Living in the “&”

This is my year for figuring out what it means to be Prodigal, in the good way.  I want to be extravagantly generous with my time and my heart…and I have a long way to go.  I get so stressed sometimes over silly things, like:

• Too many things on my to-do list make my brain foggy and then, if I am not careful, I will check out emotionally
• When in doubt, I tend to say “No”…sometimes I just say “No” without any thought at all.  I’ve been trying to figure out how to say “Yes” with JOY
• I tend to look at the glass half-empty if I am really busy.  Can you tell I have been busy lately? …since most of this post is about what it feels like when I am too busy!  😛

I am in the process of expanding my book, Prodigal Confessions: 10 Principles that Lead Us Back to the Father for a local Ladies Bible study.  This is an amazing opportunity!  I have already benefitted from some kind and attentive mentoring during this process.  I am very blessed by supportive friends and family too…there so many answered prayers!

But this busy season has had me falling back into an old habit: all or nothing thinking.  A few weeks ago, I sat surrounded by books and papers and…chaos.  At this most inopportune time I had two wonderful opportunities fall into my lap.  I was overwhelmed by the thought, I just can’t do anything else till I finish this BIG project.  I have tendency to pour all of my time and attention into a project and let everything else slide.  So I just knew it would be easier to say, “No.”

But the thought of keeping my time and heart so narrowly focused really discouraged me! I realized that living under so much pressure from one thing made. me. feel. trapped.  I need to live the life I have been given, not just write about it.  I need to interact with people, not just my keyboard.  And life won’t wait.  I can’t press pause on friendships, time with the kids or my husband just because I have a BIG project.  I hope to have many more BIG projects, so I need to learn to pace myself or I will burn out.  Can any of you relate to this after a busy holiday season??

One project to which I said, “Yes!” was my new feature, Family Fun Friday Foods!  And I am so glad I said yes—I enjoy the chance to pour over recipes one day a week, instead of my Strong’s Concordance or my Matthew Henry Commentary (ok…these I do love…but, you know…a girl’s gotta’ cook too!).

The second project to which I said, “Yes!” was Mary & Martha, a home-based business that promotes Biblical hospitality AND balancing love of God, with love for His people.  I am so excited to join this amazing team of women.  The weekly calls are so uplifting and the products are just beautiful.  But I got hooked when I went to observe my friend Mara help a hostess throw a party.  I saw that this company will give me a chance to talk with other ladies about how God wants us to live for Him by loving others…they call it “Living in the &.”

“Living in the &” is based on the story of Mary and Martha from the Bible…in the end Jesus teaches all of us, through these two sisters, how to love God well.  The truth is that loving God well is about loving Him first AND then serving others.  Jesus said these are the greatest things we can do (Luke 10:27).

I am so happy that I was able to use my “One Word” for the year to help me make a tough decision.  I think it is helpful to let your goals and priorities be determined by the calling God has placed upon your life.  And this year my calling is to be Prodigal…to be generous with my time AND my heart.