distracted Archives - Sharla Fritz
August 11, 2020

Distracted No More

Welcome to the season of distraction! Hectic schedules may make you feel overwhelmed. Pulled in too many directions. Unfocused.

I have something that may help. A few years ago, I was a guest on Marnie’s Friends–a podcast that consistently gives inspiration to Christian women. I shared some of my methods for staying focused. In this episode of the podcast, you’ll discover:

  • The most important step to living with focus
  • The secret of finding true priorities
  • How to align your to-do list with true priorities
  • 3 strategies to know your why
  • Why it’s important to kill multi-tasking3 simple but important routines that will improve your focus
  • The importance of periodically unplugging
  • How focus and Sabbath connect
  • 5 ways to craft your own personal spiritual retreat

Just click on the image below to access the audio recording.

Next step: Write down three current activities that are making you feel overwhelmed or distracted. Is there something you can do to change that? Abandon the activity? Change the time? Enlist some help?

Distracted No More

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.

The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world
Filed Under: Contentment, Spiritual Growth Tagged With:
July 16, 2020

When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed: Do One Thing

come-to-me-all-who-labor-and-are-heavy-laden-and-i-will-give-you-rest2

Feeling overwhelmed? You have too many responsibilities on your calendar. Too many events in your schedule. Too many projects on your desk. It seems like you can’t even do one thing.

These days most of us have our schedules so packed full that we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and burdened.

That’s when Jesus’ words in Matthew almost make us laugh:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

We think: But Jesus, You don’t know my schedule. Don’t you see that my calendar has no slots for rest? My burden does not feel light.

At the beginning of this summer I was feeling overwhelmed. I had so many responsibilities and so many things that I wanted to do that there simply wasn’t enough time in the day to do it all. I was trying to pack 36 hours of activities into a 24-hour day and it wasn’t working. Every day I wrote down a long, detailed to-do list. But every day I felt defeated because I was never able to check off everything on my list.

One morning in June I took spent some time with Jesus at a park. I took a lawn chair, my Bible, a few good books, and my journal. As I journaled about my sense of drowning in my to-do list I felt God ask me to write down everything I felt I needed to do. The list was long. There were writing responsibilities, church duties, family needs.

As I looked at the list, I realized that many of the things on the list were things that I felt a responsibility to do, but no one had given me that duty. I was taking on a burden that God had not really intended me to carry. Jesus’ burden is light, but Sharla’s backpack of chores is a bag of bricks.

As I prayed over this list, God seemed to whisper a solution.

What if every day you asked Me the one thing I wanted you to do? What if you joyfully and wholeheartedly worked on that task that day in My power? If there is more time available you could work on other items on your list, but if I directed You to rest or concentrate on relationships you would follow My lead. Then your burden would be light. Your work load easy.

I have to admit that I am still struggling to put this into practice. My days are still too full. But step by step I am learning the power of one thing.

Following Christ.

Next step: Take a moment right now and ask Jesus, “What is the one thing You want me to do today?” Make a plan to accomplish that one thing as soon as possible, asking Him for the strength to complete that task.

To learn more about focusing on one thing avoiding distraction, check out my book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: ,
February 11, 2020

Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World

How would you describe your life? Focused, calm, in control? Or is it more like overwhelmed, chaotic, and distracted?

At the beginning of every year I pick one word that I hope will characterize the next twelve months. In January of 2015 I chose the word “focus.” The previous two years seemed like a whirlwind of activity with little direction. My schedule had grown into a large unfocused mess. I taught private piano students and sat down at my computer to blog and write. I volunteered at a homeless shelter and directed my church choir. I attended a Toastmasters group and led a women’s Bible study. I felt overwhelmed and distracted.

The path of my life had grown from a single road heading in one direction, to a highway with many appealing exits and detours. God whispered, “Keep your eyes on Me.” But too often I succumbed to the enticing signs that lured me from Christ’s path for my life. It wasn’t that I followed roads to immorality. But I kept following signs that promised greater success or a bigger life purpose. And too often these signs pointed to paths not meant for me. These paths led away from peace, serenity, and intimacy with God and toward greater frustration.

Time for a Change

So at the beginning of 2015 I wanted a change. I began praying for focus. For direction. For wisdom to discern between the important and the trivial.

Little did I know that just around the corner was an event that would change everything.

My husband was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Just a few days into 2015 our family physician called John with the news. Our calendars began to fill with doctor appointments and medical tests. Hospitals and cancer centers became our destinations.

I discovered that a life-crisis can quickly put things into perspective. Suddenly I had no difficulty in abandoning activities I no longer found fulfilling. I had a good excuse to leave organizations that had become life-draining instead of life-giving.

Although my life path was headed in a direction I never expected, I found it much easier to ignore the tempting exits not meant for me.  Suddenly life had focus.

The Focused Path

I thought about my life path when I read this well-known passage in Matthew:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)

Of course, this passage is talking about the road to salvation. Jesus told us He is the only Way to eternal life. Through parables, He explained that He is the gate.

But perhaps this verse can also be a picture of a meaningful life here on earth. Maybe a broad road filled with too many roadside stops and littered with too many belongings leads to the destruction of peace and tranquility. Perhaps a narrow road pointed in the right direction with few exits or detours leads to a full and abundant life.

Living Life Distracted

In this modern world, it’s easy to live distracted. In fact, it’s difficult not to be sidetracked by the myriad of things clamoring for our attention. Societal pressures to have more, do more, be more divert us from the life God meant for us to live. Media convinces us we need one more gadget. Pressure to be successful leads us to take on one more responsibility at work. The burden to leave a legacy compels us to say yes to one more worthy cause.

And yet with all this doing and having, we still feel unfulfilled. In the quest to have it all, we wonder if we have missed something important. We sense that we have been spending too much time and effort on the trivial and not enough on what really matters.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go through a life emergency to change the road you are traveling. I created a book so you don’t have to wait for a crisis—you can learn from mine.

 So How Can I Live Life Focused?

In my book, Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World, you will discover sixteen habits of living with focus. These are the very habits that helped me discard distracting activities from my calendar when my husband was going through cancer treatment. They are the habits I have continued to use to create a life that is meaningful and life-affirming. These routines enable me to avoid disappointing detours and remain on the path God has laid out for me.

You can keep living the distracted life. Racing through life following every disappointing detour. Rushing through a thousand activities without enjoying any.

You could wait for a life crisis to change your course.

Or you could ask God to transform your path. You could delve into sixteen life-altering habits that will help you stay in the narrow path leading to a full and meaningful life.

God is calling you to the road that leads to life. A full, focused life.

Next step: Start this journey to more focused living by closing your eyes and imagining you are driving down the road of life. Ask yourself, “Where is this road headed? Is this where I want to go?” Then in your mind’s eye, look at the signs along the road. What do the signs say? Which ones are the most distracting? Which ones pull you off your main road? Open your eyes and record your thoughts.

This post is an excerpt from my book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World. If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out the book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.

The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With:
January 29, 2019

Why You Need To Begin With The End In Mind

BEGIN WITH THEENDIN MIND.

Awhile back my husband and I watched an inspiring movie called Life of a King.

It’s the story of a man whose life is transformed by chess–yes chess! Eugene Brown learns how to play chess while in prison. When he gets out, he finds work as a janitor at a local high school filled with students who don’t seem to care about school, learning, or life. Eugene gets roped into monitoring detention hall after school and proves unexpectedly persuasive in corralling the unruly students. But wanting to do more than just keep order, he starts to teach the students the game of chess–even forming a chess club at the school.

Whenever Eugene Brown coaches the students on chess strategy, he tells them, “Begin with the end in mind.” You see, the best chess players can see the end of the match when they move their first piece on the board.

Begin with the end in mind. Excellent advice for chess–and for life.

Those words remind me of the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians:

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 4:13-14

You see, too often I’m only thinking about my next move in life. How can I get the next piece of my life in the right position for success? How can I get all the parts of my life aligned for greater accomplishment? I’m distracted by urgent.

Instead, I need to focus on what is truly important. What will matter not only now, but in eternity.

Which option gets me closer to the heavenly prize? Which activity, which attitude, which action brings me closer to the King–Jesus Christ.

Begin with the end in mind. How might that look in real life?

Maybe it means abandoning an organizing project I have planned–because stuff doesn’t last forever–and instead meeting a friend for lunch–because people do.

WHY YOU NEED TO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

Maybe it means caring less about crossing off items on my to-do list and more about crossing the street to get to know my neighbors who may not know Jesus.

Maybe it means thinking less about what I need to accomplish and more about who I am–the beloved daughter of the Most High King.

Maybe it simply means having an eternity mindset. We are not made for this world. Each of us was created to live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes, we are still living out our lives on the chess board of life, but we won’t be here always. The God of grace reached down and rescued us so that we don’t have to live confined to an existence where we are totally responsible for our victory. Jesus already made the winning move which guarantees our triumph.

We aren't responsible for our victory. Jesus already made the winning move which guarantees our triumph! Share on X

Instead of being distracted by all the things in my messy present, I need to focus on my forever future. 

Instead of being distracted by all the things in my messy present, I need to focus on my forever future. Share on X

Begin with the end in mind.

Next step: How can you begin with the end in mind today? How can you “press on to win the race”? What choices or activities do you have today that could benefit from an eternity mindset?

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world 
Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: , ,
January 22, 2019

When Your Goals Become A Distraction

LifeWithJesus

You’ve probably heard the quote,

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.

I’m a big believer in goals. In targeting a few life objectives. In formulating plans.

Because, without aiming at a target, it’s easy to wander through life drifting through the gift of time God has given without making a difference in the world.

distractedbygoalsBut lately I’ve seen that my goals may also hold me back.

Not because they are too big.

Because they are too small.

A list of my goals for the next few weeks might look something like this:

  • Clean and organize bedroom closet
  • Write two new blog posts
  • Organize digital photos
  • Finish new book proposal

Some of those are huge goals. Anyone who knows my clothes-buying habit knows my closet is overflowing. The book proposal is an exciting new venture that might lead to something big. Organizing our photos is an enormous job because my husband takes thousands of digital photos.

But even so, my plans are puny compared to God’s plans for me. One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 3:20:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.

God’s plans are much grander than any I could come up with myself. My goals often have to do with the stuff of this world: possessions, work, success. But God’s vision for my life is all about my character, my soul, my eternal worth.

It’s a little like I’m walking with Jesus on life’s path. He’s pointing out all the beautiful mountains and waterfalls and rainbows. But I’m too busy looking down on the ground looking for pebbles.

I’m distracted from the beauty that is my life by being too preoccupied with tiny ambitions.

Life with Jesus means trusting His plan for me. It means holding His hand and letting Him guide. Share on X

Life with Jesus means trusting His plan for me. It means holding His hand and letting Him guide. It means appreciating the beauty He has already placed in my life.

Sometimes it also means letting go of my own goals so that I can follow God’s.

If I aim at nothing (but my own goals), I may hit it every time (but miss God's big plan). Share on X

If I aim at nothing (but my own goals), I may hit it every time (but miss God’s big plan).

Next step: Write down three goals you have for your life. Spend five minutes praying, asking God to show you if these goals are the goal He has for your life. Ask Him to show you His goals for your life.

 

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world 
Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
January 14, 2019

The Antidote for a Distracted Heart

distractedheart

My heart has been distracted this past week.

I have three–no, four–no, five major projects I am working on. Planning meetings and emails with colleagues have crowded my day. My own seemingly endless to-do list threatens to choke out any sanity I have left.

And because of these distractions, my heart experienced symptoms of anxiety: the fever of too much to do and the cold sweat of not being able to get everything done. 

You have probably felt symptoms like these. Has the strain of endless work at home or the stress of the workplace have left your heart shaky and weak?

What is the antidote for a distracted heart? Simply to bring it to Jesus. 

Francis de Sales, a priest in Switzerland in the 1500’s, wrote:

If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in Our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour would be very well employed.

Jesus promised His disciples–and us–“I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).  But in the rush of all my life crises, I tend to forget–He’s here. In the preoccupation of my jumbled mind, I grasp at the tangled cords of my thoughts and let go of the Savior’s hands. In fixing my eyes on the problems, the hassles, the deadlines, I take my gaze off the Lord’s hands–the hands that continually beckon me to come.

distractedheartpinThis week I still have a hundred things to complete. But the most important thing on my task list is to continually bring my heart back to Christ and His peace. Whenever my heart has wandered away from God’s tranquil presence, I will gently bring it back to His loving hands.

That is the antidote to a distracted soul.

So whenever you notice the symptoms of anxiety and stress, recognize your distracted heart. Bring it back to Jesus.

Next step: This week notice the symptoms of a distracted heart: anxiety and stress. Whenever you experience these symptoms, stop for a moment. Whisper the Savior’s name. Sing a song of praise in your heart. Remind yourself with Jesus’ own words, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Bring your distracted heart back to the presence of God.

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon. The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world
Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
November 7, 2017

3 Ways Abiding in Christ Can Change Your Life: Connecting

Copy of abide

Abiding in Christ.

Every year I choose one word to focus on. One word to guide the next twelve months.

At the beginning of 2017, I chose “abide.” I hoped that studying and meditating on that word would help me understand it better. I kept asking, “What does that word mean, exactly?” “How do I abide?” “How does abiding help my relationship with Jesus?” “How can it affect my daily life?”

Although I am still learning, still growing, I am going to share what I have learned so far. I am going to tell three ways abiding in Christ changed my life. This post will concentrate on connecting.

When I began the study of abiding, one of the things I did was to memorize verses with the word “abide.” The first verse I memorized was John 15:5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

As I meditated on this verse, I realized that I often focus on bearing fruit–working for God’s kingdom, making a difference in the world. But if I’m trying hard to produce fruit on my own, it won’t work. Jesus tells me, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” I’m trying to squeeze out some awesome grapes (aka “amazing accomplishments”), but I end up exhausted and frustrated.

3 WaysAbiding in ChristCan Change Your Life


Then I recognized the fact that bearing fruit is not really my job. My role is to simply abide in Christ. And if I abide, fruit comes naturally.

Think about it. What if the branch said to the vine, “I’m working really hard right now to produce some fantastic grapes. All I need to do is read some more books on horticulture and get up before the sun and work till dark. It will be exhausting, but worth it. Vine, I don’t really need you, I just need to put in a little more effort.”

But the vine says, “It’s useless to try to produce fruit without Me. If you are not connected to me, you will not receive the water and nutrients that are necessary for growth and fruit. All you really need to do is stay connected to me. I will give you everything you need to produce amazing fruit if you just abide in me.”

So what does it mean to abide in Christ? We will explore that a little deeper in the upcoming posts, but to put it simply–to abide in Christ is to connect to Jesus. To keep my eyes on Him, trust Him for everything, and to rely on Him instead of my own abilities. It is to obey God’s commands because they are the instruction book for a fruitful and meaningful life. It is to sink my roots deep into His unconditional love and trust that what the Father wills is best.

This focus on abiding changed my life because it changed my attention from:

“How can I produce more?” or “How can I accomplish more?”

to:

“How can I connect to Jesus today?” and “How can I draw on His strength right now?

I shift my focus from what I can produce to what Jesus can accomplish. I turn my attention from doing to resting in His love.

So if you are exhausted by trying to squeeze out fruit–produce something impressive, accomplish something big–remember that’s not your job. Your role is to abide in the vine–Jesus–and then the fruit will come naturally.

Next step: Ask God to show you if you have been focusing more on producing or more on abiding. Write a prayer asking Him to help you learn to abide.

Check out my other posts on abiding in Christ: Keeping and Remaining.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
September 19, 2017

Four Steps to a Less Frazzled Life

layered look works in fashion but not in life

I love window shopping. Wandering through boutiques and shops, scoping out new styles and fashions is one of my favorite pastimes. I pause at store windows, looking at the mannequins dressed in the latest trends. I check out the fabrics, colors and cut of the clothes.

Inevitably, one particular outfit will catch my eye. And often what I like about the ensemble is the play of different textures and hues. Then I will look a little closer and realize that the mannequin is dressed in 87 tops!

Okay, I might be exaggerating.

But an example of a showcased outfit might be a camisole, t-shirt, a button-down shirt, and sweater. Three or four necklaces and a scarf complete the ensemble.

Too much!

I don’t dress like that, but sometimes I try to layer too much into my life. I pile on one activity after another. I direct the church choir, lead a ladies’ Bible study and volunteer. I try to keep up with the dusting, vacuuming and toilet-bowl swishing. In between I have lunch with friends, talk to my mom on the phone and try to spend time with my family.

Although the layering of fashions looks stylish on the boutique mannequin, the layering of activities usually leaves me looking frazzled.

Four Steps to a Less Frazzled Life

In her book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, author Joanna Weaver talks about how Mary found “the one thing needed”–intimacy with Jesus. When Jesus was visiting Mary and her sister Martha, Martha bustled around the kitchen, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. And Jesus said,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. (Luke 10: 41-42)

When we try to do too many things, the one important thing often gets neglected.

Joanna Weaver offers some practical advice on how to practice “one-thing living.” She outlines four helpful steps:

1. Invite Jesus to rule and reign. Each morning ask Jesus to rule your day.
2. Ask God to reveal the next step. As you go through the day ask God to reveal the next thing you need to do. Don’t try to do it all at once.
3. Have faith that what needs to get done will get done. Trust God to show you each item that needs to be accomplished and trust that what didn’t get done can wait or will be done by someone else.
4. Be open to the Spirit’s leading. Our days may be interrupted by divine appointments.

Let’s try “one-thing living” this week. Jesus invites us to sit at His feet for a time. He offers to take all of our anxieties and frantic activity and if we will let Him. Take time from all you frazzled hustle and enjoy intimacy with the Savior.

Next step: Start your morning by inviting Jesus to rule your day. Pray over your calendar and ask Him what is the next thing you need to do. Accept His grace to complete the task.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With:
January 17, 2017

4 Ways to Have a More Productive (and Meaningful!) Year

 

Life is hectic and we all look for ways to make our days more productive and meaningful. One way I do this is through careful planning and strategizing.

To accomplish this, I often made New Year’s resolutions at the end of each year.  As I put up a new calendar on my fridge, I made lists of goals and plans. (I love lists!) But most of the time what happened was that I made a beautiful plan for the new year–and then promptly forgot about it.

But now I’ve found some methods and routines that help me actually accomplish my goals. These habits help me have a meaningful life–and not just a productive one. 

A Daily Routine

I learned about daily routines from Crystal Paine. A routine is simply a set of things that you do in the same order every day. Choosing to do what is important or useful and then developing the habit of doing those things every day helps me actually do what I intend. I already had a morning routine that consisted of exercise, breakfast, getting dressed, and a quiet time with God. But Crystal suggests also using afternoon and evening routines.  So now I have developed a routine for the end of my workday. When I am ready to quit for the day, I:

  • save the day’s work
  • do a final check of email
  • check my calendar for upcoming commitments
  • neaten my desk
  • shut down my computer
  • say a prayer of thanks for work accomplished

My evening routine is:

  • clean kitchen counters after dinner
  • have time for reading
  • lay out clothes for next day
  • practice examen before I go to sleep

These simple routines help me end my day peacefully and start the day with a clean slate.

Weekly Review Time

The idea of a weekly review came from leadership expert Michael Hyatt. A weekly review is a specific time slot in your schedule set aside for evaluating the past week and setting up the next. During this time you will review:

  • your goals
  • the calendar for the next week
  • your to-do lists (What did you accomplish? What do you plan to do next week?)

I love the concept of a weekly review. For two years I have tried (unsuccessfully) to incorporate them into my schedule. But this year I am making this a priority because I think it will help me stay focused on my goals. It will help me concentrate on what is important and not just what is urgent.

Monthly Personal Retreat

The daily routines and weekly reviews help me be productive and goal-oriented. But checking things off on a to-do list doesn’t guarantee a meaningful life. Planning and goal-setting don’t get me anywhere but lost and frustrated if I’m not following God’s plan for my life.

I am convinced that I need extended quiet time to connect with God to hear His voice and seek His will for my life. So I try to take one day (or one morning) out of each month for a personal spiritual retreat. I am learning this time away each month needs to be a priority. During this time I read my Bible, journal my concerns and questions, and wait for God’s answers. You can learn more and get your own Soul Spa Kit with 59 ideas for a personal retreat here.

Live Like I’m Loved

My type-A personality loves goals and plans. but lately, God has been teaching me that these can get in the way of my relationship with Him. I tend to base my self-worth in my accomplishments. When I check off everything on my to-do list, I feel good about myself. When I don’t, I feel like a failure.

But God is teaching me that my self-worth is not based in how many goals I can accomplish. My value comes from being a daughter of the Most High King. I’m finding that a meaningful life does not come from to-do lists, daily routines, weekly reviews, and monthly retreats–but from abiding in Christ’s love.

Jesus said,

As the Father loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:9

Living in Jesus’ love is the best way to have a productive and meaningful year.

Next step: Start by posting John 15:9 somewhere you will see it every day to remind yourself to live loved. Then consider if a daily routine, weekly review, or monthly retreat might be useful for you.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: ,
October 18, 2016

Feeling Overwhelmed? Build in Whitespace

we-all-need-whitespace

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. I attended a writers’ retreat in Door County, WI where I walked in the woods, typed on my computer, and laughed and talked with writer friends. Then I visited my mother for a few days, came home, did some laundry and repacked my suitcase. I left the next morning for Indianapolis where I attended a conference and a board meeting.

Those nine days were jam-packed. Filled with learning and working. Crammed with laughter and conversation. But there was very little whitespace.

What is whitespace?

In her book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace, author Bonnie Gray defines whitespace like this:

In art, whitespace is often referred to as “negative space.” It’s the space on the page absent of marks or images. We might consider the space as “blank,” but to the artist, whitespace holds beauty. It is the key element of design that gives balance to a composition, transforming a cluttered collection of objects into an aesthetic expression of what we do see.

She goes on to say:

My soul isn’t designed to be cluttered. It longs for space to taste beauty. To breathe. It’s always wanted what God intended for me.

My soul was designed for spiritual rest: spiritual whitespace.

We all need whitespace in our lives. Space for the soul to breathe. Time to connect with God and enjoy the gifts He’s given.

You might wonder, but how can I find this whitespace? My life is exactly as you described. It’s jam-packed with work, volunteer responsibilities, and family obligations. There simply is no whitespace!

I understand. And my words are not meant to drive you to book a guilt trip on the next train out.

Whitespace is a place of grace, not duty.

Start by remembering that Jesus longs to spend time with you. He desires to give you the peace and strength you need in your overwhelmed life. Come to Him to receive His grace, and not to check off one more thing on your overfilled to-do list.

Here are a few practical ideas to find whitespace, even in a busy season:

  • Get up fifteen minutes early to read Scripture and a devotion. Pray over your schedule for the day and ask Christ to be with you in every moment.
  • Or go to bed fifteen minutes early. Before going to sleep, review your day and thank God for His help and presence. Read a psalm and rest in God’s love and protection.
  • Set a timer to go off every hour. When you hear the buzz or the beep, pause for a few moments. Listen to a Christian song. Meditate on a Scripture that reminds you of Christ’s unfailing love.
  • Schedule some downtime. Because I knew my schedule was going to be overwhelmed for those nine days, I purposely created some whitespace before and after the hectic time. I set aside an afternoon on both ends to rest and read.

Jesus invited His disciples to experience whitespace when He said:

Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31)

He invites you to do the same.

Create whitespace for your soul to connect with Jesus. Even if it is only for a few minutes in a busy day, come away and rest awhile.

Next step: Choose one of the four ideas above to create a little whitespace in your life this week. Which one works best for you?

If you would like to learn more about avoiding distractions and living a focused life, check out my new book Distracted: Finding Faith-Focus Habits for a Frenzied World on Amazon.

The ebook is only $3.99!

Inside you will find 16 Faith-Focus Habits that will help you:

  • find focus by connecting to God 
  • truly pay attention to what is essential
  • prioritize your day
  • find focus in your work
  • make important choices
  • defeat the distractions of technology
  • find rest in our hectic world
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