Welcome to The Scoop on Balance–and a Giveaway!

If you are receiving this post by e-mail or rss feed, it’s because you previously subscribed to God Speaks Today or The Amazing Adventures of Fitness Friday Girl.  Those two blogs have merged to join a new blog called The Scoop on Balance.  If you do not wish to receive new posts from The Scoop on Balance, (maybe you are even getting it twice, since you held two separate subscriptions!) you may scroll to the end of this post and click “unsubscribe.”  Thank you for the time you took to read my previous blogs–hope to see you back sometime!

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If you hold a current subscription to God Speaks Today or The Amazing Adventures of Fitness Friday Girl and did NOT receive this by e-mail or rss feed, then I screwed something up.  So sorry.  Would you kindly resubscribe in the box at the top of the blog?  Because I’ve already spent hours (!) trying to figure out how to transfer that dumb feed, and if I haven’t figured it out by now, it just ain’t gonna happen. 

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If you would like to be entered to receive a $25 Target gift card, please subscribe in the little box at the top of the blog AND leave me a comment telling me you subscribed (new subscribers only, please!)  Winners to be announced Friday.

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I’ve been thinking about you.

Since the idea popped into my mind over a year ago to start a new blog, I’ve pictured YOU in my mind.  I’ve seen you taking care of your family.  I’ve seen you working.  I’ve seen you struggle. I’ve seen you trying hard to be a good spouse/parent/child/follower of God.  And I’ve prayed for you.

I’ve tried to anticipate what you might need (at least as far as blogs go.)  I’ve tried to picture you moving about your caring/working/struggling/try-hard life, and pausing to read a post written by me.

And I’ve asked myself, “How do I want them to feel after they’ve spent a few minutes with me—a few very precious minutes between a hundred other tasks?”

These words came to mind:

Refreshed.

Encouraged.

Affirmed.

Enlightened.

Challenged.

Free.

 

I want The Scoop on Balance to be your virtual breath of fresh air.

 

Maybe that’s a lofty goal.  But it’s worth a shot.

 

So, let’s all stop.

Take a long, deep breath. (go ahead, I’m doing it with you)

Now, s-l-o-w-l-y   e-x-h-a-l-e…………

ahhhhhhh….

Feel better?  Yeah, me too.

You’ve probably figured out by now that we are going to spend some time discussing balance on this blog.  Not every post.  Maybe not even every week.  But when we do discuss balance, I want to make sure we are on the same page.  So, let’s define our one and only term, shall we? (You will  notice that this definition is also tucked safely away in that navigation bar up top, under the heading, “What is Balance?” That way, we can refer to it, as needed.)

 

What is Balance, Anyway?  

Or maybe best to start with what balance is NOT:

• Balance is NOT finding creative ways to squeeze every minute from your already energy-depleted life. That, my friend, is called “highway to a nervous breakdown” (or “normal” if you live in the United States)

• Balance is NOT the absence of stress.  I can’t do anything about mean people or rush-hour traffic.  Your kids will tell you they need poster board at 9 pm and your spouse will hurt your feelings and you will have to wait all day for the cable guy to show up.  Turns out, you can live a well-balanced life and still feel stress now and then.

• Balance is NOT perfection.  The only perfection is God, and you ain’t Him.  So, cut yourself some slack and stop striving for the impossible.

• Balance is NOT a myth.  I suppose if your definition of balance is getting it all done, getting it done perfectly and never wigging out over the laundry—then, yes, balance is a myth.  But I choose to measure my success in this area by a different standard.

 

Standards for Living a Healthy, Well-Balanced Life

 

• Balance is wisdom: You focus your energies where you thrive rather than where you struggle.

• Balance is freedom: You don’t have to say yes to everything.

• Balance is neglectful: Sometimes you say no to good things so you can have better things.

• Balance is dynamic: To maintain balance, you must remain flexible.

• Balance is unique:  You don’t compare.  What works for me may not work for you.

• Balance is growth:  You can’t be perfect, but you should progress and improve.

• Balance is seasonal:  What works today may not work tomorrow.

• Balance is perspective: Some things matter and some things don’t.

• Balance is peace: You know you are exactly where God wants you to be, and you plant yourself there until you hear otherwise.