Do you ever look at your “to-do” list and then try to fit it all on your calendar while muttering to yourself, “No way”? Yep. Me too. Like now.
The last time I felt this busy was two years ago, right about this time of year, in the week or two before my daughter’s wedding. Each day was an adventure. I never knew how many people would be joining us for dinner or sleeping in our beds. I had expected the last-minute wedding details to fill up my time, but even though I love to entertain I hadn’t accounted for all the meal preparation and sheet washing in my mental planning.
I did not want to miss the joy of the week because I was frazzled, so I devised a plan. Each day, as my feet hit the floor, I recited one of my favorite Bible verses: “…for the joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.
It worked. I was still a bit stressed, left a couple of bottles of milk in the hot car all afternoon to go sour, forgot to do some things, and ran around like a crazy woman, but I enjoyed it all. Now, if I remember, I remind myself that I am thankful to have a full, joyful and busy life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
How do you cope with crazy busy stretches? I could use a few additional strategies!
That’s it for today. Gotta go!
Connecting Dots...to God 
Well… For me, the king of procrastination, there is nothing more productive and proficient than good ‘ol fashioned to-do lists! I receive a deep sense of accomplishment and achievement when I highlight or cross-off items from my lists; and I’m always reminded of what still needs to be done.
Of course, I am well aware of the fact that I can roll the dice by organizing as many plans as my heart desires, but it is God who ultimately determines how they fall (Proverbs16:33). So I pray my way through each event and activity asking for God’s guidance, strength, and discernment.
Also, when multi-tasking, in particular, I find it extremely resourceful to focus all my energy on the task at hand, and maintain this sort of focused dedication until its completion. John Wooden once said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” I try not to get distracted and sidetracked by other objectives that are just as equally important, yet steal my attention and creative energy away from the task at hand—which deserves my undivided attention. Once one task is completed it is off to the next with the same sort of exclusive concentration until I have the satisfying achievement of scratching it off my triumphant to-do lists!
Thanks again for the reminder of how fortunate we are to even have things to do…
http://metamorphosisrevival.wordpress.com/
Excellent advice – thanks David. I particularly appreciate the thought that it is God who arranges our days, for I tend to convince myself that I am in control. It is an illusion to imagine that I am calling the shots, I know, and it’s a tough one to shake. Love the Wooden quote too – so true!