Down To The Wire

As the days to the wedding get closer and closer, I expect the stress levels for you couples will increase. I know with wedding planning and moving there is so much to do, complete and tweak. Your time is running out and likewise your patience can, too. It can be tough if you let the stresses get the better of you to the point where these moments aren't fun anymore. So we wanted to talk for a minute about those things.

First off, choose your battles. There will be little things that go awry. Deal with what you have to, but don't let it get the better of you. There will be bigger things that may require more of your time and focus, so don't let the small things eat at you.

Be realistic. Don't expect perfection. There was only one man who had that. Understand that you're dealing with flawed humans in a sinful world, so things will go wrong. In the words of my father, "Expect the best, but prepare for the worst." This way you are optimistic without being completely caught off guard when something goes wrong. That is being realistic.

Some things that don't go according to plan aren't anyone's fault. They just happen. So doing be looking to point blame where there may be none. Just dust yourself off and handle it with grace.

Prioritize. Deal with the things that need your attention immediately or carry the greatest weight. Get to the others when you can.

Pray a lot. You know the time is getting close, so take every single moment and challenge to the Lord in prayer. He already knows the outcome and solution, so let Him bear it for you. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the Lord what you plan to do and your plans will succeed." Since this wedding ceremonies are for His glory, commit them to Him and let Him handle it.

Be sure to take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat right and stay hydrated. You've got a lot going on, so be sure to treat yourself well in the midst of this. One of the best ways to deal with stress is to exercise: run, walk, lift weights, do yoga, whatever will help you let off steam in a constructive way.

Make a conscious effort to love each other. You will be so wrapped up in details here at the end that you may forget the most important one ... your beloved. So make it your goal every day to do something sweet, positive, loving and kind for your fiance. There are all kinds of benefits for both of you.

We love you and are praying for you as these days inch ever closer to one of the greatest days of your life. May there be more days ahead of joy and peace than stresses and challenges.

Discussion: How stressful would you say things are right now for you? What have you found works the best for you in dealing with stress? What have you done today to tell your fiance you love them?

Prayer: Lord, we know planning an event like this requires so much work that it can exhaust us. We pray, Father, that you will help us to prioritize and organize our to do list and not let bumps in the road frustrate us. Lord, I pray we always praise your name in the midst of our concerns. In Jesus, Amen.

Waiting Till The Last Minute

For the last three nights in a row, I have written the posts for this blog pretty late in the evening. Matter of fact, on both Sunday and Monday, I finished the blog at about 11:59 p.m, one minute before I usually set them to auto post. One night just as I was about to climb into bed, I said to you Daddy, "Oh no, I haven't written a blog for the kids!" His response was, "They won't notice right away. Do it in the morning." But I had made a promise to do one a day and like to have it ready by midnight. I believe I missed my deadline only once. So instead of going to bed, at 11:30 that night, I began to write. And got it done in the nick of time. That, my children, is procrastinating.

When Anton was facetiming with Kayla last night he asked us to pray for her, saying she was under a lot of stress. "She has a test, a five page paper and some article summaries to do tonight." "Tonight?!" we exclaimed, noticing it was after 9 p.m. When I asked her what she thought I should blog about this evening she said, "Procrastination."

I am the queen of procrastination. I tend to push most things off to the last minute. Usually it's because I have other things going that take priority, but the truth of the matter is, I tend to do better under pressure. Of course, the entire time I am under pressure I am cursing under my breath that I wish I had started this or that earlier.

Wikipedia's definition of procrastination is "the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before a deadline." If that was a correct definition of procrastination, than I am not the queen after all, because I tend to prioritize when accomplishing tasks, even it if does push other tasks off. At Dictionary.com, it says procrastination is "the act or habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention." Both of these definitions state something needs immediate attention and is being put off. And oftentimes, those things pushed back tend to be late and done with less attention to detail, producing a substandard product. So there is little wisdom in delaying. To quote Benjamin Franklin: "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." The Bible calls a procrastinator a "sluggard," implying laziness.The Bible is very clear about planning, preparing, not delaying, being ready and doing what you promise immediately. We are even told "Do not boast about tomorrow, for your do not know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1). 

So my children, those things you promise to do for one another (like the shorts Brad asked me to sew about a week ago), don't just leave it there. Complete it. Don't leave the dirty clothes on the floor. You know they need to either be in the hamper or in the laundry room, so do it now. Don't wait till you have a basket of laundry overflowing with folded clothes to put away. Put them away now. Don't leave the dishes piling up in the sink. Wash them now. Don't let weeks of dust and dirt accumulate on the shelves and in the carpet. Take care of it now. But even more important ... don't put off quiet time with the Lord. This especially you need to do early and often. So prioritize and set about accomplishing what needs to get done. You will get far more accomplished with greater efficiency, thoroughness and planning ... and probably be far less stressed.

Discussion: Do you procrastinate? If so, what are things that could help you plan and prioritize. Tell about a time when procrastination cost you. Tell about a time when getting a job done early and quickly benefited you.

Prayer: Father, we do not want to bury our talent in the sand, but rather be proactive, diligent, timely and successful. Lord, we pray we do all things as if serving you for your glory. Help us to keep our commitments and get things done selflessly with respect to other's needs. In Jesus, Amen.

st about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Procrastination#sthash.TDx5GJHV.dpuf

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Procrastination#sthash.TDx5GJHV.dpuf