“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage/journey to Zion.”- Psalm 84:5

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

One Thing I Learned This Year


Now after all that is said and done I want to plan out next year a little differently. For the last few years I have been trying to weed out the busy-ness in my life but it seems to keep sneaking back in. I am getting close but still need to tweak things.

I have learned "if" I am going to do craft fairs (to raise money for my craft supplies and extra family needs) I need to be able to get the bulk of it done in the summer. There is a lull when the garden is pretty much planted and we have started our summer break from lessons which makes easier for focused craft fair crafting. This year for some reason forgot how much I had to and get done in the fall. It was too overwhelming for me to say the least to keep up with it all and I was hitting serious burn out. ( as you can tell in the lack of blogging) With getting lessons going again, helping with the harvest, keeping up with the basics of life, and making all the food I do from scratch, helping my hubby lead Bible study, helping my MIL with the seed business is a lot, and got ready for the two craft fairs. All of it pushed me into a unhealthy head space and too much physical exhaustion and it wasn't good at all for me. ( or the family) I am owning up that I cannot do it all and really need to pace myself better.

When I was praying if the Lord really wanted me to continue in craft fairs or not and if I did... how I should do it then. The Lord showed me that I could keep doing the craft fairs and there was a way that wouldn't take away from my family. It was to get the bulk of it done in the summer break time. I have to think about what I want to try to get done and then schedule what I need to do and when, then mark it down on a calender.


I need to make goals for each month and write it down in a calender. Break it down into manageable bite size pieces. With all that I still have to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate what is truly most important for our family and then budget our schedule accordingly. If it takes away from what is important then it needs to go. My family is so much more important then stuff. So, if it comes down to deciding what to do or not to do. I will not pick the stuff over my family and will leave it and trust in the Lord for our needs.



Contentment is...

Contentment is not a fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of what you already have.
It is not a destination, it is a state of gratefulness before God.

~Joshua Harris

16 comments:

  1. Mary, I relate to this well. Not because I do craft fairs, but because I have a huge tendency to put things off to a more harried time that ought to be and can be done earlier.

    I'm trying to be a more scheduled person. I thought back recently to my days in the classroom. It worked like a well oiled machine, and no small part of that was because of the old planning book.

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  2. Amen, Mary! Godliness with contentment is great gain. :)
    Blessings,
    Lisa

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  3. It is a lesson that takes time to learn my Sweet Mary. But once we truly accept the lesson...everything flows so well.

    Love you,

    Maria

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  4. It sounds like a wonderful plan. I am always trying to pace our family and reduce how much we are doing.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

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  5. (((HUGS)))) Mary! I love the Joshua Harris quote at the end. Very appropriate.
    It sounds like you have a good plan. It is so hard to find balance sometimes. We live, we learn and we grow.

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  6. Well said. As you know, I'm feeling much the same way as you are...

    "...casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you!" ~I Peter 5:7

    Blessings, ~Lisa :)

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  7. My problem is not scheduling to do the projects ( in my case homemade gifts for all), but in motivation to sit and do it when the sun is shining! Summer time finds me needing to be outside as much as I can be. That said I am taking the wisdom from your post and scheduling the harder crafts ( the ones that take time to dry or have many steps) for summer!

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  8. Thank-you so much for your kind comment! Another friend has recommended St Johns Wart. I'll look into the fish oil though.
    Have a wonderful day!

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  9. Great plan :0) I cannot imagine going into craft-fair-production-mode immediately after Thanksgiving, like you do...I think I'd be 6 feet under! Praying many blessings upon you as you listen to your Lord and His leading...

    Lori

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  10. Sounds like some good ideas. I know I would need to write down things like that too. I have a hard time doing fall things in the summer. I hope it all works out for you.

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  11. Learning to prioritize and balance our life with home and family, I am slowly realizing, is quite a challenge. I'm glad that you are discovering what will work for you in the coming years with craft fairs.

    I loved the quote at the end. I've heard it before, but it's such a good one to read again. Contentment is something to which I am always striving to learn.

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  12. Relate here...I have been asking God about my schedule and what I am to do. Thanks for sharing how He is speaking to you...it encourages me to continue to seek His face on my own schedule.

    Balance is always a struggle...or at least it has been for me especially during all the years of home schooling

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  13. Very wise planning, Mary! I know what you mean about getting bogged down. I'd be lost without my planning organizer. :)

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  14. Such a wise post!! Balance and planning is so needed in our lives...thanks for the reminder. Great quote...I love Joshua Harris. I hope you have a great rest of the week. Blessings!!

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  15. Sounds like you have a good plan, Mary :-)
    I've been exhausted just reading about all you do, so I can just imagine how you felt!
    Taking care of your health and family first will make things easier, I'm sure.
    I think your main problem is that you are just so clever at what you do, and so good-hearted, that you let yourself get wiped out doing it all!
    Generous people are like that :-)
    Hope you are having a more relaxing day today, my friend.
    love in Jesus..Trish

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  16. It sounds like you have thought it out very well. I agree on the family first over stuff! I'm not even doing craft fairs and I'm exhausted all the time. I'm glad you will still be using your gifts to share with others@

    Blessings!
    Deborah

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Thank you, each sweet comment brightens my day. Blessings!

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