Posts filed under 'work'
Status Update
I feel like I haven’t blogged in a while. I’ve been here and there, but feel my heart hasn’t been shared. There are many reasons for that. Maybe I should make a list. (Or maybe I should just ramble since that comes most naturally.)
We are entering Week 3 of the kids’ being sick. Z-dog (Yes, I’m calling him that again. He barks at me all the time, but his preferred name of “Snowball” feels weird since that’s my brother’s dog’s name, and I digress.) withstood bacon’s revenge quite well, but then The Girl got it. We thought she was all better, sent her back to school even. Then yesterday she came down with another fever. She can currently be found snoozing on the couch with a 101.5 temperature. Meanwhile, Z-dog is at school and the principle is probably looking for my replacement as Recess Mom. You know, there is a reason I choose to work from home and this is it!
I started a new blog last month. Technically, I started it two years ago, but didn’t have a set schedule for it until last month. I’ve been posting over there regularly. If you want to check it out, click HERE.
You see, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about blogging and purpose and passion. I’m sure there are posts to be written there, but the thoughts have not yet settled. Once I reach stable ground with those lines of thinking, I’ll let you know where I land.
I know not all of you are writers. In fact, I don’t know that any of you are! And I suspect few of you really care about passive versus active voice or which book offers the best advice for writing query letters. I doubt you find my grammatical humor funny and, aside from the “His love endures forever!” panties, none of you care about marketing. So, I’m trying to divide my interests a bit. Instead of tracking all my various endeavors here, I plan to keep my professional writing life there.
You all get to keep my random mom-wife-spiritual life here. Aren’t you happy?
Eventually I’ll get back to my Bookshelf, which I hate to admit has been neglected for months, but … well, one thing at a time.
In other news, I’m shaving again. Since the shower incident a few weeks ago, I’ve been a bit squeamish. Thanks to predominantly hairless genes (don’t hate me!) and blonde hair, no one — not even my husband — noticed the lack of blade use.
My granny never shaved. She didn’t have to! The only stray hair she grew (and I mean singular — ONE hair) was from her chin. She never had hair on her legs or arms. I’m told her hair was white even as a child. She was so funny. Oh, I miss that woman.
Oh, and I should fill you in on my etsy embarkation! It’s going well. 
Today marks two weeks that I’ve been “in business.” In that time I’ve sold five purses and taken two special orders. I’m struggling to keep my shop filled! I’ve also made two purses that I don’t plan to sell. They’re just too cute to give away. I’ll post pictures later this week. If you want to see what’s currently available, check out my shop: www.zaties.etsy.com.
Several people have asked about the name. All the names I really wanted for my shop were already taken, so I played around with my kids names. Obviously the Z comes from our Z-dog. The -atie comes from our Ellie. She has several nicknames and Kate is one of them. Thus, Zatie’s was born. It sounds better than ZellieLake or LisaBuke, which are other random name scrambles I could have used.
If you missed yesterday’s post, or if you’re a mayo-hater and chose not to read it, you’ll be excited to learn that I’m going “home” this weekend! I’m so excited. I haven’t been “home” to Indiana in over three years. That sounds terrible. I have visited my mama in Kentucky and flown her out here, but I haven’t had a good excuse to return to my roots, the little mapdot where I was raised, in a very long time. I’m thrilled! My mom moved back there the beginning of summer and this is my first chance to see her new digs and my old stomping grounds. I wish I could take the kids, too, but it will be so nice to have this one-on-one time with Mama. We haven’t had that in a long time.
I think this is enough rambling for one morning. This house screams for my attention. Happy Monday, y’all!
1 comment November 9, 2009
I didn’t go British.
Earlier this month I participated in an interview with TransWorld Radio UK for a piece on Christian children’s publishing. Kristina, my friend and managing editor at CCBR, kinda nudged me into it. I was reluctant. But I did it and, more importantly, I survived.
I’d never done a radio interview before and, quite honestly, still don’t feel qualified for such an opportunity. My biggest prayer was that I wouldn’t absorb an accent. It sounds silly, but I knew the reporter would be British, and I know how easily and unconsciously I slip into accents. (I really annoyed Rick while we were in London last month.) I desperately wanted to avoid offending anyone on my first outing as an “expert.”
I am happy to say God answered my prayer. I didn’t go British.
If you’d like to listen to the piece, you can by going HERE. Scroll down to the segment entitled “What Will Our Children Read?” It originally aired on September 24th. You can either listen right there or download it as an MP3. You know, if my voice soothes you, and you simply can’t live without listening to me nightly on your iPod. Then hop on over to CCBR to see what new reviews we’ve posted for you.
1 comment September 30, 2009
Working at Home: Paperwork Tips
You may remember I recently partnered up with Making Work at Home Work as a blogger. Here’s a great new article on keeping all that home and work paperwork straight. Remember: working at home may include a little side job or a full-blown business. You may do Stampin’ Up!, Creative Memories, Tupperware or Pampered Chef OR you could be a freelance writer, an Etsy crafter or a great garage-saler with a knack for eBay. Anything you do at home that brings in money is an at-home business and these tips can make it easier and more profitable for you.
Recordkeeping and Deductions
By Mary Byers
The number one rule for moms who work at home is this: Do not mingle your personal and business finances. Open a separate checking account for your business. And, if necessary, secure a separate credit card so that you can keep your personal and business-related expenses separate. Deposit all of your income in the checking account. Pay all of your expenses out of the checking account. When you do, at the end of the year you’ll have an accurate record of income and expenses.
Check with your bank before your open your checking account. They may require proof that you’ve filed a “Doing Business As” form with your local or county government. Your banker may also be able to alert you to other regulations specific to your area.
I personally believe it’s essential to stay on top of your business’ finances on a monthly basis. Though it’s not my favorite chore, I use a simple software program to track income and spending. I can compare this year’s figures to last year’s to find out how I’m doing comparatively as well as monitor my year-to-date performance. There are many easy-to- use software programs on the market (such as Quicken and Quick Books) that make it possible for business owners to track and access their financial data.
In addition to inputting my financial data, I take time to organize my expense receipts each month. It takes less than a half hour to file them but doing so insure that my end-of-year tax preparation will run smoothly. Plus, I’ll have necessary proof if I’m ever audited.
Once your record keeping is in order, you should take the time to learn what’s allowable as an expense deduction for you as a self-employed individual. The more you deduct, the less your profit. The less your profit, the less you pay in taxes. The less you pay in taxes, the more you keep for yourself.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, “To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate and helpful for your business. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary.”
The challenge in determining what’s deductible is that it differs based on your occupation. Day care providers can write off the cost of toys they buy for their charges and a computer game designer can deduct the cost of purchasing competing games for review and critique.
If you’re interested in learning more about deductible expenses, consider picking up a copy of June’s Walker’s Self-Employed Tax Solutions. It’s an excellent resource, as is June’s website at www.junewalkeronline.com. Her blog is worth subscribing to if you’re interested in learning how to keep more of what you make.
Of course, if you’re uncertain as to whether something is deductible, check with your personal tax advisor. And if you don’t have one, get one. I personally waited too long to do this and wish I would have done it sooner.
Here’s how to make the most of your deductions:
Know what’s deductible. Take the time to learn what’s deductible. You may be surprised by what you can write off. For example, authors and playwrights may deduct the cost of the plays and movies they see if they are doing so to better learn the craft of plot, story and character. If you conduct business on the way to or from your family vacation, you may be able to write off a portion of your travel expenses.
If in doubt, ask. This is where a tax reference book or good accountant comes in. While it may be easier not to ask, doing so may well cost you money that would be better placed in your retirement account or a child’s college fund.
Realize that small deductions add up. My bank is 5.6 miles away. With the current IRS standard mileage deduction of 50.5 cents per mile, every trip to the bank for a business related transaction results in a deduction of $2.83 (50.5 cents x 5.6 miles). Last year alone my mileage deduction totaled $1,971. (I record each trip in a mileage log in order to provide documentation for the IRS.) Remember, deductions decrease taxable income, and lower taxable income means paying less tax.
Keep your receipts. Develop a simple record keeping system that’s easy to use. You’ll need to keep your records for seven years after the relevant tax return is filed. (Though the receipts only need to be kept temporarily, you should keep your tax returns forever.)
If you need help developing a working system, get it. Though recordkeeping and taxes can be both tedious and boring, they represent an area in which solo-preneurs can make a huge difference in the bottom line. You owe it to yourself and your family to excel in this area. If you’re intimidated or uncertain in this regard, make a commitment to learn what you need to know–starting today.
Author, Speaker Mary Byer’s created this program after the release of her book, Making Work at Home Work: Successfully growing a business and a family under one roof, to help other Work at Home Moms (WAHM) conquer some of the struggles that she herself has been through. Mary says, “I feel really privileged that I was able to write this book. I wrote it with Work at Home Moms in mind. There are so many unique challenges about working at home that only another work-at-homer can understand!” I would like to encourage you to explore their website for some great advice and some much-needed encouragement. You can learn more about making work at home work by subscribing to Mary’s free blog at www.makingworkathomework.com.
1 comment September 18, 2009
Making Work at Home Work
I’ve shared my struggles to balance work and family, specifically parenting, with you in several posts. I know many of you struggle with the same. Whether it be a direct sales business, supporting a husband’s business, writing or freelance design, if you’re a mom at home, finding that sweet spot where everything seems to click (without guilt or missed deadlines!) can be a challenge, to say the least. And if you do find that sweet spot, maintaining it and your sanity can be a whole new trial.
I am so happy to tell you about a new book. Mary Byers, author of The Mother Load: How to Meet Your Own Needs While Caring for Your Family and How to Say No . . . And Live to Tell about It, juggles both a freelance corporate writing and speaking business with her responsibilities as a wife and mother of two school-aged children. She does it successfully and has just released a new book sharing how she does it.
Making Work at Home Work is not a “how to start a home-based business” book. You can find a ton of those already. No, this is a much needed follow-up for those who have already started their businesses and need some direction in how to keep it going. As the title says, it helps those seeking to successfully grow a business and a family under one roof. It’s not about starting, but about maintaining. It’s not just about your business either. That is included, of course, but it’s also about your family: your husband, your children and yourself. It’s about having all of that and your sanity, too.
Here are some of the discussions within the book that I found most helpful.
- Understanding the difference between a SAHM and a WAHM is more than one letter
- Determining why you’re working and how much is enough
- The Parental Pact *A vital chapter!*
- Setting limits, boundaries, goals and regular work hours
- Creative child care options and determining when and if you need them
- How to distinguish and handle both kinds of guilt: good guilt and that comes from the Enemy
- What, when and how can you subcontract in order to raise revenue
The book also contains chapters on taxes, retirement, supper swaps, vacations, faith and sanity. Readers enjoy profiles of real moms running real businesses and how they do it. It’s a fantastic book, one I wish I’d had years ago with my first work-at-home ventures. You can purchase the book HERE (a wonderful gift for working moms, friends and sisters!) or you can enter to win a FREE copy on Mary’s site.
Mary’s Contest:
Win a copy of Making Work at Home Work (or another one of Mary’s books–your choice) AND a $25 Amazon gift certificate (for some WAHM essentials – Day Planner, bubble bath, funky file-folders, toddler DVDs)!
There are three ways to win:
- Leave a comment on Mary’s post. CLICK HERE to do that.
- Sign up for Mary’s quarterly newsletter where she offer tips and advice about all facets of a women’s life: WAHM, mothering, women’s issues. More info here!
- Join the Work at Home Blog Ring. More info here.
Good luck! And if you don’t win, be sure to order a copy of this book anyway.
I only saw one downside, and it’s minimal. The beginning chapters seemed redundant, not to other sources, but to themselves. Speakers tend to reiterate their point frequently throughout their speeches. Writers don’t need to do that because readers can simply turn back a page or a chapter and re-read what they missed. At conferences or lectures, though, listeners can’t turn back time. They need to hear the point over and over to get it. The beginning couple chapters were like that. The author repeated herself frequently to make sure we got the point. By the fourth chapter (forty pages in) this stopped.
Even with this one stylistic irritation, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is filled with valuable information and insights founded on experience. I feel relieved just knowing I have this resource to guide me, a faith-based success story and “you can do it to” encouragement.
Don’t forget to visit the author’s site to enter the contest!
1 comment May 7, 2009
WFMW: Life Balance (and a Giveaway!)
Some people think the dilemma of balancing family and work disappears when you work from home. It doesn’t. I work very parttime as a freelancer, but I still struggle. Here are some tips that help me do what I need to do and escape the chasing guilt that I’m not doing enough or not doing it well enough.
Stop multitasking.
I can’t do it all and, after years of trying, have learned that the more I try to do it all, the less I actually accomplish. Furthermore, what I do accomplish usually falls short of my best. It’s shoddy because I’ve done it with a divided heart and mind. My work — be that actual work (like writing or helping a client) or family work (like household chores or playing with the kids) — shines when I focus. My kids notice when I’m not “all there.” They know when my mind is a thousand miles away. My work notices too. I can’t write and play with the kids at the same time. Articles lose their cohesiveness and they take exponentially longer to write. It’s just not time-efficient. In a world that demands multi-tasking, how do I learn to single-task? (more…)
4 comments April 8, 2009
Looking for tips!
Okay, people, today is the day to leave a comment. I am desperately seeking tips on removing wallpaper glue.
I abhor wallpaper. I’m not kidding. Well, let me qualify that: I abhor wallpaper in my house. More specifically, the work necessary to remove it. You can read all about my hatred and the reasons for it here and here. I also mentioned it here. Yup. It has become the bane of my existence since we bought this house from wallpaper-lovers. And now I’m in the middle of another lovely adventure with this despicable home “improvement” product.
Not long ago I mentioned our issues with Zach’s room, the soon-to-be dining room. The wallpaper came off surprisingly well. Now I’m trying to get all the excess adhesive off. Got any tips? Ideas? Simply homemade tricks?? I’m all ears! I know how to get it off, but I’m looking for something a little quicker and more efficient than hot water and elbow grease.
One thing: my husband hates the smell of vinegar more than I hate wallpaper, so if your solution involves this wonder of wonders, please also include a way to get the smell out of the house before 6pm. Thanks!!
2 comments November 20, 2008
Happy with the way it is
Last night Rick and I watched the All-Star game as long as we could keep our eyes open. We finally surrendered around 10pm. To some of you this is a pathetic bedtime, but after a full day of swimming and playing with the kids and Rick’s crazy day at work, this was actually pretty good for us. Anywho, I got less than an hour’s sleep before Zach woke me. Poor guy had lost all his blankets and was curled in the fetal position on his pillow trying to avoid cold blasts of air conditioning. He wasn’t totally awake, but he was crying. Tucked in and secure, he quickly fell back into a peaceful sleep. I was minutes behind him. Unfortunately, my slumber lasted only thirty minutes more. I leaped from my bed at the first blood-curdling scream to find Ellie at the top of the stairs. I must have taken four steps at at time. Through sobs and fever, she told me of a black figure who was watching her sleep. My first reaction, of course, was to pray, during which she vomited all over me and herself. After two changes of clothes and an hour of prodding and pleading with her to take some Tylenol, we finally crawled back into bed, Rick to ours and me and Ellie to hers.
Earlier that day I had talked with a friend about our boys and their sleep problems. Her son recently completed a couple sleep studies and was diagnosed with sleep apnea which led to a minor surgery. Since then he and she have slept beautifully. I shared how, with a handful of exceptions, I haven’t slept through the night in over three years. We concluded there must be something wrong with Zach because it’s not supposed to be like this.
But while I lay in bed last night, Ellie slowly stroking my arm to make sure I hadn’t left her, I thought of sacrifices. Sure, I haven’t slept in almost four years; I’m tired and, at that moment, smelled very much like vomit in spite of the clean clothes. I was in a small bed void of my husband and other favorite sleep props. I thought of all this and was still completely happy.
There is a story in 1 Chronicles 21 that seldom gets much attention. David went against God’s command by taking a census of his military. It may not sound like a big deal, but God knew that David was counting his men to make sure they could defeat their enemies. Rather than trusting in God, David was trusting in numbers. God corrected David’s focus by sending a plague on Israel. He also sent an angel to tell David how to make amends: he was to build an alter on Araunah’s threshing floor. When Araunah saw King David coming toward his property, he bowed low, his face to the ground. David told him God’s request and asked to buy the property. Araunah refused the money and even offered his own oxen for the sacrifices David must make. David insisted saying “I will not take what is yours or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
What does this have to do with parenting? We think it’s not supposed to be like this. Life should be easier than it is, right? Who said that? And when we resign to the fact that this is the way life is — sleepless nights and far too much bodily excrement — then we tend to look at parenting as a job. Stay-at-home moms are especially guilty of this. We feel like our husbands are out working so hard and we’re not bringing in any money and so our kids are our jobs. We work to produce good kids, sweet, moral, intelligent and happy; clean homes, the kind that put Martha Stewart to shame; happy husbands, the envy of all their friends, and look like we’ve done it all without breaking a sweat. We’ve “professionalized motherhood” to the extent that we no longer see parenting as service. It’s our career. We see our kids as work and when things don’t go easily for us, we get frustrated and angry and try to find an easier path. Forget parenting, we do this with regular jobs too!
But what if we consider parenting as an offering to God? Will we give Him what has cost us nothing? And our jobs. Must we complain at every trial or can we consider our discomfort evidence of a sacrifice made to bring Him glory?
Let’s take the parallel back one step. David lost sight of what made his kingdom great. It wasn’t their numbers, their skills or even his excellent leadership abilities. It was the God they served. We cannot be great parents by anything that we do or any skills we possess. We can read all the books we want, but the wisdom gained will never be enough. Our families will never be great because of our appearances, our behavior, our skills or our efforts. Our families can only be great when we serve God wholeheartedly, without looking to the left or to the right. He is what makes us great.
What sacrifices have you made for which you can thank God today?
5 comments July 16, 2008
Being Disciplined: Part 2
Two Saturdays past I attended an event for local Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. I’ve been selling their products and teaching stamping and scrapbooking classes for seven years. It started out as a hobby and then became a business and now it’s back to being little more than a hobby. But recently a friend decided to start her own SU! business by becoming a demonstrator too. I attended this “Spring Fling” to support her and help her get off to a good start.
The day was a blast. We made some great projects and, of course, heard some very inspiring words by career demonstrators. They talked about the most productive ways to maintain a consistently successful business. Because I no longer plan to take over the world as Creative Stampin’ Queen, much of it went in one ear and out the other with a generous “if only” roll of the eyes. But some of it I found very applicable to writing. Or actually any career that has you working at home.
Leave home to work. This doesn’t mean get a different job or rent an office. Simply find a way to differentiate between home time and work time.
The problem with working at home is that we’re surrounded by all of our at-home chores. It’s difficult to turn off the “gotta do” pager when you pass a stack of dirty dishes while grabbing a glass of water or an overflowing hamper on your way to the bathroom. If I went away to work, I wouldn’t be able to do the dishes or throw in some laundry, but because I’m home all day, I feel like I have to. The result? All my work (read: writing, editing, market research, etc.) gets put off. The speaker on Saturday encouraged us to make sure we’re treating our work like a real job (duh!) by leaving home to do it (ah-ha!) Maybe that means literally leaving the house; going for coffee before returning home to start work. Or maybe you can just flip a mental switch. Maybe a timer would be helpful. Whatever it takes. But make sure you’re not using your work time for household chores.
Stop multi-tasking. I’ve decided multi-tasking is a fancy way to procrastinate without feeling guilty about it. One of the speakers asserted that doing one thing at a time ensures you’ll finish it quicker with better results than if you divide your efforts among several tasks. She’s right. This is why lists work for me. I see what needs to be done and cross them off one at a time. Without my list, I meander from room to room doing a little of this and a little of that consistently forgetting why I entered the room in the first place. I used to be labeled ADD; now it’s called Momnesia.
Great tips – right? Only I can’t do it.
My work IS my home. I’m a stay-at-home mom! My kids and the home where they live, they are my work, and I can’t leave them. I’ve tried. They follow. (The kids, not the house.) So, I set up designated work times when they’ll leave me alone, but that doesn’t work either. Take today for example. Rest time is not optional. It happens every day at one o’clock. For at least one hour, I have quiet to work. In theory, anyway. But today Zach didn’t want to play in his room and he didn’t want to take a nap. Instead he chose to stand just inside his door and scream for an entire hour. Did I mention my workspace is about ten feet from his door? After several visits to calm hm down and remind him who is in charge, he finally quit screaming (I think he passed out from the exertion.) at 2:08. That’s when Ellie came down the stairs thrilled that rest time was over. I popped in a video for her, hoping it would keep her occupied for a while. Instead of being content with Cinderella, she begged me to sit with her (cue the mom guilt) and has been talking to me nonstop since.
As for multi-tasking, well, that’s my life too. I need to be able to fill juice cups, make dinner, clean the kitchen and listen to one kid singing while praising another’s latest drawing for Grandma. Sure, a list keeps me directed, but actually being able to focus on one thing at a time? Well, that would only be possible if I woke up hours before the rest of my family. I’ve tried working after the kids go to bed, but by then I’m exhausted and my brain barely functions.
And so, as my friend Dale would say, it’s another day of Tanya’s whining and complaining. *grin* I’m not complaining! Or at least I dont mean to be. Just sharing thoughts. Maybe I’m too ambitious, my goals too lofty. Perhaps my expectations for this time in my life are completely unrealistic. Or maybe I’ve just done enough already today. But I did want to share these tips with you! If they don’t work for me now, maybe they’ll work for you. And I can get them back later.
4 comments May 19, 2008
Odd Jobs
HighCalling Blogs is hosting a meme about odd jobs and what you’ve learned from them. I opted out because I didn’t think I’ve had any unusual employments. Sure, I’ve worked in fast food, factories and office administration, but those jobs hardly qualify as unusual. It’s not like standing around for hours in the name of science or doing anything that requires a gas mask. I’ve never been paid to sift through garbage or sniff flatulence. So, I decided to skip this group writing activity. But then Heather tagged me, so now I don’t have a choice.
Here are the rules:
1. Write a post about some strange job you’ve had and what you learned from it.
2. Link to other “Lessons from Odd Jobs” posts around the highcallingblogs.com network, or quote them in your post with proper attribution. This isn’t a requirement, but it’s a fun way to get people moving around the network and reading each other.
3. Tag your post “lessons from odd jobs”—if you use technorati tags or another form of meta-tags.
4. Tag other bloggers by linking to them in your post and inviting them to participate in the meme. Tag as many people as you like—we’re not limiting this just to people in the network!
5. Link back to Lessons from Odd Jobs in your post and email this month’s host at “Marcus AT highcallingblogs DOT com”.
The trick to this meme is defining “odd.” Is it rare or just unusual? I’ve had two unusual jobs that taught me much the same thing. Millions of people around the world have one or both of these jobs, so they’re not rare titles, but they are unusual.
Being a missionary is definitely odd. First of all, you have to work your tail off to raise the money you’ll work to receive later when you finally get to the field. Once you get there, the schedule is largely unpredictable and often dictated by others. As a missionary in Bosnia, I spent two weeks doing construction of playground equipment, one week distributing food, at least two weeks distributing clothes and school supplies, three weeks teaching English at random times, and the rest of my time trying to navigate the local government and the UNHCR without endangering myself or my hosts. My “work” consisted of drinking coffee (very STRONG Turkish coffee), trying to absorb a language (without a translator), being transported in tanks by French soldiers … oh, and working with two Korean women (one of whom did not speak English) to lay the foundations for a church in an extremely Muslim region. While in French-speaking Switzerland I worked alongside “American” boarding schools with students from Japan, China, Greece, Africa, Germany and the Russian mafia. What languages did I study in school? Um, Spanish and Hebrew. No one spoke those. Nor was anyone fluent in American Sign Language.
The job of “stay-at-home mom” is just as difficult to pin down. At least most of us speak English in this house. Although, my kids are learning Spanish and Mandarin Chinese from TV. (Where was Ni Hao, Kai-Lan when I went to Switzerland?) The schedule, however, is just as crazy. I think I’m in control, but with two constant interrupters, I am often at the mercy of their moods and needs. Being a mother is definitely weird. My perpetual age is somewhere between 19 and 25, so that may contribute to my perception. Or maybe it’s just that I never imagined this being my full-time job. Or maybe it’s because this is the only job where statements like “Take that out of your nose.” and “We don’t hang things from penises.” are perfectly in context and frequently repeated. I spent an entire week working with my daughter’s pronunciation of one word. Unfortunately, my efforts accomplished little, so we forced her to say “Happy Easter” instead of “Happy ‘erection Day.” (Now, if she would just stop singing the “Shake, Rattle and Roll” resurrection song.) And what other occupation requires one to do a happy dance with each successful bowel movement?
So, what have I learned from these odd jobs? God is in everything. He’s all around us. He wants to be with us and talk to us; delight in us and challenge us. It doesn’t matter where you are, what language you speak or how mundane your tasks may seem, God is there waiting for you to meet with Him. Sitting under a canopy of grapes next to a bullet-riddled home, drinking the thickest coffee in the world, I learned to listen. I listened to the hurting hearts around the table (which was little more than a crate). I listened to their stories, their dreams, and in listening to them, I heard God. He showed me how to help them, how to serve Him and how to see me. The same thing happens when I listen to my kids. They have taught me so much about myself and the relationship God desires to have with His children. It’s amazing what we hear when we ditch the schedule and just listen.
All right, now it’s your turn. What have you learned from your oddest jobs? I’m required to tag someone, so Dale, Beverly and Karen — You’re IT.
4 comments April 9, 2008
Frustration vs. Procrastination
“I think of Joseph, whom Hannah and I are studying in homeschool. When he was given disappointments and hardships that we can’t even imagine, in the end he looked the ones who were responsible in the face and said that God meant it for good, and it was okay because of that. Beyond that, I am constantly convicted by something I heard David Jeremiah say on the radio recently. That if we’re fatigued, if we’re frustrated, or if we’re failing, then we are trying to do it in our own strength. That made me mad at first, but I eventually saw that it was absolutely true, and I had to give up control back to Him if I was going to get anywhere.”
I’ve complained much of frustration lately. When I asked a friend to pray for me, this was the response she sent me. This entire week I’ve not felt frustrated, but credit is not due to my friend’s wonderful admonition. The reason I feel less weary is simply this: procrastination. I’m not stressed over how to spend my time or my energies because I’m wasting it all. I’ve been drowning myself (and my time) in novels. Not that there is anything wrong with reading!! Wow – I would never even think such a thing! But if reading keeps me from fulfilling grander purposes; if it supersedes what should be a higher priority, isn’t that a problem?
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” — Colossians 3:23 (NAS)
In other words, we are to give our very best; we are to work with passion and tireless ambition, no matter what we do. I think of this verse whenever I tackle a less than glamorous chore. Like dishes. I hate doing the dishes. But reading! I love to read! I will gladly read with all my strength and all my time. But is that the work I’ve been called to do?
5 comments November 14, 2007
