Thursday, July 9, 2009

Don’t Get Emotional!

As I was doing my devotional today, I began to think about my girls and how they are growing up so fast. I remember when my oldest headed off to college and I realized her sisters were not far behind! For many of us, our beloved children are starting college, getting married, and moving out of the house. With these types of transitions, it isn’t uncommon to feel a variety of emotions, from joy to sadness. I know about these tough transitions, especially with two grown sons, and three daughters who are quickly growing up. However, I have to remind myself to keep God at the forefront of my thinking so my emotions won’t be tossed to and fro by the changing seasons taking place in my relationships with my kids.

I want to encourage wives and mothers facing the same things to resist the urge to fall into loneliness and grief. Ask God to reveal to you what your next assignment is and pay attention to what He says. In addition, seek the comfort of like-minded friends during this phase. Speaking of friends, I want to hear from those of you who have successfully conquered these same challenges. How did you get through it? I look forward to hearing from you!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Prioritize Your Day

I always seem to come back to the issue of prioritizing life, no matter what messages I preach or what topics I touch on. As I reflect on my days and the various responsibilities I have as a mother, wife, pastor, and business woman, I continue to see that keeping my priorities in order is essential to living a life of balance and productivity. It starts with the way we begin our day and continues to the time we go to bed at night. Starting the day with some quiet time is a great way to think about and note our goals and objectives, as well as get direction.

Keeping a journal and writing down all the things we need to do and how much time we will devote to each task, helps keep us focused as well. Factoring in rest, relaxation, and personal pampering sessions are also important, not to mention carving out time each day for prayer and meditation. Balance is the key to life and can be achieved when we organize our days on a consistent basis!