My success at living the Christian life and growing depends on my disciplines and routines. The problem I have, and almost everyone I talk to, is that business, life pressures, and unexpected events cause us to forget or put off the disciplines. An occasional miss is not that big of a deal, but once there is one exception, the second is easier and pretty soon; it has been weeks since I have faithfully done them all. I have an even dozen disciplines, and I rarely miss most of them, but I skip a few often. The main one I miss is writing this blog because of the time it takes; sometimes, I just have a mental block and can’t think of anything to write about. Another one that I can talk myself into missing often is exercising. I usually do my Bible reading while riding my stationary bike, so I have to be careful so that I don’t skip that one, too. I have a goal of praying with Patty every day, but I am doing good if I make it three times a week. We both have busy schedules, and they are different, so it takes some planning to make it happen. I have a goal to read 20 pages in a good Christian book every day, but as long as I get my Bible reading done, I find it easy to skip that one or quit after 10 pages. The key to being faithful in my disciplines is not simply to depend on self-control but to attach my success in growing spiritually, my relationship with the Lord, my level of joy and peace in life, my success in ministry, the quality of my marriage, the unity I have with others around me to my faithfulness in keeping the disciplines. The more faithful I am in my “daily dozen,” the better everything else goes. I brush my teeth every day, not because I like to but because I want to keep them and not have bad breath or an ugly smile; I am motivated by the results. The key to my faithfulness in my disciplines is reminding myself of the rewards and consequences.