I'm Busy Series

SIGNS IN THE TIME:

“I’M BUSY”

SERIES WRAP UP!

Welcome to Memorial! We have been in a series over the past three weekends called signs in the time. We are looking at signs that are not written on plastic or metal but on the surface of our society. In Session #1 we talked about the sign get real. Our society hungers for reality. From Reality TV programs to Chester Cheetah’s 100% real cheese they are saying “Get Real”. Session #2’s sign was “Getting even with others” and in Session #3 we talked about playing the Blame Game saying, “Don’t Blame Me!” Today we are going to wrap everything up nice and neat with the 4th sign.

INTRODUCTION

This is a sign that we all hear everyday. It is the first word that spew off of someone’s lips when you ask them how they are doing? You guessed it. They say, “I’m busy.” Besides saying, “Good Morning” and “Good Night” I’m busy is the most commonly used phrase in the American’s language. We may phrase it different but we still say it. We may say, “My plate is full” or “I just have to many Irons in the fire” or “My wagon is loaded.” We are still saying the same thing. IM BUSY.

STATISTICS

53% of Buster (born ’65-’83) say they are too busy (www.barna.org)

55% of people say being too busy is why they do not attend church regularly

47% of people say being too busy is why they do not read their Bibles

#1 Reason people use for not voting

#1 Reason say they don’t have children or have additional children

Between 17,000-20,000 ministers were recorded as leaving the ministry b/c of burnout or overload last year (2007) alone

BUSY FROM YOUNG TO OLD

We are busy from the youngest to the oldest. The child 12 and under is busy playing three different sports, taking dance lessons or gymnastics, attending birthday parties, and doing homework. The Teenager is like busyness on steroids. They have school, sports, band, clubs, and in the summer they have a camp for everything. Did you know that our teenagers are processing information 3xs faster than Busters and Boomers. That means on the Information Highway we are traveling about 30mph and teens are traveling @ 90mph. Young Adults are busy having two a two income family, having kids, paying the mortgage and bills, and working extra at work in attempt to get ahead. Our motto is “I can handle it.” Young Adults think if they can just reach a certain pay level and then they will slow down. As Middle Aged Adults you have reached a certain status at work and you are making the money that you want to make but you are still busy. Your kids are grown and need help. Your parents are older and need care. You find yourself busier than before. As Middle Age you find yourself looking forward to retiring. Senior adults who have retired say “Finally I can relax.” Is that true senior adults.? No way. They tend to find themselves as busy as ever.

TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS THINGS UP???

We all have technology at our finger tips thinking it will help with the busyness. 8-10 people now have DVD player in their homes, 7-10 people own a cell phone (I think this statistic is higher), 6-10 have personal pc’s in their home. One manufacturer said, at the release of the first personal computer, “In 15 yrs. The avg. American person will only work one day a week.” Do you remember why mobile phones were so popular? They were supposed to simplify things so when we needed to make a phone call we didn’t have to rush somewhere to find a phone. Washing machines, dish washers, vacuums, even automobiles were all designed to help us out and speed things along. But did you know that the avg person now works an avg. of 48hrs. per week that is up from 42 5yrs. ago. They avg. American has 10.5 less hrs. of free time than they had 5yrs. ago. We seem to be falling farther and farther behind.

BLOGGER

I enjoy blogging online and I came across this Blog and I thought that it summed up everything really well: Pamela Smith writes--

“I’m one of those people who just goes and goes – busy 24/7. Last semester I worked two part-time jobs and took 21 credit hours. [I’m proud to say that somehow I managed to get A’s in every class.] But I have to say I reached my limit. I don’t think I knew up from down or had a restful (translation: sane) day in the whole semester. Then I took summer classes (12 credit hours). Yeah, not the way to recover from a hectic semester, but it gets me ahead. Anyway, over the summer during the numerous versions my fall schedule went through I decided to not take more than 18 credit hours. That – I thought – should make this semester a bit easier. Then I decided to make sure I was less busy by quitting my part-time job at MBU. I didn’t think I’d know what to do with the extra time those two choices would bring. Well that was a short-lived concern. I’m just as busy – it not more so – than last semester and we’re only in week three. God help me, I don’t know if I can do this again. On the upside, it is week three. Meaning there are only 13 weeks left. That’s the light at the end of the tunnel.” Google Blog search 9/4/07 (Comment on some of the statement and how they accurately describe us.)