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Sunday, September 09, 2007

Balance Notes From My Saturday Speaking Engagement


As promised to the ladies who attended the brunch I spoke at on Saturday, here are some notes on our subject of "Balance." (They were eating while I spoke, so I told them I would post the highlights here since they couldn't really take notes.)

Be intentional about your relationship with God. Making Him a priority involves giving yourself boundaries and living accordingly.

Assess your strengths and weaknesses. God gave you strengths to bless others and weaknesses to depend on others. He never intended for you to be all things to all people-- that's His job!

Look for what can be delegated in your life. Don't just "take care of it" yourself. When you do this, you deny others the blessing of using their gifts and add to your own frustrations. Learn to love your limits and don't buy the lie that superwoman exists.

Assign yourself tasks to accomplish each day. What constitutes a good day for you? What is too much to take on in one day. Schedule your day accordingly. Most importantly, ask God what is your to-do list for that day and be willing to surrender whatever He asks you to surrender. Trust that He will fill in those gaps you are afraid of leaving. I read from this blog entry, if you would like to re-read it.

No is not a dirty word. Make a list of what you do and what you don't do. Realize that for every "do" on that list, there needs to be a "don't." Create some white space in your life by learning to say no.

Control is just an illusion. Say it again, "I am not in control, and I never will be." Don't fall into the trap of wrestling the control from God's hands and trying to do things on your own.

Eliminate the unnecessary. This means unnecessary activity, but it also means unnecessary attitudes and expectations. Where is your identity? Is it in your committees and positions? Does being busy equal to feeling valued and needed to you? Is your identity in what you do, or who you are in Christ?

Wherever you are, whatever God is speaking to your heart about, ask Him to help you start where you need to start and create a balanced life from that point.
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3 comments:

TheNormalMiddle said...

I could sure use some balance these days!!! :) Great as usual, Marybeth!

Lori ~ The Simple Life at Home said...

These were wonderful tips. Thanks for sharing with us. I always appreciate your wisdom.

JStaley said...

Mary Beth,

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you at our brunch last weekend. Several points resonated with me and I am putting them into practice more and more. I am focusing on being less busy (being under Satan's yoke). I remember Beth Moore saying once that "if the devil can't lead you to destruction, he will lead you to distraction". I am repeating the mantra "I am not in control and I never will be" over and over (especially when my toddler is covered in spaghetti and my oldest is running laps in the house naked!) I wrote out my "do" and "don't" list and it really was liberating. I've even encouraged a few friends to do the same. Lastly, I am setting my sights on attending She Speaks next summer. I know God has called me to participate and lead women closer to him. He gave me a tough testimony to mature me into the woman I am today and I can't wait to see what he wants to do with me next. Thank you for your guidance.

Hope to see you again,

Julie Staley