Who has your back?

When life happens, I clam up! Do you ever get overwhelmed when life is throwing so much at you? I sure have felt that way for the last six months! We had two wonderful weddings which brought great joy to all of us, followed by my three siblings having serious health issues. Those of you who know me, know I am a doer...a cook...a driver...locater of whatever is needed kind of sibling. The more I do, the less time I have to worry. Do you find worries creeping into your mind...what if...how will... and before you know it you are burdened with sadness, anger, guilt, or loss.

Have you noticed who heave backpacks are for kids today?! My grandson is in 3rd grade and he has a backpack for school that is as big as he is. He often walks leaning forward due to the number of books, lunch bag, laptop and all the other items needed for school. NOW THAT'S A BURDEN!

Our lives can often become burdened with challenges, concerns and issues especially in our world today. I am sure that all of our backpacks look different. What do you carry in yours? Our children are often carrying the burdens of anxiety, fear, and sadness especially as we watch the world around us.

My sweet husband often talks about how kids as well as adults keep adding rocks aka...worries and concerns into their backpack of life never being able to release them and move forward.

When I become overwhelmed, I realize that I have forgotten who is happy to carry my backpack full of worries and concerns. I am reminded in my quiet time of Matthew 11:28

when Jesus says..."Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.'

Letting go can be hard....until I open God's Word...I am reminded that He has my back! As I look outside my little world, my worries are very minuscule in reality to those families in Ukraine. I am indeed blessed.

So today and tomorrow and the weeks ahead, I plan to let go of my concerns and focus my prayers on the people in Ukraine, who have lost everything. May we all lift them up daily and give what we can to help these families in much greater need. I often find when I focus on others my backpack suddenly gets lighter.

Have a blessed week.

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."