Life's a Great Balancing Act

"So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act."
                                              
                                              -Dr. Seuss- Oh, The Place You'll Go

It's been a while since I've blogged for me. I keep trying to play catch up on posting about life and events, and, eventually, I'll get caught up. I guess like everything else, blogging requires balance; willingness to let go of the posts that never make it on here, and a sense of accomplishment in the the posts that do.

Balance is something that I've struggled with a lot over the last year or so. Trying to figure out how to do it all or be satisfied with not doing it all. Trying to figure out whether perfection is only portrayed by others or actually achieved. Trying to figure out whether I want to spend my time watching/reading about others lives or living. Trying to figure out how to balance REAL relationships/friendships with the ones that technology makes us feel like we have. Trying to balance health and kids and work, while also growing in my relationship with the Lord. Just overall trying to find a balance that works for our family.

I still haven't figured it all out yet, but I feel like I'm definitely getting in the groove. I'm finding what works for me, and I know that it doesn't/won't work for everyone. I also realize that things have to change as life changes. I started working on getting "healthier" last spring with some changes that were really good for me, like starting to run, doing daily devotionals, tuning my radio into Christian music during the day, and limiting my computer time. I got lazy with these healthy habits during summer, but the new school year was a huge reality check and reminder that I need to rely on God daily for direction. There were so many changes. Justin got a new job with new hours (so proud of my hardworking hubby and his new role as a principal), Aubrey started kindergarten, and I have a couple of really tough groups of students this year.

I was feeling lonely, exhausted and overwhelmed. I knew that I had to figure out a better way to balance it all. I've been working on limiting my commitments, prioritizing my family and their sleep (my girls need their INNERbeauty rest...if you know what I mean), seeking wisdom in God's word, being more intentional with my relationships and friendships, exercising without overwhelming myself, and just in general LIVING life without worrying about how it looks to everyone else. Instead I tried thinking about where God wants me right now and asking Him for direction. And He has been there to guide me. It came in e-mailed daily readings from Ransomed Heart, in daily devotionals from Upper Room, in sermons from my pastor, and even from listening to the DJ on the radio.

There were no flashing red lights around the answer, in fact I still don't have perfect balance (please e-mail me if you do :) ). I realized that a big problem was my addiction to facebook, and just in general, my own struggle with pleasing others and getting praise from them. When I was listening to the radio one day, the DJ was talking about how in general people have 3 places/groups that are their "core". Their "core" used to include the home/family, work and/or church, and a core group of friends. She said that more and more that "third" core component has become facebook. Then there was a reading from Waking the Dead on my Ransomed Heart e-mail about community. And, finally, I realized that I was missing a sense of community because I had allowed facebook to take over that core component. I want to be more intentional in my relationships with my real life friends. I would rather spend 30 minutes chatting with a friend over coffee than liking the status of 20 acquaintances. Some people are better at balancing their time on facebook, me not so much. If you read my linked post above, you'll realize that this is something God has been working on for over a year. It just took a few wake up calls for me to hear Him.

Since giving up facebook (only like 3 weeks ago), my life feels so much more balanced. I've been more intentional with my relationships, from breakfast dates, to dining at dusk, to watching kiddos when life is tough. I completed my first 5K mud run yesterday and I RAN the whole way (well, except when we were waiting in line for the obstacles). I volunteer in Aubrey's class, signed Juliet up for MyGym, and just in general feel healthier and happier.

I'm not saying that everyone needs to give up facebook. Most people don't let it get to them like I did. I would over analyze WAY TOO MUCH stuff on there. It was like a destructive addiction, and I knew it wasn't glorifying God. Maybe one day I'll be able to find a healthy balance with facebook, but in this season I need REAL community.