Balancing Blessings

Chapter 5: Conquering Clutter

2011-05-01T06:22:00.001-04:00

I'm sure you know him or her, that person who refuses to let things go? It does not matter that they have not use or worn that thing in years, they just have to keep it (among other things), just in case.... Chapter five of my book focuses on conquering clutter and the chaos in our homes that hinders mobility and productivity in every aspect of life.

Clutter is the result of disorganization, whether it's time, a physical condition, or mental condition that keeps us from getting organized. Clutter in our homes and our lives have cost people jobs, promotions, relationships, ministry opportunities, and most importantly clutter hinders our effectiveness for God.

You are probably at the point where you do not need me to convince you that clutter is hazardous to your physical, mental and spiritual health. You want to know where to start and, how to conquer your clutter. For those who do not have my book, please click here to download a snapshot of my clutter worksheet (password: "BBClutter") which includes steps that I have taken to minimize the clutter in my home--so that I am more responsive and receptive to the call of God. For a detailed process of conquering your clutter, I ask that you get a copy of my book Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order which covers: Clothing Clutter, Paper Clutter, Kitchen Clutter, Another's Clutter, Scaling down Collectibles, and Toy Clutter.

The question that stood out for me this week was: "How closely does the interior and exterior organization of your home represent the way you feel or view yourself?" Speaking on behalf of someone who went from being a minimalist to having to deal with clutter, I can tell you that clutter weighed me down. I always felt overwhelmed and as if there was so much work for me to do. It also killed my creativity; I was constantly scrambling to find things, to get to work on time, to pay bills on time, and to find peace. I'm not going to lie and say, "I am clutter free" because I'm still dealing with the clutter of others. However, I can say, "I'm in a much better place today than I was yesterday."

What clutter category will you be conquering this coming week?

Next Week's Goal: Review Chapter 5 or Step 5, and finish chapter questions.

Chapter 4: More on Exercising and Eating Healthy

2011-04-17T16:15:00.009-04:00

This week's goal was to continue with chapter four, "Exercising and Eating Healthy" to give those who are working diligently through my book, time to work through the process. In addition, I want to take time to commend you. I know this journey has not been easy, but if it's any consolation to you, I'm so glad you're still hanging in there with me.

This week I thought it would be suitable to share with each other responses to the extreme challenge 2: "Learn how to make smoothies which are a great way to add nutritional value to your diet. Experiment with fruits, yogurts, and low-fat milk or soy milk then add protein powder, flaxseed, or other powder supplements for even more nutritional value."

Because I'm not that great of a cook, and not at all creative in the kitchen, I will be sharing with you a smoothie recipe that I use that I obtained from a woman's health book (Simple Pledges, Building Blocks for Healthy Living, Volume III).

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 banana
1 cup low-fat or fat-free fruit yogurt
11/2 cups frozen blueberries or strawberries (peaches, mangoes, raspberries)
1 cup low-fat soy milk

PREPARATION

Place all ingredients in blender and process until desired texture.

Each serving contains approximately:

113 calories
5 g. protein
19 g. carbohydrates
3 g. fat
8 mg. calcium

What I have found helpful in making smoothies quickly and effortlessly is to take time on Saturday or Sunday to cut my fruit into cubes and store them in plastic baggies or plastic containers. That way when I feel like having a healthy snack, it's just a matter of adding my ingredients.

If you have a favorite smoothie recipe or a healthy snack you would like to share, I would love to hear from you!

Next Week's Goal: Read Chapter 5 or Step 5, and start chapter questions.

Chapter 4: Exercising and Eating Healthy

2011-04-03T23:46:00.004-04:00

Chapter four, the chapter in my book I’ve been eager to get back to. With a new job further away from home, exercising and eating healthy has become difficult for me; but I’m no different from most Americans who commute or who are in a job that requires them to work long hours or travel a lot. The more time spent away from home, the harder it is to maintain a healthy life-style; and with the increased difficulty to find time to exercise and eat healthy comes an increased necessity to keep the body healthy, as it’s stressed, stretched, pushed and pulled in various directions throughout the day.

Reading this chapter again brought to mind how important our bodies are to God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul declares:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

You were bought with a price so high that no amount of silver or gold could redeem you. Redemption could only come through the blood of Jesus Christ. How does that make you feel? When I read those words this week I almost felt guilty for not taking better care of myself, but for the most part I felt special that Jesus loved me so much, He died for me. Hearing those words gave me the desire this week to get back on track with exercising and eating healthy.

Some small changes I have made this week was to walk for twenty minutes during my lunch break, I plan to do that at least three times a week every week--as the weather permits. I’ve also been more adamant about taking my vitamins and supplements; and I have started storing healthy snacks in my purse. Always having a snack with me makes me less eager to eat something (anything) because I am starving.

Next week I will continue with chapter four, but I also want to encourage you visit ChooseMyPlate.Gov. It’s a site created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designed to help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. If you decide to build a personalized plan, you’ll need to enter your age, sex, height, and activity level in the ChooseMyPlate Plan form. The form will take your information and calculate in cups and ounces how much of what, from five food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein foods) you should be eating daily. In addition, the site contains a lot of assistance and information on eating healthy and losing weight.

Next Week's Goal: Review Chapter 4 or Step 4, and finish chapter questions.

Chapter 3: The Process of Planning

2011-03-06T19:01:00.001-05:00

This week’s focus was on responding to the questions at the end of Chapter four, and since my method of planning and the tools that I use to plan have varied a bit since I have written this book, I thought it would be fun to take you through my planning process. So in response to group question three: “What method or tool do you use to schedule your day? How well does it work for you?” here is a glimpse into my process.

My Digital Planning Process

This may sound strange to some, but my next day actually begins the evening before. I have found it extremely difficult to be productive if my day is not planned before I’m actually in it. So when the sun goes down, and my son and step-son (if he’s with us) are in bed, and all is peaceful at the Miller’s abode, I’ll begin to plan for the next day. This has become a routine occurrence for me, but until I got to that point, I had to make “plan my day” an appointment in my calendar.

Review My Calendar

Google Calendar

Speaking of calendars, the calendar is one of the first things I look at when preparing for the next day. I use to scribble down all my meetings and events in a Covey Planner, and then review the calendar in the evenings; but I have since transferred to a digital calendar. I like the fact that I can receive meeting alerts or event notifications on my smart phone, and that my calendar syncs with multiple devices. My calendar of choice is the free Google calendar available with a free Google email account. I find the idea of having a “desktop on the web” and of being able to separate my work activities, family events, and writing deadlines into separate calendars and still have it display as one calendar, fantastic! In addition, my husband has access to the family portion of the calendar and whoever may be assisting me has access to the business portion of my calendar. That’s not all; I can get to my Google calendar from anywhere using any device with internet connectivity. On my smartphone, I access my Google calendar through Pocket Informant even though there's a free Google calendar app available. I prefer Pocket Informant because it integrates my calendar and to-do lists; it looks like a real day planner with a colorful interface; and it syncs to my online Google and Toodledo accounts.

Review My Task List

Toodledo Task List

Once I’ve reviewed and updated my calendar, it’s time to comb through my task list. Since I am always maintaining a running list of things I need to do, I immediately comb through my list to determine what must be done and needs to be done tomorrow. My favorite online task manager, which happens to be free, is Toodledo. It’s not the most atheistically pleasing task list on the World Wide Web, but it’s efficient and might I add: functional. It's a Getting Things Done (GTD) system that gives me the freedom to decide how I want to categorize my tasks. Some of the folders I’ve created are: Family, Work, Errands, Business, Someday, etc. Here too, if I’m able to get to the internet, I’m able to get to my lists. Plus, Pocket Informant allows me to pull my tasks from Toodledo, into my smart phone. Having mobile access to my task lists--during the day--allows me to quickly be able to mark tasks done when appropriate. So in the evenings, I more focused on tagging what needs to be done tomorrow, and on adding to my master task list. And since I'm still using my spiral assistant to capture certain things, it’s still sometimes necessary for me to transfer tasks from my spiral notebook to my digital task list.

Dedicating Myself to Planning

While I am planning my day, I am usually at my desk using my laptop computer; on my more lazy days I’m in bed with my smartphone in landscape mode updating my lists via the Pocket Informant phone app. Once I’m done planning it’s usually time for bed; but when I wake up the next morning, I’ll take 5 to 10 minutes to just look over my day, before I step out of bed to begin it.

It all boils down to this:

10 to 20 minutes every evening to plan the next day’s schedule.

10 minutes every morning to review the day’s schedule.

30 minutes every Saturday evening or Sunday morning to plan my week.

This is what works for me. The use of a smart phone is not for everyone, the most important thing you can do for yourself to increase your productivity is to get a planning process established that works for you. If you have a digital planning process, please share what works for you.

Chapter 3: Prayerfully Planning Ahead

2011-02-27T22:15:00.002-05:00

How are you at planning your day? Are you one of those special people who can wake up in the morning and whatever life tosses your way, you're ready for the challenge? "A plan," you say, "who needs a plan? A plan is binding and life is meant to be lived without limitations." Actually, planning wisely assists us in bringing order to our day, to our week, ... to our life. The only time planning hinders us is when we get so caught up in sticking to a plan that we don't allow room for flexibility, people, or an act of God.

In chapter three of "Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order" the focus was on "helping you to recognize God's authority in your life by including God in your life choices and by planning your days wisely." The chapter included tips for planning your day, it look at tasks verses projects, it covered establishing a routine, it discussed why we don’t plan, and the power of prayerful planning.

Having just started a job further from home, I recently had to alter my daily and nightly routine to incorporate the fact that I would be away from my home and my family longer than before. And although my work days were longer, believe me, my responsibilities at home still remained the same. I have found that it takes discipline to stick to a routine, but not sticking to it, causes far more problems and heartaches for me in the morning when I'm pressed to get to work on time.

If you are feeling like your days are out of control, take time to establish a routine; then begin to take time every morning and just present your day to God. Ask Him to “give [you] this day, [your] daily bread....” Then sit quietly for a moment and listen to God to speak to your heart before you begin to plan your day.

Next Week's Goal: Review Chapter 3 or Step 3, and finish chapter questions.

Chapter 2: More on Priorities

2011-02-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

Chapter 2: Establishing Proper Priorities

2011-01-29T09:27:00.002-05:00

You are at a fork-in-the-road, in one direction is the road leading to truth, light, salvation, and unknown blessings; in the other direction is the road leading to sin, idolatry, and eventually spiritual death. Which road would you choose? I think the choice is rather obvious here, but in real life, it is not so obvious when our sense of direction gets muddled with fear, desire, people, and our priorities.

This week I was forced to re-evaluate my priorities. Chapter two begins with the biblical story of Orpah, in the book of Ruth, and the choice she made to return to Moab instead of continuing on to Bethlehem with Ruth and Naomi. A section in Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order reads:

“Wedge between two decisions, I have no doubt that the choice she made to return home was a very difficult decision to make. With pressure from Naomi to go back, and the fear of the unknown in her heart, she did what most of us would do: return to the comfort of home, even though our spirit is restless with the decision.”
Whether we realize it or not her decision was based on what was important to her (her priorities); as much as she loved her mother-in-law and her sister-in-law, getting married again was important to her, having children was important to her, and I imagine being close to family and friends was also important to her. All these things she desired were good and they were probably things that God desired for her, but when a person fails to insert God in the equation, things don’t turn out quite as well (or should I say, “quite as miraculously”).

Establishing godly priorities (or a clear direction for our life begins with putting God first, but it also requires us to examine our current priories to gain some measure of insight as to what is really important to us. Using the books list of common priorities on page sixty one of chapter two, helped me quickly discern where the majority of my time was being spent, what my values were, and whether they aligned with God’s will for me.

Ruth put God, love, dedication, service, and commitment high on her priority list, and she still got all the things in Bethlehem that Orpah returned to Moab for. The section concluded the commentary by saying:

“Daily you will venture to the fork-in-the-road where you will have to make those crucial choices that will either take you closer to Bethlehem (to Jesus Christ) or closer to Moab (away from Jesus Christ). The vehicle to getting to either of these places, and the focus of this chapter, is your priorities.”
For many months now I have deviated from being a Martha, to being a Mary to being a Martha again. Re-evaluating my priorities this week help me once again determine where the majority of my time was being spent—especially at work. I may spend nine hours at work, but was I meeting my goals and objectives or was I allowing interruptions to drive me off course. The most important question for me this week which concluded the chapter was: “Am [I] making all that [I] do count for the Lord?”

Next Week's Goal: Review Chapter 2 or Step 2, and finish chapter questions.

Chapter 1 of My Journey, Take Two

2011-01-22T07:17:00.000-05:00

Last week I finished reading chapter one, and this past week I took the time to thoughtfully answer each of the end-of-chapter questions and to carefully walk through the challenges. By putting forth the effort regardless of how busy my week was, I believe I set the tone for how serious this journey is for me. It's not just a journey I want to hurry up and be through with, it's a process I want to grow and mature from: spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically.

The questions and challenges in Chapter 1 set the foundation for the entire book. Here are a few questions that were thought-provoking to me:

What is the difference between Balancing Your Blessings and Stewardship?
What does having order mean to you?
What does it mean to live a surrendered life?
What do you want your life to look life after you have completed this book?

here is a snippet of my response to the last question:

"... I want to be a better and do better; I want God to have more control over my everyday life rather than the people around me, my circumstances, or my environment..."

My "Balancing Blessings" Covenant is now a wall paper on my smart phone until I complete the challenge, so more than a few times a day I am reminded of my commitment, once again, to change.

Next Week's Goal: Read Chapter 2 or Step 2, and start chapter questions.

Chapter 1 of My Journey

2011-01-15T08:37:00.002-05:00

This week I finished Step 1: Getting Geared Up, and after my initial start last week I'm still pretty excited about going through this book once again and "jotting my journey" for all to read. I hope by sharing my journey I will encourage more readers to join me. At the very least I want to inspire someone in cyberspace to change one or two things in their life that would have the most significant and the most positive impact on their day-to-day life.

Speaking of life, what spoke to my heart most in Chapter 1 was on living a surrendered life--"releasing possessions, resources, and oneself to be wholly and completely used to glorify the kingdom of God." Boy has that been hard for me! I'm known for constantly getting in God's way or stepping on God's toes in pursuit of my goals, only to come back to the realization (time after time) that I'm nothing without God and I can do nothing of godly value without God's grace, mercy, and endless support.

Step 1 forced me to revisit areas in my life that I have failed to surrender to God. I had to ask myself: "How can I once again begin that process of daily surrendering myself to God, and how can I be better at surrendering this time, than last time?" Then it dawned on me that surrendering is a daily process of denying myself and taking up my cross daily (Luke 9:23), and asking the Lord each day to give me this day my daily bread (Matthew 6:11)—the strength, the energy, the courage, the means, the passion, etc. so that I might glorify Him daily.

Next Week's Goal: finish Chapter 1 questions.

Getting Started on My Journey

2011-01-08T09:41:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading the Preface and the Introduction for this week's journey challenge. I decided that going through this book once again is very much needed. Adjusting to working full-time has caused me to sacrifice time with God to do other things. Regardless of where my time has been spent, I'm so glad God loves me unconditionally and that there is no respect of persons with God (Romans 2:11). He loves me, just as much as he loves you.

I also created my reading plan using the tools in Appendix A (pages 350-1) of my book. Although I have a propensity for fickleness—one day I'm motivated the next day I may not be—I decided it would be best for me to face my weaknesses up front. I will go through the steps sequentially—even though I'm eager to get to step 4, because a necessary goal for me is to find ways to increase my energy level; and what better chapter to help me get focus in that area than Chapter 4: Exercising and Eating Healthy.

Next Week's Goal: Read Chapter 1 or Step 1, and purchase a journal to log my thoughts, and respond to chapter questions.

Practicing What I Preach

2010-12-22T18:20:00.001-05:00

It has been almost two years since the second edition of my book has been out. Since then so much has changed in my life. My son is older with more responsibilities and more home work for me to assist him with. I'm back at work full-time which leaves very little time, if any, to manage my home, write, and run a business. My step son is visiting more frequently as my husband tries to share with both boys what it means to be a man. Put simply, life never stands still long enough for me to get caught up; on top of all that I truly believe I have a responsibility to walk the walk and not just talk the talk for my readers.

The hardest part of having been given a gift or a revelation to share with others is the responsibility to glorify God in the process through consistency, and perseverance in what one has been called to do. Though my book "Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order" was a blessing to me while I was writing it and practicing it in 2007; life always has a way of getting a person off track. And off track is where I've been for the past few months as project after project has demanded my time and attention. So in my attempt to re-establish order, I began mapping out my plan to get back on track, when my husband handed me a copy of my own book "Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order." Nothing more needed to be discussed or said, I knew what he was alluding to.

Starting on January 1, 2010 I will be journalizing my thoughts and feelings at the end of each week, as I take that journey once again, through my own book. If you would like to join me in this process, my book can be ordered online at Amazon.com it is also available on the Amazon Kindle. Let me forewarn you, this will not be a speedy race around a track; instead I will be traveling through each step bi-weekly. This will allow myself and others--who would like to join me--the time to meditate on what has been read, and then opportunity to incorporate some of the principle into one's life. Feel free to share your experiences by commenting on my blog posts or posting on my facebook wall. If you are opting out of this journey, please keep the rest of us in prayer. God Bless.

End of Week Goal: Read book Preface and Introduction.

More on Priorities

2010-09-25T15:52:00.003-04:00

Are you anything like me,…what you do first thing in the morning sets the tone for your entire day? That certainly rings true for me; if I miss time in prayer, I begin to feel frustrated, and short-tempered. On the other hand if I make time for God, I normally feel as Moses felt when he uttered Psalm 90:14: I feel satisfied with God's mercy and loving-kindness.

In taking stock of my life this week, once again my focus turned to praying over my priorities, and seeking God's presence and guidance in my life. This step is an important step not only for me, but for any woman who like me has become accustom to putting other's first.

My wake-up call this week came from a high school friend who called to let me know that she would be having surgery the following day. Though she explained to me that the surgery was not life threatening--opting out would be life threatening. Years of putting others first had stressed her body to the point that it began to retaliate. Though I truly admire her and many of my other friends for the dedication and the commitment they have shown toward their family, I cannot help but wonder whether all their busyness over the years was needful or fruitful. In other words, was the source of their productivity God? Without godly priorities it's easy to become distracted by things that may be good, but we also become oblivious to those things that are essential or important. That has been true for me over the years, and for my dear friend who at this moment is preparing herself mentally and emotionally for the unexpected. And I'm sure this resonates with every woman whose life is not driven by prayer.

In re-evaluating my priorities in light of God's perspective, I was prompted to move "Health and Exercise" which was previously a "3" under Present to a "5" under God-Given. There were other adjustments that I was prompted to make, and that I plan to make, but the need to focus on my health stood out for me as I listened to God speak to me via a friend with a similar medical issue, through a busy life that often leaves me weary and worn out, and through the Word of God which says "[I was] bought at a price [Jesus death on the cross]; therefore [I should] glorify God in [my] body and in [my] spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Next Week's Goal: Read Chapter 3 or Step 3, and start chapter questions.

Getting Ahead of Myself

2010-09-04T04:49:00.003-04:00

Although this past week's goal was to read chapter 2, which I did. I quickly realized, I was getting ahead of myself. I really needed the time to meditate on what had been said in chapter 1, and then time to completely work through the questions and action steps. I guess I really wanted to be able to check a goal off as being completed in my mind without it being completed in my heart--kinda like cheating on a diet, but the only person I was hurting was myself.

Next Week's Goal: Finish chapter 1 questions and action steps.

A Moment with Sandra Miller

2010-06-12T04:46:00.005-04:00

Although I’ve been blogging for close to two and a half years now, there are still a lot people who do not know about my passion for the process of balancing one’s blessings; and what drove me to write the book Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order. Thanks to Ashley my assistant and her thought provoking questions here is an interview I did with her over a year ago. God Bless.

Ashley: Sandra, can you tell us, what your book is about?
Sandra: Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order is essentially an eleven step process designed to help women get some semblance of balance and order in every aspect of their lives in light of God’s Word and will. This is achieved by helping women first understand how blessed they really are, and how habits, processes, and being out of kilter affects their effectiveness for God. But the book doesn’t stop there, its main purpose is to walk women through the actual process of conquering their clutter, managing their household finances, pursuing their passions, making their ministries matter, living more healthier lifestyles, and so on--essentially involving into the Proverbs 31 woman most of us long to be like.

Ashley: What makes this book so important?
Sandra: What makes this book so important is its purpose. The purpose of this book—which is also my ministry motto—is to help women manage their time, so they have more time, to invest that time in the things of God. It is my personal belief that when God is actively involved in the various aspects of our lives we are more effective women. An effective woman is focused, an effective woman blesses, an effective woman produces fruits that honor and glorify God, and those around her. An effective woman is not perfect, but she does have the flexibility to stop when God says stop, to turn when God says turn, and to hold up and seek God when He desires to take her in a new direction.

Ashley: What inspired you to write Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order?
Sandra: My life, my friends, women… I started feeling as if women (including myself) were losing a big chuck of themselves trying to be all things to all people; and trying to live up to everyone’s expectations (including their own). Growing up my mom stayed home, and my dad provided for the family, so for a long time I was torn between doing what my mom did and being the superwoman that society wanted me to be. That’s just a snippet of the expectations and responsibilities that women struggle with every day. Some of us have overextended ourselves to the point of exhaustion. We are living life on a roller coaster that won’t stop, until we decide enough is enough and are able to say, “Forget what society thinks I ought to be doing; what is right in the eyes of God? What will allow me to look back five or ten years from now and give me comfort and peace that I made the right choice for myself, and my loved ones?”

Ashley: Who are you, what do you represent to other women?
Sandra: I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a sister in Christ to every single woman out there who believes they need God as much as I do. What do I represent? I represent today’s Christian Woman who does not believe in the status quo; but believes “godly common sense” and flexibility is the key to living a productive more balanced life.

I’m getting healthy and fit not to look good in a bathing suit, but so I can more effectively run my race for God. There may be a year where I can focus on my career, and help build up the family’s emergency fund. There may also be a year where I’ll have to stay home or work part-time, because it’s necessary to home school my son, tend to my marriage, etc. What I can tell you is that society will not dictate my choices, God will. What I hope to be for Christian women is a symbol of what balance and order through God can brings…love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness…

Ashley: What reading audience did you have in mind when you wrote this book?
Sandra: All women, but more specifically my sisters in Christ.

Ashley: Do you think the path to balance and order is the same for everyone?
Sandra: I think each of us have our own individual struggles. Some struggle more with managing money than others; yet some are dealing with weight issues to the point that their weight is impeding their ministry and their livelihood. The wonderful thing about my book is that it’s flexible. Once you’ve read a short introduction and the first two chapters, you decided where you need to go from there. It may be to Step 4: Exercising and Eating Healthy, or to Step 5: Conquering your Clutter. The path may not be the same for everyone, but the destination is the same; and that destination is to be the godly woman that God has called each of us to be.

Ashley: What authors inspire you?
Sandra: I am inspired by so many wonderful authors: Elizabeth Gorge is one, Max Lucado is another, and of course Michelle McKinney. I guess what attracts me to an author is the spirit of their books, stories (personal and biblical), and their focus on God and God’s Word.

Ashley: How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors?
Sandra: Anything you want to know about me and my endeavors can be found on my web page at http://www.balancingblessings.com/. I can also be found at the following locations:

• Blog: balancingblessings.blogspot.com
• FaceBook: www.facebook.com/Balancing.Blessings
• Twitter: twitter.com/BalanceBlesses

Abigail

2010-04-12T12:20:00.002-04:00

Newsletter (April 2010): From the Heart of God's Woman

The Old Testament tells a story about a woman name Abigail. She was a classic example of a gracious woman. One Scripture tells us that she was “of good understanding and beautiful” (1 Samuel 25:3). But Abigail was married to a foolish man, Nabal, who made the mistake of insulting King David—the one who killed the giant Goliath and annihilated the Philistines, remember? When David and his soldiers were on their way to repay Nabal for his evil deeds, Abigail interceded and became her husband’s strong ezer (helper). Let us take a closer look at our gracious woman, Abigal.

Click here to continue: Abigail2010Newsletter.pdf

Conquering Your Paper Clutter

2010-03-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

It's hard to truly feel at home in a space until you've dealt with the clutter. In this post I will give you five steps to appropriately handle your paper clutter and to help you prepare for the unexpected.

Step 1: Gather together all the pockets of paper clutter around your house into one location; quickly comb through the clutter and eliminate the unnecessary (junk mail, outer envelopes, credit card offers, old newspapers, etc.). Then group the remaining items into suitable categories (ex. newspapers, magazines, bills, reference/research paperwork, items to file …). Next, begin to file what needs to be filed; place bills in a visible and accessible area; and layout your newspapers and magazines in a social area to be enjoyed. If the latter items are more than thirty days old, consider clipping out the articles that interest you and store those clippings in a folder. Last but not least, recycle what remains of your paper clutter. Note: If you haven't already, this is a great time to establish a permanent filing system for your important papers.

Step 2: Once your pockets of paper clutter have been dealt with, it's safe to start pulling out those vital documents you may need if it becomes necessary for you to evacuate your home immediately. Documents that you should keep in a small fire proof box or safety deposit box are: birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, copies of drivers’ licenses, etc. Please take a look at the recommendations provided by the American Red Cross at: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html; the peace of mind obtained from getting order in this area of your life will be well worth the effort.

Step 3: If you've completed the first two paper challenges, consider creating your own paper processing center. A place within your home (preferably your home office) where documents are shredded, mail is sorted, paper is recycled, and documents are filed.

To get started, you'll need a trash can, recycle bin, a shredder, a letter opener, a file cabinet or an accordion-style folder, and a plastic bin or basket (labeled "Mail Bin"). Make sure each of these items are located in a place within your office that is easily accessible by you and within your view. Make a commitment to only open mail in your newly created paper processing center. Place mail that requires some kind of action in your mail bin and immediately store any documents--in your file cabinet or your accordion style folder--that may be needed in the future. Lastly, recycle what remains of your paper clutter; and once or twice a quarter consider sifting through your files to shred outdated documents (old bills, receipts, bank statements, etc.).

Step 4: Build an inventory and video of all your expensive household items. Get out your writing pad or smart phone, and begin jotting down the name, serial number, make, model, etc. of all those household items too expensive to replace if there was a fire or natural disaster. Then video tape or take pictures of those items. Store that information in a save place, preferably a fire proof box or a safety deposit box . Granted, we are not to value things, but we do not want our giving (paying to replace items) or our service (busy inventorying what's left) to be hindered by simple steps we could have taken.

Step 5: Last but not least, don't forget to organize your digital papers. Information stored on a computer hard-drive can be just as vital as information sitting in a safety deposit box. You'll want to take time periodically to copy information from your hard-drive to a CD-drive or DVD-drive; then store that portable drive with the rest of your vital records. How often you do this will depend on how often the information you are storing changes--monthly or quarterly should be sufficient. However, if you are running a business you may want to consider an online service that will allow you to not only access, but backup your digital content right from your desktop.

If you have additional ideas, comments or suggestions I would love to hear them.

Your Someone's Angel

2010-03-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Just recently I was chatting with my mother over the phone when the conversation turned to a young lady who was staying across the street from her and my dad. Now my parent live in a peaceful suburbia neighborhood in which this young lady with three kids was renting a room from her aunt – who was known for taking in estranged family members. This young lady had lost her mother at a young age, and according to her, she really didn’t have a close relationship with her father. As a matter of fact their relationship was so strained he was threatening to have her kids taken away from her—claiming that she was not fit to be a mother. That’s where my mother enters the picture; even though she would have rather stayed out of it--God had other plans.

I would say a new chapter begins in this teenager’s life with her walking up and down the side walk cursing on her cell phone. This didn’t go on for a minute or two, try three to four hours. Neighbors who were trying to enjoy a nice day, quickly found themselves returning to the comfort and sound proof protection of their home. My mom was one of those neighbors who peaked out her door several times only to find a distraught and troubled young lady still walking up and down the sidewalk cursing up a storm. Annoyed and perturbed my mother considered calling the police to put a stop to the nuisance. She thought, if only the cops would drive by and hear the foul words coming from this young lady’s mouth; surely they would have cause to arrest her for disturbing the peace. While reaching for the phone, the Holy Spirit spoke to my mother’s spirit: “Go pray with and for her.” Realizing that prayer may be a better solution than calling the police my mother was obedient to the Holy Spirit and went out to talk to the young lady. When my mother reached her, she asked her if she could pray with and for her, the young lady’s response was “sure.”

My mother prayed with and for her, and then sat down and talked with her—quickly realizing that calling the police on her would have just compounded her problems. Her car had been repossessed leaving her with no transportation to work; her father had taken her kids and kicked her out of his house; she was low on funds with no money to pay anyone to take her anyplace; and last but not least her father was preparing to have her children taken away because, in his eyes, she was an unsuitable mother. Simply put, she was at her wits end and just did not know what she was going to do. As God would have it, my parents had just purchased another car and were contemplating on what they were going to do with one of their older cars.

My mother talked with my father and they agreed they would give her a car. In the process this young lady was able to keep her job, find her own place, and continue to provide for her kids (enough that it met her father’s expectations). In addition, she was introduced to God. I tell you this story, because if we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we want to peek out the door to make sure the coast is clear so we only have to worry about our own problems, and not the problems of others. With the economy as bad as it is, so many people are hurt, frustrated, and in desperate need of the basic necessities of life. And where there is a need, there is most likely a heart that is open to receive your prayers and quite possibly a relationship with Jesus.

God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, so as we go about our daily lives we should look for opportunities to: “Lift up (encourage and support); build up (provide the resources for growth); hold up (endure with another); help up (serve those in need); and pick up (lend a helping hand).”

Reference: “Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order” by Sandra Miller.

Tips for Balancing your Blessings in 2010

2010-01-20T13:34:00.002-05:00

1. Your Priorities

Determine to get your mind and your mission in alignment with your priorities, so you are able to stay focused on what needs to be done in your personal life and business life.

2. Your Prayer Life

Begin your day with prayer. Prayer can take a lot out of you (time and energy), but it pours so much more into you.

3. Your Health

Take care of your self: eat right, find time to exercise at least three times a week for fifteen to twenty minutes a day, and get the right amount of rest that your body requires.

4. Your Possessions

Resolve to not be preoccupied with obtaining things; instead, get rid of things that serve no purpose, give you no joy, and that separates you from God.

5. Your Passions

Have a passion you want to pursue? Get up, dust yourself off, and start pursuing it. Don't have a passion? Make it your passion to discover what God have uniquely place in your heart to do.

6. Your Relationships

Create healthy boundaries, but never miss an opportunity to spend more time with the people you love. Treat people with respect, and commit to adding value to peoples lives without expecting anything in return. In essence "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

7. Your Ministry

Seek to align your will with God's will. Let God be your God, Jesus your example, and the Bible your comprehensive guidebook on life.

8. Your Finances
Live within your means, take care of your family, give according to scriptures, and invest in your future.

9. Your Self Worth

Be yourself, and realize that as a child of God's you are blessed and highly favored.

10. Your Home

Let your home be a place where the Holy Spirit will always feel welcomed.

Reference: Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Order by Sandra Miller.

Do You Have the Courage to Live Your Best Life?

2010-01-06T12:16:00.008-05:00

Do You Have the Courage to "Live Your Best Life"? There is a reason why I am asking you that question. I know you want the best for yourself; but does wanting the best mean settling for less until life hands you what you really want. I can just imagine some of you scratching your heads right about now, but there are others who know exactly what I am talking about. You've dreamed of being successful: owning your own business, getting that degree, or getting that promotion. You've fantasized about: losing weight, pursuing your passion, or being debt free. The dilemma for allot of people is getting beyond the fear of success or failure. Some people have been so paralyzed by fear that they've shut the door to pursuing their hopes and dreams; but yet, they still hope by some mystical happening or anointing that their hopes and dreams will find them.

God has given each of us free will, He lets us decide individually whether we will succeed or fail on the path we have chosen for ourselves; He has also given us the option to do nothing--that doesn't mean things and life won't continue to happen around us, it just mean we've chosen not to be an active participant. God says in Deuteronomy 30:19: " I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;" God is not just counseling us to live life to its fullest, He is also encouraging us to be fearless and bold in pursuing the passions, talents, skills and abilities he has blessed us with. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).

Know matter how much we say we want to achieve "this" or "that" unless we have the "courage of our conviction" and the Holy Spirit working within us, no amount of money, strength, perseverance, or resilience is going to help us achieve the goals we desire to achieve.

The Discipline in Setting Goals

2009-12-02T22:07:00.010-05:00

In my last post I shared with you how to set goals, and as we both know setting goals is one thing, but following through on those goals is quite another thing. As the year comes to a close most of the people I know and those people who I have talked with who use to set New Years goals, have set aside that tradition and have opted instead to hope for the best. They hope they'll lose weight this coming year; they hope they'll get that promotion; they hope their relationship will get better. I realize that the Bible says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). But it also says, “…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). Yes, James was referring to one's salvation in this passage; but show me anything of substance that was produced without work. Our salvation is freely given to us, but it requires us to believe, to turn from sin, and to confess our sin.

So in this post I'd like to share with you some tips to help you gain discipline so your goals don't become stale before the end of the first month of the new year. The tips I have adopted for myself are from Brian Tracy author and public speaker on human potential and personal effectiveness. Here are a few suggestions of his that have helped me gain discipline as I pursue my goals in spite of my weaknesses, workload, and family responsibilities:

List 5 areas in your life that lack discipline, and prioritize them in the order you want to conquer them.
Take them on, one by one by securing resources in the areas you are having trouble (book, tapes, etc.) or by finding someone who is a great role model in the areas you are trying to gain discipline.
Spend 15 minutes getting focused in each area daily.
Spend 5 minutes checking up on yourself daily.
Spend 5 minutes in the morning evaluating your progress.

If I had to add one more step it would be to pray fervently for God's guidance in each of the areas you lack discipline. Some of the areas you are trying to conqueror may be more than a lack of discipline, but a stronghold that only God's strong hand can deliver you from.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you “(1 Peter 5:6-7).

Reference: Brian Tracy, How to Master Your Time (Chicago, Illinois: Nightingale Conant Corporation).

A Balancing Blessings Nugget

2009-11-12T21:24:00.004-05:00

It's mid November and soon you will probably be preparing to create that detailed list of goals you want to accomplish in the coming year? Before your goals lose their novelty, and you abandon them by the end of the first month of the new year, stop and think about the roles you fulfill daily (ex. wife, mother, Christian, career woman, business owner, student, friend, etc.); then begin to think of goals you want to accomplish in each of these roles. Keep your goals simple by only listing one or two things that you want to accomplish in each of the roles. Remember, goals should be SMART. According to the SMART acronym, your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (attached to a specific date or time frame).

Bathsheba

2009-10-02T21:53:00.005-04:00

Newsletter (October 2009): From the Heart of God's Woman

So many Christian women are stuck in a rut because of their unwillingness to forgive. To forgive themselves or to forgive someone who has wronged them; either way forgiveness does not come easy. However, having received God’s forgiveness, we are called to forgive those who have sinned against us. First Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins (NIV).” Jesus was despised, rejected, and ridiculed. His hands and feet were pierced for our transgressions, yet while hanging on a cross, He says to His father—out of love for us: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus gave his life for us, to cover our sins, yet that does not release us from the command to forgive. Let us take a moment to look at the life of Bathsheba, and what unforgiveness may have cost her, and what forgiveness and faith restored to her.

Click here to continue: Bathsheba2009Newsletter.pdf

A Balancing Blessings Nugget

2009-09-14T11:23:00.001-04:00

Feeling discouraged because you've lost that zest for life that you once had? Rekindle that joy and excitement by creating a laundry list of all the off-the-wall things you want to do before you die (ex. run a marathon, take a trip to Europe, write a book, trace your roots, learn a foreign language, ...) then take steps to accomplish at least one off-the-wall thing a year.

T. S. Eliot said: "If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life, you must accept the terms it offers you."

Norman Vincent Peale said: "If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind."

The Right PDA for You!

2009-08-31T11:23:00.015-04:00

I am not a gadget person; most of my gadget getting has come from my gadget guru husband. Although I did get him an Amazon Kindle for his birthday. Anyway, when I started back to work full-time, gaining more time in my day became my new challenge. Besides working a full-time job I was an aspiring author, I had a home based business to manage, a family to tend to, and technical skills to maintain. So I knew I needed help in a major way, and a maid or personal assistant was out of the question. So my focus turned to finding the right device to help me better manage all these areas. Here are the steps I took…

Step 1: Clearly Define Your Needs

My first step was to define my needs. I already had a functioning cell phone so my husband, my job, the baby sitter or the school could reach me, if needed. I already had a laptop to develop products and to manage my business from home. What I lacked was portability, flexibility, and scalability. Those were my major needs. My more specific needs were to be able to manage my business, check my email accounts, write, and tend to my duties as homemaker, anytime or anywhere.

For those of you who have read my book Balancing Blessings and Obtaining Oder, let me clarify that the device would not take the place of my spiral assistant; but hopefully it would help me be more productive and enhance the way I operate on a daily basis.

Step 2: Define Your Limitations

My next step was to define my limitations or weaknesses. I had to ask myself: "How much can I afford to invest in a device?" Seventy plus dollars a month on a device is more than $840.00 a year. I also had to ask myself: "How much time do I want to spend learning the ins and outs of a new device?" Patience is not a virtue of mine, and is definitely something God is working with me on. My thoughts on any time saving device has been this: It should not take me that much time to get familiar with a device before I can benefit from it, and it saves me time. A limitation for you may be visual or fat fingers (which is also a limitation of mine). A weakness for you may be fear of technology, or an aversion to change.

Step 3: Start Researching Various Gadgets

After defining my needs and limitations, I “googled” Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) devices. My research revealed that they no longer had the appeal they once had. They were being trumped by smart phones like the iPhone, the Blackberry Curve, the Palm Pre and Android—which offers the user the ability to check email accounts away from home, make and receive personal/business calls, and manage appointments.

That was all fine and good, but I still needed the ability to edit or produce documents. My focus then turned to the mini notebook or Net-book (a small version of the desk top computer). It was perfect, so I thought. It offered scalability—it could handle large files, and accommodate my growing needs (through upgrades) in a cost effective manner. It offered portability—it actually fit in my purse, and as a result of its light weight and size I could take it with me to write and check my email accounts away from home with Wi-Fi service. It offered flexibility—I could be productive during unproductive times when I didn’t have my Net-book.

Step 4: Make Your Decision

After comprehensive research I went with the Net-book, and after having had my Net-book for 60 days, I changed my mind. I decided the smart phone was a better choice. Which smart phone, you ask? I’ll tell you that at the end of this blog.

The Net-book met my major needs, and I highly recommend it if your main purpose is to use it to produce documents. The truth is, software applications like Vista, or Adobe Photoshop that require a large screen resolution will not install on Net-books—it just is not a personal computer. As far as the Net-book meeting my more specific needs, it failed as a PDA to help me manage my business and home life on the go.

So there I was again, looking for the perfect gadget. Again, my attention turned to the smart phone since most smart phones like the BlackBerry Curve and the Palm Pre have miniature keyboards to give me that similar feeling of using a Net-book. Portability, flexibility, and scalability are similar to the Net-book; however, the major benefit of having a smart phone were all the applications (called apps) available to help me manage my business and home life more effectively—at little or no cost to me.

If you have time, please read CNET’s article "Best 5 Cell Phones" and Farhad Manjoo’s article "IPhone Apps to Organize Your Life." Farhad Manjoo's article is geared toward the iPhone, but it also provides a great introduction to apps and the types of apps you should consider acquiring for any smart phone.

So what has changed since purchasing my smart phone? I find it much easier to managing reoccurring tasks or lists. For instance, my grocery list is created once, and I can add or subtract items from it as needed (anywhere or anytime)—no need to boot up my computer and print out my list. In addition, I can have multiple lists—a list of needs for each store I frequent. I can even check items off my list as I shop. I have a coworker than uses Google Map to determine the best route (low traffic areas) to take to and from work. By far, my favorite app to date is the Bill Reminder. It has already paid for itself in preventing a late charge on a bill that is paid less regularly than others.

As far as the smart phone saving me time, initially that did not happen. There was an initial learning curve and time spent trying to incorporate apps into my life. After having used it for over six months, I am definitely seeing and reaping the time saving benefits in my smart phone choice. My smart phone choice was the iPhone; although what I was initially looking for was a platform that was a cross between an iPhone and a Net-book, but since the Apple iPad or the HP Slate did not exist at the time of my search, I’ve become very content with the alternative—my iPhone.

(Blog Post revised 4/19/2010).

A Balancing Blessings Nugget

2009-08-18T18:39:00.005-04:00

When you find yourself engaged in a cycle of negative thoughts, challenge your thoughts:

1. Determine where your negative thoughts are coming from (a friend, a feeling, a lie, lack of understanding, etc.)?

2. Take control over your negative thoughts by:

Choosing not to dwell on the negative thought, or replacing that negative thought with a pleasant thought.

Peacefully confronting the person generating some of the negative thoughts you may have.

Seeking resolution in God's Word regarding a negative thought.

Philippians 4:8 say: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."