Balancing life during the summer

Tuesday, June 19, 2018


Friends, this is the first summer I’ve worked full-time in a long time. This is also the first summer I have 4 of my nieces and nephews with us for 10 weeks. It’s been fun to go out in public and watch people count the number of kids. People have been so kind and encouraging!

Parenting any number of children can be challenging any time of the year. I also know that if I do not put God and health first, there is very little I can do for everyone around me. This ‘let’s run first thing in the morning’ thing is the method to my master plan.

I want to propose that having a successful summer, includes doing one thing at a time, prioritizing the spirit, resting and finding a cheerleader.

Do one thing at a time • multitasking is a myth. I have succeeded in different areas of life because I do one thing at time. I addition to that, I finish what I start. I noticed that in the past, multitasking led me to a lot of untied ends. My new way of living consists of doing one thing at a time and finishing what I started.

Prioritize the spirit • I can’t give what I don’t have. I need peace, joy and a better attitude. My spiritual life is a priority for this very reason. I feel that when I go to God first, He fills me and restores my spirit. Only then, I have something good to offer everyone else.

Rest is wealth • I have suffered from the loss of rest and it was no fun. I practiced knowing my limits for years and I have practiced shutting everything down so I can get rest. Rest is not glamorous yet, it leads to a healthy life. You can’t put rest in a pill, you just have to do it. I heard someone say that “the less we rest, the less we trust.” You know that’s true.

Find a cheerleader • Joining a group is not always the best way to get encouragement in life. Having one person to cheer you on is wonderful. Someone to whisper you can do it, pray for you and rejoice with you is priceless.

I have a lot of help with the kids, still, we all know it is challenging. I started the summer asking myself, what is a gift I’d like to give myself by the end of the summer? The answer was to make steps towards reaching the health goal I set in January. I believe I can do it. Here is my question for you: if you could give yourself a gift by the end of the summer, what would it be? What is the first step towards reaching that goal?