Hi everyone!
Well as I've stated before, God has really been showing me that in everything we do there is a balance. There was a movie in 1980 titled "The Shinning" where Jack Nicholson and his wife Shelley Duvall are caretakers of a resort. They get snowed in and he goes insane from being cooped up. Never mind, the point is he was supposed to be writing a book and she found that he had page after page of "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". The point I am making is again - balance.
By nature I am a planner. Plan this, plan that, plan plan plan plan plan. Yikes give it a break Lynn. :) And what I or others don't see is that these plans are in some form mini goals. Now normally mini goals are a good thing and we really should set some and strive to grow and accomplish things especially with God and His word.
But again, there is a balance.
What is your driving force? What is your motive? What is your reaction when you are "Goal interrupted"? Let me break this down a little.
Take your motive, Why are you planning or setting a goal about this? Is it something that needs to be done, should be done or you want it to be done?
If you set this goal and your timeline gets messed up, how do you react? Even if you outwardly you are cool and calm, does it fry your biscuits on the inside? (That was my country side coming out) Does your happiness depend on this plan or goal being completed? Have you fallen into the "I'll be happy when" trap? That's when you have all these plans and goals lined up and it's a never ending "I'll be happy when the car is washed", "I'll be happy when the laundry is done". That is such a nasty rut to get into because then you are saying that your happiness relies on your circumstances and not the joy that God gives us. Choose to be joyful and happy regardless of whats going on around you.
Do you spend more time planning your day and life than asking God how He wants you to spend your day? OOPS! Ouch!! Are the goals you are trying to reach unrealistic and overwhelming? Again balance. This is where I am still in God's Balance 101. Because over planning leaves a door open for failure. If you don't meet those expectations you have given yourself you feel like a failure. You can put pressure on yourself that didn't need to be there. (I'm getting better :))
I have the tendency to always be doing 2-3 things at once, even typing this I started my grocery list in my head, and thought about tonight's meal.... Sometimes we need to stop and just enjoy some time with Jesus. Or enjoy a book or cooking a meal or sewing, one thing at a time.
Do what you can do, and God will do what you can't do. Don't stop planing, or growing, or goal setting, just keep it in balance, and don't let your happiness depend solely on completion of each goal. Don't just be Happy When you do something, be Happy With - God, who is the one who is always by your side in everything you do.
Be Blessed and have a great weekend!
Lynn
And yes like all of us I love comments! :)
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5 comments:
Just caught this blog also. You are always welcome to my blog. If you would like to share the Bible Study together I would love it. Im learning alot--I may come by and chat with you about it--if that is ok. God bless you as you minister through written page or pages that is.
In Christ Alone,
Kim
Lynn,
A great post. I'm a planner and when everything I plan for the day doen't get done I will admit, I feel defeated. When planning a trip and it doesn't happen I get disappointed. My husband is not a planner (except with his business). Sometimes it drives me crazy. Balance is what I need. I have learned to accept (to some extent) my husband ways. He will not tell you until almost the last minute if we're going somewhere that we've talked about for weeks. One time he waited until the last minute and I refused to go. Did it bother him? no. God needs to work on both of us. How we have lasted almost 46 years God only knows. If I say something is black, he will say it's white. That's just an example. I love him anyway.
I'm getting way off base here.
You have such wonderful insight. I love reading your posts.
Thanks for being a friend.
AliceE.
Lynn,
Thank you for your obedience in prayer for me today. I'm not quite sure why the Lord layed me on your heart. It could be several things I'm sure. One being for continued healing from some health "issues," another could be that really cool thing called "balance" as you beautifully wrote about in your blog. I find myself saying "It's all about a balance" a lot lately. The Lord is teaching me this also. Thank you for your prayers and your post. You're welcome to stop by my blog anytime. Although, I really need to update it as I realize the last post is a couple months old. This blogging thing is all new to me and I hope it doesn't get overwhelming. That's another request I guess. Thanks again.
Blessings,
Nicole
The one thing I kept thinking midway through this, even as I continued to read was this...
If we over plan our lives, we don't leave room for God to make plans in our lives.
I once attended a church that was very structural. The order of worship was lined out in the bulletin. I mean everything...prayer, listed two songs, offering, special solo, sermon, communion, prayer. You get the point. My beloved said that the worship time was so structured that there was no room for the Holy Spirit to move. My beloved was moved by the Holy Spirit many times and one time it was in service. He told me he just had a word from God and really felt he needed to share it. It went up to the pastor sitting in the front pew, told him, and the pastor did let him say a couple words. One other time, he had a word from God though, the pastor asked to see his "outline" and asked him to make sure he kept it to a couple minutes. That bothered us. We should trust our flock enough to allow them to speak when the Spirit moves them.
I say all this long winded stuff, to say our lives could be the same...plans set in stone and not pliable for God to work in them.
Love,
Paula
Loved your blog!
Balance, I always know when I am out of balance, thats for sure. Just one of the areas that I am struggling with lately.
Thanks
Katrina
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