Planner University - Plans, Part One

The last major divider in your planner is for the planning pages. Label your fifth divider "plans." If you keep yearly goals or resolutions, then a good place to keep those written down, is on sticky notes, adhered to the back of your Plans divider.

A great first page in the Plans section is a yearly overview. There are various free printouts all over the internet, where you can print out the yearly overview calendar. I am using one that came with a Franklin Covey planner pages set that I got last year. It shows the yearly overview for the years 2015 through 2020. It is a half sheet size paper, originally made to go into a seven ring binder.

I just put washi tape over the punched binder holes, and then re-punched over the taped edge for it to fit into my discbound planner. I re-punched this page with my Happy Planner punch. The Happy Planner punch I have punches for a nine-disc planner, but my planner is the Arc Junior size, which is a standard eight disc system. To punch for an eight disc system with a Happy Planner punch, simply line up your half sheet of paper under eight of the punching pads (they are visible), and make sure your paper isn't under the cutting part of the ninth punching pad. Practice on a few extra sheets of half-size paper, before you punch any of the pages you are going to put into your planner, so that you can get the hang of it. It's pretty simple, and quite handy.

If you like yearly overviews for one or more year, then either print one of the many free printouts online, or use a half sized one for another planner, etc.

The Monthly Calendar Pages

You can do the following, which is fun, or you can just buy all the planner inserts pre-made, for your discbound planner, and just pop them in. If you want all the planning inserts pre-made, you can get some for Arc Junior and the other Arc sizes at Staples, or the same sizes by other companies, such as Tul at Office Depot, or IQ 360 at some Walmarts. Or, you can get a Happy Planner, as briefly discussed earlier in this planner series. Happy Planners come in different sizes. Currently, the only Happy Planner size that is the same size as other discbound companies is the "Big Happy Planner," which takes letter sized paper.

Meanwhile, if you'd like to save money, and have some fun in the process, then instead of buying all inserts, try the following:

This is one of most fun parts of putting together this planner. The first main subsection in the Plans section is going to be monthly calendars for each month of the year. For 2016, I've been using Daytimer Flavia, month on one page sheets, for their Desk sized planners, which is a half sheet of paper. These pages were originally designed to fit into a seven ring binder, but I washi taped over the edges and holes, and re-punched them, so that they now fit nicely into my discbound planner.

I recently purchased the monthly calendar pages that I am going to use for 2017, and they are DayTimer Kathy Davis, month on two page sheets, originally designed for a seven ring binder.

I then put some washi tape over the holes on the edge of each page, on both sides, to cover the punched holes, since I will not be putting these into a binder, but rather into a discbound system:

Then, I used my Happy Planner punch (Arc punches will work very nicely for this, too) and punched each page, over the washi tape. If you do not have a discbound punch, you can also punch each hole with a regular hole punch, then use scissors to snip little channels to each hole. This is how I generally punch when I make laminated covers, because they are usually too thick for my small Arc punch, and my current Happy Planner punch.

Once my pages were taped and punched, they were ready to be put into the discbound planner, like so:

If you would like to put in monthly pages similar to mine, click here to view some Daytimer monthly pages that are the right size to fit your eight disc planner. When you get these pages, just remember to tape and punch, then they will go right in, and they are pretty, fun, and functional.

What to do With These Pages

Now you have your monthly planning pages in your planner. Write down appointments, special events, reminders, etc. Some ladies also put down when certain bills are due, and when trash pick up is, as well. You can get cute little functional planning stickers and colored dots and labels, and use those to assist you in your planning, and it makes it a bit more colorful and fun.

Further, when you see or think of something that needs to get done, some day, immediately turn to your monthly calendar and pick a day to do it on and write that in on that day's calendar square. Do this immediately, so that you don't forget.

The beauty of having this planner, is that you don't have to keep retaining reminders in your head all the time. You simply write them in your planner, and then your mind isn't as cluttered, and you are more free to think upon more important things, such as serving the Lord and your family.

We will set up the rest of your Plans section in the next installment of this series.

Build Your Foundation on the Rock of Salvation

The terms "Christian" and "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" have been thrown around so much, that for many people, they have lost their original savor. What is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it going to church? Is it being a "good person?" Is it via doing certain rituals, or following certain traditions? No, it is so much simpler than that.

Jesus says:

"Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me." -Revelation 3:20 CEB

Let Jesus into your heart and life. Put your faith and trust in Him, and in Him alone.

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth? He came to pay for our sins. Have you ever broken any of the Ten Commandments? Did you know that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that just looking at someone with lust in your heart is the same thing as committing adultery in your heart?

Many people will say I'm a good person. Sure, I've stolen a few paper clips in my time, and I've told some lies, but I've never killed anyone, so I'm good enough for heaven. Don't be so sure. Have you ever felt hatred toward someone? If so, then you are guilty of committing murder in your heart:

"Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them." -1 John 3:15 CEB

If you have stolen, lied, lusted after someone, hated someone, loved someone or something more than God, etc., then you have broken at least 5 of the Ten Commandments. Do you really think you'd make it to heaven? Not according to God's Word:

"Don’t you know that people who are unjust won’t inherit God’s kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Those who are sexually immoral, those who worship false gods, adulterers, both participants in same-sex intercourse, thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won’t inherit God’s kingdom." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 CEB

But there is good news:

"That is what some of you used to be! But you were washed clean, you were made holy to God, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." -1 Corinthians 6:11 CEB

We are all sinners:

"All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory" -Romans 3:23 CEB

Even Mary, the woman chosen by God to be a vessel that would carry Jesus in her womb, was a sinner, and in need of a Savior:

"In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior." - Mary said this in Luke 1:47 (CEB). Only sinners need a Savior, and Mary also accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior.

We are all imperfect, fallible sinners:

"This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1 John 1:5-8 CEB

The blood of Jesus Christ is what cleanses us from all sins. Jesus came to this earth to die to pay for our sins. You see, Leviticus tells us that 'the life is in the blood,' and that it takes spilt blood to atone for sin.

When we choose to truly believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and to live our lives for Christ, then Christ's spilt blood cleanses us from our sins:

"Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool." -Isaiah 1:18 CEB

Jesus tells us this:

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son." - Jesus said this, in John 3:16-18 (CEB)

Paul gives us a simple "step by step process" on how to be saved:

"Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation. The scripture says, All who have faith in him won’t be put to shame." -Romans 10:9-11 CEB

Jesus is our one and only mediator:

"There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus" -1 Timothy 2:5 CEB

Jesus is our High Priest:

"Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin." -Hebrews 4:14-15 CEB

We are to follow the Lord and the Bible, not traditions of people:

"Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you?" -Matthew 15:3 CEB

Jesus is God:

"Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory." -1 Timothy 3:16 CEB

If Jesus isn't the Lord of your life, then I hope that you will let Him into your heart and life this very moment.

"But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8 CEB

Have you built your foundation on the Rock of Salvation?

Jesus is the way. If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart and life, then let Him know. Pray to the Lord, telling Him that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and that you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the death penalty for your sins. Tell this to God in your own words, from your heart.

"The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23 CEB

Believe, and Receive:

"You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ." -Ephesians 1:13 CEB

When you believe on Jesus Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. You are sealed as a child of God.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior, and you believe that Jesus died on the cross in your place, to pay the death penalty for your sins, and that Christ rose from the dead three days later, and you are ready to let Him lead your life, and you will live for Him, then you are saved, and born again.

You are now a saved Child of God, with the Holy Spirit living within you. Dedicate your life to the Lord, and live for Him. Please get a Bible (I suggest the Common English Bible - CEB) and turn to the Gospel of John. That is the fourth book in the New Testament. If you don't have a Bible, then you can read it for free, online - here.

After you've read the Gospel of John, go on to read Acts, and then Romans. These three books will bring you through the Gospel, the early church, and basic Christian doctrine. After you've read these three, then turn to the beginning of the New Testament, and read it all the way through. After that, read both the Old and New Testaments.

You should also follow the Lord and get baptized in water. A Believer's Baptism doesn't save you. Only faith in Christ saves you. A Believer's Baptism is an outward showing of your salvation. It symbolizes you being born again. When you are lowered under the water, it shows you dying to your old self, and when you are raised up out of the water, it symbolizes you being born again, as a new creature in Christ. This is called a Believer's Baptism, because, according to the Bible, a person is supposed to get baptized after they have believed on Christ. Anyone who was "baptized" before having faith in Christ just got wet - nothing more. You don't need to find a church to get baptized in. Any born again Christian can baptize you in any acceptable body of water - even a public swimming pool.

Find a good, local church congregation to attend. Search in your area for a Nazarene church, Foursquare church, or non-denominational Full-Gospel church.

Immerse yourself in the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to you. It is also your Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.