Where Are You Headed?
Last year about this time, I sat down and wrote a list of the top twenty-five things I wanted to have, do, or be. I kept this list by my computer and looked at it often.
There are a few things I'm still working on, such as an assistant. (Wouldn't that be nice?!) Yet most areas I've taken positive steps, or even achieved my goal . . . such as writing a book for moms (Generation NeXt Parenting will hit the shelves in July), developing a time of Bible reading, study, and prayer with my husband, and booking a family vacation (we're heading to Disney World at the end of the month!).
What about you? If you sat down today to make a list of the top twenty-five things you wanted to have, do, or be . . . what would you write?
If you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about them!
1. Continue to be in tune with Jesus’ voice.
2. Become a dedicated seeker of truth.
3. Become a woman of prayer.
4. Have a healthy spirit, soul, and body.
5. Exercise and eat less.
6. Spend more time studying the Bible.
7. Keep an orderly home.
8. Have our family’s lives be one of peace and not hurry.
9. Have fun times with my family.
10. Support my husband.
11. Develop a time of Bible Study and prayer with John.
12. Develop strong relationships with my kids.
13. Develop a deeper love for my extended family.
14. Stay on a budget.
15. Foster a heart of worship and thanksgiving.
16. Be a voice for young moms.
17. Write a book to help moms.
18. Write a book for veterans.
19. Spend more time with friends.
20. Connect with other families.
21. Write novels that will touch hearts.
22. Develop dynamic speaking skills.
23. Continue to grow and learn as a writer.
24. Find an assistant to help with my writing business.
25. Take a vacation!
Now, what about you . . .
Priorities
I have to admit there are days when I wish I had the house to myself to sleep in, take a long bath, read, and write. Then I think . . . what would I have to write about???
Kids have deepened me. They’ve shown me how to love deeper and give more. I’ve also learned how to be patient, watch my tongue, and not become overwhelmed by emotions on days I just want to hide away with a half-gallon of ice cream and have a good cry.
They’re a lot of work, but now that my oldest is sixteen, I realize how quickly the time goes.
"How do I set my priorities when all things seem equally important and/or urgent? While our children were living at home, their needs came first," says author Elizabeth Lowell. "After all, they didn't ask to be born. We asked for them. For me, that meant writing part-time around the kids' schedules."
Your priority may not be writing, but I'm sure there are those things in you life that make you think, "I wish I could have more time to . . . "
Hopefully, I’ll be writing for the next forty years. And over that time period you'll have time for some of those longed-for interests too.
So enjoy that important time you spend "just for you" . . . but enjoy the kids more.
Just Say "No"
I clearly remember in junior high school when the "Just Say No," campaign was kicked off by Nancy Reagan. Starting in 1981, Mrs. Reagan's anti-drug crusade took her to 65 cities in 33 states, the Vatican, and eight other foreign countries in the course of eight years, as well as moving her to make numerous speeches, host two international conferences, and participate in radio and TV interviews.
The message worked for me. Although I did many regrettable things in high school, drugs was not one of them. Yet, today I was reminded again of this slogan as I read the forward of
How to Say No...and Live to Tell About It (Harvest House) by author, Mary Byers.
Byers says, "When you try to be all things to all people, you run the risk of being nothing to anyone, including yourself. God has a special plan for you, and it’s your job to figure out what that plan is. Doing so requires saying no to things that don’t fit into the plan and yes to the activities that do. It sounds simple, but the complexity of real life keeps it from being anything but easy."
How about you? Do you have a problem, "Just saying no?" Nancy started the motto, and Mary brings it home for us today. Saying no, after all, is the first step to allowing all the "yeses" God has planned for your days.
