Finding balance...........

What a beautiful day it was today!  It was actually almost 60 degrees and sunny - a perfect taste of springtime.  So while I was watching Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna we spent a lot of time outside!  Zeke is only 4, and he has mastered that all-important skill......riding a two wheel bike!  WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS!  He has found the balance necessary to pilot that bike down the sidewalk.  He is quite proud of this accomplishment and practiced most of the afternoon.  Anna was trying to ride anything that she could find.  I am sure that she will be trying out a two wheel bike sometime soon after watching her at Ellie's birthday party on Saturday!  Yes, Ellie's birthday was actually yesterday but her party was on Saturday.

This is seven year old Ellie, also finding a balance point, at the playground this morning!  She had a "gymnastics" birthday party at a local gym.  They have a large "bounce house" area and then also provide some obstacle courses and other gymnastic activities.  Most of the kids were considerably older than Anna.  But that little two year old participated in every event!  As I said, I am sure before we know it Anna will be taking off on a two wheel bike!

Back to balance...........it is not always easy to find that perfect balance point.   Just like Zeke, sometimes it takes lots of practice.  Lately I have had much more "free time" since I don't have any "employment" right now.  I am still watching Gwen's kids one day a week and also have my small group meeting.  But what I have found is that it is really easy to NOT accomplish very much when you have lots of extra time.  Let's face it, when you are busy you HAVE to be very careful about using ALL of your time wisely.
.................................... to be continued.....................(I just couldn't seem to finish this blog)

Today Gwen and I were talking about a much busier time in my life.... I was working full time and had Gwen and Doug with school and other activities and then there was church and those activities.. well you get the idea.  Gwen was lamenting the never ending laundry that she experiences in her house of 6 people. I reminded her of a time when our laundry usually did not make it to our drawers/closets but went from the washer to the dryer to the dining room table.  From there it went back onto somebody!  And that cycle continued for a very long time!  Like several years (until I actually started working part time when Gwen was in 3rd grade).  I remember feeling very overwhelmed and like I never was on top of anything.  I don't think I was doing anything well.  I was just getting by in most areas of my life.

As I was doing my Bible reading today, and thinking about this (unfinished) blog that I started last night, I realized that the biggest BALANCE is really the seasons of our life.  We have the carefree days of childhood/young adulthood that balance the very busy times of raising young children.  Then we have a bit of an easier time as our children become more independent as preteens and teens and even young adults.  Then we transition into that empty nest/sandwich generation when we find ourselves stressed with issues dealing with our aging parents.  There is a bit of a balance in that.  And now as we approach retirement age, the balance of this age is much more time.  I have felt much more relaxed and less stressed in the last month.  I have done some very "grandmotherly" type things - cross stitching - for the first time in a long time!  I have also spent much more time in worship and listening to teachings (thanks to Periscope- if you don't know this newer application, it is worth looking into!) I have spent some extra time with Gwen and the kids.  And I have done some clearing out and organizing (thanks Lenten Challenge!)  This led me to thinking about being content and this verse.....
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.....I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:12b-13  

Truthfully I have not been very good about this contentment stuff.  It has not been easy or very evident in my life.  Today I was thinking about the connection between balance and contentment.  For me, if I had known about the shifting seasons and the balance this brought to my life, I think I would have had an easier time being content!  That and knowing that Jesus is the only one who has the strength to bring us into that place of being content - NO MATTER WHAT SEASON WE ARE IN!  Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile or who knows me, will understand that the last couple of years have been a tough season of loss and grief.  But in that season there was a balance of joy and hope that allowed my family to move forward.  Yes, it is good to see and understand what a gift balance is in all things!  So I will be celebrating this season of my life that has brought me a gift of time, along with a new perspective.  

Jesus, thank you letting me chew on this blog post about balance.  Thank you for the revelation of the seasons of our life that help us balance our way into contentment.  Holy Spirit, help us to remember in every season that there is another season on the horizon that will help us balance and walk through whatever is happening today.  Thank you Jesus for being our strength.  Amen

Finding Balance in all things.........

I just love this picture of my three little sweeties.  This was a wonderful trip to the park on Easter Sunday.   Lia's stance is the perfect picture of balance.  This is not an easy task for Lia.  She is doing a great job, even though, it is work!  I woke up this morning thinking about balance.  It was a surprise to me, since this has not been a particularly busy or crazy weekend.   As I was standing in the shower, I was wondering why this word was so on my mind.  I felt the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit saying, "Just Wait!".  Interesting.  There must be something on the horizon that will require a "balancing act" on my part. 

I've been so thankful that I've been able to do a bit of balancing this year, as I have only been working 4 days a week so that I can spend 1 day helping Gwen with the kids.  The work/family balancing is really something.  It is actually very hard for me to NOT work full time.   Some of it is the financial aspect of it, but it just feels odd to not be always working.   I am so thankful that the job change I had in October paved the way for this.  It's one more way that I love to see the hand of Jesus on ALL THINGS!  Even those really hard things like a job change.  Now, to know that this ability to BALANCE was all part of the plan, makes it mean so much more. 

Then this evening I felt a bit of that balancing act coming into play.  I was ready to go out to a Sunday night meeting, but it was doing a bit of storming.  So, I wasn't ready to run out the door.  Even though I got a phone call from a friend who was actually AT the event I was intending to get to, I still just couldn't quite get out the door.   I felt the need to balance my desire to attend that event and this feeling that I should stay home.   Thankfully, the RAIN made it easier.    Then my phone rang.  It was another good friend that I had not spoken to for some time.  We needed to catch up!  Just as that call came to an end, another friend called me.  Once again, it was a call that I needed to have.   And at the end of that conversation, Gwen called me.   I needed to be home tonight to take those calls.

While I still have the feeling that there might well be a much bigger, more difficult balance coming my way, I am not very worried right now.   As a matter of fact, I just LOVE the picture.  The kids were so happy and having so much fun!  There was so much JOY!  I will remember that joy and be thankful tomorrow when I balance my way to Gwen's!  I can't wait for those hugs and kisses that are sure to welcome me in the morning. And I will seek to remember that joy, no matter what comes up that requires a balancing act that seems out of my ability.  Because, of course, it will NOT be too much for Jesus!  I'll let Him do the balancing!   

Jesus, thank you for your love and your care.  I am so grateful for my job and the freedom that I have to spend time with my kids and grandkids.  Holy Spirit, thank you for revelation and putting a thought into my heart.  Continue to speak and give me wisdom and grace to balance!  Amen

And here is a bonus picture of the adults and Anna (and dogs) also enjoying the park on Easter! (Hey, I'm balancing a picture of the kids with a picture of the adults!)