Today was one of those days that I probably over scheduled myself. Really, my entire week was probably over scheduled. To say the least, I had no "margin." No extra time, no extra leeway, no margin at all.

Months, maybe even years ago, our pastor did a series on Margin. He talked about how over scheduled we are as a society and about how we often don't have time for the things that truly matter like God and our families. We all lack margin in our lives.

Since yesterday, Luke has been running a fever. Nothing severe. Around 100.
We had a rough night last night. He obviously didn't feel well this morning, and I knew he wanted to be around his momma.

So I cancelled a lunch appointment I had with a dear friend (and Scentsy director). I stuck around the house, and when he woke from his nap covered in sweat from head to toe, I was there to snuggle him. It appeared that his fever had broken.

Addison (who is weaning herself off a daily nap) was also awake, and within 20 minutes, Brian was home for the day as well. We had a meeting scheduled for 3:30 with our financial planner. Since Luke was still not 100%, we decided to reschedule that meeting until next week.

The wonderful thing in it all was within an hour, Luke was playing, and we were all home without a single scheduled activity, phone call, or appointment for the day.

And suddenly God gave us margin.

We found ourselves curled up on the couch watching Cinderella, eating popcorn and M&Ms. The afternoon that should have been busy, busy was full of nothing but us, and it felt so good.

Before I knew it, UPS showed up with a box the size of a small child (Brian bought a new bow) and without realizing it, I was encouraging the kids to play with the foam popcorn. (Not my personality at all.)

But I had no other agenda. Nothing else on my mind, except my family. And I found myself remembering that this was something I was supposed to make sure happens. It was so good. And honestly it all happened because my little man wasn't feeling like himself. It was like God needed to remind me that this was all too important. And it is.

His Comfort is Enough

Sometimes I just want to be comforted. Being so many things to so many people gets hard. Being a wife and a mom and a business owner and a leader eventually takes its toll. I usually have it all together, but sometimes I only have pieces of it (my sanity that is...).

I never notice it until it's here. The downward spiral that takes me to the place where I need comfort never shows itself until I'm at the bottom. Things are great, and then before you know it, things are so far from where you thought they were.

Sometimes I just want to be the weak one. Sometimes I get tired of being the strong one. Sometimes I just want to be comforted.

Tonight was one of those nights.

All I wanted was to run into the arms of my Savior. There was nothing else. I just wanted to feel Him. I just wanted to be comforted by Him. I just wanted to be told it was okay.  I do a lot of telling other people that it's okay, and sometimes I just need to hear it for myself and feel it from the true and only Comforter.

I just wanted to be in His arms and nobody else's. To know He was there; to feel Him; to be in His presence.

I believe all day, everyday, over and over and over again. And then I let doubt slip in, and then I let fear slip in, and before I know it I watch myself slip farther from Him than I want to be. Then all I want is to be back into His arms.

That's where I found myself tonight.

Running....as fast as I could from one place to the next so that I could be in a place where I could stand in His presence and worship Him and cry and be comforted.

Nothing else. Nothing big. Just comfort.

I don't need any explanations. No reasons. Just comfort.

I'm not asking to understand it all or to know the answers. Tonight I just wanted to feel Him; to know He was there; to be in His arms and to know that He was enough. And it is. Every time.

His comfort is enough.






Day 6 of a year of writing....

The Organizer in Me

When you have more than one thing on your plate, some form of organization becomes necessary. I was working via about 15 file folders until I recently walked in an Office Depot. Oh, how I forgot how much I love this place!

And suddenly, as I stood in front of hundreds of 3 ring binders, my high school organization style came flooding back to me.

How could I have possibly forgotten about 3 ring binders with tabs?! It was how I survived high school and college. How could I have gone away from it?

I know for a fact that I have a library of 3 ring binders from high school, college, and my English teaching days in the attic just waiting for someone to check them out.

While standing in front of an endless array of options, I decided to purchase 3 notebooks....all 3 ring binders....all with folders with customizable tabs. If the things that get me excited are scaring you, I'm really sorry.

But the more I think about these things, the more I love them! The opportunities are endless!
Here are just a few ideas of what you can do with a 3 ring binder:

• Recipe book! If you don't already have a place you keep recipes, there is no place better than a 3 ring binder! You can add clippings from magazines, index cards, etc. You can categorize recipes with tabs (of course!) and if you upgrade to tabs with folders, you have a place to stick everything until you have time to punch holes in it! 

• Budget Plan: Yep, that's right...no better place than a 3 ring binder. You can keep bills, monthly budget plans, savings plans, etc. 

• Coupons! I know there are some of you who are way into the couponing thing. Are you still trying to keep your coupons in an accordion file? May I suggest a 3 ring binder? 

• Kid's Art and School papers: I used a pink binder for everything Addison brought home last year. Everything goes into a page protector, and it's not all over my counter tops. 

• Life! Yes, basically my life is organized into 3 different binders. I have a household binder, a Scentsy binder, and a Bible Study binder. They each have various sections just waiting to be filled to the brim. 

There you have it. A few ideas of what you can organize with a 3 ring binder. I know there are a million other ideas, but those are my favorites! 

When I found out that Beth Moore also loves notebooks, I couldn't help but post this precious video. I am so glad that I am not the only crazy person with a minor obsession. 

Check out Beth's love of notebooks

Addicted

Yes, I'm 'fessing up. I have an addiction to planning! Remember? The Sunday 7? (The 7 must dos in the 7 most important areas of your life?) It was a weekly feature of "A Post a Day in March, April, and May." A Sunday 7 Post 

I even showed you all the planning things I love.... Planning, Planning, and MORE Planning

BUT....I had no idea about this!

Check it out! I found 2 new amazing sites that I LOVE!...all thanks to a few of my favorite planner loving facebook friends. I have found cute things on both sites that I think I need! Imagine that?!

First up....Much Ado About You. You can find their handmade products on ETSY by clicking here or you can check out their blog at http://www.maay-redo.blogspot.com/

I love their super cute desk and wall calendars. One of these will soon be replacing my lame generic wall calendar. I can't wait! 

She also has really cute personalized journals...I'm a journal nut, so I love these!

And on top of all that, you have to check out the super cute, day planners....

These planners are too cute! 

I love the layout and the simplicity of the design.

Check out Much Ado About You via the Much Ado About You Blog or their ETSY Store. 

I knew you'd love that! 

And another one I have to share....ErinCondren.com  Check it out!

Here you will find the 2011-2012 Life Planner...

There are too many cute patterns to even show you here. Plus the layout is fantastic! 

They have so many other fabulous products too! You have to check it out for yourself. Go see it all at http://www.erincondren.com

As usual, happy planning! 

He Is

I had a great plan for what I was going to write about tonight, but after our small group, there is a different plan. I heard the most amazing testimony tonight, and I can't help but remind myself (and you) who we belong to.

I recently posted this video on Facebook, but I have to post it here. It is incredible, moving, and will make you smile from ear to ear if you know and love Him. If you don't, I would love to introduce you.

Enjoy. May it be the words you needed to hear tonight.

Priscilla Shirer explaining that He is!!!

Writing from Sonic

As I sit at Sonic with my sleeping children snoring in the back seat, I can't help but wonder how I'll ever find time to write every single day.

I've stopped for a pit stop between church and home. A much needed dose of caffeine comforts me from the cup holder, and the doubt I have in myself begins to seep in. Can I really do this?

I woke up hating my post from yesterday. "Why on earth did you do that?" Now that it's on paper and on the world wide web, I have to follow through.

But in the same breath I'm a project girl. If I have a project to work on, I'm happy. I'm a doer. I'm always doing something. The problem is, I already have numerous projects that I'm attempting to balance like the guy at the circus with all the plates on the stick. I feel like that guy in this moment.

I have learned to say no to the things that don't matter. Usually if I'm holding the plate in the air, attempting to balance it with all my other plates, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be doing it. I know that writing is in my future (and my present). I just can't let the voice of doubt scare me away from what I know I'm called to do.

What do you doubt?

Doubt is a funny thing. We can often believe it to be truth in our lives. Or we let it seep so far into our souls that we begin to believe it to be true.

But the Bible tells us that we are made new through the blood of Christ. We are enough through God's grace. Without Him, though, doubt can run our lives and become truth in our hearts.

Jesus says in Jon 5:30, "By myself I can do nothing." Why do we think we can do things on our own, when even Jesus admitted that He was nothing without His Father?

Doubt can rule our thoughts when we attempt to do things on our own. Remember that you are a child of God, and you can do all things through Him.

Don't let doubt stop you from doing what you know you're called to do. Christ has given you the gift of life through the cross. Doubt will never be as strong as that sacrifice.

Whatever you're doubting you can do, stop doubting! Whatever Christ has called you to do, start doing!

The First Step is Always the Hardest

It's been a long time since I've opened this computer to write. It's funny how the devil can stop you from doing the things you know you're called to do. And as I sit here feeling completely uncomfortable, I wonder how I'll ever get through this post.

I have actually been intentionally avoiding my blog site on purpose for quite some time. I am not one to spend my time "kind of doing things." I either do them or I don't. I'm either all in or I fold, so after my "Post a Day in March, April, and May," I have slowly drifted from writing.

For the past few weeks, my heart has been screaming at me. It's almost like it's yelling at me, "You have so much more!" I know we all feel like that sometimes....like there is something more inside us that just wants out. I'm guessing my "more" will come in the form of many many words written here over many many months (probably twelve months to be exact, but more on that in a sec!)

For weeks I've been buying notepads and pens (yes, I have a problem) and letting them stare back at me with their empty pages. I love new notebooks and the unexpected surprises they hold. You never know what will fill those blank pages until you live it.

But I know I'm supposed to write for more than just myself. That would honestly be easy and stress reducing. The reason I've been hiding from my computer for so long is that I know I'm being called to another challenge, and the only reason I'm giving in is because I know I won't be happy until I do.

So here it is.....For the next 365 days, I'm going to write.

Even typing it freaks me out. Talk about a commitment. I keep thinking of all the places I'm going in the next year: California, possibly Honduras, the Riviera Maya, the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Las Vegas and who knows where else. Is writing everyday even possible?

I think about all the unforeseen events that will creep into our lives that I'll write in the midst of. Only God knows what will happen over the next year. I guess whatever it is, He wants it to be shared.

It would be easier to ignore this calling. To step aside and keep being comfortable, but I know that we are not called to be comfortable.

I can't help but ask myself, "What on earth will you say?" and "Who even cares to listen?" All legitimate questions that I don't have an inkling of an answer for. All I know is my heart wants to write. My prayers will be that what comes out daily is something that someone needs to hear. I won't claim to have all the answers or know the secrets of life. But I will continue to share with you my peace....the intentional peace that only comes from living in the will of God.

I would love for you to join me. Come on this crazy journey with me. I promise right now not to write a novel everyday, and I'm sure it will be one crazy ride.

I'm taking the first step today... only 364 more days to go. Here's to living twice!