overwhelmed with work...

I am overwhelmed with work.  Majorly overwhelmed.


My industry went through some horrific changes the first of the year.  The 6 weeks prior to it and ever since have been a nightmare.  I blog about some of that on my business blog.  Many days, I feel like I am running in circles around the block and that I am just stopping long enough to refuel the fire extinguisher and hit the road again flying on my roller blades around the next corner, hoping that at some point I will beat the wind that keeps spreading the flames.  


You laugh.  Its truly not a laughing matter.  The seriousness of the issue has some medical clinics and practices close to shutting their doors.  My clients are having cash flow crisis issues beyond words.  The look of fear in their eyes, the scared stiff feelings it has created in them, the stress in their staff, the nightmare they hoped to never be living, the pain of questions as to why when I don't have any of the logical answers they seek to obtain, the dream of what they were building appearing to be crashing all around them, all of it is clearly visible...and it is hard to watch.  


I have to step back from the scene and remember to take a deep breath.  Remember to pray.  Remember to ask for strength, courage and support from my close friends but above all from God.  He is with me when nobody else can be.  He guides me when I am racing through the smoke.  He knows my feelings when I hear the panic bell blazing and everyone screaming.  He knows that it takes endurance even when you are drained to the last drop.  He knows its trauma time and has a rescue plan in place.  He has been with me the last 35 years for every 365 days of them, I know He won't let me down now.



As a rescue team member, I don't get the option to leave, to run and hide, to leave someone there hurting and exposed to more danger.  It is my responsibility to pull them out, direct to a less dangerous area, guide through the chaos, and protect from more harm.  


Some of my friends don't understand.  Some of them don't get the reply "I am sorry, I have not had time."  They think it is an excuse.  They think I am avoiding them.  I am not.  Don't come to my house, I promise you it isn't orderly. In fact, you probably would look down on me and despise me for the state it is in.  I wish I was superwoman, and I must confess deep down in my heart I try to be, but my cape is missing in action.  


Yes, I know each of us make time for the things that we feel are important, but have you ever faced a fiasco so enormous that you had to shove everything, literally, out of your life just to keep sanity?  Just to be able to do what had to be done and nothing else. Absolutely nothing?  If you haven't, then you can't relate.  Nothing, absolutely nothing I say here will convey what I am facing.  The words will be lost.  The message won't be understood.


Someday, maybe, I will have time to write a book about it.  Someday, maybe I will be able to resume reading my personal emails.  Someday maybe I will do more than eat drink and sleep work.  But for now, I stay committed and focused to providing a service to my clients as unto my master for He has given me a calling to do just that.

verse to reflect on...

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ... 

- Ephesians 2:4-5

a short visit with a girlfriend

I got to have one of my girlfriends from California stay with me for a few days...it was short, but the time was one of reconnecting quickly.  I just wish I had remember to take a picture of the two of us together like I did the last time you were here.  I enjoyed it...please come back again Susie!

Quotes

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

― Lida Clarkson

Quotes

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.


- Ralph Waldo Emerson

{still dreaming} vacation anyone?

I am dreaming of a vacation...I feel I need to get one on the books or 2012 is going to fly by.  You laugh.  It isn't funny.  1/12th of the year is already over.  And need I remind you that I am a workaholic?  Well, I am...there are times I wonder why because that doesn't seem to be the norm.  Regardless, I decided to be proactive.  They say if you don't plan to do something, you never will.  So I will make a plan.  A plan for a vacation.

I know the owners of this really neat place in California called Journey's End.  I thought about booking a few days stay there, but when their only opening for this year was April or October 2012, I kinda didn't like that.  Oh, and the price, yah, the price was pretty steep.  I am sure it is worth it.  It is right on the water and has this lovely view with chairs to sit out in the sun and hear the ocean waves crashing, yah, I am dreaming about it!!!  I love water!  Maybe that isn't the fit for me this year.  I checked out Groupon Getaways...but everything is a special pricing for 2 (or maybe 4).  That doesn't fit me either.  I don't have 2 or 4.  Its just me.  Plain me.  I want relaxing.  I want quiet.  I want simple.  I don't want expensive.  I don't want busy.  I want peace.  I want no todo's.  I want no going and having to be anywhere at any given time.  Zilch of all of that.  I also am not sure I want social.  I think I just wanna run away and hide for a few days.  I need an escape.

You have another suggestion?  For now, I am still dreaming...

Quotes

Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out. 

– John Wooden

Quotes

In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.
- Robert Heinlein, American Novelist

sometimes...

Quotes

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. 

– Dale Carnegie

Quotes

‎"Every time you trust God's wisdom and do whatever he says, even when you don't understand it, you deepen your friendship with God." 


- Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life

Quotes

[peace of mind]

Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to one’s peace of mind were: 

1 Don’t carry a grudge

2 Don’t live in the past

3 Don’t waste time and energy on things you cannot change

4 Stay involved with the living world

5 Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues of love, humor, compassion, and loyalty

6 Find something bigger than yourself to believe in

The followers of God are encouraged to wait on the Lord and keep his way. Not only does God promise peace on the journey but he promises strength, help, and deliverance because the righteous trust in him. Because God is the Lord of peace, he gives us peace by all means. This peace is not the absence of trouble, but it is the confidence that God is there with us.  When God gives us peace, let’s not return to thinking about our problems or the contrast between the wicked and the righteous.

- Reflecting God

song ~ aware

Aware by Salvador

Even in the little things

That never seem too big to me

And the things I thought didn't matter much at all

As simple as my daily bread to the strength i need to get out of bed

When I fly, or when I'm bound to fall.

Oh it's you, in me, that I fail to see.

Chorus:

Make me aware, make me see

That everything I am is not all about me

So take my world, turn it around

So that the obvious can finally be found

Make me aware, make me aware

When my life is hanging from a thread

And I think about the things you said

That in this moment seem so far away

Help me see the guarantees that first brought me to believe

So I can make thru another day

Oh it's you, in me, that helps me breath

Chorus:

Make me aware, make me see

That everything I am is not all about me

So take my world, turn it around

So that the obvious can finally be found

Make me aware

I have been missing so much

Not recognizing your touch

Or acknowledging that your the reason I’m even here

I have been missing so much

Not recognizing your touch

Make me aware, make me aware

And help me see, that everything I am is not all about me

Take my world, turn it around so that the obvious can finally be found

Make me aware, make me aware.

Quotes

We only do well the things we like doing.

― Colette

song ~ when all is said and done

When All Is Said and Done
by Matt Redmon

Life´s too short to be lukewarm,
This is I know, this I know.
Jesus You can have it all
My every breath,
My every breath.


I need Your power to live this life,
This I know, this I know.
I can´t do this by myself;
You´re Christ in me
My only hope,
My only hope.


As I walk this broken world,
Tune my life to heaven´s song
For I am Yours.
And when all is said and done,
Tune my life to heaven´s song
Forevermore.

Quotes

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
-Confucius

Welcome to Flight 2012

Good morning and Welcome to Flight #2012!  We are prepared to take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Attitude and Blessings are secured & locked in, in upright position. All self destructive devices should be turned off at this time. 

All negativity, hurt and discouragement should be put away. Should we lose Attitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated you can assist other passengers. There will be NO BAGGAGE, allowed on this flight.

The Captain has cleared us for takeoff. Destination GREATNESS.  We look forward to completing the journey with you!


(taken from someone's post on Facebook)

2012 Goals & Resolutions

Each Year, I create my list of Goals & Resolutions for both personal and business goals, but the last 3 years I started publishing them on my blog also.  In 2009 I also did quarterly updates on my blog as to what type of progress I had made towards this goal.  In 2010, I only did 2nd quarter & 4th quarter updates.  I feel it is helpful to take time out and reflect on where you are at and if you are making progress, but that takes focus to make that happen, and then time to actually write it down and publish it on the blog.  If you wish to review 2009 Goals & Resolutions, 2010 Goals & Resolutions or 2011 Goals & Resolutions, click on the links, you can search for the quarterly updates too.  I have had various goals from 5 - 10, but I continue to find more strength and focus when I limit it to just a few.  This year, my personal goals are much the same as last year because I feel more work still needs to be done in these areas; however this year I will also add a theme to my focus.

personal goals

#1 create and implement Balance in all areas of the wheel of life (spiritual, physical, intellectual, family, social, career, and financial - each of these have goals within them listed below):

spiritual
spend time each day in prayer that God direct me in my path & integrity of my heart, that He will give me the strength to face the events in my life, the courage to press on, the help to change what needs to be; read a chapter or some of favorite verses or a daily devotional

physical
continue to commit to a walk every morning for 1.5-3miles; log into sparkpeople.com daily to track my exercise; continue a healthy food diet with no wheat, sugar or trans fats - eating lots of raw vegetables; take all vitamins & supplements daily; get 8hrs or more of sleep which means I have a set schedule when I go to bed & when I get up each day; continue to drink lots of water and don't forget to pack it in the car when traveling to client offices; don't continue to push myself when I can tell my batteries need recharging

intellectual
read 2 and/or listen to 2 audio books a month, at minimum; blog about each with a book review highlighting my nuggets and take-aways; continue the process of learning more information in the my field of business specialty (medical billing & accounting)

family
spend an evening every two weeks at the home of someone I consider my family (since I don't have family in Texas); have a lunch/dinner date with a girlfriend every two weeks, more if possible

social
email a few of my friends weekly; call a few of my friends once a month; entertain company once a month on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon

career 
focus on continued employee training with new employees; continue to find ways to provide excellent service to my clients; build 4 more strong clients; book 5 speaking engagements for the year

financial
pay off new Honda Civic by one year anniversary date of purchase (March 30, 2012); continue to not spend money on anything that is not a need; resume scheduled savings of 10%

#2 in the quest to simplify and lead a quiet life: 

spend one hour each week in the efforts to organize, cull, condense, minimize, sell or use up things in & around the casa - attack a section of a room for 20minutes 3x's a week; monthly list items on eBay & Craigs List; enlist help from friends on ideas and suggestions on how to do this

#3 Schedule two vacations for the year; book one weekend a month off - just for me

business goals

#1 continue to build a client base that follows the mission & vision of my business and increase that with 4 more clients this year, with the goal of 1 a quarter

#2 give website a new look with updated copy & add new team members

#3 continue to build strategic business partner relationships with the goal to reach out to one of them once a week and to make connections with two new people a month

#4 research becoming Quickbooks Certified and enroll if will increase my skills

#5 take a course in Microsoft Office to learn more about graphs and pivots

continue to review EntreLeadership materials quarterly for refreshment & encouragement (rehearse, execute, review); check in with EntreLeadership friends to motivate, encourage, gather ideas, share and cheer each other on success;  review & define motivation, delegation, responsibility, accountability, and authority in my position so that I have a clear picture in view to stay focused on what I expect of me & my team

theme: renew 

~ my focus to aspire to lead a quiet life

~ my strength physically and overall health

~ an even greater dedicated purpose in serving the Lord and study of His Word

~ my mission to not work 6 days a week

~ learn more about myself and make needed improvements that flow with being renewed

a few verses on renew

Romans 12:2 

renew your mind

change the way you think 

Isaiah 40:31 

those who hope/trust in the Lord will renew their strength

those who wait will gain new strength

II Corinthians 14:6

our spirits are being renewed every day

our inner self is being renewed day by day

Colossians 3:10

be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him

be renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him


2012 Theme:
This years theme is RENEW.

scheduling sickness...

This week I had the thought, wouldn't it be nice if you could schedule sickness?  When you could book it and get it over with?  And then I had the thought, yah, if it was like that, none of us would ever schedule it...just like I can't seem to schedule vacations.  However, it does seem that sickness arrives around the year end/new year every year and it is always the most inconvenient times. I am swamped with work for month end, year end, new industry conversion changes happening and it is not good to try to be muddling through all of this while I feel crummy and wish I could just crawl in bed, pull up the covers and shut the world out.  No use complaining, I can't change it, the germs were contacted at the Christian Camp Retreat last weekend and are still with me.  However, I am trying to keep them in my casa so I won't be able to enjoy the New Years Party tomorrow night.

song ~ there is nothing

There is Nothing

Laura Story

Lord I come before You
To honor and adore You
For who You are
and all that You have done
Lord I am not worthy
My heart is dark and dirty
Still somehow
You bid for me to come
So clothe me in humility
Remind me, that I come before a King
And there is nothing
There is nothing
More precious, more worthy
May I gaze deeper
May I stay longer
May I press onward to know You Lord 

May our time be sweeter 
May I be a keeper 
Of the promises 
I make to You in song 
Lord may I remember 
these moments of surrender 
And live my life 
this way from this day on 
So clothe me in humility 
Remind me, that I come before a King 
And there is nothing 
There is nothing 
More precious, more worthy 
May I gaze deeper 
May I stay longer 
May I press onward to know You Lord 
So clothe me in humility 
Remind me.....that I come before a King 
And there is nothing 
There is nothing 
More precious, more worthy 
May I gaze deeper 
May I stay longer 
May I press onward to know You Lord 
May I press onward to know You Lord