Oct. 2006 Balancing Tips: Maintaining Balance Through Changes in Life
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**Happy Halloween From Cross Your Heart Publications!**
~INAUGURAL ISSUE OF "BALANCING TIPS"~
October 2006 Newsletter From Cross Your Heart Publications
~Crossing your life with God's plan~
In this issue:
- Maintaining Balance Through Changes in Life
- Related Scripture
- Links and Resources
- Upcoming Releases
- Contact Information, Copyright Notice, Disclaimers, and Unsubscribe Instructions
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Maintaining Balance Through Changes in Life
Life changes. None of us can change that.
Sometimes changes are out of our control – a job lay-off, a death in the family, or something positive like coming into extra money. One thing is certain: it's hard to maintain balance in life when you are struggling through change.
But what if you made the change? What if you decided to do something that affects your entire life, your family, your relationship with God? Is it harder to adjust when you have a choice (yet choose the change)? At least when change happens to you, you can claim you had no choice – you just had to make the best of it. But when you choose to change, that's a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.
I have made just such a change this month. I quit my full-time salaried job (with the long drive) to be home more with my family and to focus on writing, publishing, and freelance contract work from home. October 6 was my last day at my non-telecommuting job.
This is a huge change, and it's been a crazy month for my entire family. Somehow, we're hanging in there, and, in the process, I've been learning some tips that are helping me balance my life.
- Stay close to God. Don't stop praying and reading the Bible just because you made a change in life (of your own making or one that was thrown at you). You need God at this time as you always do. Our lives may change, but God never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, NIV) We can trust in that.
- Stay close to family. Try to avoid the urge to fight more with your spouse during such a stressful time. You need each other more than ever! Spend quality time with your husband/wife, children, friends… Being with people you love will help remind you why you made your decision (at least it does for me since I am happy to be home more with my children now).
- Don’t regret your decision. God led you to make a choice for a reason. Trust that it was of God and move on with your life, taking action in the direction God is leading you. Don't get stalled by wondering if it was the right choice and by second-guessing yourself every time a snag arises. News flash – there were snags before the change, too! No need to waste precious time and energy wondering if you should have done something differently. I guess another way to put this is "don't cry over spilt milk." It may be a cliché, but it's true, and it helps if you don’t beat yourself up over every little thing that doesn't go the way you expect it to. Life rarely goes quite the way we expect it to.
- Organize, organize, organize. This is an area where I really fall short. I end up with so many meeting and training notes from one of my contract jobs and so many ideas and notes about books I am writing, that it's hard to keep track of everything. Then I waste time looking for an important bit of research or a paragraph I started writing for a new book or some ideas I had jotted down on a napkin at a restaurant. To help maintain some balance and sanity, I am trying to organize my life and particularly my papers. Following are some steps I am beginning to take to aid in this area:
- Putting important notes in binders.
- Using a filing cabinet to store binders, notebooks, and other materials.
- Typing as much as possible into online documents and storing them in dated/organized directories.
- Backing up electronic files.
- Planning each week and day (within reason).
- Scheduling family and alone time.
- Despite all the planning, trying to remain flexible (you need a schedule first, but then you need to be willing to vary it if something unexpected arises).
- PRAYING – this is the most crucial step! Taking time to pray and develop your relationship with God is essential to balancing your life and being productive (producing fruit for God's glory).
Stay close to God, stay close to your family, don’t regret your decision, and get organized. Plenty of other techniques can help us deal with change and maintain balance, but these are a few God has revealed to me recently. God showed me that these points will help me, and I hope they help you as well.
The bottom line in any life-changing situation is to TRUST IN GOD. Start there, and you'll be on the right track.
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Related Scripture
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall…
- Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
- Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
- Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends…
- Proverbs 16:3-4 (NIV)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
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Links and Resources
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/
http://www.homeword.com/
http://ww2.intouch.org/site/c.7nKFISNvEqG/b.1013839/k.BF44/Home.htm
http://www.insight.org/
http://www.careeradvice.com/passionbook.htm
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Upcoming Releases
http://www.CrossYourHeartPublications.com
Look for these Cross Your Heart Publications releases over the next six months:
- "Simply Balanced: How Seeming Bible Contradictions Teach Balance in Life." Discover how what at first appear to be Biblical contradictions actually contain practical advice on how to live a harmonious life in a disharmonious, imbalanced, often contradictory world. This book will help you balance your life and grow closer to God by identifying key points in scripture that you may have previously thought contradicted one another. For example, "don't worry… yet be prepared" and "humble yourself… yet speak boldly." Expected publication date February 2006.
- "You've Been Out of Work How Long? Finding a Job and Emotional/Spiritual Support After Extended Time Out of the Workforce." This ebook will help you on two levels: (1) by providing job-search ideas unique to someone who has been out of work for a long period of time, and (2) by helping you obtain emotional and spiritual support from family and friends who may have trouble understanding what you are going through. Support in both areas – finding a job and seeking emotional and spiritual support – will help provide you with balance in life.
- Also check our site over the coming months for additional print books and ebooks on spiritual, family, professional, and life balance topics by various Christian professionals.
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Contact Information, Copyright Notice, Disclaimers, and Unsubscribe Instructions
Contact information:
Christina Downs
Cross Your Heart Publications
Crossing your life with God's plan
P.O. Box 206
Loyalhanna, PA 15661
Phone: 724-532-3669 or 724-787-6756
Email: Chrdowns@aol.com
http://www.CrossYourHeartPublications.com (currently best viewed in Internet Explorer)
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We hope you have found this issue useful in helping you balance your life! If you have any suggestions for improvements, please email Chris at Chrdowns@aol.com. Thank you, and God bless you.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liabilities:
These files were prepared by Cross Your Heart Publications. Cross Your Heart Publications, including all representatives speaking on behalf of this company:
- Makes no warranty or representation of warranty, express or implied, with respect to using any information disclosed in these files.
- Has made every attempt not to infringe on or interfere with anyone's privately owned rights, including any party's intellectual property.
- Assumes no responsibility for any damages or other liability whatsoever (including any consequential damages) resulting from using these files or any information disclosed in these files.
Further, Cross Your Heart Publications employees have no professional counseling or psychiatric training and make no claim to be experts in these areas. Staff members provide emotional and spiritual advice on a general basis, based on personal knowledge and Biblical and other research.
Copyright 2006 Christina M. Downs, Cross Your Heart Publications
http://www.CrossYourHeartPublications.com
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