Yesterday I turned 40.
40 is significant because in theory, it marks the half-way point in a person's existence on earth. If I live to be about 80, my life is half over...so today, May 30, 2011, is the balance of what has gone before and what is still yet to come. Very exciting, and yet daunting at the same time!
Here in the balance of past and present, I know that my choices matter. Listed below is what I'm choosing to pursue as I walk the "second half" of my life:
My husband and children
My family is not a stumbling block to my purpose. They are God's personal and precious gift to me. I choose to take the time to enjoy them, thankful that God is revealing my purpose in his timing.
Connections with other women
Women need to bond. That's just a fact. When I try to go at life without the influence of other like-minded women, I become myopic and dissatisfied. I choose to connect to friends--and potential friends--because I am not an island!
My health
I choose to have the energy to do life, as best as I can. I thank God for my good state of health, and I will protect it with exercise, good nutrition, good supplements, and quality sleep.
The guidance of the Holy Spirit
If I think I'm the one in control of my universe, I'm just kidding myself. I'm so thankful I don't have to figure it all out and manipulate things into being. I choose to open my heart and mind to what the Holy Spirit is leading today.
Today in the balance of turning 40, I choose a Life of Balance. May the important things (the "Big Rocks" from the previous post) provide meaning amidst the tasks of the daily grind.
Now I ask you, regardless of your age today...
Is your life in balance?
What do you choose to pursue in the midst of the daily grind?
Now, take a step in that direction.
I'd love to hear how it goes!
Blessings,
Stephanie
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Life is short
Last night as we watched the devastation from the tornado in Joplin, MO, I was once again struck with the message: life is short.
Tragedy and death tend to effect me the same way each time. I look at my life and do an evaluation of priorities; What are the things I focus on and spend my time doing? What really matters in life?
I want to share a familiar story about priorities. This version is my favorite, and I think it bears another look.
One day, an old professor of the School of Public Management in France, was invited to lecture on the topic of “Efficient Time Management” in front of a group of 15 executive managers representing the largest, most successful companies in America. The lecture was one in a series of 5 lectures conducted in one day, and the old professor was given 1 hr to lecture.
Standing in front of this group of elite managers, who were willing to write down every word that would come out of the famous professor’s mouth, the professor slowly met eyes with each manager, one by one, and finally said, “We are going to conduct an experiment”.
From under the table that stood between the professor and the listeners, the professor pulled out a big glass jar and gently placed it in front of him. Next, he pulled out from under the table a bag of stones, each the size of a tennis ball, and placed the stones one by one in the jar. He did so until there was no room to add another stone in the jar. Lifting his gaze to the managers, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?” The managers replied, “Yes”.
The professor paused for a moment, and replied, “Really?”
Once again, he reached under the table and pulled out a bag full of pebbles. Carefully, the professor poured the pebbles in and slightly rattled the jar, allowing the pebbles to slip through the larger stones, until they settled at the bottom. Again, the professor lifted his gaze to his audience and asked, “Is the jar full?”
At this point, the managers began to understand his intentions. One replied, “Apparently not!”
“Correct”, replied the old professor, now pulling out a bag of sand from under the table. Cautiously, the professor poured the sand into the jar. The sand filled up the spaces between the stones and the pebbles.
Yet again, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?”
Without hesitation, the entire group of students replied in unison, “NO!”
“Correct”, replied the professor. And as was expected by the students, the professor reached for the pitcher of water that was on the table, and poured water in the jar until it was absolutely full. The professor now lifted his gaze once again and asked, “What great truth can we surmise from this experiment?”
With his thoughts on the lecture topic, one manager quickly replied, “We learn that as full as our schedules may appear, if we increase our efforts and prioritize, it is always possible to add more to our day.”
“No”, replied the professor. The great truth that we can conclude from this experiment is:
"If we don’t put all the larger stones in the jar first, we will never be able to fit all of them in later."
The auditorium fell silent, as every manager processed the significance of the professor’s words in their entirety.
The old professor continued, “What are the large stones in your life? Health? Family? Friends? Your goals? Doing what you love? Fighting for a Cause? Taking time for yourself?”
What we must remember is that it is most important to include the larger stones in our lives, because if we don’t do so, we are likely to miss out on life altogether. If we give priority to the smaller things in life (pebbles & sand), our lives will be filled up with less important things, leaving little or no time for the things in our lives that are most important to us.
Because of this, never forget to ask yourself,
What are the Large Stones in your Life?
We can use smart phones, instant meals and shortcuts to cram more into our days. We are busier and more efficient than ever, but what is filling our days? Do we make room for the large stones? If we're not intentional about pursuing the important things in life, it may all just end up being a pile of pebbles and sand.
Tragedy and death tend to effect me the same way each time. I look at my life and do an evaluation of priorities; What are the things I focus on and spend my time doing? What really matters in life?
I want to share a familiar story about priorities. This version is my favorite, and I think it bears another look.
One day, an old professor of the School of Public Management in France, was invited to lecture on the topic of “Efficient Time Management” in front of a group of 15 executive managers representing the largest, most successful companies in America. The lecture was one in a series of 5 lectures conducted in one day, and the old professor was given 1 hr to lecture.
Standing in front of this group of elite managers, who were willing to write down every word that would come out of the famous professor’s mouth, the professor slowly met eyes with each manager, one by one, and finally said, “We are going to conduct an experiment”.
From under the table that stood between the professor and the listeners, the professor pulled out a big glass jar and gently placed it in front of him. Next, he pulled out from under the table a bag of stones, each the size of a tennis ball, and placed the stones one by one in the jar. He did so until there was no room to add another stone in the jar. Lifting his gaze to the managers, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?” The managers replied, “Yes”.
The professor paused for a moment, and replied, “Really?”
Once again, he reached under the table and pulled out a bag full of pebbles. Carefully, the professor poured the pebbles in and slightly rattled the jar, allowing the pebbles to slip through the larger stones, until they settled at the bottom. Again, the professor lifted his gaze to his audience and asked, “Is the jar full?”
At this point, the managers began to understand his intentions. One replied, “Apparently not!”
“Correct”, replied the old professor, now pulling out a bag of sand from under the table. Cautiously, the professor poured the sand into the jar. The sand filled up the spaces between the stones and the pebbles.
Yet again, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?”
Without hesitation, the entire group of students replied in unison, “NO!”
“Correct”, replied the professor. And as was expected by the students, the professor reached for the pitcher of water that was on the table, and poured water in the jar until it was absolutely full. The professor now lifted his gaze once again and asked, “What great truth can we surmise from this experiment?”
With his thoughts on the lecture topic, one manager quickly replied, “We learn that as full as our schedules may appear, if we increase our efforts and prioritize, it is always possible to add more to our day.”
“No”, replied the professor. The great truth that we can conclude from this experiment is:
"If we don’t put all the larger stones in the jar first, we will never be able to fit all of them in later."
The auditorium fell silent, as every manager processed the significance of the professor’s words in their entirety.
The old professor continued, “What are the large stones in your life? Health? Family? Friends? Your goals? Doing what you love? Fighting for a Cause? Taking time for yourself?”
What we must remember is that it is most important to include the larger stones in our lives, because if we don’t do so, we are likely to miss out on life altogether. If we give priority to the smaller things in life (pebbles & sand), our lives will be filled up with less important things, leaving little or no time for the things in our lives that are most important to us.
Because of this, never forget to ask yourself,
What are the Large Stones in your Life?
Yesterday morning Duane and I were discussing something that seemed very important at the time...even life-altering. But later, in the wake of the Joplin tornado news report, the tension I had felt over the subject melted into peace. We have our home, our family, and our health. In that moment, the big rocks were all that mattered.
Our prayers go to those who have love their homes and their loved ones this week.
Our prayers go to those who have love their homes and their loved ones this week.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Life Beyond the 24 Day Challenge
Wow, a lot has transpired since January 25, when I started my journey with the 24 Day Challenge! I have to be honest, I've put off continuing this blog because there's so much to share. I hope it'll be like watching a long-awaited "Previously On This Show" clip. It's worth it, because you get to catch up on the action and move forward with the plot!
First of all, the last 5 months have brought numerous life changes. Not everything can be attributed simply to the Challenge, but God has used my new-found physical and mental energy to bring about some radical (indeed, miraculous) things.
Physical - For the first time since I can remember, I don't have physical cravings for food. I know it's because I'm getting all the nutrition I need, but it still feels like a miracle to me. At my last weigh-in, my weight-loss totaled 14 pounds, 10 of which were body fat. I have amazing energy...also miraculous.
Mental - I love how my brain pops these days. Funny, I thought I remembered being a sharp thinker at one time, but it was so long ago, I wasn't sure. I had pretty much given up on getting my PC (pre-children) brain back. Now sometimes it's hard to turn it off, lol.
Emotional - This part is hard to explain, but when you feel better and you're thinking more clearly, the world can tend to open up. Recently I attended the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs annual conference, and I've since been able to apply the inspiration and knowledge I received in unprecedented, bold and brave ways. In fact, I've started writing a book about perfectionism and plan to launch a new business benefiting women in the fall...more to come on that!
Spiritual- Like dominoes, one change brings about another. I was so discouraged before the Challenge, I felt ashamed as a mom. I wasn't measuring up to what I knew God was calling me to be, but beyond prayer, I didn't know what to do about it. It was that heartfelt cry to God that brought change to our family. I praise him every day for the new life I see in my dear hubby Duane (current weight-loss: 53 pounds!). I'm also learning many spiritual lessons related to fear, perfectionism, and life balance. He's been so faithful to take my faith to a deeper level in the last months. It's very humbling. (Thank you, God. You are the one who gets all the credit.)
Thanks to anyone who made it all the way through to the end of this blog! I hope you can feel my heart when I say that the last 5 months have been truly life-changing - no exaggeration. I'm so excited to get back to blogging and sharing what God is putting on my heart in all sorts of areas - health, parenting, personal growth, and faith. Who knows what will happen next?
Love all of you!
Steph
First of all, the last 5 months have brought numerous life changes. Not everything can be attributed simply to the Challenge, but God has used my new-found physical and mental energy to bring about some radical (indeed, miraculous) things.
Physical - For the first time since I can remember, I don't have physical cravings for food. I know it's because I'm getting all the nutrition I need, but it still feels like a miracle to me. At my last weigh-in, my weight-loss totaled 14 pounds, 10 of which were body fat. I have amazing energy...also miraculous.
Mental - I love how my brain pops these days. Funny, I thought I remembered being a sharp thinker at one time, but it was so long ago, I wasn't sure. I had pretty much given up on getting my PC (pre-children) brain back. Now sometimes it's hard to turn it off, lol.
Emotional - This part is hard to explain, but when you feel better and you're thinking more clearly, the world can tend to open up. Recently I attended the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs annual conference, and I've since been able to apply the inspiration and knowledge I received in unprecedented, bold and brave ways. In fact, I've started writing a book about perfectionism and plan to launch a new business benefiting women in the fall...more to come on that!
Spiritual- Like dominoes, one change brings about another. I was so discouraged before the Challenge, I felt ashamed as a mom. I wasn't measuring up to what I knew God was calling me to be, but beyond prayer, I didn't know what to do about it. It was that heartfelt cry to God that brought change to our family. I praise him every day for the new life I see in my dear hubby Duane (current weight-loss: 53 pounds!). I'm also learning many spiritual lessons related to fear, perfectionism, and life balance. He's been so faithful to take my faith to a deeper level in the last months. It's very humbling. (Thank you, God. You are the one who gets all the credit.)
Thanks to anyone who made it all the way through to the end of this blog! I hope you can feel my heart when I say that the last 5 months have been truly life-changing - no exaggeration. I'm so excited to get back to blogging and sharing what God is putting on my heart in all sorts of areas - health, parenting, personal growth, and faith. Who knows what will happen next?
Love all of you!
Steph
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