Focusing: To Everything A Season

When we returned from the beach I had grand plans of what I would accomplish this summer. Frankly, the plans were totally unrealistic: school planning, several major sewing projects, a few painting projects, vegetable and flower gardening, landscape design and implementation, my work on our pastoral search committee, organizing the schoolroom...et cetera, et cetera.  The list of 'to-dos' truly never ends.  My garage needs attention.  I want to chalk paint a side table for my daughter's room.  I need to hang shades in the children's rooms, find a new lamp for the living room, throw a bridal shower.....you get the picture.   (I also need to provide clean clothes, fresh food and keep my house clean, take care of my family, chauffeur children to art and swim lessons, supervise piano practice....)

It's too much. This evening I stretched out on my bed and prayed for some wisdom!  I realized that I needed to narrow my focus during this season of life and accept the true limitations of this time.  I did this back in January, creating a list of what I planned to focus on for three months.  It helped me tremendously!

My priorities, in addition to regular meals, housework, childcare, exercise and my own reading/journaling, for the next three or so months will be:

*throwing a bridal shower

*sewing the clothing for the wedding my husband and children are in

*flower and vegetable gardening

*school planning

*pastoral search committee work

*minor reorganizing of the schoolroom 

That's it! That is truly all I will have the time to do, and all I need to do during this season. Setting solid priorities like this helps me keep my focus on what is important during each season of life.  I've found that setting these goals seasonally is helpful!  

And on that note: it's time to sew.