I have a full plate...how about you?

You know, I’m not talking about that full plate we will have next week for Thanksgiving dinner! I am talking about the ebb and flow of our life. I imagine you can reflect on all of the things that you have crammed into your life as a result of being held hostage in your home last year. Some of you may have loved being home while others may have felt like a caged cat.

Looking back, for a fleeting moment I wish I had cleaned all the cabinets and re-organize the garage last year so that everything was tidy and neat. I did do my kitchen pantry...which I just reorganized a second time last month. Somehow the mundane parts of my life often make their way to the bottom of the To Do List. When was the last time you cleaned out your garage, attic or just your kitchen cabinets? My reasoning for putting things off is because my plate is already full with the more important, time-sensitive items that need to be done. How about you?

Did you fill this year with activities like seeing family that you have missed so much? Eventually the chickens come home to roost and reality sets in. Life has changed and we have had to change with it. Life is not static, and the unexpected often happens. Due to Covid-19, many have decided to remain at home to work with littles ones under foot. Do you have a family member, a friend or relative who needs special care or attention? How do we mingle the numerous aspects of our life into the long "To Do" list we have on a sheet of paper or our mobile device?

For me, this year has been filled with the joy of having two weddings as well as releasing my first children’s book. Each activity was a labor of love and intense in the moment of planning. I would often collapse in my office's comfy chair trying to decide what was the most important thing to do next.

How do you manage the flow of life when it is crazy busy? Over the years, I have been able to multi-task pretty well. Now as I get older, I understand why my daddy said, "Sunshine, getting old ain't for sissies". There are times when I'm not managing the flow so well and my not so pretty attributes...anger, frustration, irritability show up and I realize I need to reassess and readjust what's on my plate.

We all have our own way of managing our "To Do List"...prioritizing what is critical, and recognizing that some things can be left for another day. This is the hardest concept for me as it is hard for me to let it go until tomorrow!

Several tips I have learned:

• Everyone has their special way so find what works best for you

• I prefer a Digital App as they have built in reminders (most mobile devices have one that is free), I always have my phone with me to add, mark off or delete from a list. If you prefer paper and pencil...go for that!

• I make several lists by categories Work, Household, Chores, Groceries etc.

• The minute you think of something to do add it to the correct category list

• Set the time and date to complete

• Begin with 3-5 tasks and see how many you complete. (You may think you can do more which is great.) If you finish the first group you can move on to the next days list for an even greater sense of accomplishment.

• At the end of the day review and revise.

• Open your email in the morning and then early afternoon. Much time is wasted looking at it on and off all day. The same idea works with looking at Social Media off and on during the day. Before you know it 45 minutes has flown by!

• Delete your emails that are unwanted

• Block your phone calls for a 30-45 minute window of time when you need to focus on a project.

My best recommendation:

Over the years, I have learned that having a quiet time in the morning sets the tone of my day. It is my time to read, study and pray. Too often, I allow my circumstances to control my life and I find that setting aside this time helps me remember to ask God to guide me in what needs to be done for the day. My prayer for you today is that these scriptures below might bless you in a wonderful way.

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches."

Psalm 115:14 "May God cause you to flourish, you and your children."

Psalm 118: 24 " This is the day which the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it."

1 Corinthians 14:33 "God is not a God of disorder, but of peace."

Nehemiah 8:10 "Do not grieve for the joy of the lord is your strength."

My Determined Big Daddy...

I imagine that most of us can recall where we were 20 years ago today. A colleague and I had been in Washington D.C. for a conference. She had flown home on an early flight back to California which was an absolute blessing as I look back. I was in a meeting room with several hundred attendees when we were interrupted with the news of the Twin Towers attack in New York City. The meeting was immediately stopped and a mass exodus made out of the conference room. Due to the location of our hotel, one of the attendees in our group witnessed the attack on the Pentagon from the window in his hotel room.

I remember hearing all the sirens going off around the city and all the limos departing from the area trying to evacuate important people. My first thought was to get out of D.C., I simply wanted to be home with my family, if our country was under more attacks. It was impossible to make a mobile call. I didn't have the ability to text as I didn't think is was a necessity to have on my phone. That was a huge mistake. It took forever to get a call out and I knew that my father would be frantic knowing that I was in D.C.. I decide to stand in the long line at the Hertz counter in the hotel...The line was so long that when the one person finished renting a car, the phone was passed to the next person in line. I was able to get a rental, but unable to get a taxi to get to the lot which was about 12 blocks away so I decided to walk. (Was I nuts!?) It was sheer chaos in the city. Cars, taxis were flying everywhere! I was stopped seven blocks into my walk by the mounted police who told me I had to return to the hotel as there was another bomb threat where I was going. My dad had left half a dozen messages to give him a call...I was trying... along with thousands of other people! I finally reached one of my children to let them know that I was ok and returning to the hotel. All flights had been cancelled and the highways were at a standstill. I knew of people that bought large SUVs to drive with their colleagues back to California. Those of us unable to leave sat in the bar all day and into the late evening watching the news.

How great it is when a parent comes to the recuse! My father wouldn't rest until he found a way to get me home. I spent the night in the hotel...now down to the bare-bones staff which we could all understand. My daddy...Big D as I named him years earlier came to my rescue. He knew many working in D.C. and one of his friends was there on business. He and another colleague picked me up the next morning to return to home. It was indeed a long drive due to the large exodus from D.C.. I learned something special on this trip home... God can take the worst situations and bring a blessing into the mix. These men were on the board of a local ministry in Nashville. As a result of this long ride home...I was blessed to learn of this ministry Family Affair Ministry in east Nashville, which I continue to be involved with today. Today is a day to remember and pray for all the families that lost a loved one in New York and D.C.

I learned much from that frightening experience. What I know is that God is always with me and if I can rest in his presence when chaos abounds I have all that I need. I had my father and my Heavenly Father looking after me.

• God is always with me. - Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strenghten you and I will help you.

God bless America and keep us safe.