Hmmm

Yes that is my title at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday- I wish I could sleep in but oh no - my internal alarm clock does not sleep on the weekends- that is ok- I have already fed the dog- done laundry- take care of the cats- and gather some stuff for today-
My plans for the day- get M up in about an hour and head off once again to Brenda and Adams- I have to work today -Marcus has blood work to get done- I have life coaching and then we set up for Children's Church- I want to sleep in- hmm maybe next weekend.
Meanwhile - this is the weekend before school starts- back to a normal schedule- Marcus I think is feeling better about starting - some changes this year but it will be good.
We are set- I just have to get a folder for him for his point sheet for before and after school- hoping when school starts we do not regress in some areas- we have done great over the summer with it- not going where I am talking just praying it does not regress.

As you see my list of things to do and then some- I stopped for a moment to read my devotion and here is what it was about- God is so timely

Today's Truth
Proverbs 31:17 (NIV) "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks."
Friend To Friend
Many of us check off neatly penciled boxes. Some draw lines through the tasks we've finished. A select few of us even add tasks that we've already completed to our list so that we've got accurate accomplishment records at the end of the day! (Present company included!) J Some of us keep track of what we need to do each day in our heads, while others track progress of daily goals electronically.

There are days I fluff up my list. Instead of simply writing, "Do three loads of laundry," I'll create twelve list items to check off that read:

· Wash whites
· Dry whites
· Fold/hang whites
· Put away whites
· Wash colors
· Dry colors
· Fold/hang colors
· Put away colors
· Wash darks
· Dry darks
· Fold/hang darks
· Put away darks

Oh, how I love to check boxes! Why? I want to be productive woman. I want my work to matter. It's pretty much a daily struggle for me. As an eternal optimist, I wake up anticipating that the seconds, minutes, and hours of each day will bend to cooperate with the demands of my list.

Yeah, right.
I'm such a dreamer. It just never seems to work out that simply or efficiently.

I'm guessing that you are in this daily struggle with me. Right? No matter what it looks like, thinks like, or prints off like, many of us feel overwhelmed by the abyss of a rarely satisfied to-do list. We face constant demands that call to us and vie for our attention. We sift through the essentials and the fire drills, then we go to bed, wake up, and do it all again. The abyss of a to-do list can be so exhausting!

The good news is that we don't need to face our lists alone. God offers to come along side of us daily to provide the strength, perspective, and wisdom we need. In the Bible, we read of a woman who approached each day with God-power and God-perspective:

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks" (Proverbs 31:17, NIV).

Though this is an impressive statement about her work ethic and though it seems this fictional woman dominates her daily to-do list, it's important to consider the source of her strength: God. At the end of the chapter, Scripture shows us that she "...fears the Lord..." (Proverbs 31:30, NIV). Her source of strength is rooted in faith and in her dependence on God. Ours should be, too.

Your list looks different from mine. We all have unique ministries, friendships, jobs, responsibilities, and families. Whether you are in the work force, unemployed, or retired or a stay-at-home mom, a single mom, or an empty nester - a wife, a widow, a single woman, or a divorcee - God can and will give you strength for each day when you prioritize Him and fear Him.

Consider the following verses:

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3, NIV).