Where do I start?

So, God loves me, and wants to talk to me, and the secret is to spend time with him.
But ... where do I start?

I believe time with God is so important that I can't wait for you to get started yourself. I don't want to rattle on and on and bore you when you could be spending time with God now. Time spent with Him is far more important than time spent reading this blog. So practically, how do you start.

Is there a right or wrong way to spend time with God?
No. Time is time. Just think family. Is there a right way or wrong way to spend time with your best mate? No. It's all time.

How much time?
As much as you like. The more you spend, then the more you will become like him. Again, think family. How often do you say "I really enjoyed that 5 minutes with ...". Usually it takes a while to unwind and relax in someones company, and that won't happen in 5 minutes. I suggest you start with a minimum of 15 minutes, and then if you're still enjoying yourself - go longer. Next time go half an hour. Do that for a few days. If you're finding it's not long enough, then add another 15 minutes. You may find that in a few months you can enjoy 1-2 hours alone with God.
But if the only exercise you've ever done is walk to the letter box, then don't expect to start by running a marathon.
Begin small and let it grow as you enjoy it more. Just treat God like your best friend.

How often?
As often as you like. Think of exercise. My son is fond of telling me, "Dad, if you only exercise once a week, then you're going backwards. If you only exercise twice, then you might just keep your current level of fitness. You need to exercise at least three times a week to improve your fitness and stamina." (Sad to say, I'm still not doing any regular exercise.)

The same advice is good for developing a friendship. But ... you must look at your schedule. I don't know your circumstances, but Jesus does. Ask him. "Jesus, when can I spend time with you. Help give me ideas of when could be the right time". Don't kill yourself by trying to book in time every day if your schedule won't allow it. Don't take time from your spouse or children to spend time with Jesus. But do sacrifice some of your leisure, television or facebook time.

When in the day?
Again, look at your schedule. Are you better in the morning or at night? Do you work shifts or odd hours? What will fit in for you? Whatever your schedule, I suggest that you make it a priority, and spend some time either at the start of your day, or at the start of your leisure time.
e.g. if you work night shift, and then sleep mornings, then your day might start at 1pm in the afternoon - that would be when to hang out with Jesus.
Or maybe the start of your day is so rushed you couldn't possibly see when it could fit in. Then have a look. When does your work day finish and your leisure time start? If you're a mum or dad and haven't seen your children all day, then give them the first half hour or so, but when you're ready to just sit down and relax and watch tv, and not spend time talking to others - then that is when you should hang out with Jesus.

What should I do?
Here's a few things you can do:

• pray in tongues (the language of the spirit).
• read your bible (don't study, but just read, as if you'd received an email from a friend)
• sing to him, praise him, worship him - with or without music - just tell him that he's special and that you love him
• just sit and enjoy being with him - be still and know that Jesus is Lord.

And most importantly - stop stressing about it!

Jesus likes spending time with you. He likes you spending time with him. He does not have a checklist that he uses every day to see if you've meet the grade, and then only love you if you've passed everything. He is our friend, and loves anything we do. If you're trying to perform and meet some unknown standard then you're stressed, and won't enjoy it.

Again think of family. You may spend time with your family every week. Some time is special. Some time is super special. Some is boring. Some is down-right boring. BUT ALL OF IT IS TIME WITH FAMILY.

In the same way, every minute you spend with Jesus is time with him. Don't try and grade yourself on how good your hang-out time with Jesus was. It's not about getting full marks, and doing it all right. It's about family - and family spends time together. It won't be long before you start sounding like Jesus, and acting like Jesus - because you grow like the people you spend time with.

The ball is in your court- Just do it!