Time Flies....but I do Not

Oh that's right...I created a blog...haven't had time to come back in awhile!

Well, I'm completely envious of those who seem to "have it all together"....I'm even more so of those who "actually do."

There's about to be a reshuffling in my life.... I've got to address MARGIN in a big way! Lately, there remains far too much "task list" at the end of each day. Yet, when I review actions taken - it's hard to determine what should have been omitted. This is an area where much prayer and detailed attention is in order.

With a traveling husband, two adult children out of the nest, and a high school senior busy with her life - I would expect to have more time available for painting, drawing, reading, baking, gardening and bubble baths. All these glorious and refreshing activities would be best enjoyed in our well-organized, immaculately cleaned home. (Not so - in fact, this feels like an intensely busy, chaotic time, and too often my laundry is piled higher than what should be acceptable.)

With a deployed marine coming home from Afghanistan in the next few months, my daughter winding down her last semester in high school (prom/recognition events/AP testing/graduation/celebrations), well - it's only going to get more intense. Oh...and did I mention a wedding in our future? My son is to marry his high school Sweetheart this summer...while I excitedly look forward to the showers, luncheons, shopping, rehearsal dinner, and THE WEDDING - it makes the matter of 'BALANCE' all the more significant.

I want to enjoy these special moments and fervently desire to do everything well. It's clearly time to revisit and modify priorities and rethink and implement new time management practices. If memory serves correctly, a decade ago I managed everything with much more grace and efficiency - in spite of the younger children, carpools, PTA, and still the traveling husband. What has changed? hmmmm.

Recently, the word BUSY was defined as: Busy.Under.Satan's.Yoke. This is reminiscent of C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters". An attention-getting realization!

"Okay God, it's time to roll up the sleeves, and take a hard, long look at how the resources you have given me are being stewarded. Primarily, time.

Help me to do all things to your glory, to the best of my ability, in a manner that honors You, my family and friends and my physical body too. Help me to find more time to create a warm environment in our home, to have more margin to spend with those who matter most to me (and to You), and to better care for this physical body -including more time to laugh and more time to reflect."

PS God: Remember when my life seemed to be so well organized? As you have surely noticed, it's not like that any more, and it STRESSES me. Please either help me to "relax my standards" a bit, or better yet: to quickly find my groove again and to be the mom/wife in a smoothly running home where all passports, shot records, recipes, receipts and socks can be quickly located again.