Shot at Planter's Palette, Winfield, IL.

A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Today's Joy: Taking a Time-Out From Scheduling.

Felt a little rumpled and unsettled all day, Reader. Even with adequate planning, rushing to and fro to meet my Monday obligations from 7am to 9:30pm leaves me twitchy (in a most unattractive way). A 30-minute lunch break becomes stuffed with errands and an hour+ commute in rush hour traffic can hardly be considered down time.

Don't get me wrong, I love the challenge my job presents each day and I really enjoy the fellowship of my women's church community group. Both of these valuable endeavors mean that I have to be "on" all day. So, when I finally get home at 10 pm, my brain becomes mush. I feed the cat and then slump in a chair and stare aimlessly for a few minutes. All I want is stagger into my jammies and curl up in bed with a magazine or watch Joyce Meyer until I fall asleep.

The older I get and the more responsibilities I accept, or rather, the more value I place on the things I choose to take on, the more I see how easy it is to become exhausted and allow yourself to be swallowed whole by your schedule. The precious moments I steal for myself--just to sit and do nothing or to tend my plants or read a magazine become even more important. I find myself getting up earlier in the mornings too, so I have a little time to start my day doing the small things that feed my spirit. It's nice to know that despite whatever boneheaded craziness I encounter during business hours, that I started out my day enjoying life and will finish it the same way.

Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quotes courtesy of wisdomquotes.com.

Today's Joy: Keeping Busy.
Have been thinking all week about Sunday's church service. Renowned financial guru, Dave Ramsey, was our featured (video) speaker. We're 2/3 of the way thru a three week series of his about biblical finance. I'm finding it very illuminating.

What's been sticking with me all week as I've started a new job in addition to my part-time retail position and as I'm farm-sitting for a family friend this week, is his advice about working hard. His do-the-work-now-so-you-can-reap-the-rewards-later philosophy seems especially apropos as I get up at 5:30 am to do chores and clean stalls before working an 8-hour shift at one job and then a closing shift at the other.

Funny thing is, while I'm definitely tired, I don't feel like all my reserves are drained. When focusing after so many hours becomes a challenge, I think about what Dave said. And about making a better life for myself (and someday, my family). I want to be able to do the things God has in store for me in this life, rather than being a slave to my car loan or my student loan payments or, eventually, a mortgage. So I'm diving in. I'm putting it all out there in a way I never have. I am ON FIRE. If I can squeeze it in and it gets me closer to my goal, I'm doing it! And I'm doing it to the best of my ability!

So far, I have noticed two things. I sleep like a rock every night. And I feel good about the day, like I'm on the right path. Can't wait to see what I can accomplish next. Lead on, Lord.