You should have seen my to-do lists from a few months ago. So long. So many ambitious tasks to do. What? Did I think it would be fun to write “wash the windows” down on my list every day for a year? Did I really need to write “get husband to clean the garage” again and again? Hyperbole, you know. But there’s a big huge morsel of truth here, folks. And I had to stop doing one thing to discover what was missing in my life.
I stopped writing these long, ridiculous to-do lists for myself.
I had justified it by saying — it’s a brain dump.
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As we walked along the shore, their eyes lit up with delight. The tide had washed up hundreds of small crabs and sand dollars. Without even thinking there could be any danger, my almost 3 year old picked up live crabs with his pudgy little fingers. “Look Mama! It won’t hurt you! He is nice.”
And without another thought he dropped it into his purple bucket to join the other treasures he had found along the shoreline.
The older boys ran ahead with their cousins, squealing and laughing with delight as they scooped up all sorts of beach treasures into their buckets to show off when they returned to the towels.
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The days are long, and that July heat wraps around us like a thick blanket! It makes us want to slow down, relax and enjoy all we can from this far too fleeting season. We know from experience, how quickly it picks up speed. Before we know it, we are trailing beach sand from our flip-flops while we cruise the latest have-to items in the back-to-school aisle!
But…
Summer is for Savouring.
So before we have to exchange our warm Summer days list for the one with Fall items, can we add a few more things? These items may already be on our lists, but we might want to look at them in a new light…
Sand shovel – For digging deeper.
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Written on
July 14, 2013 by
Deb in
Blog
I was surprised by the response I received to a post I wrote at Counting My Blessings last week titled, 12 Things to Pray for Your Pastor and His Family.
48 hours after it posted, I became even more convinced that pastors and their families are in serious need of encouragement and support.
Many pastors deal with a feeling of isolation and discouragement.
The following are some comments I found:
- The church and people in the community are very friendly, but they also expect 24/7 availability without really opening their lives and homes to my family and me.
- Some people are negative about everything I do and say.
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There are days I feel like less. Depending on the day, it might be less skilled, less useful, or less liked by others. And sometimes, I just feel like less. Just. Less.
It happens when I compare myself to others, leading to jealously, anger, and feeling like someone else is better than me.
Maybe you’ve been there too, feeling…
…like less of a mom when you watch other moms who seem to have it all together.
…less loved when you see other marriages.
…less valuable to God when you can’t do what He calls someone else to do.
…less talented when you read or view someone else’s work.
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Knowing my purpose makes decisions easier.
Have you defined your purpose? Your mission statement? Your reason for getting out of bed and doing whatever it is you do?
Rick Warren said the following in The Purpose Driven Life:
“The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.”
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Have you ever had to walk through a familiar room in the dark and rely on your memory to get you to where you are going with out stubbing your toe or hitting your knee on a sharp edge of something? It is kind of scary isn’t it? You have to trust your memory and hope nothing has moved since you last saw it, feeling your way through the dark.
Lately I have had a song stuck in my head, a song that I don’t mind replaying over and over again. It has brought me comfort and spoken truth to me on and off as my husband and I have had to walk through dark rooms of faith lately.
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I couldn’t sleep. Not because of worry about a loved one or a crisis or impending deadlines. I couldn’t sleep because I suddenly felt the enormity of trying to do it all.
Not Just a Matter of Managing Time
I’ve always been fond of the notion that if I find the right time management approach, I’ll be able to do it all. I’ve been testing a different method of getting things done each week and I keep finding ways to be productive. But none of my task hacks have decreased my giant list of things I think I should be doing–and doing well.
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