Pastor Dave Brisbin and family are home! We were gifted with a wonderful cabin for a few days up in Big Bear. We had been pouring ourselves into so much over the last few years and realized when this gift came that we had not had a family vacation in many years!
We were able to rest, and be a family.. the kids had so much fun. We spent a lot of time on the lake. The kids rode sea doos, Dave and I took the boys out on the pontoon boats. Our 13 year old was our captain, and I haven't seen him smile like that in ages! He was "made" to be a captain! Our 4 year old giggled for days and ran around like he had too much sugar (it was joy), and our 19 year old and her friend Serenity were able to put their cares of their quickly coming college days aside and be kids for just a little bit more... and Dave.... he actually relaxed! I haven't seen him do that in ages. And, when he relaxed, I was able to relax! What a blessing!!!
This trip was truly needed.. and just in time! There are so many stories about Pastor's kids becoming rebellious and Pastors burning out. I know of Pastor's wives who are in therapy.
This has made me question, in the past, the scripture 1 Corinthians 10:13,
(the Message)
13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it."
I do believe this. I don't think it is God that heaps more duty upon our plates, but that we do it to ourselves. We take on too much. We see a need and we fill it. AND, it is not just Pastor's and their wives who do this!! So many Christians believe that we must be all to all and give of ourselves constantly. But, there is only so much that one person can do, which is why God brings us only what we can handle.
Maybe I am speaking to someone directly right now. You are working so hard, you are volunteering your time, taking care of your children, being there for everyone you can be there for, and yet, you are tired, spent, weary and maybe even angry. Just remember.... God First, Spouse, Children, Family, Work, Friends, and everything else... There really is meant to be a flow to our lives, a good flow. AND, if you are not flowing :o) ... something is wrong. It is time to take time for yourself! Don't forget to take time for you. If you are not happy...no one around you will be...remember that!
If we truly put God first, everything flows the way it is supposed to. He will give us the stamina to handle what He gives us. Our spouses and children will not feel neglected and our home will feel harmonious. We will put our work into a healthy perspective and do what needs to be done. Our friends, our true friends will be there for us to minister to, and to minister to us. All of the other things are fillers.
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Have you ever seen the example of the jar and the rocks?
Big Rocks Prioritisation Theory
This is a story with a moral:
planning is the key to time management - and stress reduction.
It appears in many forms - always reported as true!
“First Things First” Stephen Covey describes a story that one of his associates experienced on a seminar. In the middle of the lecture the presenter pulled out a wide-mouth jar and placed it on the table, aside to some fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks he asked, “Is the jar full?” People could see that no more rocks would fit, so they replied, “Yes!
”“Not so fast,” he cautioned. He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?” This time the students replied “Probably not.”
The presenter then reached a bucket of sand below the table, and dumped it on the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Once again he asked “Is the jar full?”“ No!”, the students shouted.
Finally, he grabbed a pitcher of water and filled the jar completely, asking to the public what they could learn from that illustration.
One of the participants answered, “If you work at it, you can always fit more into your life.”“No,” said the presenter. “The point is, if you don’t put the big rocks in first. . . would you ever have gotten any of them in?”
This little story can be applied to all aspects of your life.
The question then becomes: out of all your activities, what are the big rocks? More importantly, are you making sure that they are going first into the jar?
The professor then produced two cafe lattes and proceeded to pour them into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the rocks, pebbles, and the grains of sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.“
The rocks are the important things – your family, your health, your children, and your close friends - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else. The ‘small stuff.’ If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.“
The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness:
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, and fix the disposal.
Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter.
Set your priorities; the rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and asked what the latte's represented. The professor smiled; “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of lattes! ”Now what can you glean from this for yourself?
What are your big rocks?
What do you care about in life?
What are your top priorities?
Big Rocks Prioritisation Theory
This is a story with a moral:
planning is the key to time management - and stress reduction.
It appears in many forms - always reported as true!
“First Things First” Stephen Covey describes a story that one of his associates experienced on a seminar. In the middle of the lecture the presenter pulled out a wide-mouth jar and placed it on the table, aside to some fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks he asked, “Is the jar full?” People could see that no more rocks would fit, so they replied, “Yes!
”“Not so fast,” he cautioned. He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?” This time the students replied “Probably not.”
The presenter then reached a bucket of sand below the table, and dumped it on the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Once again he asked “Is the jar full?”“ No!”, the students shouted.
Finally, he grabbed a pitcher of water and filled the jar completely, asking to the public what they could learn from that illustration.
One of the participants answered, “If you work at it, you can always fit more into your life.”“No,” said the presenter. “The point is, if you don’t put the big rocks in first. . . would you ever have gotten any of them in?”
This little story can be applied to all aspects of your life.
The question then becomes: out of all your activities, what are the big rocks? More importantly, are you making sure that they are going first into the jar?
The professor then produced two cafe lattes and proceeded to pour them into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the rocks, pebbles, and the grains of sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.“
The rocks are the important things – your family, your health, your children, and your close friends - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else. The ‘small stuff.’ If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.“
The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness:
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, and fix the disposal.
Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter.
Set your priorities; the rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and asked what the latte's represented. The professor smiled; “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of lattes! ”Now what can you glean from this for yourself?
What are your big rocks?
What do you care about in life?
What are your top priorities?
What do you want?
What goals do you have in connection with your family, your friends and your life partner, your career, your health?
If you don’t currently have a romantic partner, are you making the time to meet new people?
Is optimal fitness important to you?
What about spirituality, community service, politics or finding new ways to make a contribution to society?
What about having fun, seeing the world and enjoying new adventures?
Take a minute right now to jot down what you consider the big rocks in your life.
After you finish writing down the five, six or ten areas that are a top priority for you, think about how much time you are spending in each area. Is your life balanced, or has one area of pressure taken over your time?
Are you willing to make a commitment, right now, to putting those big rocks in the glass jar of your life? To make a positive change now?
The point is: unless you put the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all.
Plan time-slots for your big issues before anything else, or the inevitable sand and water issues will fill up your days and you won't fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn't necessarily have to be a work task - it could be your child's sports-day, or a holiday).
the moral of the story?
What goals do you have in connection with your family, your friends and your life partner, your career, your health?
If you don’t currently have a romantic partner, are you making the time to meet new people?
Is optimal fitness important to you?
What about spirituality, community service, politics or finding new ways to make a contribution to society?
What about having fun, seeing the world and enjoying new adventures?
Take a minute right now to jot down what you consider the big rocks in your life.
After you finish writing down the five, six or ten areas that are a top priority for you, think about how much time you are spending in each area. Is your life balanced, or has one area of pressure taken over your time?
Are you willing to make a commitment, right now, to putting those big rocks in the glass jar of your life? To make a positive change now?
The point is: unless you put the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all.
Plan time-slots for your big issues before anything else, or the inevitable sand and water issues will fill up your days and you won't fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn't necessarily have to be a work task - it could be your child's sports-day, or a holiday).
the moral of the story?
Put the Big Rocks First and be blessed!
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