Life feels like I'm in the swirl of a tornado these days. Barely time to sit and think. Running between new home planning, old home packing and a travel business going crazy! It's ALL GOOD so I don't want to sound like I'm complaining but holy smokes… this lazy butt just wants to sit and sip a cold drink in front of a chick-flick!
This week I have barely had time to squeeze in packing as I have been working countless hours trying to please all of my clients asking for quotes and booking vacations. I wish the days were longer so I could get everything done. My desk looks like a bomb went off - manilla files everywhere!
This morning I decided I would put home stuff first so I got up and head down to the carpet store to make my final decision on carpeting for the bedrooms in the "new" house. (I tell you… by the time we have everything done this will FEEL like a brand new place!). I couldn't decide between the super soft 50oz silk carpet which we could only afford to place in our bedroom, or go for the less-soft 40oz silk carpet which we could put in all 3 bedrooms. At just the right time my sister-in-law texted me and I was able to grab her advice and Hubby's advice over iMessage while at the carpet store. Gotta love technology! We … all 3 of us… finally decided on the 40oz in all 3 rooms. That way we can have it laid before the furniture gets in the room. Now just have to go to Staples and pick up the mat for my office chair to lay over the carpet to preserve it! I decided on a nice light taupe that will look like a gorgeous soft sand beach in our master! Sigh… is it February yet??
Also this week I went and ordered the closet organizer for our main floor closet which will become my pantry. SUPER excited about this. I just happened to find this little nugget of information this morning in my email that will help me to organize the pantry once the shelves (and we) are all set up:
So much for balance this week in my quest to find it… but once the move is over and wave season has passed, I should be able to get all my ducks in a row and life in better balance. How are you doing with your OneWord365 this week?
Until next time...
Showing posts with label One Word 365. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One Word 365. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Just Breathe
Ever After is one of my favourite chick-flicks. I could watch it over and over and over again. Drew Barrymore is "Danielle", and Ever After is supposed to be the "real" Cinderella story. We know the story of Cinderella well from our girlish childhoods. Orphan girl is abused by her step-family… fairy godmother comes to the rescue… she meets handsome prince… they fall instantly in love… clock strikes 12 and the exotic date with the prince is over… prince desperately tries to seek his new-found love by tracking her with a glass slipper.
You might be wondering why I bring this all up today. The fact is that the past week or so has been so out of control … or out of "balance" that yesterday I had to remind myself to breathe. In my haste to run from office to Sears in search of a fabulous deal on a garage door opener for the new house my little ole ticker was racing and I needed to slow down and remember to breathe.
In Ever After, just before Danielle enters the ball in her fabulous angel-winged costume she reminds herself to "Just Breathe". How often do we take that moment to catch our breath when life is spinning out of control?
I was reminded yesterday in my frenzy that instead of just taking a breathe I need to breathe in Jesus in those moments of crazy. He is the One who calms my anxiety heart. He is the One who is able to assist me in juggling all the balls I have flying around me between packing, Wave season at work, setting up things for the new house. Alone I will lose my mind but with Him… breathing in Him… I will be able to not only survive the craziness that is moving during the business work season, but I will thrive because He will replace my anxiousness with peace and calm.
So… this morning… as I begin another crazy day of quotes and bookings, packing and lunch with my BFF… I will choose to breathe… breathing in the fragrance of Christ and hopefully emitting some out there as well!
John 14:27 says it best: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid
May God's peace fill my life today… and may His peace fill yours whatever you have going on!
Until next time...
You might be wondering why I bring this all up today. The fact is that the past week or so has been so out of control … or out of "balance" that yesterday I had to remind myself to breathe. In my haste to run from office to Sears in search of a fabulous deal on a garage door opener for the new house my little ole ticker was racing and I needed to slow down and remember to breathe.
In Ever After, just before Danielle enters the ball in her fabulous angel-winged costume she reminds herself to "Just Breathe". How often do we take that moment to catch our breath when life is spinning out of control?
I was reminded yesterday in my frenzy that instead of just taking a breathe I need to breathe in Jesus in those moments of crazy. He is the One who calms my anxiety heart. He is the One who is able to assist me in juggling all the balls I have flying around me between packing, Wave season at work, setting up things for the new house. Alone I will lose my mind but with Him… breathing in Him… I will be able to not only survive the craziness that is moving during the business work season, but I will thrive because He will replace my anxiousness with peace and calm.
So… this morning… as I begin another crazy day of quotes and bookings, packing and lunch with my BFF… I will choose to breathe… breathing in the fragrance of Christ and hopefully emitting some out there as well!
John 14:27 says it best: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid
May God's peace fill my life today… and may His peace fill yours whatever you have going on!
Until next time...
Friday, January 10, 2014
Riding the Wave… and Crashing!
January is the beginning of "Wave Season", a three month selling season for travel agents. Our "Christmas" if you will. It is when the cruise lines in particular start shelling out amazing deals and offers for winter getaways and summer cruises to Europe and Alaska. Normally I would be thrilled for the busyness and excitement of this frenzy of selling activity but I have to say that "riding the wave" this season is killing me!
Today was a prime example of my crashing during this season… and the season of moving. I was up early (for me) and after a slow start I got up and started working right away. I had ticket issues I needed to confirm from the night before's purchase with one of our consolidators. All the while I was tapping away on my computer, the packing boxes in my home were calling out to me. Pack me… pack me! I planned to get to those in the afternoon.
While I continued some travel business, I kept getting calls about the move. The bank re: the mortgage, Hubby about insurance issues. I thought my brain was going to explode from the quick shift it was repeatedly making going from one focus to the next. When I got up stairs after a quick lunch of Greek yogurt, I was fighting with a packing box, trying to jam my baking supplies in one single box when the phone rang again with Hubby wanting me to do something else for the insurance company… or the bank… or the lawyers… I forget now.
Like a rubber band about to snap, I lashed out at Hubby in my frustration, and he kindly took it but I knew he was not thrilled with the stressed out woman on the other end of the phone. Not long after I called to apologize for being such a freak. I decided at that point I needed some "balance" in my day and I made myself a cup of tea, grabbed my journal and began documenting my day and eventually having a visit with Jesus. Journalling often helps me in finding perspective and right relationship with God. Do you find that? After my time with God I took another quick moment to watch an episode of Last Man Standing on Netflix. Tim Allen's "Mike Baxter" always makes me laugh as does the rest of the cast. I remember my former doctor telling me to have at least one good belly laugh a day. I was just following doctor's orders at that point.
Before I got back to packing (and preparing our house for the new buyers to stop by for an hour's visit tomorrow) I started to prep for dinner in between calls and emails for business. I had a roast I'd taken out of the freezer so I cut up onion, carrots and potatoes and placed them around the roast. Easy breezy dinner… and delicious to boot!
The rest of the evening was again a mix of packing, cleaning and business. Little by little the house is filling up with boxes while the cozy-factor declines. I feel badly for the buyers when they come in tomorrow. This place looks NOTHING like the place did when they first came in ;-) Hopefully they will understand… we're doing this all for them after all - ha ha.
So… today I felt like I crashed riding the wave of life… and wave season. I was not the Spirit-filled woman I would have liked to be. I let exhaustion and overwhelm get the best of me. I was a woman of in-balance today and I don't like that. As Scarlett O'Hara said though… "I won't think about that now. After all… tomorrow is another day!"
Until next time...
Today was a prime example of my crashing during this season… and the season of moving. I was up early (for me) and after a slow start I got up and started working right away. I had ticket issues I needed to confirm from the night before's purchase with one of our consolidators. All the while I was tapping away on my computer, the packing boxes in my home were calling out to me. Pack me… pack me! I planned to get to those in the afternoon.
While I continued some travel business, I kept getting calls about the move. The bank re: the mortgage, Hubby about insurance issues. I thought my brain was going to explode from the quick shift it was repeatedly making going from one focus to the next. When I got up stairs after a quick lunch of Greek yogurt, I was fighting with a packing box, trying to jam my baking supplies in one single box when the phone rang again with Hubby wanting me to do something else for the insurance company… or the bank… or the lawyers… I forget now.
Like a rubber band about to snap, I lashed out at Hubby in my frustration, and he kindly took it but I knew he was not thrilled with the stressed out woman on the other end of the phone. Not long after I called to apologize for being such a freak. I decided at that point I needed some "balance" in my day and I made myself a cup of tea, grabbed my journal and began documenting my day and eventually having a visit with Jesus. Journalling often helps me in finding perspective and right relationship with God. Do you find that? After my time with God I took another quick moment to watch an episode of Last Man Standing on Netflix. Tim Allen's "Mike Baxter" always makes me laugh as does the rest of the cast. I remember my former doctor telling me to have at least one good belly laugh a day. I was just following doctor's orders at that point.
Before I got back to packing (and preparing our house for the new buyers to stop by for an hour's visit tomorrow) I started to prep for dinner in between calls and emails for business. I had a roast I'd taken out of the freezer so I cut up onion, carrots and potatoes and placed them around the roast. Easy breezy dinner… and delicious to boot!
The rest of the evening was again a mix of packing, cleaning and business. Little by little the house is filling up with boxes while the cozy-factor declines. I feel badly for the buyers when they come in tomorrow. This place looks NOTHING like the place did when they first came in ;-) Hopefully they will understand… we're doing this all for them after all - ha ha.
So… today I felt like I crashed riding the wave of life… and wave season. I was not the Spirit-filled woman I would have liked to be. I let exhaustion and overwhelm get the best of me. I was a woman of in-balance today and I don't like that. As Scarlett O'Hara said though… "I won't think about that now. After all… tomorrow is another day!"
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Bitter Cold
As I sit in my office after a long evening of work, booking my first cruise of 2014 for friends from church, the temperature outside is 1F, feeling like -22F. It is a BITTER COLD day here in Southern Ontario! Brrr. (Can you hear my teeth chattering).
Despite the cool temperature in my office though, I am profoundly aware that I have it good tonight. There are many who are literally freezing to death in North America tonight because they can't escape this arctic blast from Old Man Winter… who by the way can go back to wherever he came from!
I heard on the news tonight about an escaped convict in Kentucky today who actually asked to be arrested, just so he could head back to prison. Guess escaping in winter wasn't the smartest move, huh?
I wish I were anywhere warm tonight, but I'm not. Instead I am here, in Canada, being super productive today, both vocationally as a travel agent, and as a homemaker, packing up her house for moving soon.
Today I worked on the storage closet under the stairs. I packed up the kitchen appliances that we store down there, plus some other stuff that makes it's home hidden from the naked eye. I suffer from "packratitis" and haven't thrown out hardly anything yet, but I am making a nice 'donation' pile of some things I don't want anymore.
Now that January is in full swing and the holidays are behind us, balance is going to be more necessary as in the travel agent world we enter "Wave" season… the busiest time of the year for agents. This bitter cold weather can only help business but with packing looming overhead I will need to guard my time closely so I am able to handle both major "jobs" I have right now.
I realize in my need for balancing these two contrasting worlds that my time with God is even more important. Through staying balanced in Him, I will be able to juggle the balls of packing and planning vacations. Without Him I will crumble to the ground in a lump and neither job will be done well. Can you relate or are you someone who juggles well?
Tomorrow I'm off for a much needed chiropractor appointment before heading out to help other friends plan vacation time. Have I told you lately how much I love my job?! When all my hard work develops results and I help people make their vacation dreams a reality, my heart sings. La la la!
Well I think I'll close off for tonight. My eyes are buggy from staring at this screen for two days and I need to take some much needed… balanced… rest.
Until next time...
Despite the cool temperature in my office though, I am profoundly aware that I have it good tonight. There are many who are literally freezing to death in North America tonight because they can't escape this arctic blast from Old Man Winter… who by the way can go back to wherever he came from!
I heard on the news tonight about an escaped convict in Kentucky today who actually asked to be arrested, just so he could head back to prison. Guess escaping in winter wasn't the smartest move, huh?
I wish I were anywhere warm tonight, but I'm not. Instead I am here, in Canada, being super productive today, both vocationally as a travel agent, and as a homemaker, packing up her house for moving soon.
Today I worked on the storage closet under the stairs. I packed up the kitchen appliances that we store down there, plus some other stuff that makes it's home hidden from the naked eye. I suffer from "packratitis" and haven't thrown out hardly anything yet, but I am making a nice 'donation' pile of some things I don't want anymore.
Now that January is in full swing and the holidays are behind us, balance is going to be more necessary as in the travel agent world we enter "Wave" season… the busiest time of the year for agents. This bitter cold weather can only help business but with packing looming overhead I will need to guard my time closely so I am able to handle both major "jobs" I have right now.
I realize in my need for balancing these two contrasting worlds that my time with God is even more important. Through staying balanced in Him, I will be able to juggle the balls of packing and planning vacations. Without Him I will crumble to the ground in a lump and neither job will be done well. Can you relate or are you someone who juggles well?
Tomorrow I'm off for a much needed chiropractor appointment before heading out to help other friends plan vacation time. Have I told you lately how much I love my job?! When all my hard work develops results and I help people make their vacation dreams a reality, my heart sings. La la la!
Well I think I'll close off for tonight. My eyes are buggy from staring at this screen for two days and I need to take some much needed… balanced… rest.
Until next time...
Sunday, January 5, 2014
One Word… One Thing… One Lesson!
There seems to be a theme running through my mind this weekend and it starts with the word "One".
Yesterday, while chatting with a friend online, I was challenged by something she had mentioned about a challenge she took last year, and again this year, called One Word 365. Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, this challenge encourages us to seek the one word we can grasp onto for 365 days to bring about change in our lives. One word. One focus. One day at a time. One step at a time. One Word from God to draw us closer to His presence.
As I began to ponder the changes this challenge has made in my friend's life, hope began to bubble up in me. Could I take one word and hand it over to God? Could I focus on that word and what God wants to do in my life for 365 days? Do I dare believe that I can gain victory in the area of that one word? I spent time amidst my errands and quiet moments yesterday and again today thinking about what word I sensed God placing on my heart. One Word.
This morning, with that one word rolling around in my brain, I listened to the "first message of 2014" at church this morning. "C", one of our elders, shared about the journey God had taken him on in 2013 and where God wanted to take him (and all of us) in 2014. It comes down to One Thing, he shared. One Thing. One focus. One heart. One mind. One day at a time. One step at a time. One heart set on God, knowing Him, following Him, loving Him. One Thing.
I listened to his words with great hope, great encouragement and great resolve that my One Word would help me in grasping this One Thing. So today, this 5th day of January, I choose to share my One Word as a way of accountability. A way of declaring my choice to desire the One Thing and to take the steps of action needed to make 2014 a victorious year. This One Word I have chosen is something I lacked hugely in 2013 and anyone who knows me (or my blog) would have to agree that this is the one One Word I most need today, especially with a move looming over my head in a few short weeks. With God's help, supernatural focus and some much needed discipline, 2014 will be the year for this…
I chose this word because my life this past year has been off kilter. Unbalanced. I'm not a juggler by nature. I get one ball up in the air and try to toss one or two others and they all come crashing down. If I do well in work, home, health and God suffer. If I do home well, God and work suffer. If I'm honest, I rarely do God well (for if I did, the rest wouldn't suffer near as much). On my own strength, this Type B, lazy bum can't get it together, but with the help of the Holy Spirit… who knows how many balls I will be able to juggle at once and well?! So balance… finding the time, the energy, the focus and mind to be all that God wants me to be in each area of my life. That is my One Word for 2014!
