Help! I'm Overwhelmed

Last week, 2 different women, in the same day, expressed to me that they were 'overwhelmed.'  This idea of being overwhelmed forms a picture in my mind of someone way out in a lake or ocean, desperately trying to keep their head above water and fearing that they are going to lose the battle.  Surly this is not the way the Lord inteded for us to live!  What is the answer?  How can we get away from this feeling.  How can we not only keep our heads above water, but actually swim to shore and be free of the panic? 
Lest anyone think I can't identify with this, let me tell you that early in our marriage my husband referred to me as 'the harried homemaker.'!  I was always busy, always running, always had so many things to do.  Truth be told, that was an accurate description of me!  Let me share with you the way I found my way to 'shore.'
The key, dear friends, are you ready?  The key is priorities.  Let me illustrate it like this.  Get a quart jar, some rice, and some in-the-shell walnuts.  Place the rice in the bottom, then the walnuts on the top.  They proably won't all fit.  Let's try again.  Empty out the jar, this time putting the walnuts in first, then pouring in the rice.  It fits.  What does this all mean?  The walnuts represent the things that are your highest priorities:
time alone with the Lord, your husband, your children, your home.  Once these things are addressed, the other things can fit in around your priorities.  But, if we fill the jar with the other things first, there isn't enough time to get the prioritiy things completed. 
Where did I get these priorities?  Grab your Bible and look up Titus 2: 3-5.  It is a given that time with the Lord in His Word is a primary factor and we will not have the character addressed here in v. 3 without it.  Next, God tells the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands (priority #2), love our children (priority #3), and to be homekeepers or keepers at home (priority #4).   Remember, these are not my thoughts, they are God's.  He knows that these things are primary.  He made you to have a relationship with Him.  He made you to be your husbands' helper.  He gave you children to raise.  He gave you a home to create for your family.  Those things come first. 
Trust me, this IS doable - slowly but surlyI started doing this and it was an immeasurable help.  Do I get things out of balance sometimes - yes. but I know how to pull myself back and when I do, things run much more smoothly and everyone benefits. 
Jesus is our best example.  There were always people after Him.  Someone always needed Him for something (sound familiar?).   But He prayed, asked His Father what to do, and then did it.  What truly matters in life is to do what the Master asks us to do.  The benefit is that in doing this, there is great reward.
And, as an added bonus, you will be living a meaningful life!
I hope this is helpful - let me know your thoughts.

Walk Worthy

My quiet time this morning took me to Col. 1:10 where we are told to 'walk worthy of the Lord.'  What does this mean?  After meditating on this a bit, I believe it means to have what we believe be visably evident in our daily lives as our behavior is consistent with the Word of God.  God is worthy of all praise and honor and is to be glorified by our behavior.  This won't happen if we don't live out the words we speak.  In fact, that would bring dishonor to Him.  Oh that I would better understand that that's what life is all about - bringing Him glory and showing Him to the world.  We have been bought with a price - an incredible price - and do not belong to ourselves but to Him.  Not to us, but to His name be the glory!