"Be Still and Listen"

Very often I get so caught up in the constant rush of life, I forget to just "be still and listen".  If you are outside, looking in at my life, it seems incredibly hectic.  As my 80 year old grammie tells me "You're busier than a cat on a hot tin roof!  I get tired just listening to all you do.", but from where I sit, it's just life.  In the middle of homeschooling, taking care of my family, planning a daughter's wedding, major renovations to the house, etc, etc, etc, the tree down in the yard from a storm, the horses escaping out of the pasture into a neighbor's yard, or making a midnight run to an airport 2 hours away to pick up a son returning from military training are just the bumps in life.  "It is what it is" and no amount of anger or resentment or self pity is going to change what needs to be done.  It's a pretty good attitude for someone with control issues like me.  (There I admitted it, I have control issues!) 

I am also a giver - no matter how busy I am, if I can see a need to fill to help someone else's life, I try to fit it in.  This is where the "be still and listen" part comes in - several weeks ago I learned of a children's charity I felt led to help with.  It called to my heart since I have children of my own, I have the ability to help and could do so as my time allows rather than squeezing in another deadline, so I emailed the company expressing my desire to help.  Each day, I have been disappointed to open my in box and not see any reply from the charity.  Thinking "why haven't the emailed me back - I want to help!" 

This morning it finally hit me as I checked my email - I need to "be still and listen".  The lack of reply is God's way of telling me to slow down and don't add any more on my plate.  I need to listen to Him.  I may have good intentions, I may have the desire, and I most likely have the ability and possibly the time, but that doesn't mean it's what I need to do.  Having a servant's heart is a good thing, but my role here on earth is serving my family - at least for this season in my life.  This season will pass, my children will grow up and move on with their own lives and my season will change.  Perhaps then, it will be a season of serving others.  For now, I will "be still and listen" to God's voice as He tells me there is enough filling up this season of my life right now. 

Book Review - Money Secrets of the Amish

Money Secrets of the Amish

by Lorilee Craker

Book Description:

Take one thoroughly modern gal with a recessionary income problem, mix with the practices of a culture that has proved to be recession-proof, and what have you got? A financial planner in a straw hat. When writer Lorilee Craker learned that the Amish are not just surviving but thriving in the economic downturn, she decided to find out why. What she found was about a dozen tried and true financial habits the Amish have employed for generations that will make your cash last longer and help you build wealth. Craker provides tips to.....

• use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without
• rethink your gift giving
• repurpose, recycle, and reuse
• eat like royalty for a peasant's pittance

This was a very enjoyable book for me to read – I love to read about the Amish culture so finding out how they manage their finances really intrigued me. The author did a good job of presenting the ways of English life that translate into wastefullness as far as the Amish are concerned. Many of the ideas are ones we, as a society, should take more time to embrace instead of falling back on our “disposable” ways. Even though something like growing/producing the majority of their own food may not be practical for all of our busy lives, by pointing out that we are able to expand out search beyond the local grocery store or warehouse store and seek out farmers to buy directly from them produces a postive result in more ways than one. What could be better than supporting a farmer's ability to provide for his family while providing your own family with fresher, more organically grow food? The idea of bartering for what is needed is another great concept – items I no longer use or need in exchange for something I would normally buy. Or my set of skills for yours – my husband has traded his legal skills in return for a home improvement project when a client wasn't able to pay him. So why not expand on that idea and work out something that benefits both parties, no money spent? I think the main idea behind the book, thinking through things before we act and a willingness to put forth a bit more effort to achieve what we want is something we can all do to improve not just our finances, but our lives overall.

Note: I was sent complimentary copy for review purposes only. This review has not been monetarily compensated. The review was my honest opinion and views and not influenced by the sponsor in any way.