Keep It Simple

It has been an intense Fall in the Conlee household already. Two teens with full calendars, the passing of Chris's dad, my mother-in-law moving in, the start of all the Fall activities, and the fact that cooking and laundry never seem to go away have all made it an eventful few months!Every time my mind wanders to wanting to have a pity party, I'm quickly reminded that I’m far from alone in feeling overwhelmed. Pain is one of the greatest common denominators in our human state. The person who says, "Everything is going just as I would like" is rare.While each of our circumstances may be different, many of us are experiencing challenges. So, if you find yourself in the middle of an intense season right now, may I encourage you to keep it simple? There is literally too much for me to think about and do in 24 hours each day. (Can you relate?) So, I have put some boundaries in place to protect myself from the mental spiral the enemy loves for us to ride.I encourage you to commit to fiercely guarding these 4 things:1. SleepIf you’re like me, it’s easy to allow a good night’s sleep to go out the window when life gets really crazy. As we entered this unexpected season of change, I have committed to getting to bed early enough each night so that I can have 7 hours of sleep. Burning the midnight oil might allow me to pack up an extra room or hit another blog deadline, but in the long run, the effort would backfire. A tired person makes horrible decisions. Do not sacrifice your sleep, even in the midst of a busy season. Commit to staying rested.2. ExerciseAgain, this is close to the top of the list of things that get deferred when life gets difficult. At this point in your journey, the issue isn't fitness; it is the fact that your body needs to release the stress that’s likely to build up during an intense season. Maybe it’s just taking a brisk walk, but be sure to be physically active every other day during a season that you know is emotionally taxing. Breaking a sweat can really help release many of the emotions that need a healthy outlet during a stressful time.3. Find QuietChris would laugh at this one. I’m known for being able to work in complete silence for hours at a time. This is quite a contrast to the three noisy people that live with me. Nonetheless, if you are in an intense season, I highly recommend that you block out a quiet period of time. Ideally, this is in the morning and includes your priority time.4. Meditate on TruthI constantly come back to Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."Most of the things that carry emotional weight are not going to be resolved in a day or a week. Do what you can each day, keeping your eyes focused on the Lord and His strength. Then go to bed, trusting the Lord to give you what you need as the sun rises the next morning. He will sustain me and He will sustain you. twitter | facebook