Solutions for an overwhelmed life

Thanks for stopping by today.  A special welcome to those who are visiting for the first time after reading my Encouragement for Today devotion titled, "There's always something I can do."

Being a woman with a high tolerance for responsibilities, I know what being overwhelmed feels like.  In spite of my best efforts to build margin into my schedule, it seems every couple of months I start to feel the tension rise.  Although there's no dire threat, the deadlines and expectations mount and so does my stress.  It becomes difficult to figure out what to do next, and I'm simply overwhelmed.  

When those days hit, I've developed a few habits that help me cope.  Every situation is different, and so not every response works every time.  Hopefully something will resonate with your situation.

1. Do nothing!
OK - I know this seem contradictory to the main point of my devotion.  But I mean a productive nothing.  Although everything in me screams to do something ... anything ... sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.  I don't mean the nothing that involves watching TV or playing hearts on the computer.  I mean the nothing that involves sitting at my kitchen table with a blank pad of paper.  Often I'll pray first to quiet my spirit, and invite God's direction.  Then I think - productively.  I think about what needs to be done. I bring order to the scattered thoughts, write ideas on paper, or brainstorm solutions.  Thinking is highly underrated, and it's something we all can do.

2.  What has to be done?
When I'm overwhelmed with too much to do, asking myself "What has to be done?" helps bring order to my tasks.  This might mean addressing a project with an imminent deadline or getting ready to go somewhere.  This question helps keep me on time, especially when I'm trying to get ready to leave the house and a hundred small to-dos pop into my head. 

3.  Make a menu for the week.
I believe creating a menu for the week is one of the best time-saving, stress-reducing things I can do.  Especially when I feel overwhelmed.  If I've got a busy week ahead, I plan easy Crock-pot meals, or a dinner that others can prepare.  I post my menu on the fridge so everyone can see it. 

4.  Make a list of everything I have to do.
Avoidance is an ineffective solution to being overwhelmed.  Making a master list of EVERYTHING I need to do removes things from my overloaded brain.  With things captured on paper, I stop stressing that I'm going to forget something.  It gives me a wide-angle view, and better perspective. 

5.  Ask others to pray for me.
In the past month, God has answered prayers in some amazing ways.  Read this post to see three of them.  Asking others to pray for me is difficult.  There's this mixed-up idea that I'm bothering them.  I'm pretty sure that's a lie from the enemy.  God moves on behalf of His children when they pray.  So share your situation honestly with some friends, and ask for their prayers.

In my devotion today, I wrote about how I can become consumed with worry in overwhelming situations.  Those circumstances happen less and less as I practice habits developed after times of bombardment.  The five tips I've shared today have made a significant difference in my life.   I pray they help you as well.

Since I love making lists and it's still Christmas time, I'm giving away a beautiful "clipboard" note pad by Anna Griffin.  The paper is lined with a faint floral background, and it affixed to a beautiful backing. 

Just leave a comment, and a way to contact you.  I'll pick someone at random and announce a winner on Friday.

Grace & Peace,

Glynnis

When hard threatens to overwhelm

If you are visiting today for the first time after reading my Proverbs 31 Devotion, welcome. If you are a regular bloggy friend, thanks so much for stopping by.  I'm deeply touched you would spend a few of your precious minutes today with me.  I'm praying God has a gift for you, packaged in His Word. 

I imagine many, if not all of you, are dealing with something  hard in your life.  Actually, most women face hard challenges.  I'm no exception. I've been overwhelmed by my circumstances in the past.  Once, I was so trapped in fear I couldn't eat or sleep.  Many times worry pesters me like a thirsty mosquito.  I've got five teenagers ... need I say more?

Yet in His mercy, God has brought me through some tough times. Today, perhaps I can share some hope and practical tips with you.  In fact, I want to look at a familiar Bible story for some of both:  the feeding of the 5,000.  As I was praying about what to write, God used Scripture to clarify something that He has taught me in my own life.  Let's look at the Mark 6: 30-44 version.

To set the scene, Jesus and the disciples were exhausted.  They had been ministering all day and wanted to rest.  In fact, they were trying to get away for some peace and quiet.  However, people were so desperate they ran after them, and actually got to the other side of a lake before Jesus did.

Have you ever felt exhausted by the demands on you?  Have you felt emotionally bankrupt, with relentless needs chasing after you?  Have you been at the end of your resources with nothing left to give?

That's probably how the disciples felt that day.  Empty.  Just when they wanted to curl up and rest, Jesus started to minister to the people.  Didn't He notice they were exhuasted? 

In fact, the disciples tried to stop Him.  They said, "This is a remote place ... and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."

So not only were the disciples exhausted, they were in a barren place with NO resources.

Have you every felt like that?  Have you ever been in a "desert" place, isolated and alone, with no resources and yet people expect you to do something for them?  In fact, Jesus expected the disciples to do something too.

"But he answered, 'You give them something to eat.'"

Can you picture the scene here?  Exhausted disciples ... remote place ... no resources.  Sounds a lot like me at times.  The good news for all of us today is that Jesus has a plan for our hard times.  One of them is found in this familiar story.  I think we can apply a 5-step principle from this passage to dealing with hard times.

1)  The disciples speak honestly to Jesus.  They are tired, and it's pretty complainy, but it's HONEST.
2)  Jesus asks them to present what they have. (5 loaves of bread and two fish)
3)  Jesus tells the disciples to have the people sit down in groups.  (v. 39)
4)  Jesus thanks God for the food.  (v. 41)
5)  The disciples are put to work serving the people they didn't think they could serve, as Jesus worked a miracle and expanded their resources.  (v. 41)

Most of this is pretty obvious.  Jesus values honesty and He can take little and expand it. I've read lots about those truths.  But the part that hit me this week was telling the people to sit down in groups.  Why did He do that?  Here's my take.

In the face of an overhelming, potentially desperate, situation, Jesus knew everybody needed order.   Not just the hungry multitudes, but those called to do the work.  What if by breaking the people into groups, the overwhelming situation seemed a little more managable? 

Perhap Jesus sensed that the disciples needed to have control over something. And by organizing what they could, the disciples focused on what was in their control.  While they did that, Jesus did His part ... performed a miracle.


As I face hard in my own life, there is wisdom in this for me.  Sometimes, all I think about is what I CAN'T control.  I focus on the problem and how unfair the situation is.  Even though I've prayed, confessed my needs and presented my resources to Jesus, all I think about is what I gave Him.  Or how little I have to face the problem. It's a pretty myopic view. 

I somehow forget that I'm loved by the One who can feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish ... and have leftovers!!! 

Now I see the wisdom in focusing on what is still within my control, and trusting Jesus with what only He can do - that's the miracle part.  It's not a distraction technique ... it's an act of faith. 

What should you to do today while Jesus is taking care of the rest?

In His Love,

Glynnis

Menus, Organizing and a Give-away

People often ask me how I do all that I do. 

There are a few answers to this.  First, God wired me this way.  Second, He called me to this life.  Third, I have an amazingly supportive husband.  Fourth, I'm constantly revising my priorities. And finally, I've developed some systems that save me when life gets crazy.  And believe me, with five kids at home, my life can go from calm to crazy in minutes.

One of my favorite stress-busting tools is a weekly menu.  Almost every week, you'll find a piece of note-paper on my refrigerator door with the week's menu.  This menu has been crafted based on sale items at the grocery store and activities during the week. 

A few weeks ago, I started posting my Monday Menu on my other site:  http://www.herorganizedlife.com/. 

I thought it was time I let you know about it, and hopefully increase some traffic to my organizing blog. 

On that topic, I've just signed a contract for my next book to be released in summer or fall 2011 called, "I Used to Be So Organized!"   Between now and then I'll be working on developing a blog filled with helpful ideas on balancing priorities and increasing productivity.  It's truly my passion to be an effective steward of everything God has given me:   my time and resources. 

If you enjoy practical tips, I invite you to join me at HerOrganizedLife. 

What is your greatest organizing need?  

Post your organizing challenge and on Wednesday, I'll pick a winner to receive the book Practicing Hospitality by my friend Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock. 

This book is filled with biblical wisdom and practical ways to get organized so that you can reach out to others.

In His Love,

Glynnis

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I'm happy to announce that "SueBe" won this book.  Thank you for your comments, and I hope to address each of them on my blog www.HerOrganizedLife.com.

Simple Steps to a Habit of Finishing Well

A special welcome to those of you visiting after reading my devotion on why I need to hang up my robe.  If you didn't read it, please hop on over to Proverbs 31 and give it a glance. 

In the devotion, I address an annoying tendency within me to not finish a task.  Instead of putting clothes in a drawer, I leave them on top of the dresser.  I've not made my bed some days because I'll just be getting in it again that evening anyway. Of course, I should just leave my pj's on the bed so they are handy. Right?  Can you relate?

There are so many things that we rationalize not finishing. The problem is we develop habits of not finishing things.  Small things lead to big things, then we wonder why we can't get anything done, as if it's someone else's fault.  Kind of a vicious circle. 

I believe this is actually a simple problem to address.  I'm sure there are deep rooted issues for some, but for most, we can start to address this issue by simply hanging up our bathrobes every day.  It's a habit.  It becomes normal.  Pretty soon, it starts to bother you that things are put up, and so you want to put things in their right places.

Then, you realize that you don't have a "right" place for something (which is why it's always on the dining room table), and you push through to figure it out. 

In the devotion, I promised to list some of the common things women deal with on a daily basis that cause clutter - in our homes, offices and minds.  Maybe if you pick one thing, you'll start to develop some finishing habits as well. 

Here's what I have to tell myself to put away:

Magazines - buy cheap magazine holders and store them by year.  Better yet, cut what you want out of them, file those items and recycle the rest by giving away or recycling.
Books - if you don't have room in your bookcase, either buy a new one or give books away.
Remote controls - Get a basket or box for them.
Mail - create a bill center, recycling center, and shredding center
Food - put away as soon as you have used it (don't wait til you are done cooking to clean up)
Clothes - buy more hangers, another dresser or have a yard sale to get rid of what you really don't want

What do you struggle with?  What do you NOT know what to with so it gets left on your counter, bed, dresser, top of the refrigerator? 

Leave a post with either your biggest struggle, or something annoying that you just can't figure out.  From those posts, I'll pick a winner for a lovely key hook  (so you know where to place those) and my book, "work @ home" where I share some tips on being organized. 

I've also started a new blog called "Her Organized Life."   It's not really up and running yet, but I couldn't miss this chance to let you know about it.  I'm actually on vacation now and am working on a posts to start next week when I return.  Hop over just to see what it looks like, then come back in a week to start getting simple organizing tips - many based on what you share today.

Here's one things I know for sure, even if you never pick up your bathrobe again, God still loves you and has a plan for your life.  So don't feel down about it.  But if this post inspires you to hang it up, then that's icing (or gravy) depending on where you live.

In His Love,

Glynnis