I've Got One Word...UGGGHHHH!!!!

I just sat down and make out a list of everything I need to accomplish this week. UGGGGHHHH! Once I wrote it all down, I was so discouraged and overwhelmed! So I had to blog about it. Here's my "To Do" list that is to be completed before the start of school...it's more of a wish list. (Fast forward to the bottom if you don't want to wear yourself out reading it!)

1. Write Thank You cards.
2. Check on Mathew's College Financial Aid.
3. Call Orthodontist for Brittany's long overdue appointment.
4. Make appointment to the dentist for ALL of us.
5. Clean out kitchen cabinet clutter & organize shelves.
6. Paint Kitchen Cabinets (if Scott will let me).
7. Clean out all closets & cabinets in house.
8. Clear out garage - throw out trash and donate the rest. (It's bad. No really, it is! We have the mysterious Mount Junk Pile whose peak touches the ceiling...must be the highest mountain of trash in a garage ever recorded!)
9. Set up game room in garage.
10. Paint second bathroom & cabinets.
11. Lay tile flooring in home office.
12. Clear out flowerbeds & trim shrubs.
13. Steam clean carpets.
14. Bathe pets.
15. Make Vet appointments.
16. Pick up dry cleaning.
17. Balance checkbook & pay bills.
18. Make Hair Appointments.
19. School Clothes Shopping. (Already got supplies...woo hoo. Knock that bad boy off my list!)
20. Pick up college dorm room supplies.
21. Take Mathew to college...attend parent meetings at his college.

I'm not done yet...there are so many things at church that need attention as well.

1. Clean out my office area.
2. Clean out storage area in room 2.
3. Clean rooms 1 and 2.
4. Prepare Sunday lessons & make copies for this Sunday.
5. Make lesson copies for teachers for August/September.
6. Recruit teachers and volunteers.
7. Set up meeting with fall teachers.
8. Contact all teachers to plan for fall/winter teaching schedules.
9. Teacher training.
10. Prepare for Wednesday night's lesson.
11. Review and evaluate curriculum options for the upcoming school year.
12. Review and evaluate
13. Begin planning children's events for fall/winter.
14. Blog, blog, blog!!!
15. Answer church related emails, calls, questions.
16. Print new batch of visitor nametags.
17. Print security badges for regular attending children.
18. Summer Fun Day - Movie at Ridge.

Thank goodness, I don't have to worry about preparing for school just yet! That's next week:-)

Ok, so you've got your own issues to deal with and really don't need to read mine. So why did I go to such lengths to name every major task I have to accomplish within the next two weeks? Was it to get pity or help? No...maybe...not really, but that would be nice:-) It was to make a point. Most every single one of us are overwhelmed, overworked, and stressed from the many duties and responsibilities that press upon us. What I wanted to convey is that you are not alone. I am there. Others are there. Even Christ experienced this burden. He had even more pressing responsibilities than we. He had to accomplish His ministry on earth in a matter of 3 years, start to finish. He had to train up uneducated fisherman into men who would found the church, thus changing History FOREVER! There were times that even Christ withdrew from the crowds in solitude. Why? To pray and to rest. Even Martin Luther recognized that he was too busy not to spend the first 4 hours of his day in prayer! You read it right....4 HOURS IN PRAYER! I can already sense some of you stressing out, "Great! How would I ever fit 4 hours of prayer into my hectic schedule !?!?!?!"

Face it, we can't do everything on our own. It's impossible. But we can ask for God's guidance and help. Let go of some things. Delegate what we can to others. Delete those things from our lists that aren't critical or necessary. Reach out for help. Life as we know it will not cease to exist if we don't accomplish everything on 'the list'. Maybe it's time to revisit that list. Limit tasks to a manageable size. Include time for fun and time just hanging out with others. Include time for restoration & relaxation. Make dedicated time for prayer, worship, and seeking God. Maybe we can limit our daily to-do lists to just the 3 to 6 most pressing tasks. May I suggest that we revise our list to include a sprinkling of the following:

1. Time in dedicated prayer.
2. Reading, meditating, & studying Scripture.
3. Worshipping God.
4. A good, long cup of Starbuck's coffee.
5. Breakfast with the fam. (Even if it's a bowl of cereal, that's ok.)
6. A family board game.
7. Dinner with the fam. (Hot Dogs are fine on busy days.)
8. A long soak in a warm, relaxing, luxurious bubble bath! (Doesn't that sound awesome!)
9. A walk around the block with hubby.
10. Calling a friend.
11. Reaching out to someone with the love of Christ.

Don't stress out. Seek Christ's help. It is in Christ alone that we find joy amid the stresses of life.

"As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." Psalm 119:143

In His Love, Cathy

PS - Ok, so the other reason I listed my "To Do" lists above was to keep track of them on my blog. .. this way I can access them at home or church:-) Just another task saving strategy!