Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach. No, this isn't another post about food though that seems to have been a trend of sorts for me lately. Instead, it is a post about over-committing myself.

I am not whining here because, believe me, no one knows better than I do that I am the one who has gotten myself into this predicament. However, I like to use my blog for keeping track of things like this so that I am always "moving forward" and learning from the past.

I could kick myself for what I have done this time in over-extending myself because a lot of the problem stems from not having left myself enough "contingency time." I generally tend to be pretty good at anticipating potential issues that could unexpectedly creep into my schedule and cost me extra time but this time I really messed up and didn't do a good job of that. As a result, now that other things have come up, I find myself really sweating it.

I hate this mainly because the end result tends to be time away from my family. There is probably nothing I value more on this earth than time with Lisa and Evan and, when my own stupidity and poor planning affect that, I end up beating myself up pretty badly.

I think another problem is simply getting older. Things seem to take me longer than they used to. I don't like that either but there's not much I can do about it I guess except allow for it. I do need to find some time to clean up and re-organized all of the papers that have accumulated in my desk, in my car, and on a pile (okay, piles) at home. I am finding it tough to find the time to do that though I know that, if I can, things will get better.

It's all about balance. Balancing time for family, God, work, and myself. I have, sadly, let things get pretty out of whack recently. At this point, about all I can do is buck up, dig in, and work my way through everything. The most important thing I can do, though, is learn. God has lots of lessons for me in this. He will see me through it but I know that ultimately He is teaching me, molding me into the person that He designed me to be.

God is good. Life is good. I just need to bring life back into balance.

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, NIV)