Monthly Archives: October 2019

Taking Time for Tea

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Tonight’s talk at youth group was on St. Teresa of Calcutta or Mother Teresa as she’s more commonly known. Mother Teresa served the poor and dying on the streets of Calcutta, India for over 40 years.

My days are so busy, how did she have time to do that? Her schedule was quite surprising. Wake up 4:30am, go to mass. Have breakfast and wash dishes for an hour and a half, go out to the streets for 4 hours, come back for lunch. Enjoy lunch for an hour, wash dishes and allow time to digest by reading. Then have tea. Next she go back our for another 3-4 hours, have dinner, have recreation time with other sisters, spend an hour in prayer and go to bed. The speaker pointed out that the day was structured to provide rest and as you can’t give what you don’t have that is why the day begins and ends with prayer. How could she be Christ to so many others if she didn’t put Him first in her day? How could she see to the wellbeing or needs of others if she wasn’t looking after her own wellbeing or household first? As a busy person this gave me pause.

I have a tendency to pour from an empty cup. I forego my needs and wants and of my household to see that others are taken care of. Self denial in moderation is a spiritually beneficial thing. Excessive self denial is spiritally, physically and emotionally destructive.

When I was over extended last year, I prayed to learn balance, but it didn’t happen. Now that I am removed from that stressful time, God is teaching me situation by situation how to set healthy boundaries and respect my limits so I am able to do more of the work He has called me to do. It’s really a change to be able to look at my to-dos and activities with a discerning eye and be able to prioritize or eliminate items without remorse.

Balance is going to be my theme for the week. Two things I want to work on are designated morning prayer, and spiritual reading after lunch. As a tea party enthusiast I’d also like to have “Tea” every day but my work lunches are only an hour… So I’ll keep thinking on it. 😉

Dear heavenly Father I thank you for the shining life and example of your daughter St. Teresa of Calcutta. I thank You for wisdom and practicality she was able to leave us with. I thank You for teaching me balance and allowing me to see where improvement is needed. I ask that you bless my efforts to bring balance to my mornings and rejuvenate my mind after lunch. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen

Margin Space

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Life has been non-stop this past week so even though I really wanted to run around and fill in my seasonal check boxes, I parked my caboose at home. I had time to just sit and work on the things I haven’t had time for. I tidied my bead box. I went grocery shopping. I went through the car wash. I got command strips for my new wall sconce.

I love being on the go and doing cool things! But not when it means not getting enough sleep and not getting time to reset at home. I start burning the candle at both ends and get sick. Several weeks sick. Rest is vital to the wellbeing of my person and supports my active lifestyle. If I rest well, I can work and play well. Honestly how awesome is that?

Something I read a few months ago said before bed declare what you have finished for the day to be enough and entrust all your unfinished tasks to God in prayer. I have been working to apply this to my life and it is such a relief.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for this weekend of rest. I thank you for everything I was able to complete. It is enough. For everything that still needs to be done, I entrust to Your care. Let me sleep well without worry so that I can awake renewed to take up my labor once more. I ask this in your name. Amen.

Go With the Spirit’s Flow

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My schedule has been non-stop for the past week. Most weeks I have breathing room. Not this one. I am barely at home before I have to leave again. My brother would tell me I have engineered the week this way and deserve no sympathy. I am not asking for sympathy just understanding.

My opportunities for social have been at 0% for the longest time. Everytime I have an opporunity, I get sick and can’t go. However this week everything converged and worked flawlessly.

God has moved and allowed all these experiences to work out. He has blessed me with abundant and varied opportunity. The Spirit is truly at work here.

Dear heavenly Father I thank you for your abundant blessings. Lord I feel that this is only a glimpse of what You have in store for me. Please give me the grace and wisdom needed to grow into the woman you desire me to be. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.