My journey in adding margin to my life....

The word "Margin" is my word for 2010. It is a theme I have selected to try to add to my life- To have "more" of what is necessary to have "extra". Extra time, Extra $ in the budget, with the extra time you can choose to spend time with your spouse and with my children, extra time to do things that bring me enjoyment, extra $ so I do not worry about life, but also extra $ so that I can help others, All those "Extra" were my goal. However God has showed me that having "Extra" time, allows me to be able to pour myself out into other people who are not my spouse and daughters.

Sometimes your "Extra" time can bless others!!! I love Motherhood, I think Mom's are so very important. We have a tough job!!!!! One of my favorite quotes is from "Mom Matters" by Jane Jarrell. "As wives and mothers, we set the tone for our home. We are in the business of growing hearts while preventing damage from weeds the world blows in out garden." Does that not just sum up girlfriends, what we are trying to do!

My life has hit a new phase, all my girls are in school full time this year, and my husband and I have decided that I will continue to stay home. Just because my kids are no longer at home August-May for 7 hours, I still have laundry, a house to clean, food to buy, and meals to cook. However I recognize I have the ability to do this without a baby on my hip. My children when the come from school can talk in complete sentence and we have great conversations. But I remember the days when I had 3 under the age of 5, when I got happy the first song that came into my head to hum was the theme song to Dora (a kids cartoon), when I was learning to parent, had self doubt about everything, struggled with being lonely with no adult to talk to during the day until my husband came home. Now don't get me wrong I would not have traded those precious days for anything!!!! However I was blessed to have my mom live around the block from me, who would call me, stop by and help me, bless me with little inexpensive surprises (like a cherry limeade from sonic in the middle of the day) how helpful was that!!!

Well God has placed in my life 3 young ladies who have small children and no family members who live close to them, who are in the middle of this stage in life. Through a conversation we had the other day God literally turned the light bulb on in my head and said "Amy, here is a mom who needs encouragement, a mom you could give some of your extra time" What that means to me, is that I need to stay on schedule, not get behind, not to just use "my extra time" on me, (what my life not to be centered just around me?!? Shocking I know!!) Place things in priority. Then I will have extra time for others. This is a balancing act that I have to lean on God so that I can bless others with the extra margin of time that I work on having in my life.
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I have also struggled with and currently still work with trying to keep the house clean and orderly so that my girls can have friends over, and when the opportunity presents itself that I can say "sure,\" yes". I have also had to work on letting go of just getting my house perfect, smelling fresh, everything in it's place and be open to letting a group of middle school, and elementary kids who smell like sweaty puppies come in and take over the game room, eat and drink food that might get spilt on the carpet, things might get knocked over and broken, However we can allow others to be blessed in our home. Loving other people like Christ calls us to, really is messy, and takes time.

Who has God called you to bless? Where can you carve out extra time from your schedule? Or maybe your like me, you really have been blessed with time, but maybe you need to get on a schedule . So that you might have time to bless others. Or learn to live with a little mess so that you can love others. I encourage everyone to get messy loving and encouraging those that God has placed in your life, you might as well have fun doing it! Life is short!