Friday, May 02, 2008

Photobucket Getting it all Done!

I've been pondering a question I hear often, "How do you do it all"?

For years my standard comeback to that question has been, "I don't do it all!" And that is a true statement. God has clearly taught me to carefully select those things to which I will commit. It must fit in with my mission statement (see profile), it must not take away from my prime ministry and responsibility at home, and Mike needs to support whatever it is that I'm doing......so I don't do it all. I don't do daytime Bible studies, I haven't spoken at a retreat in 3 years, I don't do homeschool co-ops, I do very few big field trips, we don't do a lot of sports......

However, increasingly I'm being given a list of what I do accomplish after giving my standard, "I don't do it all" answer......so apparently I do get quite a bit done...how?

Years ago Mike shared an illustration with me from a class he was taking. It came from the 7 habits man - is that Steven Covey? Take a cup.....fill it with water, pebbles, and big rocks...it will overlow .....take the same cup, same water and such....put the big rocks in FIRST, then the small pebbles, and then the water....it FITS.

I've learned to prayerfully define my BIG rocks....and to put them in the cup (my life) FIRST....then the little rocks and water fit in around the Big Rocks....though some of those little rocks do seem to try to grow into middle sized and big rocks if you don't keep track of them. ::snort::

I've shared my homeschool advice "do first things first"....so true in all of life. Those big rocks, first things.....must come first.....for me those are Bible study, Workout, School, Meals, Chapel things.....and then the little things fit....the problem comes when I try to make all the rocks Big Rocks...or when I fill up the a.m. with computer time, reading, phone conversations, etc and forget to put the Big Rocks in first. If I only remember to put the Big Rocks in first, on days when NOTHING else gets done...the BIG ROCKS, the FIRST THINGS are done! I can relax and try again tomorrow.

Seriously - blogging our daily life is nearing Big Rock proportion as it's a way to continue the relationships that are so important to us, our family and far off friends....but its still sort of a little/middle rock. The memes, book reviews, profound thoughts on gyms are little rocks....and this whole thing may make no sense when I read it without a migraine! ::snort::

Give it a try - keeping the illustration in mind has helped ME. And of course ANY THING I get done well is only by the GRACE OF GOD....who EQUIPS and ENABLES us to do what He CALLS us to do!

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