The Resolution for Women....

As some of you may already know....I am currently doing an on-line book club and even have an on-line pen pal! This book the Resolution for Women goes along with the book written for men and the movie Courageous.

Can I tell you that this book is not your every day simple, easy reading? It is sometimes funny but often soul- searching!
This week we are on the chapter called My Best and the reading that I recently completed was actually called the boxes. This has probably been one of the most difficult sections for me so far. Let me share an excerpt from this section with you that explains the boxes to you....

These boxes are symbolic of the activities of one's life, the various undertakings into which we must invest our time, talent, and energy. Our tendency is to try keeping them just this way-equally filled with identical amounts our ourselves and our effort. This, we think, is what balance looks like.

But in reality,this is the picture of a women overworked, frustrated, and exhausted. A life out of balance.
Now lets just stop here for a minute....if we are being honest with ourselves.....is that you? I know deep down in my heart that this is me. On the outside to those who maybe do not know me that well, you may not see me that way at all...but the truth is I am exhausted and out of balance!

The way we achieve balance, my dear,is to consider prayerfully God's priorities for us in this current season of life and then rearrange the boxes accordingly- pushing some of them into the background, bringing others to the front. Into these primary boxes we place the best of ourselves and our effort, while perhaps totally emptying some of the others- at least temporarily- not because they're of any less overall significance but because they're not where we need to be allocating  the best of our abilities and attention for the time being.

Balance is not when the boxes are equally filled but when we are free to fill only those that are important for now, without feeling guilt over the ones that we've left for another time and place. This is balance. Remember it!

Then in the book there were boxes to label and then mark to where they are filled at this point in your life. I was honest when doing it and you know what? When it is in black and white right in front of your eyes....you cannot ignore the truth! I am not making the most important things in my life a priority. I can honestly say that my reasons are good but that still does not change the picture I have drawn out for myself to see and I DO NOT LIKE IT! 

So, as some may say...my eyes have been opened to this area that I need to work on and let me tell you that is what I am doing! I am so thankful for this book club and community. One of my best friends and I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Priscilla Shirer, and now doing the book club together! Check out the blog that she runs  with her husband and 2 assistants at http://www.goingbeyond.com/blog ....you will be glad that you did!

Nicky, Priscilla and Angie