. Notice which values dominate the page and where you see room to grow. Let this artwork serve as a visual guide for how you want to spend your time and energy in alignment with what matters most.